Pass the Chalice
- Deric Hollings
- Jul 4
- 5 min read
There was a time in hip hop when people often referenced pimp cups. According to one source, a pimp cup is a “type of bling, in the form of a highly decorated chalice, associated with hip-hop culture.” Expanding upon the meaning of a chalice, one source states:
A chalice is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the cups used in Christian liturgy as part of a service of the Eucharist, such as a Catholic mass.
These are normally made of metal, but neither the shape nor the material is a requirement. Most have no handles, and in recent centuries the cup at the top has usually been a simple flared shape.
Noteworthy, a separate source states that a “chalice, also known as a wisdom chalice or chillum chalice, is a type of cannabis smoking pipe used most often by members of the Jamaican Rastafari movement. It is a type of water pipe used for smoking.”
Although “chalice” has religious (Matthew 26:39) and spiritual connotations, passing of a pimp cup or chalice has a different meaning in the subculture of hip hop. Specifically, passing the chalice relates to the passage of wisdom from one person to another.
Similar n-grams reflect ‘passing of the baton’ or ‘passing of the torch’ as a matter of passing on tradition. In this way, an ‘each one, teach one’ strategy is employed to keep hip hop customs relevant. One such established practice relates to focusing on one’s own self-advancement.
As an example, on the 2020 album Ain’t Gone Do It / Terms and Conditions by hip hop old-schoolers Too $hort and E-40, a song was included by the name of “Pass the Chalice” that featured new-schoolers Capolow and Symba. Lyrics of the chorus state:
Pass the chalice (Woo), pass the pimp cup (Huh)
I ain’t mean to look your way, that’s a hiccup (Woo)
Grind hard, pop bottles, sip up (Sip up)
Throwin’ up my gang, like I spit up (Ugh)
I’m a lion, the chosen, Simba (Rah)
Niggas cryin’ over their bitch, simper (Huh)
Pass the chalice, pass my pimp cup (Oh-oh)
Although one may disagree with sentiment expressed in “Pass the Chalice”, the track reflects enforcement of hip hop’s subcultural norms. Information about expectations is provided, as the behavioral modification technique of shaming is then utilized.
When practicing the psychotherapeutic modality of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with others, I take a less rigid approach the passing the chalice of psychoeducational knowledge. For instance, I pass along information about the ABC model and unconditional acceptance.
However, if people don’t want to drink from the chalice, I don’t shame them for making a self-determined and autonomous choice. After all, REBT may not quench the thirst for every person. How about you? Are you thirsty for knowledge about how to stop unhelpful self-disturbance?
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
Apple Music. (n.d.). Ain’t Gone Do It / Terms and Conditions. Apple Inc. Retrieved from https://music.apple.com/us/album/aint-gone-do-it-terms-and-conditions/1545090891
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