“Dance with the Devil” by Immortal Technique is, in my opinion, the best rap song/story committed to wax. Every time it comes on, it stops me in my tracks and I have to listen to it in its entirety. It recounts the disturbing narrative of a boy named Billy grabbing a woman off the street for a gang initiation ritual and group-raping her only to discover the victim is his mother after the deed is done, causing Billy to instantly kill himself. This song chills me to the bone every time.
Rappers are often judged on the basis of being “real,” “authentic,” or “legitimate” and when Immortal Technique raps about Billy’s discovery about the identity of his victim he solemnly flows:
“He turned away from the woman that had once given him birth, and cried out to the sky cause he was lonely and scared but only the devil responded cause god wasn’t there. And right then he knew what it was to be empty and cold, and so he jumped off the roof and died with no soul. They say death takes you to a better place but I doubt it. After that they killed his mother and never spoke about it. And listen to me cause the story I’m telling is true, cause I was there with Billy Jacobs and I raped his mom too and now the devil follows me everywhere that I go, In fact I’m sure he’s standing among one of you at my shows.”
…I believe him.
I usually consider most rap songs that are fluid stories to either be somewhat of a fable/ urban contemporary morality or hyperbolic narratives that might recount a partial truth, but are often greatly exaggerated. With “Dance With the Devil,” it just seems to horrific and awful to ever make up. When this song comes on I listen and think about he state of affairs in inner city life for most marginalized Americans, something most teachers almost never make me do. This song is a horror story a lesson and even if it’s not “true” (which I think it is) it’s realer than real.
Agree or Disagree? Voice your opinion!
-J.H. Scherk
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I can’t even LOL at this. I’m not a huge fan of Immortal but this song is scary to say the least. I didn’t cry while listening to it or nothing like that it’s just a deep ass song. It probably is real though. I pray it isn’t.
I respect his craft, I’ve seen him perform live, but I would never listen to an Immortal Technique CD from front to back.
it’s dope, but you never know is better if you ask me…
^^ can you leave a link? i’d like to hear it
I agree, this song is one of those song that no matter who the person is and how tough and almighty thay might think they are can make u stop and think about how life really is and some people might relate to and and make other take it into concideration to think twice about what they do in life and how important it is to not be in gangs and how horrible things can happen to inicent people. Many people dont realize they thing that they do are not good unless they get some one to put in there head that “hey what if that was ur mom?” then they start to really open there eyes and see how life really is and that its not worth the pressure. Most of immortal Technique’s songs are the kind of songs that can change people and how they chose to live. I personaly see life in such a different way and i have learned that life is to short and even if u are not the person that is doing something bad, that there are people out there that are and could get ahold of u to do what they call “A TASK” to be in a gang.
badest hip hop artist i download all the immortal technique but dance with the devil is the badest tune
This man is a genius, and this song is damn deep. If it is true or not, we will probly never know. Matter a fact, i do not wanna know it, cause it’s to crazy. Himself once said this:
“Everytime i perform that song i have to explain it, cuz i get emails, ppl come up to me like “duuude, did u really rape that dude’s mom.” or “that’s fuc*ed up ***** why u did that”. yo that’s the truth, that’s what really goes on in the hood, you think we just hang around and sit on park benches and talk about drugs and bitches. nah man, that sh*t is no fu*king — it’s like war, when ppl go to war of course they gonna abuse the prisoners….”
so he doesn’t explicitly say he did it or didn’t, but based off of what he said, yes, he did do it.
But i guess it’s up to u to belive it or not..Let it just be a question with no answer, maybe that’s best…
YOU KNOW WHAT MAN ME TO THIS IS THE DEEPEST SONG IVE HEARD AND STILL NOT SICK OF IT AFTER PLAYING IT ABOUT 100 TIMES
ya man tht song is ill technique is bad ass yo you never know is a sick song too really deep just like this one i’d say there both as good but you never know actualy made me cry
hi.dude de song(dancein with de devil) is one in a mill de rhyme dam good da tune de incredible wow de story in de song never hd about men u r de greatest rapper dude let de wisemen an’ de wizard be around u.
this song is dope, the beatz, imm tech’s style, everything, but i have to finally put this myth to rest because i didn’t realize so many people out there actually believe him word for word. THIS IS AN OLD URBAN LEGEND i’ve heard this same exact story as a kid a hundred times and i’m the same age as imm tech, i’m sure he heard it too and just added some details and put it into his own words. i live in chicago and I GAURANTEE I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE it’s just those people don’t know immortal technique or haven’t heard this song yet but trust me this story existed long before he wrote this song. don’t believe me ask around yourself.
i just asked somebody else about this and they confirm the same thing, although the version they heard was that when the guy who was tryin to get in the gang found out it was his mother, his heart stopped and dropped dead. no joke no lie, it may be a true story but like i mentioned before, imm tech is just repeating the story in his own style.
I just head this song the other day and i have to say it has some of the most chilling lyrics whether or not its true has no effect because when you hear it You See IT… or at least can feel the pain and anguish… I am a firm believer that if a song can move you than its done what the creator wants.