More white people rapping poorly: Icy Hot Stuntaz frontman "born again" as B-SHOC

Yesterday I came across a website on the amusing phenom of white people rapping poorly. It was lulz. But when I posted it here, I could not have foreseen the amazingness that would soon manifest: 31 comments into a thoughtful discussion thread about how racist I must be for laughing at white people, commenter DSMVWL THS dropped a bomb.

Da Flame of the Icy Hot Stuntaz has been born again as B-SHOC, the Christan rapper.

If you are unfamiliar with the Icy Hot Stuntaz, they were a white boy rap brigade from Toccoa, Georgia (population over 9,000) that gained tens of fans circa 2001 when someone accidentally posted photos of them photoshop-bling'd-out and frontin' in front of their not-really-that-tricked-out-Civics online. In one moment, the entire internet united to point and laugh. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and many a related meme followed. You can read more about them on Know Your Meme, Urban Dictionary and Encyclopedia Dramatica (NSFW).

Luckily for those living more than one state road away from Toccoa, the attention span of the web is short and most people never heard of them again. Until now. Skip ahead 10 years and here comes B-SHOC. He's got a CD out that you can buy from him with tracks like "My Trunk Go Boom" and "The Jesus In Me." That's right, he now sings for Jesus.

From his about page:

At the age of 16, B-SHOC's heart started beating to the beat of rap music. Falling in love with the style, he pursued a career. With the success came the "rock-star" lifestyle which consisted of partying and women. Between performing and promoting, this fast life locked B-SHOC in the night clubs almost every night of the week.

The chase for fame and money, and never seeming to reach satisfaction began to fill his heart with emptiness. Reaching a state of depression, B-SHOC became tired of the race. Knowing that God had his hand on him the whole time, B-SHOC knew it was time to run back to Him. B-SHOC disappeared from the scene for quite some time. After time off and prayer, he came back with quite an announcement... "From here on out, I'm singing for Jesus!"

Wait, what?

To tie these fun bits together, B-SHOC, a.k.a. Brian Edmonds, is also a.k.a. Da Flame of the Icy Hot Stuntaz. I'm sure you can see where I'm heading with this argument.

What subject a gentlemen decides to rap about is entirely up to him, be it cash, cars, bling and bitches, or Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

But I gotta take issue with the claims that before rebranding as B-SHOC, dude was a "rock star." Come on now. He was in Icy Hot Stuntaz for the love of God. Easily the most diamonds-photoshopped-onto-themselves-white-rappers in history. And while the Stuntaz always appeared to take themselves dead seriously, it's pretty clear they were the only ones doing so and the majority of the press they got was people trying to prove they must have been some kind of prank.

So B-SHOC, you know what it says in The Bible about hyping up your past to make it seem like you were way more popular than you were, right? The Bible is against this. Straight ballin'.

• [Anonymous]

  http://www.whitepeoplerapping.com is the shiite.. LMAO!!!

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    How could you link that without pointing out this post? Just look at it!

• [Anonymous]

  You want to know something very, very odd? In Korea, the Icy Hot Stuntaz page (http://stuntaz.cjb.net) has been blocked by the Korean National Security Agency. Typically they only do this for websites repeating North Korean propaganda.

• [Chocolatey Shatner]

  Yes, but can he dance for Jesus?

  • [Anonymous]

    “Yes, but can he dance for Jesus?”

    Yes, apparently:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D7iT2MT00o

• [hassenpfeffer]

  A comparison of the group and individual shots would seem to indicate that “Da Flame” ‘shopped his name-tattoo onto his left arm along with the diamonds and whatnot.

• [Anonymous]

  Can he dance? Naww dawg, he do the “Jesus Lean”

  http://www.reverbnation.com/store/store/artist_404840?item_type=music

• [hassenpfeffer]

  For the record, the Tiger Balm Stuntaz were WAY better than these poseurs.

• [Noodlehead]

  Haters gonna hate… Or, something like that.

  • [knoxblox]

    Um…persecutors gonna persecute?

• [rock_steadily]

  Speaking of white christian rappers… rapping badly; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Oj0-splZw

• [BlackPanda]

  One word. Aspects

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDl_FJ9fGQ

  Bristol crew!

