The Culture of Tapology

This MMA community has many non-MMA threads already.  Music, Jokes, baseball, football, etc.

So, I thought it might serve a purpose to create a thread for all the other contributions to each other's lives that don't fit anywhere else.

Do you have something that would enrich the community culturally?  Maybe dance, comedy, nutritional, inspirational, arresting visuals?  But please let's keep this positive, and appropriate to the general public.

Maybe a video clip of a movie, broadway show, highly unusual, utterly creative, a cutting edge piece of information, a new computer application, or something that would make someone's life better or richer.

Yeah I can't wait it's gonna be great!! I've seen most of them at solo shows but pretty happy to be scratching Big Daddy Kane and Naughty by Nature off my list!

@poir420 Good point, I'd throw KRS-One in before Kanye and after the Furious Five for greatest rap artists ever. Masta Ace is underrated too, not gonna lie. I'd put him in at 4 and bump The D.O.C. down to 5.

The reason why I have Kanye that high though is because of his raps AND his production.


@Swickotine Pac is not that amazing of a rapper but he was a symbol for the 'hood and that's what makes him so respected. I respect him for his societal commentary more than anything and while he was a great rapper, he was far from the greatest. He's in the top 20 though.

Big L tho? His debut album had some tracks that I **** with and I respect him and his potential but number 3 in the best ever list? Don't see it.

@amp112 Guru...damn that's an interesting entry. Him and Premier was ******' amazing, but I tend to think it's more because of Premier than anything. I think Gang Star should be high in a 'greatest rap groups' list but I don't think Guru should be that high when his raps were aided by Premier's godly production.

I personally always thought that Ghostfase Killah was better than the GZA, anyone care to agree with me?

I like how you put E-40 in the overrated list but I honestly don't think he was ever rated lol, I don't **** with him either. RA The Rugged Man on the underrated list is a ******' badass choice, that dude was a crazy m'fer.

@MadMikeXD Big Pun...that's a good choice. R.I.P.

@poir420 Slick Rick, daaang ahhaha. I don't get your overrated rappers list, any fan of rap knows that the rappers you named are ****. Not gonna lie though, early Wayne was the **** and Nicki Minaj's verse on Monster is easily the best verse I've ever heard a girl spit ever. She showed so much talent in that verse, it's a shame that the verse was just a fluke.

@UFCPickEm I'm talking about actual production, which encompasses the beat-making aspect but also involves their input in the sound of the artist in studio...among other things.

I think a producer list would be too difficult but I know the names that would definitely be in it are Premier, Pete Rock, Marley Marl, Kanye West, Dre, J Dilla, my man Pharrell Williams, Rick Rubin and I don't know about the rest but I would really want to include El-P as well. The order of this list is a whole other story.

did I not see any Outkast on anyone's list?

Mexican Cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine

Mexican cuisine is complex, as complex as any of the great cuisines in the world such as those of China, France and Turkey.  It is created mostly with ingredients native to Mexico as well as those brought over by the Spanish invaders, with some new influences since then.  Native ingredients include tomatoes, squashes, avacados, cocoa and vanilla, as well as ingredients not generally used in other cuisines such as edible flowers, vegetables such as huauzontle and papaloquelite or small criollo avocados, whose skin is edible. European contributions include pork, chicken, beef, cheese, herbs and spices and some fruits.  It has been debated how much Mexican food is still indigenous and how much is European. However, the basis of the diet is still corn and beans with chili pepper as a seasoning as they are complementary foods.

Despite the introduction of wheat and rice to Mexico, the basic starch remains corn in almost all areas of the country. While it is eaten fresh, most corn is dried, treated with lime and ground into a dough.  However, the most common way to eat corn in Mexico is in the form of a tortilla, which accompanies almost every dish in Mexico. Tortillas are made of corn in most of the country.  Corn (Maize) was a staple of Mexico since prehistoric times.

The other basic ingredient in all parts of Mexico is the chili pepper. Mexican food has a reputation for being spicy, but its seasoning can be better described as strong. Many dishes also have subtle flavors as well. Chili peppers are used for their flavors and not just their heat, with Mexico using the widest variety of chili peppers. If a savory dish or snack does not contain chili pepper, hot sauce is usually added and chili pepper is often added to fresh fruit and sweets. The importance of the chili pepper goes back to the Mesoamerican period, which it was considered to be as much of a staple as corn and beans. In the 16th century, Bartolomé de las Casas wrote that without chili peppers the indigenous did not think they were eating. 

Even today, most Mexicans believe that their national identity would be at a loss without it.  Many dishes in Mexico are defined by their sauces and the chili peppers those sauces contain, rather than the meat or vegetable that the sauce covers. Tamales are differentiated by the filling which is defined by the sauce (red, green, chili pepper strips or mole). Dishes without a sauce are rarely eaten without a salsa or without fresh or pickled chili peppers.  For most dishes, it is the variety of chili used that gives it its main flavor.

