This likely references the 1990s rivalry between Tupac Shakur (aka 2Pac) and Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls). 2Pac was a West-coast rapper and Biggie was an East-coast rapper. On June 4, 1996, 2Pac and Outlawz released the diss track "Hit 'Em Up", a scathing lyrical assault on Biggie and others associated with him. In the track, 2Pac claimed to have had sexual intercourse with Faith Evans, Biggie's wife at the time, and attacked Bad Boy's street credibility. Both ended up dead, by unknown assailants. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast%E2%80%93West_Coast_hip_hop_rivalry]
Two famous, and murdered, rappers from the 1990s. There was a intense rivalry between Tupac Shakur (aka 2Pac) and Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls). 2Pac was a West-coast rapper and Biggie was an East-coast rapper. On June 4, 1996, 2Pac and Outlawz released the diss track "Hit 'Em Up", a scathing lyrical assault on Biggie and others associated with him. In the track, 2Pac claimed to have had sexual intercourse with Faith Evans, Biggie's wife at the time, and attacked Bad Boy's street credibility. Both ended up dead, by unknown assailants. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Coast%E2%80%93West_Coast_hip_hop_rivalry]
[[file:Mao-bank.jpg|left|thumb|75px]]'''With red velvet Chairman Mao piggy banks'''<br />
This is a brilliant riff on caucasians playing asians in Hollywood films. I'd love to hear how Pynchon imagined this being rapped. Of course, it's performed by Chandler Platt's intern who we know is asian due to Maxine's avoiding using "inscrutably" to describe how he looks in, "inscrutable" being a stereotypical characteristic of asians. And the "racist" concern Maxine has is very soon followed by this rap that addresses this "old-movie confusion" and its implicit racism. The intern kicks it off with "Dig it..."
Two famous, and murdered, rappers from the 1990s. There was a intense rivalry between Tupac Shakur (aka 2Pac) and Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls). 2Pac was a West-coast rapper and Biggie was an East-coast rapper. On June 4, 1996, 2Pac and Outlawz released the diss track "Hit 'Em Up", a scathing lyrical assault on Biggie and others associated with him. In the track, 2Pac claimed to have had sexual intercourse with Faith Evans, Biggie's wife at the time, and attacked Bad Boy's street credibility. Both ended up dead, by unknown assailants. [1]