In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Woo hoo
Crank up yo' speakers!
To all my (niggaz)
Every hustlin (nigga)
Strugglin (niggaz)
Revolutionary (niggaz)
Gang-bangin (niggaz)
Chain-gangin (niggaz)
Tune yo' frequency
I refuse to be a stereotype in ya box
Never want to try to be somethin' I'm not
I'm just a nigga from the block, if you got it twist it
Stay blowin' on green, if you got it, twist it on up
DP's givin' a fuck, R-B-G'd up in some gangsta chucks
Throw ya fist up homie if ya know what's up
All my comrades puttin' in soldier work
We rollin' dirty wit it, fully dedicated
So real that the radio'll never play it
But that's cool, the enemy supposed to hate it
Freedom ain't gon' come til we regulate 'em
That's why I'm in the dojo, not just for the video
Really though, we really got beef with the po-po
Never know when they gon' put you in a choke hold
This is for you new niggaz, holdin for the radio
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
People's Radio
Yo hang up, that's the police
What's on the radio, propaganda, mind control
And turnin' it on is like puttin' on a blindfold
'Cause when you bringin' the real you don't get rotation
Unless you take over the station
And yeah I know it's part of they plans
To make us think it's all about party and dancin'
And yo it might sound good when you spittin' your rap
But in reality, don't nobody live like that
You want to know what kinda nigga I am?
Lemme tell you 'bout the nigga I'm not, I don't fuck with the cops
Platinum don't mean that it gotta be hot
I ain't gotta love it, even if they play it a lot
You can hear it when you walk the streets
How many people they reach, how they use music to teach
A "radio program" ain't a figure of speech
Don't sleep, 'cause you could be a radio freak (freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
People's Radio, you on the air
I got a phat chain, I got a phat whip
I got a
Nigga get off that bullshit!
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' off the meter
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' for the people
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' off the meter
[Repeat: x2]
Freak-freak y'all, to the beat y'all
DP's dawg, we got the heat dawg
People's Radio, on ya stereo
For the ghettos, and the varrio
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' off the meter
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' for the people
Crank up yo' speakers!
To all my (niggaz)
Every hustlin (nigga)
Strugglin (niggaz)
Revolutionary (niggaz)
Gang-bangin (niggaz)
Chain-gangin (niggaz)
Tune yo' frequency
I refuse to be a stereotype in ya box
Never want to try to be somethin' I'm not
I'm just a nigga from the block, if you got it twist it
Stay blowin' on green, if you got it, twist it on up
DP's givin' a fuck, R-B-G'd up in some gangsta chucks
Throw ya fist up homie if ya know what's up
All my comrades puttin' in soldier work
We rollin' dirty wit it, fully dedicated
So real that the radio'll never play it
But that's cool, the enemy supposed to hate it
Freedom ain't gon' come til we regulate 'em
That's why I'm in the dojo, not just for the video
Really though, we really got beef with the po-po
Never know when they gon' put you in a choke hold
This is for you new niggaz, holdin for the radio
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
People's Radio
Yo hang up, that's the police
What's on the radio, propaganda, mind control
And turnin' it on is like puttin' on a blindfold
'Cause when you bringin' the real you don't get rotation
Unless you take over the station
And yeah I know it's part of they plans
To make us think it's all about party and dancin'
And yo it might sound good when you spittin' your rap
But in reality, don't nobody live like that
You want to know what kinda nigga I am?
Lemme tell you 'bout the nigga I'm not, I don't fuck with the cops
Platinum don't mean that it gotta be hot
I ain't gotta love it, even if they play it a lot
You can hear it when you walk the streets
How many people they reach, how they use music to teach
A "radio program" ain't a figure of speech
Don't sleep, 'cause you could be a radio freak (freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
Turn off that bullshit! (Freak-freak y'all)
Turn off the radio!
People's Radio, you on the air
I got a phat chain, I got a phat whip
I got a
Nigga get off that bullshit!
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' off the meter
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' for the people
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' off the meter
[Repeat: x2]
Freak-freak y'all, to the beat y'all
DP's dawg, we got the heat dawg
People's Radio, on ya stereo
For the ghettos, and the varrio
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' off the meter
Crank up your speakers, your woofers and your tweeters
Turn up your receivers, we bangin' for the people
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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Kowalski is right, the title of the song is Radio Freq.
In addition to being about overplaying music, and disagreeing with the commercialism of music, I think DP's saying more. They're saying that if you rap about shit that's real, you don't get played on the air, and radio stations, labels, etc. are feeding us a false image of how we should live. It's not all about "party and dancin," and putting that shit in our faces 24/7 is just distracting people from the real issues that matter. Bangin' for the people!