The Mazda MPV made its Japanese debut on January 30, 1990. Eagle-eyed observers might note that this date is two years after it debuted in the U.S. With available seating for 8 and 4WD, it was a unique conscription into the minivan wars, but no one could have predicted that it would become a hip-hop icon. As it happens, our friend Brett Berk just wrote the definitive story on MPVs in rap for an upcoming issue of Road & Track, referencing plenty of lyrics from plenty of artists.
What’s your favorite JNC shout-out in a song lyric?
The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “How do you scratch your car itch in the dead of winter?“.
There were a lot of good answers this week, almost enough for me to wish I lived in a climate that had lots of snow. Almost. Sean Morris, Alan, and Curtis all agreed that the solution is to live in southern California, or Ian G.’s Florida as the case may be.
For those who don’t have that option, Nigel came up with the very legit activity of parking lot hoonage. Jim Klein did that one better by teaching parking lot hoonage to his son. There are, of course, solutions that provide an excuse to buy something, whether its Bridgestone Blizzaks like BlitzPig, a beater ’95 Corolla like Ben E, or a dual sunroof Previa in which to enjoy a moment of solitude like f31roger.
Unsurprisingly, indoor activities ranked high as well, whether it was watching car-themed YouTube videos like speedie and Jonathon P. waxing your garaged car like Vic, or playing car-themed video games like Tom Westmacott. Taylor C. probably spent his time most wisely by acquiring parts for a project car and patiently waiting for spring to arrive.
The winner this week, however, was Jacob D, who took up the hobby of karting and introduced his wife to the joys of this fine motorsport:
It’s pretty easy to get a 09 Tundra side ways when the roads are all snow and ice.
Also, to scratch the motorsports itch me and my wife have taken up indoor karting here in town. They just opened, started doing league stuff (cornhole, axe throwing, etc.), so we gave the karting league a shot. Turns out she is wicked fast, especially for someone who has little to no interest in cars except through me (and even then I just act like I know what I’m doing). Its been a blast.
The unfortunate thing though, it’s most likely opened up a whole new hobby I’ll spend way too much money on.
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
AE86 by Dave Rodgers! (JK)
“AE eighty, speedy 86
every road is on fire
’cause I can’t stop driving
with my 86”
Thanks for the shout-out, Ben!
Of course, Brett!
If we’re allowed two-wheeled JNC, Lou Reed has a shoutout to his Kawasaki GPz in the song “New Sensations”. Bonus points since he had also done some Honda scooter ads.
“I took my GPZ out for a ride
The engine felt good between my thighs
The air felt cool, it’s was forty degrees outside
I rode to Pennsylvania near the Delaware Gap
Sometimes I got lost and had to check the map
I stopped at a roadside diner for a burger and a coke
There were some country folk and some hunters inside
Somebody got themselves married and somebody died
I went to the juke box and played a hillbilly song
They was arguing about football as I waved and went outside
And I headed for the mountains feeling warm inside
I love that GPZ so much, you know that I could kiss her”
Two-wheels definitely welcome. That’s a good one!
♫ So your girlfriend rolls a Honda, playin’ workout tapes by Fonda
But Fonda ain’t got a motor in the back of her Honda ♫
My daughter spent a college semester in New Zealand and while there purchased a first generation Honda CR-V with three other students that had well over 300k km on it. It was one of those cars that kept getting passed on to each new group of students and was perfect for hiking trips and beach visits. When she came home she asked if I had ever heard the song CR-V by Cuco. I had not, and though light on lyrics it has a beat that is perfect to listen to when you are just drifting down the road. The New Yorker even wrote an article on it entitled “Cuco’s CR-V, the best (and perhaps only) tribute song to the Honda SUV”. I doubt she will ever see a CRV and not hear that song playing in her head.
Nas – If I Ruled the World
If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky’s the limit
I push a Q-45 Infinit(i)
The only rapper around to give props to Infiniti. Biggie can talk about stretched Lexuses and LX 4 and 1/2 or Baby Benz trade it in your Hyundai Excel, but Nas really goes into the non-mainstream.
Then we also have E-40 and Keak da Sneak along with Turf Talk going all out with Muscle Cars. Listening to that in my JNC makes me seriously want to go romp on an LS or a Coyote motor. I can’t even pinpoint a lyric, since the whole song is like a dedication!
E-40 was also a fan of the Lex Luthor SC-four-double-O!
“I was young, I was survivin’ the times
Waitin’ for my moment, I was destined to shine
Little Ray had an NSX, I was hopin’ I’m next
Wantin’ bracelets, never hada rope on my neck”
My ‘91 Montero has survived 32 years and 225k miles of hard use, from Alaska to Montana and now West Virginia. It still runs and drives without issue, and looks tough doing it, so I think it’s safe to say that the Montero, like Wu Tang, is forever:
Rap Meyer Lansky, crash your fantasy
Gettin’ high fellas stand by, here’s the plan, see
Sit back collectin’ TECs and checks and
Flowin’ slow in a Montero flexin’
Beats break heavily, word to INS, bless me
Throw me like three bags of sess
– from Raekwon’s “Glaciers of Ice.”
Who back in 1980 when Rapture was released by Blondie would have figured that of the four car brands mentioned that Subaru would one day outsell the other three combined (of which one doesn’t even exist anymore)?
“…And then you’re in the man from Mars
You go out at night eatin’ cars
You eat Cadillacs, Lincolns too
Mercurys and Subaru…:
Debbie knew, man, Debbie knew…
The first one that comes to mind is a line from Sheryl Crow’s “All I wanna Do”.
“The good people of the world are washing their cars on their lunch break,
hosing and scrubbing as best they can in skirts and suits,
They drive their shiny Datsuns and Buicks…”
But there’s two whole songs that I’ve come across that come to mind immediately after this lyric, one about a car, one about a motorbike.
The car song is “The Twincam Song” by Oliver Conlon. A good old fashioned Irish folk song about the AE86.
The motorbike song is “Little Honda” by The Beach Boys. A catchy tune about a low powered, but quite fun motorbike that you can use the whole gear range.
The winner is Lil Nas X’s mom for naming him “Montero.”
The Lexus flexes from Long Beach to Texas – Snoop Dog
What you think I rap for?
To push a f****’in RAV4?
which I personally like, so SMD Kanye.
90’s Toyotas are RAD.
While not a rap lyric, it was mentioned by a rapper, Ice Cube.
https://youtu.be/oC4edw3n3h4?t=18
The one that made the Infiniti M30 convertible known it wasn’t a Lexus