The main contributions of the Spanish were meat and cheese, as the Mesoamerican diet had very little meat and dairy products were completely unknown. The main meats found in Mexico are pork, chicken, beef, goat and sheep (lamb). Native seafood remains popular especially along the coasts.  Cheesemaking in Mexico has evolved its own specialties. It is an important economic activity, especially in the north, and frequently done at home.

Some prominent Mexican dishes sold in the US as 'fast food' include the following.

Tacos 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacos
Normally, a corn tortilla, folded around a filling, usally beef, pork, chicken, seafood, vegatables or cheese.  It is eaten like a sandwich.

Tostadas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tostada_(tortilla)


Quesadilla
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quesadilla

A quesadilla is usually a corn tortilla filled with a savory mixture containing cheese, other ingredients, and/or vegetables, (often) then folded in half to form a half-moon shape.  A quesadilla is made with a tortilla and is filled primarily with cheese. Other ingredients, such as pork, ham, avocado, or other vegetables may be added.

Burritos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burritos

A burrito consists of a wheat flour tortilla folded into a cylindrical shape to completely enclose a filling. The flour tortilla is usually lightly grilled or steamed, to soften it and make it more pliable. In Mexico, meat and refried beans are sometimes the only fillings.

In the United States, burrito fillings generally include a combination of ingredients such as Mexican-style rice or plain rice, refried beans or beans, lettuce, salsa, meat, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream, and the size varies. Typically, American-style burritos are stuffed with more ingredients than the primary meat and/or vegetable filling.

Enchiladas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enchilada

An enchilada is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of ingredients, including meat, cheese, beans,potatoes, vegetables, seafood or combinations.

Tamales
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamale

A tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa (a starchy dough, usually corn-based), which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating. Tamales can be filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, chilies or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.

Tortas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torta#Mexico

In Mexico a torta is a kind of sandwich, served on an oblong 6-8 inch firm, crusty white sandwich roll, called a bolillo, telera, a torpedo-shaped French roll with a thick and crunchy crust, or birote. Tortas are typically eaten cold, but can be served hot, typically toasted in a press in the same manner as a cuban sandwich or panini.

Garnishes such as avocado, poblano, jalapeño, tomato, and onion are common. The dish is popular throughout Mexico, and is also available anywhere with a large number of Mexican immigrants. This dish should not be confused with a Spanish egg torta, a popular omelette-like dish.

If it ain't sold at Taco Bell, it ain't Mexican. (Just teasing.)

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 8:58 PM ET *

Seafood simply means any foods that people eat that came out of the oceans, rivers, lakes or bodies of water.

Some of the more popular items that people enjoy include the many species of: lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, mussels, squid (calamari), octopus, and many species of fish.  

Some of the more popular fish species include, bluefish, swordfish, sardines, salmon, cod, bass, flounder, smelt, trout, haddock, pollock, whitefish, carp, grouper, halibut, sturgeon, abalone, herring, perch, mackerel, barracuda, eel, marlin, red snapper, etc.

One of the reasons why some people avoid seafood is that anything that comes out of the ocean is high in sodium (salt), which causes people's bodies' to retain water.  That is an extremely important factor for those trying to lose weight.  One of the best sources of Vitamin A is fish liver oil, and fish liver is usually the source of Vitamin A in nutritional supplements in pill form.

Seafood is high in iodine, which can cause one's metabolism to be very alkaline, which can trigger allergies, feel hungry and gain weight.

A seafood allergy is a hypersensitivity to an allergen which can be present in fish, particularly in shellfish. This can result in an overreaction of the immune system and lead to severe physical symptoms. Most people who have a food allergy also have a seafood allergy. Allergic reactions can result from ingesting seafood, or by breathing in vapours from preparing or cooking seafood. The most severe seafood allergy reaction is anaphylaxis, an emergency requiring immediate attention. It is treated with epinephrine.

In addition, many tasty soups are made from seafood.  Clam chowder - white (New England), red (Manhattan).
Fish chowder and seafood chowder are extremely popular. A popular item made from crabs are crab cakes. 

Almost everything from the ocean can be prepared in a wide variety of manners.  They can be eaten simply as a filet, or fried, made into sandwiches, soups, chowders, etc.  There are restaurants based on seafood cuisine, such as Red Lobster, Joe's Crab Shack, Long John Silvers (fast food franchise chain) and dozens of others.

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 2:02 AM ET *

To all the rappers & hip-hoppers, I can't say I understand your language or enjoy your music.

But I can say this.  It is clear to me that it makes you all better people, and that's enough for me.

Anything that can do that will get me to carry your flag.  Best I can do for now.  I'll work on it.

* Edited at 06.11.2013, 11:32 PM ET *

@Anik. Living in the Bay Area, I hear so much E-40, it drives me mad. Like you said, he wasn't any good.

@Bill. I love how we hijacked your thread and you still tried to post your usual stuff. I love how you are embracing it even more. Props.

I am the thread starter and I am the caregiver of this thread.  But it is not MINE.  It is OURS.  It is yours as well as mine.  You can not hi-jack your own thread.  

