“Cook” by Fatlip
At the center of Fatlip’s “Cook” is a narrative based on, how they would call it back in those days, Fatlip kickin’ it to a lady. And under such poetic circumstances, rappers are tasked with showing off their skills as women seducers. But at the same time it’s also pretty obvious that the addressee, i.e. the lady at hand, is someone the vocalist truly admires, even if primarily on a carnal level. And the storyline breaks down like this.
I
Fatlip first notices homegirl in a nightclub, dancing sexily. And due to her astonishing physical attributes, he becomes instantly attracted. So he proceeds to make contact with her via drinks.
And they end up spending the night at his stylish crib, enjoying a quite classy ‘late night snack’. And during the latter part of the first verse, the unique characteristics of acts like Fatlip and The Pharcyde are put on display. Or rather let’s say that whereas it is clear the vocalist has paper, he has an unorthodox and down-to-earth style. And he isn’t afraid to show this to his new lady friend.
II
At the beginning of the second verse we find him once again willing to spend big bucks in the name of getting close to the addressee. The obvious, plain implication is that he wants to sleep with her but is exercising patience in achieving said goal.
And as aforementioned what he is most impressed by are her looks, which he compares to “a young Paula Abdul”. He also puts forth a somewhat weird statement, implying that she’s been attractive since age two and suffered sexual abuse as a result.
But at the end of the day this appears to be Fatlip’s own personal, even if tasteless, way of saying that her past does not matter to him. Rather he is truly in it for the long term, no matter what. And he concludes the second verse by basically promising that when she does allow him sexual access, he will give her a gratifying experience.
What “Cook” is all about
And all lyrics considered, the easiest way of describing “Cook” is as so. The song starts off based on the singer’s strong sexual attraction to a certain female. And as their relationship develops, apparently on a non-sexual level, he further expresses a desire to wife her (which is what the title alludes to, her ‘cooking’ for him).
And really, there is no stated reason why he wants to do so outside of, as aforementioned, physical/sexual attraction. Yet and still he is in a position where he does not have a significant other and accordingly wants to make her the one.
So in going back to the beginning of this post and taking into consideration the closing hook, it can be argued that all of this is part of Fatlip’s game, i.e. the words and strategies he uses to, succinctly put, bang females. But more to the stated point is that if he meets a woman beautiful enough and their relationship actually moves forward, then he would be down to marry her.
The Loneliest Punk
This track is from “The Loneliest Punk”, Fatlip’s debut solo project. Fans of 1990s’ rap in particular will recognize Fatlip as a member of The Pharcyde, an alternative-rap crew from L.A. The most-successful track from their heyday was 1993’s “Passin’ Me By”, which topped Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart. Fatlip eventually decided to go solo in 1995, after participating on Pharcyde’s first two album. And apparently this project is the only one he ever dropped as a soloist, at least still as of early-2021.
Release Date of “Cook”
Cook officially came out on 1 November 2005 (as part of “The Loneliest Punk”). And the track’s producers are as follows:
- Selim
- Bob Durham
- Anchour
- Michael Ross
- J-Swift
The label behind this song is Delicious Vinyl. This is the same company that released “Passin’ Me By” as well as even greater Cali-rap hits, i.e. “Wild Thing” by Tone Loc (1988) and “Bust a Move” by Young MC (1989).
