Running across a song you haven’t heard in a long time is a dope, dope feeling. You remember your whereabouts when you first heard it. You remember the makeup of your life at the time. It’s almost reminiscent to a time machine. Devin The Dude’s “What A Job” came on not too long ago and immediately the great years I had during undergrad populated my mental.
When discussing rappers and their place, one of the most beaten terms is “underrated.” I’m no expert, so I’m not qualified to say who is and who isn’t, but if I was betting man, Dev would certainly fall under that umbrella. Big picture wise, he’s more of a niche rapper seeing as how he’s never really attempted to go mainstream and a great majority of his music centers around getting high and having sex.
And that’s just fine because that type of stuff actually happens in life. People smoke weed to get high and on occasion, if they’re lucky, have sex. That being said, Dev does have some songs that dig much deeper than getting a few off while buzzed out of your mind. “What A Job” features Snoop and a rare verse from Andre 3000. The song revolves around rap and how, beyond all the stories of partying and fast money, this is their job; a career they take very seriously.
I remember becoming familiar with the song towards the end of my first semester of senior year. Around that time everyone became serious about landing a job after graduation and this was motivation in my own little world. Dev played suitable host. Snoop sounded as focused as he has in songs prior and since. Meanwhile, Three Stacks closed the track out with a verse that still hits heavy to this day and probably always will.
It’s Friday, which means you’re probably ready for the weekend to start and not think about your job for the next 48 hours. As you should. But it puts food on the table, clothes on your back and the reason you can go to happy hour. The job may stress you out, but imagine the alternative. What a job this is, indeed.