• [Anonymous]

  To be fair, he at least seems to be getting work.

• [RebNachum]

  To quote Mathesar: “BUT … WHHHHYYY?”

• [Anonymous]

  Post-Icy Hot Stuntaz, B-Shoc didn’t have a huge career, but he was known regionally at the very least. By no stretch of the imagination was he grabbing headlines and topping charts, but he had a following, and some level of celebrity (as I recall he had a TV show appearance, though I don’t recall any other details about that instance), so he can reasonably claim to have lived “the rock star lifestyle” (consisting of making music, making appearances, and partying) even though few would call him a “Rock Star”. His first album, Shocology, is a gem of “Horrible-Awesomeness”, whereas the second (the title escapes me) was a more legitimate effort and could be taken more seriously. I stopped following him after that since I just wanted to laugh at him, and he was becoming less of a joke. I was starting to respect his determination to become something and it wasn’t fun to ridicule him anymore.

• [jordan]

  We must also include Mike’s and Raindrop’s epic rap battle:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA8rhf2KVzs

• [Anonymous]

  The best battle rapper ever is white and Jewish. He’s literally destroyed all competition, and all of his battles are up on youtube. He’s called Iron Solomon and you can check him out his most recent battle, with E Ness from Making the Band on VH1 at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCFSqzCetj4

• [irksome]

  “Rap about what you know…” Like the pains of suburban living, driving your mom’s minivan and living in her basement.

  Oh what tribulations. But I still love 3rd Bass.

  • [knoxblox]

    Yeah, I miss ‘em, too. Anyway, Vanilla Ice deserved the trashing he got.

    Serch acted like a buffoon, but he was funny as hell.

• [Scatterblak]

  Not really a mystery; those of us who actually know Brian and the boys know that the entire meme was a joke/parody that grew out of control from day one. So, basically, here’s what happened:

  1. They post the most offensive white-boy gone urban crap they can think of, laughing constantly.
  2. Enough rubes take it seriously that it becomes an international meme.
  3. To this day, Internet pundits and sites (including this one) are still completely taken in, all the while thinking that they’re the ones poking fun, when in fact they’re the butt of the joke.
  4. It all grows so out of control that all three (not just Brian) either made money or are making money off of what may have been one of the biggest practical jokes on the net.

  Laugh all you want – you just drove a pile of traffic their way, and made them a few more $$.

• [snatchamoto]

  I like the picture of them flexing their mad skills for what appears to be on of their mothers, and possibly a little brother….

• [Anonymous]

  He’s actually a real nice guy.

• [DSMVWL THS]

  Sean, thanks for front-paging this!

  So funny that he makes no mention of the Stuntaz on his website. I hadn’t scrutinized it enough to realize that he’s written that chapter out of his bio.

  P.S. Get yer hot tips like this fresh from my Twittertubes at http://twitter.com/MaxxKlaxon

• [Tsu D. Nim]

  Check this out: “White Rapper Destroys Some Guy In A Rap Battle”

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKfkkfejF4g

  Judges agree at the end.

• [Anonymous]

  Toccoa is in fact famous for being the home of the original Band Of Brothers. Delicious, delicious irony.

• [Anonymous]

  This news is very old. B-SHOC and the Dirty South Basement Boys came around at least 4 years ago, maybe 5. Some of the funnier stuff about the group isn’t mentioned in this article- the other members of IHS were also in the group, plus one of the Dirty South Basement Boys is actually a woman. B-SHOC had a clothing line for a while, SHOCCA Wear, and went to college on a tennis scholarship.

• [Anonymous]

  He now repents to audiences about his straight ballin lifestyle during Icy Hot Stuntaz, and how jesus saved him from tru pimpin.

• [Anonymous]

  I keep reading “Icy Hot Suntanz” and it confuses me.

• [Anonymous]

  I watched the promo video on his site. I felt like someone had ripped Barney Fife out of Mayberry, thrown him in a chair, and asked him to talk about hip-hop and jesus. I was very confused.

• [Daddyology]

  Auto pedantry: From left to right, it looks like a Mitsubishi Eclipse, Chevy Tahoe, and Pontiac Firebird/Trans Am.

