Couch Co-op

Featuring Guest Vocal Artists: Bandit the ill Alchemist, Ish1da, Joey Z64, Pinky and Clementine, Mike Bananas. Seeing our group's vocalist challenge, there were so many video games and characters therein that sprung to mind to use as rap-fodder. But then we rolled a 5 for Collaboration…The challenge suggests we have to rap from a character’s perspective but not every person has to be the same character so with that in mind, I supposed the best 6 person team I could imagine were the bosses on Metal Gear Solid 1 (minus the octopus boss that didn't really feature). Having a British accent, being the final boss and the leader of the squad; Liquid Snake was the obvious choice for me. Obsessed with ‘genetics defining his destiny’, being the better brother of the two clones (solid/liquid snake) and having a superiority complex/an all mighty chip on his shoulder for having inferior genetics to Solid, it gave me plenty to rap about in the final 50-second slot of this Ruff Ryder style boss rush anthem. Layered with content showing all he believes in containing the odd snake metaphor to boot, I believe I conjured his perspective according to the challenge on the awesome 7-4 beat DJ Hegadrive provided. I obviously gave guidance to the other vocalists on this track too. And I really believe as rappers with different styles and flows we perfectly represent this eclectic, ragtag military outfit that is Fox Hound in Metal Gear Solid 1 (PS1).

As we were given the combination of favourite video game character and five additional collaborations, looking from the Metal Gear Solid bosses’ perspectives worked well. For the music, I sampled each of the bosses’ themes to create a beat for each. Some additional samples are the Konami intro music, which appears on the Liquid Snake theme and the intro music of the game, which is used on the intro of the song. My challenge was to use anything but 4/4, which was initially quite daunting for me, because I’d never made beats outside of this time signature. Some of the original samples were in 3/3, which influenced the time signature I chose, but others required a bit more creativity. Here’s a breakdown of each sequence: Intro: 3/4 Revolver Ocelot: 7/4 | theme sample: main synth sound Grey Fox: 6/8 | theme sample: tribal drums Psycho Mantis: 7/4 | theme sample: main synth sound Sniper Wolf: 7/4 | theme sample: piano and background synths Vulcan Raven: 6/8 | theme sample: electric guitar sounding element Liquid Snake: 7/4 | theme sample: background drum fill I took inspiration for the intro from Gang Starr - ‘The ? Remainz’, providing a hip hop style that’s off-kilter. In between each different boss, I used vocal samples taken directly from the game, mainly from the Colonel, who briefs Snake on each of the characters he is to encounter. This provided a short introduction to each character (the track was already long enough!). Of course, the only way to end the track is with one of the iconic game-over-jingles. Major thanks to all our collaborators for fully embracing their characters and the challenge!

[Banditt the ill Alchemist as Revolver Ocleot]

Chrome spinning, ain’t talking about the wheels though,
It’s real shit, 12 bullets that’ll kill folks,
I run it right, like it’s motherfucking heel-toe,
Don’t eat snakes like a weirdo,
Always got heat in my hand like a hairdryer,
I’m Ocelot, but you pussies wouldn’t dare try,
Getting out of your noodle, get cooked like a stir fry,
Headshots turn your head red like hair dye
* I’m too ruthless, I’m fluid, 
* with an army to boot
Gave your arm to be close to my GRU unit,
Liquid arms, like some Wu shit
Turn your back on me, I’ll put a knife in it,
You don’t know me from Adam, so put your life on it,
My side is whichever sides winning,
Or I’ll just slide from whichever side isn’t

Dos vedenya, Revolver Ocelot, Fox Hound, GRU unit, you know the name

I’m never in your airport like no Russian,
I’m at your presidents side like an old cousin,

Not a grunt, yeah, cat how I hunt ya,
Then I’m putting something sharp in your back - acupuncture


[Ish1da as Grey Fox]

Play dat, slay dat
Where my brain at
Kill a Boss, son, wit no playback
Tha struggle that's where I'm made at
Spin tha block just like Sajak
Make this murder look easy
Me and Snake we got greasy
Mario, Yoshi sittin on tha desk
We need another Luigi
Metal slugs in that contra
Weebs, they say I'm a monster
Bricked up in my boxers
Out here swangin katanas
In that box just like Chico
Off that jaeger, got deepthroat
Word to Big Boss' peacoat
I ain't never had equals
Franky boi he get deadly
Soldiers turned to spaghetti
Keep a mask and machete
Fucked up but still steady
Gon and gimme my roses
Check my cool af poses
Body count goin buku
Tha red sea up in Moses


[Joey Z ⁶⁴ as Psycho Mantis]

Opened up your save files and nobody knew you,
Talk like a real snake and got a couple of screws loose,
I got you,
Flung across the room, and I point and I mock you,
Saran wrap over slot 2
Loser
You're locked in with me,
I'm telling your Mom about those files that you keep,
And she ain't gonna like it,
I can tell you're a child, kid, you play shit that's childish,
Grow up,
I don't even gotta look,
You're playing games you'd lie about if you could,
Sexual Pikmin the perverts edition,
I'm inventing a new version of prison,
I’ll call it Britain.


[Pinky and Clementine as Sniper Wolf]

Love can bloom on a battlefield you say?
Quiet Emmerich,
Don't get between a wolf and its prey
Patience, steady hand with diazepam
I am Sniper Wolf, and I always kill what I aim at

I was Born on a battlefield, 
Gunfire, sirens and screams 
My people
Were left out to bleed
We were hunted like dogs, 
I’ll die a proud wolf today
When you kill me
I will know peace,
Thank you Snake 


[Mike Bananas as Vulcan Raven]

I AM ONE WITH THE RAVENS! The most amazin' shaman
you wanna step to me kid you better be playin'
Snakes don't belong in Alaska, so i'll ask ya
are you ready to battle with the champion muktuk eatin masterrrrr

Big Shaq said man's not hot, but I say man's not cold
I don't need a jacket shirt or thermals no
I've got a sick ass raven tattoo and that's all I need
so please we will see if there is iron in your deeds

Welcome Kosack this is the end of the road for you
I'm gonna pull your ears until you're turning blue
bitch! I served in Vympel special forces Soviets
I'm so buff I carry a gun from a jet

The path you walk on has no end, so hear me snake!
each step you take is paved with corpses in your wake
The raven has put the mark of death upon you hear it rattle
OURS WILL BE A GLORIOUS BATTLE!


[Slippy Thumbstick as Liquid Snake]

Where to begin I was cradled in sin,
Back when Liquid was the state I was in.
The weakest invitro like Danny Devito in Twins,
spaff in a bin.

Together now severed 2 clever snakes in the dessert,
Venom vendettas, brothers get jealous,
Serpents are better, when their leather is wetter,
But when our matter is meta,
Is the battle forever?

Like Ouroboros, I'm a proper boss, talk in forks,
You ain't solid you're soft,
Nature or nurture become precursors to murder,
Slip a little a deeper now,
Slither ever further!

...Till credits roll, I'ma get it all, eat it whole
Got my fangs in the planet's soul,
Solid's a cynic, he says that life is for living,
And don't get in the robot,
But I was already in it!

Telling lies in disguise recognise your jaw line,
it's fine, It's the same as mine,
Smoking Woodbines by the red lines,
Checking land mines,
I'm committing war crimes!

Ill genesis, cell deficits n geneticists,
Got me Clenching fists on Everest,
Shadow moses exposing bro's hereditaries,
Will he notice I'm the cleverest?

Hidden in a box now, knocked down I'm hostile, What now? 
See your body form the top down,
With my payload locked and the keycode plucked...
That's How Fox Hound Fucks!

Fox Hound Fucks!