General Larry Platt has been one of the breakout stars of American
Idol this season, with his instantly viral audition of "Pants On
The Ground" generating far more buzz than any Idol contestant
who actually received a golden ticket to Hollywood. The
62-year-old's "Pants On The Ground"--a wacky rap rant against baggy,
draggy gangsta trousers--has even been performed by everyone from season
8 Idol semi-finalists Jackie Tohn and Alex Wagner-Trugman to
Jimmy Fallon and Brett Favre. Platt recently reprised the song himself
on an episode of The View, and reportedly has plans to record
and release an official single of his overnight pop-culture smash.
But
this week a new viral video surfaced courtesy of the Green
Brothers, a hip-hop duo from Michigan, called "Back Pockets On The
Floor"--which the Green Brothers claim was recorded in 1996, 13 years
before General Platt's Idol audition was taped. "Back Pockets
On The Floor" suspiciously tackles the same subject matter, and also
features an elderly rapper:
The "Pockets" video was posted on YouTube on January 23 by a user
called "greenbrothers71," with the following description:
"This is
in regards to the General Larry Platt 'Pants on The Ground.' His song
is a take off of the Green Brothers song 'Back Pockets On The Floor.'
'Back Pockets On The Floor' was written by G. Green and was copyrighted
and recorded by the Green Brothers in 1996. The General's song have the
same intent, idea and in part the same message. YOU BE THE JUDGE
AMERICA!!"
Honestly, I'm not sure if General Platt deliberately
ripped off the Greens, or if he--like many other concerned senior
citizens, probably--just coincidentally shared a similar desire to rid
the nation's youth of saggy pants. But obviously there is only ONE way
to settle this "Pants" vs. "Pockets" matter: With an 8 Mile-style rap
battle.