  Not a single Civic in there. (Sorry — just had to.)

  Oh, and to those whose sense of humor is on the fritz: The issue doesn’t seem to be whether or not people from one culture can emulate aspects from some other culture. If that was never allowed, we would never have Moorish arches or rock and roll.

  It’s the posseurosity and belief these white kids from Podunksville, Ga., possess — namely, that they are hardcore gangsta rappers with piles of cash, women (to use a term they seldom, if ever, do) and a sordid criminal history.

  For example:

  A white kid from the ‘burbs can* most certainly enjoy some Tupac (or Tech N9ne, or whomever). They can even do so in a $500 1983 Monte Carlo with $20,000 worth of stereo equipment. Fine. Dandy. Wonderful. Whatever.

  It’s the fact they act as if they can somehow relate to the music that’s the problem.

  Sorry, but the closest thing the Icy Hot Stuntaz got to a gang was the Boy Scouts. What’d they do, creep up on a pack of rival Webeloes and do a drive-by knot tying?

  Again, the problem isn’t them doing rap. It’s them acting as if they can do hardcore gangsta rap. And well.

  But YMMV.

  (* “Can” used here in the general sense; not in the sense of “I or anyone else can stop them from doing it!” sense.)

  • [Anonymous]

    You’re 100% right about the Eclipse and Trans Am. However, I’m sure that car in the middle is actually a late-90s Ford Ranger. That was my initial thought because, to me, the headlights are really distinctive, and it just didn’t look tall or wide enough to be a Tahoe.

    Plus, here’s “Freeze” posing in front of it:

    http://i.imgur.com/UgUNf.jpg

    Comparison photo:

    http://i.imgur.com/3Pdco.jpg

    • [Daddyology]

      Ahh … I stand corrected, dear sir or ma’am. That is a Ranger, ain’t it? Which makes it even funnier, quite frankly. :-)

      And I have to second the Iron Solomon suggestion in comment #34. Dude. Is. Bad. Ass. Most certainly worth checking out for those looking for something unique from a guy with incredible talent.

• [st vincent]

  This says more than I could ever put into words for you:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmpPuAPP-Kw

• [Anonymous]

  At least they didn’t go with ‘Ben-Gay Stunnaz’epoloc unless

• [allisarus]

  I don’t think people are offended by you pointing out that These Particular White People In Question are bad rappers…

  I think the amount of activity in the comments comes because 1.) why is this tidbit newsworthy, and 2.) what perspective are you coming from. I think it’s safe to say the audience that reads this site is multiracial, but probably mostly white. So either you are expecting the majority of readers to be comfortable enough in their own skin to laugh a little at a caricature that may or may not resemble them OR you are kinda giving a little winkwink, nudgenudge to the minority of readers (that are Black people and PHENOMENAL rappers.)So yeah, I think it was just a confusing post to make.. that’s why you got a lot of comments in a bunch of directions.

  But I was just saying the other day – I’m kinda over the whole old grandmother rapping / station wagon driving family rapping and omg, it’s totally hilar. Why not spend the posts dedicated to the subject of rapping to more intriguing interrogations of rap music…

• [Anonymous]

  More importantly, why is Chuck Liddell on stage with B-SHOC?

• [Wally Ballou]

  Based on my observations as I travel this land of ours…

  Tonight, in his State of the Union address, President Obama should announce that he is proposing a $2000 per head “National Wigger Tax”.

  We could fully fund health care and wipe out the deficit in a decade.

• [Anonymous]

  Who knew the carwash paid well enough to afford such bling?

• [pyster]

  Next to my apt, separated by an alley that leads to my parking, is a little store. People cut through the alley to get to the store. I live in a very diverse area, but my side of the street is predominately black. For some reason people LOVE to sing and rap as they walk down the alley, and as they gather at the store or in front of my building. So far there has been only one girl with a bone fide nice voice in my nearly 3 years living there. The rest of it has been just the most god awful, corny, and whacked out shit. I keep saying I need to set up cameras and microphones and put up a website, but laziness, and the fact that once you talk about it there is no need to actually do it, have kept that from happening. Maybe this year…

• [seyo]

  They are pretty awesome. The talent kids have these days is just jaw dropping. Like this kid here:

  http://www.break.com/index/sandwich-with-a-punch-1990967

  Someone please give him a cooking show!

