I Love USC (And I Hate UCLA)

Did somebody say it's rivalry week?

USC alumnus Aloe Blacc is a campus hero this time of year, though a lot of people don't know that he's the man behind this classic song (a parody of Biz Markie's "Just a Friend"):

I e-mailed him a while back, and here's the story behind the refrain popularized at tailgates, frat houses, and the 9-0:

I wrote the song in 1999 for a talent show called "Showtime at the Bovard" ... I think Program Board produced the event. I won the $500 grand prize. When I performed the song, I had a big 2-sided sign that said "I Love USC" on one side and "I Hate UCLA" on the other so people could sing along ... as if they really needed the sign to catch on!

Later that year or in 2000 I released a compilation CD with 10 songs submitted by USC student musicians. I put the "I Love USC" song at the end of the disc (credited to Tommy Trojan). I think I have a few discs left in storage. This is how it initially made its way around campus. Program Board asked me to perform the song at a big rally for the USC vs. UCLA game, which is when it became more popular.

Aloe graduated with honors in Communication and Lingustics/Psychology and was a Renaissance Scholar in 2001.

He released an album with DJ Exile (the duo is known as EMANON) in 2005 called "The Waiting Room" and a solo album in 2006 entitled "Shine Through." Today, he performs all over the world (recent tours include Australia, Asia, and Europe). His Myspace site has some great stuff (I've had one of his songs on my own profile for a while) and you can see his videos on YouTube. He was interviewed by LAist earlier this year.

Comments

[Elliot]

LOL. Thanks for sharing that song. I'll go watch Blacc's vids on YouTube now.

[roger duncan]

I used to guard the statute of Tommy Trojan at this time of year from dreaded Bruin assault...the throwing of paint, or any debris. We wrapped the old warrior is plastic and then roped the plastic. We also had a gaurd...I was one of them. One year in the past some dastardly Bruin had appeared, in the dark of night of course, removed our trusted warrior's sword and affixed to what he thought was a better place...to the horror of loyal Trojans attending class the next morning....We stood around for hours in the cold, sharing stories, lighted an oil drum for heat and bemoaned the dreaded Bruins who had the audacity to even schedule a game with the mighty Trojans...It was all a whole lot of fun. That year, a helicopter appeared and unloaded manure from the sky...the wind blew the stuff off to the freeway and resourceful pilot was arrested and had to listen to the game behind bars! What fun. Roger in Coarsegold

[AL]

Anyway to make this available as a download?