Blood on the Leaves

Maybe I'm looking to deeply into this out maybe you guys are but this is what I'm hearing:

Sounds like the song is written from the perspective of Hip-Hop music and it's reflecting on an artist who was supposed to represent our correctly and got lost along the way. Hip-Hop is wondering what went wrong as the artist and it knew each other well and we're try to each and somehow the fame has corrupted the artist. By the end it's chastising the artist and saying look at all you lost for wildin' out.

I love when it feels like Hip-Hop is like other artists will treat it right and it's down with them. The beat and tone feels harder there.

I could be way off but that's what I hear and picture when I hear this. The vibe feels right. Makes me think the bodies swinging in the summer breeze is just another artist getting some radio burn in the summer. Another unsuspecting victim of the game soon to be swallowed by the politics and voices of the music industry.

Firstly, I love this song.

Now, I don't know if I'm reading too much into this, but I think that this is a perfect comment on the trivialisation of the past. "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday (covered here by Nina Simone), is used at the bridge, a very key element of the song. It's about lynching — something horrific and awful. "Strange Fruit" is a powerful, haunting song that cuts deep to the roots of the USA's torrid and racist past. Yet here Kanye is rapping about nothing much, it's very trivial (on the surface), and doesn't relate at all to "Strange Fruit".

It is in this contrast that I think the true comment of the song is being made, I think that this is looking at music, and society at the moment, and how we are conveniently forgetting the past. We are living in a world where the majority of people are willing to turn a blind eye to history, we like to forget what happened to black people in the past, we like to forget that the South was racist as all living hell (and still is), we like to forget the lessons of Malcolm X and MLK, we like to forget the sacrifices that they and countless others before them made. And through the use of Nina Simone's version of "Strange Fruit" in such a seemingly careless fashion really highlights this.

If you look at other songs on the album, he talks about injustices, and the use of "Strange Fruit" would have been a perfect background for those songs, yet here he is, rapping about running naked in the lobby.

The juxtaposition here seems very powerful to me, and just stands out because the differences are so stark. As I said, I might be reading too much into this, but looking at the rest of the content on the album, there seems to be a subversive intelligence that remains hidden unless you are looking for it, and regardless, I think the song makes the comment whether Kanye intended it or not (I hope he did).

Seeing that "Strange Fruit" was referencing the lynched slaves hanging from the poplar tress my interpretation is a bit more complicated. "New Slaves" being a track referencing modern slaves obsessed with materialistic possession and how stereotypes of blacks are on two extremes (poor and rich) and how they're treated by whites. Blood on the Leaves seems to be a companion to this, only instead of referencing new slaves, it's talking about literal slaves. However, Kanye, purposefully, seems to be delusional talking about a love of his life who is now seeking a divorce for some reason while slaves are being referenced to. Perhaps this is not what the slaves died for; for blacks to live the way they do now.

i believe this song is about the death of jayz baby mama. how jayz didnt want her to tell about the baby. she sold out for money. then they hirer someone to kill her. they needed something take the attention off.

I think this song is about a serious moment time in his life. The original song is about a serious subject. Strange fruit hanging on the leaves is a song about african americans being hanged. He begins the song saying that he needs to clear his mind too. Its very important to him. Being a rapper is hard, I assume, as you always have to be the man or as always being successfull or capable of maintaining even in a bad neighborhood/situation/background. But he admits he has no money. He asks someone to wait. It seems like he is asking a girl in particular to wait for him. That's a strong and honest message. I can't do what I wish I could, there are other girls but I have that level of honesty with you. Then he goes on to complain or wineing spree about how much she means to him. He obviously is very angry, but that how emotional guys get. It's pretty much about a girl he likes and needs. It's one of my favorite songs. If you listen to how at times he explains things to kinda make someone feel better, to how he talks about other women and says randomly eff other n-words I'm fine with my n-words, and how he tries to serenade someone in the end, that he wants to be with a certain someone. He goes through the motions. It happens to everyone, not particularly me but I had alot of friends who have kinda went through the same. I like this song for being so expressive and honest.

I believe this song is talking about drugs from the point of view of a gangsta who currently is in debt.

I believe that the leaves he refers to through out the song is marijuana.This explains why his mind has been racing as it is an effect of the drug. The line " all i want is what I cant buy now" could show his addiction to the drug and his inability to pay for the drug. I also believe that the person he owes is someone he takes drugs with.

The second verse is basically him remembering the first time his creditor took the drug, showing how close they are as a form of plea for more time to pay back the money.

The third verse is basically him appealing to his creditor's guilt in hopes of a loan extension. Its also a away of saying " I've done so much for you, now its your turn to pay me back".

The fourth verse is his final plea for the money and he does so by showing his loyalty to his creditors, in other words his 'nigga".