Rap Game “The Wire”: ODB as Jimmy McNulty Posted by Lucas G. on 09/30/13 | Filed under Rap Game, The Wire, ODB

Here at RefinedHype, we LOVE rapper comparisons, whether it be basketball players, football players, foods, or anything else under the sun we are determined to find the rap game equivalent. It is a pillar of this site next to "Anchorman" references and "MBOW"; so yeah it it’s kinda a big deal. Well Nathan and I we Gchatting up a storm today, with our usual sophisticated talk of the economy and geopolitical issues (A.K.A  new music and that’s what she said jokes) and somehow got from Danny Brown to what it would be like if Bubbles from "The Wire" was a rapper. Then from across the country, we both had a simultaneous light bulb above our heads, we need to do a rap game version of The Wire. I’m sure this has been done plenty of times before—any “new” idea is probably already on the internet—but since we love "The Wire" (who doesn’t?) and, as you can see comparing rappers to things (again, who doesn’t?) Nathan and I couldn’t resist.  But not just one article would do. Something this epic needs to be a new series, so with great pleasure lets kick off "Rap Game The Wire" with the Jimmy McNulty edition; only fitting considering he is the face of the show.

Since it has been a minute, perhaps you need a refresher on the ways of Jimmy McNulty. Good old’ “bushy top” was one of the most talented detectives in Baltimore and had a knack for finding leads and evidence when it looked like there was nothing to go on. he was also extremely moral, often fucking over his coworkers and superiors to no end. While he was honorable in some ways he was unscrupulous in a few other ways. He was arrogant, drunk, sleazy, disrespectful, and often failed to pay child support. As good as he was on the job, he was as bad, if not a worse person. Still, despite his many flaws, you and most characters from "The Wire" (except Rawls) couldn’t help but love him. McNulty might have been a prick, but he was one of the best cops around, and really cared about doing real, meaningful police work and his genuine passion for the job was what made him irresistible to his fellow law enforcers, no matter how many times he fucked them over. The two sides of Jimmy are in full force in these two clips.

Look at the crowd on the clip about community service; they are eating that shit up, even though he is being a huge dick. You know why ODB was able to get away with all that? Because like McNulty he was authentic, passionate and genuinely loved his craft unlike many others who do it. Jimmy wasn’t afraid of pissing off his superiors if it meant solving a crime, and ODB never pretend to be something he wasn’t at the expense of his music, no matter who stood in the way. He wasn’t always the most reliable, but when he was on, boy he was on, and because of this, nobody could be mad at him. He couldn’t be relied upon much, but when you really needed him, ODB always delivered, and is why he always got a pass. McNulty was “natural police” and ODB was a natural rapper. Both had their flaws but both were damn near untouchable when they needed to be and it is what made them so legendary.

P.S: Just imagine Jimmy and ODB in a drink-off…

See Also:  “The Wire: The Musical” Is Hands Down The Funniest Thing You’ll See All Week (Video)
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