X-Raided – “Queen of Hearts” is a song with many layers to it. On the surface level, it is a classic battle rap about X being superior to fake emcees; but its underlying message is much deeper.
In the video, X-Raided takes a trip to Wonderland, impressing the Queen of Hearts with his West Coast style. The Mad Hatter becomes jealous and attempts to distract the Queen of Hearts, to draw her attention away from X-Raided. Annoyed, the Queen of Hearts looks to her trusted Executioner, prepared to give her final order: “Off with his head!”
X-Raided represents the embodiment of someone who practices the art of Hip-hop as an organic product of the culture itself; the Queen of Hearts represents the Hip-hop audience that both authentic and contrived artists are competing for attention from; the Executioner represents Hip-hop culture itself; the Mad Hatter represents the contrived artist that would sell the culture out for attention and personal gain; and the dancers represent the cultural appropriators whose presence is a direct result of the existence of artists like the Mad Hatter.