But thank you anyway, amp!  I must surely be the last word with respect to being an attention and compliment *****.

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 2:59 AM ET *

Since my python regurgitating a baby hippo was such a smash hit, I thought I'd share more of the same.

15 foot Rock Python regurgitating antelope-type animal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC0OqueoYKA

Anaconda regurgitating baby cow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHyTuuplt3s

Python regurgitating otter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B1J1-BSpUs

Python attacks and eats a King Cobra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ODjpkA2Mmw

Python regurgitates 2 birds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcehMRC2LqY

@Anik well for my overrated rappers I basically was thinking how they actually sell records. Lil Wayne sells millions so he has millions of people that like him so I consider that to be overrated I guess. True hip hop heads know the guys I posted on my list are not great so I see your point.

And yeah Slick Rick!! The Greatest Storyteller in hip hop!!

I would also throw out Das Efx for being underrated their **** was just so different from anything else out there.

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 7:28 AM ET *

You like rapping, huh?  I'll rap for this thread.

Pythons puking? You want more?
Check out my music man cause I know I'll score.

We got sports videos and cuisine, too.
We got art, dancing and Ali fights for you.

Drop on by and make a request.
We got all kinds of hot messes, cause we the BEST!

Like I said, I'll work on it!

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 11:24 AM ET *

ROFL... nice one @bill. 

Nice post about the mexican food Bill, but you stayed more on the side of the "fast" food although tamales and enchiladas have nothing fast on them.
I know there's just a lot about mexican food to put it all on a post, so to complement yours I'll add some

Mole
there are around 300 types of mole, on average it has over 20 ingredients some have up to 35. it's a pre hispanic dish. Modern mole is a mixture of ingredients from North America, Europe and Africa, making it the first international dish created in the Americas. Its base, however, is indigenous. While chili pepper sauces existed in pre-Hispanic Mexico, the complicated moles of today did not. They did not contain chocolate, which was used as a beverage, it's base is chili peppers  and cacao. is more sweet than spicy but is heavily seasoned, you make it with chicken or beef but mostly is made with chicken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcBhQWNtgyg

for those who like cooking there's a recepie, you can try to make that complicated dish from scratch or just buy your **** in a can and add water choice is yours my friend, I mean not even my grand mother made it from scratch, but is souther and center Mexico is still made this way in some families




Pozole
Pozole (Nahuatl: pozolli [po'solːi]),  is a traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew from Mexico, which once had ritual significance. Pozole was mentioned in Fray Bernardino de Sahagún's "General History of the Things of New Spain" circa 1500 . this is a very old dish from hundres some say more than 1000 years ago, it's served as a main dish and is very damn filling, ir's kind of s soup it has corn  (the white kind) is bigger and has a much fillier consistence than the yellow kind, meat (beef, pork, chicken, it's common to put pork and beef together, but not the chicken) chili peppers (who would've guess huh?) onion, oregano, you add lemon, some add raddish and cabbage

I know it may not look like it but this **** is goooood  btw for those of you who doesn't know Nahuatl is the language spoken by the Aztecs before they were conquered

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 10:27 AM ET *

@Bill Burgess HAHAHAHA without even knowing it, you jacked DJ Khaled's swagger completely.

"cause we the BEST!"



@poir420 Fair enough but personally, Nicki Minaj isn't much of a rapper and more of a pop artist.

@amp112 I've always enjoyed his freestyles and I've always appreciated his originality, to be fair. It could be a lot worse than E-40.

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 10:29 AM ET *

@Anik yeah good point, I just know whenever I hear one of her songs come one the radio it's like nails on a chalk board haha

Japanese and  Vietnese food is better than Chinese b/c they put much less oil in there food. much healthier for you.

@poir420 I choose to ignore those god awful tracks and instead bask in this:

can we break 1000 posts on this thread today? I think anik should put up Debbie Harry's "Rapture" song for obvious reasons. lol.  best female rapper of all - time. oldest too!

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 10:40 AM ET *

Debbie Harry can't be the oldest rapper.  Does William Shatner qualify as a rapper?  He spoke his recorded LPs.  Does that count, if there's no rhythm or beat?

William Shatner reciting 'Rocket Man'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvQwXOCKNLY

And speaking of the great rappers, let us never forget the immortal Lorne Greene, with Ringo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xqgicy4MQU

Why doesn't someone do another international cuisine, like Japanese, Korean, Indian, French, Spanish or British?  C'mon, y'all.  Don't let me do all the heavy lifting.

And to the rappers.  Instead of listing the all-time great artists, why not post their very best cream and let us listen to the links.  That way, we all can enjoy the good stuff.  When you only list a name, it would take a month to go through his Greatest Hits, and still miss his buried treasure.

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 11:04 AM ET *

oldest" female " rapper, find me one older? she is 68 years old. she is known more for punk/pop music though.

* Edited at 06.12.2013, 11:03 AM ET *