Failure

"This is saran wrap and aluminum foil Some potpourri, a little machine oil I stack my paper and throw off my cents/scents/sense"

I think there's triple wordplay here. He throws off the scents of the drugs by mixing in other pungent aromas. He throws off his cents because he's stacking his paper (bills) so high that it's not even worth keeping the change; he just throws it away. But the more paper he stacks, the more he changes and becomes obsessed with money, which throws off his sense - money makes you crazy.

I think this might be the most brilliant couple of lines in Lupe's music.

everytime i listen to this song, it's like i never heard it before...the metaphors are excellent, and there's so many times where he stacks more than one or two meanings onto one line

the ending bars are probably one of my favorites:

"Well, my skill's clear You Sea World It's Braille here I'm Bumpy Johnson I stick to the streets Keep my dogs out in front of me You see what I'm saying And I push ki's wonderfully"

just because of how it weaves together in such a complex way; he plays off of the word 'clear' AND uses 'you, see world' to refer back to his whale reference (Sea World), then goes on to play off of the vision theme and THEN ties in a double meaning for being blind by referring to things blind people do AND Bumpy Johnson ('stick to the streets, keep my dogs out in front of me, you see what i'm saying). and that last line makes me think he was implicitly making a double meaning to Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder 'ki's (keys)', anybody else agree with me on that?

Lupe is on a WHOLE other level than 95 percent of hip-hop and rap. Period.

tight song

amazing lyricism

It's mean, soldier Now let me put the streets down like steamrollers With the CATS that push 40 oz. through the hood like King Cobras ( King Cobras are a brand of 40oz's) See me sling soda 'Cause the extra four in the split it is mixed It's really 36 Used to buy toasters and clips You can tighten your circle or boa constrict While you was lighting your purple, I was over the scripts( Lighting your purple = purple tops, set the stage with purple lights) See, I couldn't walk the walk, couldn't really talk the talk Had to get my talk to properly explain my walk 'Cause this lack in talk had my walk looking off Now I'm over the limp Watch how they mugs drop when they see my Verbal's able (That's the Usual) When I was PO I was LO( Ralf Lauren Polos ) Now me and my Chaps cop Purple Label It's Ralph Lauren on the rap laureate Niggas brownnose, they are like Alf to him Alf is a dog I think, Dogs sniff ass Runners at Interscope are not as Stoute as him Please don't Interscope(endoscope)-( [ i]Endoscope is a medical instrument used to view internal organs, so i think he's referring to respiration or I.V.[/i]) It's gonna be a whole lot of IVing ad) res pirating If I lean out this window with Irene Niggas as tall as Yao Ming With L-U-P-Emperor Is the foundation's I-Beams and the antennas It's so serious every time I write my John Hancock like Could "damn near see Detroit ( other than his signature The Height of the John Hancock Center) Niggas is scared of heights This is saran wrap and aluminum foil Some potpourri, a little machine oil I stack my paper and throw off my scents/cents This is top floor, better look out below Pennies from heaven is the same as the semi from the second Pennies from heaven (will hurt) the same a semi from the second (finger, trigger finger). And I rain supreme Turn your umbrellas upside down Did you even catch the change in theme?

And them niggas ain't Was( Wasalu ) nor from his regime( FnF ) Gangsta lean Hats on tilt like ya snickers ain't drop out the vending machine You gotta put more money in And I shake niggas up every time I drop a bar(2 for 1) It's horse in the Porsche and bricks in the box ( [ i]The Porsche logo has a horse with black and red colors symbolizing bricks, I think that what it is i'm not sure[/i] ) Like mo' money them every time I cop a car You see I'm a roller, right So it might be a Rover, right But every time I drop a r (Get off the streets) It's over aite Bet I be in the head like overnight Like rollers, right She the chauffeur, right So I keep her sober She don't get Fed Ex like overnight ( NVM, thats self explanitory I am Dolemite All that gas can't help you but solar might Just call on sun Drop a s Pick up an o U no, put it all on one Brace yourself like overbite For that quiet nigga that relocated down south Coming back to floss Nigga get your molars right Fix your grill No plaque but a whole lot of cheese ( no plaque or album, but a whole lotta chease or money) This the drill Mr. Chill Gave me the green light like Yoda knife ( Yoda’s saber from Starwars) So I'ma force my will Like the Force I wield The force from Starwars Of course you will Take my time But wait/weight behind only pertains To that Porsche grill Porsche designed the rear-engine sports car It's snakes in the hood Gotta watch for that Cobra bite Let me see There's snakes in the hood A bird, a horse behind the grill Something gator on the seat And a fox behind the wheel No, its not Noah's Ark

For achiever My procedure's To proceed at all cost With no breather I'm all walk Rain, snow, or fever I'm all coughs coming after your teacher I'm on the ball like FIFA Viva Lupe Duce ( [ i]Long Live the Leader[/i] ) Long live the leader I remember I ain't have sneakers It was welfare Coming up for air is like Whales there Fila But now I'm well here I'm Shamu with twelve pair And niggas wanna take me back to zero like tear fare Well, my skill's clear You See World It's Braille here I'm Bumpy Johnson I stick to the streets Keep my dogs out in front of me You see what I'm saying And I push ki's wonderfully

theres more at http://boards.atlanticrecords.com/artists/lupefiasco/forums/a/tpc/f/261104763/m/5681049329/p/3

some of his best punchline raps here.

