Dear all, I'm taking a short break to work on the MFAH 100 book, which comes out this fall. I'll be back with Music # 43 first week of April. Thanks for reading! -Rainey

Did you ever use mnemonics to study? “A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream” spells “arithmetic,” that sort of thing? These comical nonsense raps are spoofs of such study aids, which appeared during the end credits of the TV comedy Community. (One performer, spoiler alert, is a famous rapper who will show up on this list later on.) That Betty White appears on the second song—she was briefly on Community an anthropology professor—and that it inexplicably morphs into Toto’s legendary so-bad-and-yet-so-good Yacht Rock gem “Africa”—that’s a chef’s kiss in a show strewn with them.

1. Donald Glover and Danny Pudi, “Spanish Rap,” written (I think) by Dan Harmon, 2009. 2. “Africa,” performed by Danny Pudi, Betty White, and Donald Glover on the TV show Community, 2010. Written by David Paich & Jeff Porcaro, 1982.

This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day to early June, 2025.

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