Columbia Law Revue

O.P.P.

to "O.P.P." by Naughy by Nature

Property, how can I 'xplain it
Well there's a whole course on it
Required for the bar so you can pass that shit
O is for other, P is for people scratching temple
It's all about land that's in fee simple
You gotta think about the person there who holds Blackacre
He's usually givin' it to Mr. A
But then it seems he's got all of these other heirs who want it too
And of course they are gonna sue, bust it
Who's gonna get the land when it goes in front of a judge?
Sisters and brothers, cousins, throwin' all the family sludge
How will you know what to argue in court for your client?
Well, you take Property to learn the rules that came and went
It's in the will, a Dub to the U to the I to the L to the L
That specifies what O was thinkin' when he didn't sell
It's Property, trusts and estates attorneys know it
It different for every state so you better learn it
You gotta watch for vested remainders for kids of O
And life estates ensure that transfers will be very slow
You get a springing interest and it screws the master plan
But when you're troubled, think of Learned Hand

(chorus)
You down with Property? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with Property? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with Property? (Yeah you know me!)
Who's down with Property? (Every last J.D.!)
You down with Property? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with Property? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with Property? (Yeah you know me!)
Who's down with Property? (All the J.D.s!)

Now for the lawyers, OPP means something gifted
Other people's property, so much and it's so different
It's the longest textbook you'll read—worst one in the law school
It's got hundreds of pages of cases and they each lay out new rules
I'll talk about the easements and the covenants so properly
I say the last P... hmm... stands for property
Now, lady, here comes a suit (served!)
Answer those papers back, let's start this attack
Did you ever adversely possess a piece of land for 20 years?
And if you did you know that land is yours and it ain't his?
The common law will give you title to your adverse scheme
But only after 20; you're screwed if it's just 19
We could talk about the rule 'gainst perpetuities
No granting unless it vests in under twenty-one years
To A for life, then to his widow, if any, for life
Then to B's children then living, not to the second wife
Now don't be shocked if there's a problem here with Shelley's case
Say OPP (OPP!), and no, it's not a waste
Shelley's Rule was abolished back in 1921
Ain't that good news for your first son

(chorus)

This song's all about property
Of Blackacre and Rosemont, but there's more here like eminent domain
The Supreme Court hears these cases when they come government
Allowed to take it under the constitution
A lot of it's all economic in the last decision
'Cause it better be public use or will get their derision
They wanna build a K-Mart where your house is sittin' now
Well in the Takings Clause they'll do it with a bang and wow
But if they don't, you could convey that land, transfer the deed
By quitclaim or estoppel, then there is no warranty
Or maybe you just want an equitable servitude
Just make sure that your hands are clean if there should be a feud
Covenants that run with the land will make your head explode
Just try to not a buy a house where the thing that's shared's a road
Don't pay too much unless there's an easement appurtenant
In gross is nothing, it won't pass and then you'll wanna vent
Exciting isn't it, a special kinda business
Many of you will catch the same sorta OPP is you with
Real Estate for sure is going to admit it
When Property comes, damn, skippy, I'm with it

(chorus)

OPP, how can I 'xplain it
I'll take you frame by frame it
To have y'all jumpin' shall we singin' it
O is for Other, P is for People scratchin' temple
The last P, well, that's not that simple
It's sorta like another way to call a cat a kitten
It's five little letters that are missin' here
You get on occassion at the other party
As a game 'n it seems I gotta start to explainin', bust it
You ever had a girl and met her on a nice hello
You get her name and number and then you feelin' real mellow
You get home, wait a day, she's what you wanna know about
Then you call up and it's her girlfriend or her cousin's house
It's not a front, F to the R to the O to the N to the T
It's just her boyfriend's at her house, boy, that's what is scary
It's OPP, time other people's what you get it
There's no room for relationship, there's just room to hit it
How many brothers out there know just what I'm gettin' at
Who thinks it's wrong 'cos I'm splittin' and co-hittin' at
Well if you do, that's OPP and you're not down with it
But if you don't, here's your membership

(chorus)
You down with OPP? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with OPP? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with OPP? (Yeah you know me!)
Who's down with OPP? (Every last homie!)
You down with OPP? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with OPP? (Yeah you know me!)
You down with OPP? (Yeah you know me!)
Who's down with OPP? (All the homies!)

As for the ladies, OPP means something gifted
The first two letters are the same but the last is something different
It's the longest, loveliest, lean—I call it the leanest
It's another five letter word rhymin' with cleanest and meanest
I won't get into that, I'll do it, ah, sorta properly
I say the last P... hmmm... stands for property
Now lady here comes a kiss
Blow a kiss back to me, now tell me exactly
Have you ever known a brother who have another like ah girl or wife
And you just had to stop and just 'cos he look just as nice
You looked at him, he looked at you and you knew right away
That he had someone but he was gonna be yours anyway
You couldn't be seen with him and honestly you didn't care
'Cos in a room behind a door no one but y'all are there
When y'all are finish, y'all can leave and only y'all would know
And then y'all could throw the skeleton bones right in the closet do'
Now don't be shocked 'cos if you're down I want your hands up high
Say OPP (OPP!) I like to say with pride
Now when you do it, do it well and make sure that it counts
You're now down with a discount

(chorus)

This girl, ah, tried to OPP me
I had a girl and she knew that matter-of-fact my girl was partner's that
Had a fall out, disagreement, yeah, an argument
She tried to do me so we did it in my apartment, bust it
That wasn't the thing it must have been the way she hit the ceiling
'Cos after that she kept on coming back and catchin' feelings
I said, "Let's go, my girl is coming so you gotta leave"
She said, "Oh no, I love you Treach" I said, "Now child please"
You gots to leave, come grab your coat, right now you gotta go
I said now look you to the stairs and to the stair window
This was a thing, a little thing, you shouldn't have put your heart
'Cos you know I was OPP, hell from the very start
Come on, come on, now let me tell you what it's all about
When you get down, you can't go 'round runnin' off at the mouth
That's rule number one in this OPP establishment
You keep your mouth shut and it won't get back to her or him
Exciting isn't it, a special kinda business
Many of you will catch the same sorta OPP is you with
Him or her for sure is going to admit it
When OPP comes, damn, skippy, I'm with it

(chorus)

Lyrics