Why are there so many songs with the word "Kalamazoo" in the lyrics? We broke that question down on the last episode of our podcast. It basically comes down to this:
1) It's a fun word to say and easy to rhyme.
2) Gibson Guitars left a musical legacy with Kalamazoo that's impossible to deny.
But there's no doubt that many of the people who have used "Kalamazoo" in the lyrics aren't talking about guitars. They're just utilizing the unique sound and cadence of Ka-la-ma-zoo in their songwriting and storytelling.
We heard from one listener that told us about a children's book by Margret Wise Brown that also uses the city for her poem:
"From Kalamazoo to Timbuktu is a long way down the track. From Timbuktu to Kalamazoo it's just as far to go back."
With this rhyme-ability in mind we brought in Ypsilanti-based rapper Jamall Bufford, a.k.a. Buff1 to work up a freestyle on the spot using "Kalamazoo."
Give it a listen on the player above!
Bufford said after many years of rapping and music making, finding creative uses and challenges with word play is still a favorite aspect of the craft.
"In my head I write all the time," said Bufford. "Writing still makes me feel like I'm 15... I still get as excited as a did when I was 15."
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