Listen and see if you can get it out of your head. There are some here at Two-Way headquarters who certainly can't.
We're talking about Hot Cheetos & Takis — "what may be the summer's final truly great jam," according to Rolling Stone.
All Things Considered today catches up on the story of the catchy rap produced by kids in Minneapolis. Putting the tune together (with professional help) was part of the ongoing Beats and Rhymes after-school and summer program at the city's North Community YMCA.
The program, the Y's Alicia Johnson tells NPR, gives kids a chance to "use music as a vehicle for self-expression and creative expression." On Hot Cheetos and eight albums that Beats and Rhymes has produced since 2006, the kids have rapped and rhymed about bullying, violence and drugs (all "anti" messages, of course).
"These young people are amazing," Johnson says. "Snacks just happened to catch the attention of the world. [But] they talk about very relevant issuse to the youth of today."
There's more background about the program in this story from The Star Tribune.
But enough about the meaning and significance of it all.
As of midday today, Hot Cheetos & Takis had been viewed nearly 1.3 million times on YouTube. The Village Voice had examined the "20 Best Things About 'Hot Cheetos And Takis.' " CBS News had given it a "major triple-rainbow salute of excellence."
Click and play if you wish. Us older folks can read along with the lyrics here. Enjoy.
And if you're not familiar with Takis, they're "mini rolled corn tortilla chips" that come in a variety of flavors.
Update at 5:35 p.m. ET. The Jam Of The Summer:
Our friend Jacob Ganz of NPR music points us to a piece by Rembert Browne of Grantland. Besides declaring this the "the jam we've been searching for all summer," Browne also did quite a bit of leg work to track down who these kids were.
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