Get By

About survival.

Great song, one the best i've ever heard. Talib is such an underrated rapper but he's still good. More people should post here. He's a real rapper that talks about shit that happend in his life thats real, unlike rappers like g-unit who jus talk bout killing people and stuff...

Personally what i get from this song is, keep your head parallel with the ground and look at what you need to do to "get by." And to stop looking up to the sky for divine intervention.

he very much is underrated (if i had my way itd be more him and less lil wayne)

this song is simple to understand at least. it talks about struggles some people have to go through to make ends meet such as selling drugs and how consumers are exploited by marketers just for the marketers to make ends meet(not neccissarily a bad thing just survival) it also seems to say that tv glorifies acting and the such more than endeavors of astronauts.

I LOVE/HATE THIS SONG SO MUCH MY LICENSE PLATE SAYS, 'JST2GTBY'...it definitely has 2 or more meanings...constant reminder of the duality in our personas/egod and the agendas set forth with-out our knowledge (our place in society and such). Hence, the lyrics from blackstar-'hiding like thieves' [Mos Def] Yo, I'm sure that everbody out listenin agree That everything you see ain't really how it be A lot of jokers out runnin in place, chasin the style Be a lot goin on beneath the empty smile Most cats in my area be lovin the hysteria Synthesized surface conceals the interior America, land of opportunity, mirages and camoflauges More than usually -- speakin loudly, sayin nothin You confusin me, you losin me Your game is twisted, want me enlisted -- in your usary Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the lookin glass Walkin the street, wonderin who they be lookin past Lookin gassed with them imported designer shades on Stars shine bright, but the light -- rarely stays on Same song, just remixed, different arrangement Put you on a yacht but they won't call it a slaveship Strangeness, you don't control this, you barely hold this Screamin brand new, when they just sanitized the old shit Suppose it's, just another clever Jedi mind trick That they been runnin across stars through all the time with I find it's distressin, there's never no in-between We either niggaz or Kings We either bitches or Queens The deadly ritual seems immersed, in the perverse Full of short attention spans, short tempers, and short skirts Long barrel automatics released in short bursts The length of black life is treated with short worth Get yours first, them other niggaz secondary That type of illin that be fillin up the cemetary This life is temporary but the soul is eternal Separate the real from the lie, let me learn you Not strong, only aggressive, cause the power ain't directed That's why, we are subjected to the will of the oppressive Not free, we only licensed Not live, we just excitin Cause the captors.. own the masters.. to what we writin Not compassionate, only polite, we well trained Our sincerity's rehearsed in stage, it's just a game Not good, but well behaved cause the ca-me-ra survey most of the things that we think, do, or say We chasin after death just to call ourselves brave But everyday, next man meet with the grave I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy I'm tryin to live life in the sight of God's memory Like that y'all BTW-some of you guys talk about kweli like you've never heard him before until now-Im sorry for that.

Talib Kweli is amazing, people who post on this website, will agree with me when I say this..

What I think and ponder about , when I review this song track is the “struggle”( everyday hardships ex. Bills, rent, groceries, and living.) that those suffering from poverty in the lower class go through and endure everyday on a daily basis, and what extent they would go through to compensate for it just to make it and survive. Most of these people let the system break us and bring us down, they cause us to fall into our stereotype and jump on the bandwagon. Sadly, that's too many of us.

It's also sad that channels like BET(Black Entertainment Television) that cater to young black Americans and MTV glorify this destructive lifestyle of getting drunk and prison tats. Whilst promoting it strongly. Or they make it seem like the “ultimate goal” in life is to get high on drugs, cars, and provocative/ promiscuous girls that seem to only know how to dance (can you call that "dancing"?!). The industry influences young musicians that fit this stereotype everyday, until the media is saturated with the “crunk” lifestyle and “bling bling” attitude.

I guess that's what he means by "attack of the clones"...#( 212) WOOHOO,LEE

^ you're right. Not nearly enough people have heard his music! Hes one of the most talented rappers around, and he isn't just rapping about women, jewellery and cars.

"If skills sold, Truth be told, I'd probably be, Lyricly, Talib Kweli" - Jay-Z

It's true, i find that kanye west, mos def & Talib kweli are three of the best rappers for discussing interesting topics instead of the "My gun's bigger than your's" This form of hip hop is definitely the way foward

I think "We go through episodes too, like 'attack of the clones'" makes more sense than "We go through "Epidodes II," like "Attack of the Clones""

Such a good song, about doing what you have to do to make it through life each and everyday. This is what real rap is, not unintelligent violent drib. I love his lyrics and all the references, I think Kanye, though I like him a lot too, bites a lot of Talib's style.