If I lean out this window with Irene (Name of the gun) I stack my paper and throw off my scents/cents (Doesn't carry change) Pennies from heaven is the same as the semi from the second (pennies will have the same effect on the human body dropped from a high height as bullets from a semi automatic weapon will in one second, but the pennies take longer to fall than the bullets do to hit you.) Bet I be in the head like overnight (some people go to bed wondering what his lyrics mean. hence, being in people's heads overnight.) Just call on sun Drop a s Pick up an o U no, put it all on one (WTF PEOPLE WAKE UP! lol get it, wake up, the roosterin the song...whatever. Call ON SUN. Drop an S, that gives you UN, pick up an O, that gives you UNO, as in YOU KNOW, or U no, also giving you an ON! PURE UNFILTERED GENIUS!) But wait/weight behind only pertains to that Porsche grille (other meaning with the engine thing is right, but could also mean a slang word for cocaine, "weight" see Rick Ross' Song "The Boss" for proof. There's no weight behind him, saying he doesn't deal cocaine. don't people who sell stuff usually have their items behind them?) It's snakes in the 'hood (snitches in the 'hood) A bird, (a slang word for gun, don't ask me how it originated.) a horse behind the grill (horsepower in the engine, which is usually behind the grille of a car.) Something gator on the seat (alligator skin seats.) And a fox behind the wheel (calling himself a fox.) My procedure's To proceed at all cost With no breather (keep going without taking a break)

Niggas brown-nose, they are like Alf to him

Alf the alien from the TV show he was completely brown and furry. Brown-nose like Alf, he had a brown nose.

also, pennies from heaven is a frank sinatra and billie holiday song.

Excluding the content and message, this is lyrically his best song. I am going to go ahead and say that no other song is close to this one in terms of metaphors, puns, etc,

i only listen to the first verse cuz that's the only real song. here's just how i take it. most bars have double meanings. i'll put it in sections.

It's mean, soldiers Now let me put the streets down like steamrollers With the CATS that push 40 oz. through the hood like King Cobras See we sling soda 'Cause the extra four in the split is mix It's really 36

*now let me put the streets down like steamrollers- let people know what's up.

*we're the CATS push - dudes who push or sell 'product' /caterpillar makes heavy machinery, like steamrollers

*40 oz through the hood like king cobra, see we sling soda - it makes sounds like drinks but it's actually talkin bout the 'product', 40 oz of it, about a kilo, the soda is baking soda

*cuz the extra 4 in the split is mix, it's really 36 - they cut the 'prodcut' to profit, 4 ounces is baking soda, the other 36 is the real

Used to buy toasters and clips You can tighten your circle or boa constrict While you was lighting your purple, I was over the scripts See, I could walk the walk, couldn't really talk the talk Had to get my talk to properly explain my walk 'Cuz this lack in talk had my walk looking off Now I'm over the limp Watch how they mugs drop when they see my Verbal's able (That's the Usual)

*basically this part just means what it says. had the swagger, but not the words to express. had to correct that. now he's over that 'over the limp'.

*watch how they mugs drop - sound of glass breaking / faces in shock

*when they see my verbal's able (that's the usual) - his words are right on / at the end of the usual suspects you find out verbal kint who seemed average was actually keyser soze the baddest dude ever and he played everyone, if you never saw it i just ruined the ending

When I was Po I was Lo Now me and my Chaps cop Purple Label It's Ralph Lauren on the rap laureate Niggas brown nose, they are like Alf to him

*Polo, Chaps, and Purple Lable are all Ralph Lauren brands

*I have no idea what he's sayin about alf. that was a show with an alien who was a brown dude, alf stood for alien life form, but i don't think that's what he's talkin about.

Runners at Interscope are not as Stout as him Please don't endoscope It's gonna be a whole lot of Iovine and respiratin If I lean out this window with Irene

*Stout - Steve Stoute, google him with interscope records

*endoscope is a medical tool which falls in with Iovine (iv'ing intravenously)

*Iovine - Jimmy Iovine, google him with interscope records too

*Irene ?? no idea thought there was a song or movie or somethin with somethin like "i call my gun irene" but i don't think that's it

Niggas as tall as Yao Ming With L-U-P-Emperor Is the foundations, I-Beams, and the antennas It's so serious/Sears every time I write my John Hancock like Could damn near see Detroit Niggas is scared of heights

*yao ming's tall. this part just starts the tall building/skyscraper theme.

*L U P Emperor spells lupe

*foundations, I-beams, antennas - all parts of buildings, continuing the theme

*it's so Sears everytime i write my John Hancock - Sears Tower and the John Hancock building, both skyscrapes in chicago

This is saran wrap and aluminum foil Some potpourri, a little machine oil (aqua) I stack my paper and throw off my scents/cents This is top flo', better look out below

*don't know if it actually works or not, but back to drugs, if you put them in the saran wrap, alum foil, with the potpurri and machine oil, it should through off their scent (cents/scents) in case k-9s were search for it

*top flo' - best flow / top floor. top floor goes to the building/skyscraper theme and the rest of the verse.

Pennies from heaven is the same as the semi from the second And I rain/reign supreme Turn your umbrellas upside down Did you even catch the change in theme?

*pennies from heaven - goes back to the skyscraper theme and the 'stack my paper and throw off my cents' line. if you throw your 'cents' off the roof their pennies from 'heaven' or high up.

*are the same as a semi from the second - this builds more on the tall building/pennies cents theme. there was an urban legend that if you drop a penny from the top of a tall building like the empire state building it could kill someone, just like a handgun or 'semi-auto' could

*and i reign/rain supreme - reign supreme he's the best / rain as in the pennies or cents or change that he threw from the top of the building

*turn your umbrellas upside down, did you even catch the change in theme? - if pennies/cents/change was falling from the sky all around you and you held an umbrella upside down, you'd probably 'catch some change' in it

i could be completely wrong, that's just how i take it and it's a sick song. i want more people to get it and to get lupe cuz all his songs are wild if you listen to the lyrics.