• [social_maladroit]

  Let’s forget ethnicity and just back up for a minute. Are you saying that you can rap “well”?

  (I kid, I kid. But only a little bit.)

  But look at those gang signs that Da Flame’s throwin’ down in that third picture backwards, like in a mirror. Then they mean, “Turn me on, dead man.” Anyone seen Paul McCartney lately?

• [toyg]

  I’ve seen some Oldham(UK)-based white rappers, and they’re nothing like the typical ‘murrican wiggers.

  Oldham is basically a mixed underclass ghetto near Manchester, constantly on the brink of rioting among racial lines, and where whites are probably not the majority anymore. Looking at these white guys on stage, I really felt threatened: they did look like your average local criminal. Their rap was very old school, very angry, very shouted, but the rage was all true.

  So no, it’s not about skin colour, it’s the wannabism that sucks.

• [Anonymous]

  “tens of fans” :D
  Gotta love the subtlety.

• [bshock]

  As someone whose given name is “Brian Shock,” and who usually goes by the handle “bshock,” I am chagrined and deeply offended. Give me my name back, you Christian fiends :-)

• [jeepercreepers]

  It’s like lolcats but instead of cats we get white kids.

• [shmageggy]

  Is there a Poe’s Law of rap? Because there should be.

• [Anonymous]

  “More white people rapping poorly”

  Uhhhh…..How can you tell? There’s actually a standard for Rap!?!?!?
  

• [gwailo_joe]

  Daddyology has it right IMO. . .

  And yet. . .these kids are some low hanging fruit. Yes, lil’ whities of relative privilege rapping about things they have zero experience with is pretty sorry. But, well, that’s rather meh to me.

  Not all white rappers are bad, I can think of Mr. Mathers (of course) and Mickey Avalon (not for the faint of heart) as just a few examples. . .not all Black rappers have mad skills: this should be self-evident.

  So while serving up disses to wannabe-G’s can indeed have it’s laffs; I am much more pleased when BB can introduce me to new types of hip-hop (or any good tunes. . .)

  For example: got the early heads-up ’bout Die Antwood from this site; and while not my mostest favoritist group ever; was totally glad to give them a few bucks and crank their tunes out my truck for a while. That to me is why these here internets are pretty cool. ‘Go Ninja! Go!’ indeed.

• [Spencer Cross]

  I love that one of the primary navigation elements on his site is “DONATE.” What is about loving Jesus that makes it okay for people to just outright ask for money for doing nothing?

  • [Anonymous]

    evangelism. Help B-SHOC spread the word, fellow christian.

  • [Snig]

    True, especially since he neglected to include a button for accessing his Christ-like charity.

• [fnc]

  I don’t know, maybe it’s not much different than kids playing cowboys and indians decades ago, or cops and robbers, or pirates, or any game where children got to put on a costume from what was perceived to be a more exciting life or time.

  • [marence]

    I don’t remember anyone dressed like cowboys and pirates and firemen in high school. Usually kids outgrow it.

• [ColbertNoRelation]

  For some reason, white guys posing as hardcore rappers brings this (almost completely unrelated) Biz Markie literal video to mind;

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0DXK6BQe2U

• [GrrrlRomeo]

  It doesn’t get any worse than the Westboro Baptist Church Phelps clan rapping: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdS_M1CWMPA

• [Anonymous]

  Anon = B-SHOC ?

• [brillow]

  Back when I was a Xian, I used to go to these rally’s and stuff where people who had strayed from the shared delusion and returned would tell us stories. “I had sex and drugs and I partied all the time, then I realized that it was bad and came back to Jesus. You should never do that, and just stay with Jesus. Because having sex and drinking and drugs is bad, and even though it was super fun at the time, I eventually quit.” I remember thinking ‘Fuck you! Telling us all this fun stuff you did and now since you’ve apologized you’re off the hook but I’M supposed to be good forever? If you can stray and return why can’t I?’

  Also I later have come to realize that technique is actually the worst possible deterrent.

  Seems unfair.

  • [benher]

    That’s why death bed confessions are all the rage among the kids these days!