Rap has provided a way for young hustlers to take their talents off of the street corners and make their money in more legitimate ways through selling music. But hip-hop is a fickle genre, so once your music stops selling some of these rappers have to resort back to making money the only way they know how in order to pay the bills.

Once your name starts appearing in headlines, media outlets like TMZ can’t wait to start airing your dirty laundry. Unfaithful people around you will take advantage of this, like the girl who trades embarrassing stories about this rapper in exchange for money.

The “bubble gum and dick” is most likely a reference to the classic Big L line:

So we can never be a couple hun, fuck love
All I got for hoes is hard dick and bubble gum"

Another downside of becoming famous is that it gets harder to tell who is really on your side and who just wants a peace of your money. This particular girl gives head like she loves you, but is really just hoping that you spend some “bread” on her.

Popular hip-hop music videos and such pressure young MC’s like K.R.I.T. to load up on luxury goods like clothes and jewelry that they have no desire or use for. This leads to purchasing chains that sit in your closet and clothes that you don’t even enjoy wearing, all in the name of looking “cool”.

Your reigning champions are coming off of a year in which they far exceeded expectations in the wake of the Bobby Valentine experiment in order to bring the World Series back to Beantown. GM Ben Cherington has proved himself to be one of the most underrated talent evaluators over the last few years, and this offseason has been more of the same.

Losses

• The most prominent loss of the offseason was centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, who inked a 7 year/$153 million deal with the Yankees. Ellsbury contributed to both of the Red Sox last World Series wins, so it is tough to see him go (especially for the female fans).
• Catcher Jarrod Saltamachia’s departure didn’t get as much publicity as Ellsbury’s, but most fans will miss the grit and intensity he brought more than Jacoby’s cool and collected attitude. Salty reinvigorated his career in Boston to shed the bust label he acquired in Atlanta and Texas, so his love for the team and city was just as strong as their love for him. He signed for 3 years/$21 million for the Marlins, and while most fans were sad to see him go, few could fault him for chasing money the Sox wouldn’t be able to pay him.
• Shortstop Stephen Drew’s batting slumps became a running joke during his Boston stint, but overall his time here should be viewed as a success. He came through when it mattered with a home run in Game 6 of the World Series, and should get paid by a team looking to plug in a solid player at a shallow position.

Additions

• The last few fliers Cherington took on “washed up” players have worked out pretty well, and it looks like he might have struck gold with centerfielder Grady Sizemore. Sizemore used to be the definition of a 5-tool player in his Cleveland Indians days, posting 3 20/20 seasons and one rare 30/30, but injuries have really limited him over the last few years. But he appears to be back to his old self, beating out prospect Jackie Bradley Jr. for the starting centerfielder spot. He still has a ways to go to prove that he can stay healthy for a full season, but his strong performance in spring training makes Ellsbury’s departure much harder to stomach.
• Cherington turned to long time White Sox veteran A.J. Pierzynski to replace Salty at catcher. Pierzynski can be a bit of a diva, but continues to produce at the plate, even at the age of 37. He should platoon with defensive specialist David Ross and hopefully replace most of Salty’s production
• Xander Bogaerts isn’t a new addition per se, but the #1 Red Sox prospect is prepared to take advantage of his first real chance to prove himself this year. After filling in at 3B and SS sporadically last year, the Sox have moved him back to his natural position of shortstop and named him their starter. He has looked pretty polished in spring training so far, and has even generated some Rookie of the Year buzz.

Conclusion

The Red Sox have locked down almost everyone who contributed to their World Series win last year, and let go of who they couldn’t afford. With Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, and the re-signed Mike Napoli anchoring a lineup filled with up-and-comers and friendly faces like Johnny Gomes, the drop-off from last year’s league-leading 853 runs should not be too dramatic. And with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, and John Lackey leading a pitching staff that remained entirely intact from last season, the Red Sox will once again be the team to beat in 2014. #getbeard

Influential producer Dion Wilson flipped his first name backwards (NOID) to come up with his stage name.

Robert Williams went by the nickname “Meek Millions” for most of his life, then dropped the last syllable when he became a rapper.

Cydel Young shares a birthday with Prince Charles of Wales, so he changed the “del” in his birth name to a “hi” in his rap name because he wanted to be addressed as your highness.

The “Schoolboy” from Quincy Matthew Hanley’s rap name is a nod to the fact he maintained a 3.3 GPA in school while playing sports and selling dope with the Hoover Crips. It was also borrowed from a pimp in his hood named “Schoolboy”, as Q said in an interview. (The Q is simply in reference to the first letter of his first name.)

Note – Q capitalizes the H in his name, and the H of everything he writes in reference to all of the important H’s in his life: Hiipower, Hippy, Hoover, Heaven, and Hell.

Arian Asllani joined the rap game after injuring his knee while cooking at the gourmet restaurant he worked at. When he came up with his rap name, the Action part came from his graffiti days in Queens when he would tag buildings with the name “Action”, and the Bronson came from the surname of his grandfather’s favorite actor Charles Bronson.