One may also interpret the song as entirely metaphorical, the "water" representing the dangerous direction the world is heading towards. Mos Def uses the concept of "new world" water to describe the negative way that humans are tampering with the natural order. When he explains that
"Heads is acting wild, sippin poor, puffin dank/Competin with the next man for higher playin rank/See I ain't got time try to be Big Hank,/Fuck a bank; I need a twenty-year water tank
he criticizes the overcompetitive dog-eat-dog world for ignoring the big picture: that we are destroying the world we are living in with pollution, crime, greed and hatred. He warns that soon we will be forced to pay our repercussions, that "while these knuckleheads is out here sweatin they goods, the sun is sitting in the treetops burnin the woods". Greed seems to be his major concern, perhaps because he believes that all the problems caused by civilization are rooted in our intrinsic nature to constantly desire for more. He explains that "it's all about gettin that cash (Money)".
One may also interpret the song as entirely metaphorical, the "water" representing the dangerous direction the world is heading towards. Mos Def uses the concept of "new world" water to describe the negative way that humans are tampering with the natural order. When he explains that "Heads is acting wild, sippin poor, puffin dank/Competin with the next man for higher playin rank/See I ain't got time try to be Big Hank,/Fuck a bank; I need a twenty-year water tank he criticizes the overcompetitive dog-eat-dog world for ignoring the big picture: that we are destroying the world we are living in with pollution, crime, greed and hatred. He warns that soon we will be forced to pay our repercussions, that "while these knuckleheads is out here sweatin they goods, the sun is sitting in the treetops burnin the woods". Greed seems to be his major concern, perhaps because he believes that all the problems caused by civilization are rooted in our intrinsic nature to constantly desire for more. He explains that "it's all about gettin that cash (Money)".