Hip Hop fans know about Rap music’s famous cars. There’s Dr. Dre’s 1964 Chevrolet Impala convertible that loves to appear in videos. There’s Kanye West’s “other, other Benz,” and who can forget Cam’ron‘s pink Range Rover just a few years ago, seen frequently on the avenues of New York City.
One of the cars in Hip Hop that’s more human, and more attainable is Devin The Dude‘s 1979 Cadillac Seville. The Houston, Texas-based rapper affectionately named the chrome classic, “Lacville ’79” for a dedication track on his beloved 2002 album, Just Tryin’ ta Live. The song and subsequent video parodies that Devin’s proud of his car, which just can’t stop breaking down. The automotive money-pit has been with Devin for close to 20 years, and HipHopDX recently called up the Dude to get an update. And while we had a laughing conversation going about non-music related subjects, we also decided to get Devin to chime in on his famously pictured brand of brew.
DX: Sorry, but I gotta ask: how’s Lacville ’79 doing?
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Devin The Dude: [Sighs] I’m trying to get it out the shop still. I have a buddy who’s trying to get it fixed up now. I’m always saying “It’s almost ready, it’s almost ready,” but i believe by the end of the summer it should pretty much be a done deal. Then I’ll be rolling again – [singing] so white and so clean. [Heavy laughter]
DX: You’re not changing up the colors though, are you? E-40 is always repainting his Cutlass.
Devin The Dude: [The car is] still white, still have the blue on the inside. I been dealing more with the [radio control] cars now though.
DX: The 1976 through 1979 Cadillac Sevilles are some of my favorite cars. My family loved those growing up. Every time I look at one I think of the “Lacville ’79” video and the song, and you definitely made that car famous for a lot of people.
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Devin The Dude: Yeah definitely, probably the best car ever. If you look in the dictionary under the word “car” you would probably see a picture of a ’79 Seville.
DX: Like cars, a lot of people associate rappers with drinks. With Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G., it was the Cristal, E-40 with the Hurricane, Tech N9ne with the Caribou Lou. You have always been a Budweiser and Bud Light guy. Is there a story behind why you’re a avid Budweiser supporter?
Devin The Dude: Well it’s just the drinkability baby. [Hearty laughter] Growing up in high school we were around the [Schlitz], [Olde English “800”] and the [other brands of] malt liquor. Growing up, we were drinking that, the cool stuff. I used to see my old school uncles and their friends drinking Budweiser. I used to tease them saying like, “Man, y’all don’t get full off of drinking that! You may as well just hold your drink over a toilet and drink that at the same time!” [Laughing] As we started getting older with age, you want that less sluggish feeling. That malt liquor was doing us bad. I didn’t want to stop drinking that because that’s what the peers were drinking, but at the same time, I didn’t want to feel sluggish. I just tried Budweiser and said, “Ay, this isn’t that bad.”
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Plus, I don’t think they would poison this, because if they poison Budweiser, America is going to war. After a while I started feeling sluggish with the Budweiser as well though, but it came with the territory because all the homies coming into the studio would drink beers and smoke. Then I brought it down to Bud Light, so now i’m drinking that. Now I feel alright: no hangovers or sluggish feelings, and I’ve been able to work and play at the same time while getting everything accomplished.
