Gangsta Othello (to the tune of DMX's "Up in Here")

The following bit of genius was written by an old friend of mine, Steven Rounds
It is used with permission and gratitude!


Iago make me draw my sword/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me forsake my word//Up in here, up in here
Iago make me lose my wife/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me take my life/Up in here, up in here

Once upon a time not long ago
Lived a Moorish soldier with a tale to be told
Othello black devil with the “thickish lips”
People were behavin’ like he was legit
Impressed Desdemona with his battle testimony
With keen wit and skills that paid his army’s bills
He came to represizzle new European idizzle
Roderigo was the man
Who sold all his land
Trapped by Iago’s rap and his devious plan
Iago was the ensign who pilots the ship
Cassio the new lieutenant smart as a whip
Desdemona the daughter of noble Brabantio
Othello the great general and Bianca was a ho’
The whole thing started
When Desdemona departed
In the dead of the dark Venetian homies yell “hark!”
When Iago found out
He let out a shout
All the Venetians homies gotta put down their stouts
From atop his stoop
Brabantio screamed for his troops
To go and find Othello who was tryin’ to scoop

The genius villain
Seemingly chillen’
Made pop so tight
On that dark summer night
Iago on the sly yo’
He be feelin’ all right

Brabantio found Iago’s words absurd
The images he heard made him curious and furious
Even though he dismissed Iago’s talk as wack
He knew his daughter and the moor
Were making beast with two backs

Iago make me draw my sword/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me forsake my word//Up in here, up in here
Iago make me lose my wife/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me take my life/Up in here, up in here

Brabantio thought the whole thing was tragic
That his pure white girl got tricked by dark magic
The Duke of Venice stepped in
Said love should win
Besides the Turks had invaded Cyprus and their troops were thin

Send the Moor
Along Cassio, Iago, Desdemona, and Bianca the whore
So the whole crew got summoned
Gonna fight the good fight
Othello told Iago to keep Desdemona in sight
Enter Michael Cassio
The lady lovin’ bachelor
Fresh from getting picked for the job Iago was after
Upon arrival in Venice
Cassio gave Desdemona a kiss
Iago was lucky that he didn’t miss this
The ensign looked on
And said “A Yo it’s on”
He had a knight, a queen, the rook, and now a pawn
Trap was set
Iago waited
His angry little pet revenge would soon be sated

Iago make me draw my sword/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me forsake my word//Up in here, up in here
Iago make me lose my wife/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me take my life/Up in here, up in here

Cassio was a gentlemen and everyone knew this
Honest Iago realized that Othello was clueless
“Act with duty” said Iago about his murderous plan
“Only heaven can judge me”
I just have to frame this man
He set about to snare our newly married pair
And whispered poisonous lies in Othello’s ear
Blatant lies meant to hide his libelous smears
‘gainst poor noble Cassio who suspected nothing was weird
Honest Iago needed a symbol to break the shell
To make Othello jealous and drive him to hell
Just as he thought that the moments came
Othello held his head in agony and pain
Desdemona gave her napkin to aid his strife
She the caring, attentive, beautiful, loving wife
It didn’t work
The pain, it stayed
And the frustrated general knocked it away from his dome
Along comes Emilia to give it a home

Iago make me draw my sword/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me forsake my word//Up in here, up in here
Iago make me lose my wife/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me take my life/Up in here, up in here

In this story of old
We watch the plan unfold
The handkerchief is the symbol for the mind that is nimble
It would make Cassio look bad
If it was found in his pad
Iago schemes faster because he is chaos’ master
An agent of intrigue
This prince of disaster
To Othello he said, “Hello!”
Which made it seem that a man on his team
Was doing Othello’s manly duties
Except more obscene
Iago scheduled a meeting so that Othello could witness
Evidence of infidelity of course Othello wouldn’t miss this
So in front of the moor
He summoned the whore
This is the drama as it unfolds in scene 1 act 4
So Iago’s plan was brilliant and psychological
This supposedly honest Iago was diabolically psychotical
He made Cassio confess that Bianca loved him
Which made Cassio giggle (as if he’d be her husband!)
She’s a whore after all!
And while we had a blast
If I sleep with her I’d probably get a rash!
Othello, of course, his anger cookin’
Heard the whole convo’ but he was mistook’n
Thinking Desdemona had cuckolded him he plotted revenge
Cassio left and Iago then suggested
It was Desdemona, after all, that Cassio molested
“I’ll poison her!” bellowed Othello
But honest Iago made it clear he had another intention

Iago make me draw my sword/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me forsake my word//Up in here, up in here
Iago make me lose my wife/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me take my life/Up in here, up in here

Iago got Roderigo to go after big Mike
In the alley they waited like thieves in the night
Roderigo drew blood but only got nicked
In the clash of swords Iago stabbed Roderigo in his kicks
He howled in pain as Cassio got away
And Iago snuck off without a word to say
The ensign put on some jammies and returned to the scene
Finished Roderigo off with a stab to the spleen
Now everyone’s gone that knew the score
But Iago wanted to off a few characters more
Back at the crib Emilia discovered the quarrel
Othello was sick and was spittin’ immoral
Calling his wife a ho that she would sink so low as to bedding Cassio
She tried to pray but Othello wouldn’t have it
He saw the pillow to his left, reached out and grabbed it
With his bare hands he snuffed out her breath
Emilia stumbled in and witnessed her death
Just then the guards entered with Iago the ensign
The plays about to end, the fates predestined
Iago tried to lie but Emilia knew the truth
Until he drew a blade and silenced the proof
By then it was too lateThe knowledge was out there
Othello finally realized fate had decided
He took out a knife and ended his life
Final image, the embrace between the moor and his wife
Othello and Desdemona
Laying dead on the marriage bed
Looks like honest Iago may be off his meds
No more Ram tuppin’ the pure white lamb
Can’t be half-steppin’ in Cyprus land

Iago make me draw my sword/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me forsake my word//Up in here, up in here
Iago make me lose my wife/Up in here, up in here
Iago make me take my life/Up in here, up in here