this song is about the struggles a concious rapper goes through when trying to deviate from the norm. it's as if lupe is giving advice to some one who is coming up. he's speaking from the standpoint of some one who has been there.
"When your spirit is strained and you limited to change
The lyrics in your limericks'll change
A different hook, the way the sentences arranged
More demented in your deliverance, more sinister in your slang
Sounds more belligerent when it's sang"
the rapper in this stanza is taking on a more angry approach to his music. his music is more violent because of the anger and frustration he's expirencing internally.
"The truth--is limitless in it's range
If you drop a "t" and look at it in reverse, it could hurt
Look at the grimaces of the pain
And it's worse when it works and your membership is gained"
his anger in his music stems from internal hurt. and becuase of the violent music he's gained "membership" into a league of other viloent mainstream rappers.
"Like poof, the media pours images in your brain
Of the score of the war where militants are slain
The faces of the guilty where innocence is proclaimed
And they filthy, the deaf ears are the winners
The listeners are the lames
Of the ballad of the man that the son of a minister has became, so
"
the media basically shapes the rappers thinking into what they think he is and should be and it's reflected in his music. the militants could be people within the black commnity who are wrongfully accused labled as guilty but are in fact innocent. "deaf ears" are the ones who don't want to hear the thruth, they are also lame. for giving into the faulty images of black men in gangster rap and in the news, and music videos.
"Now the fools that are used as instruments in the game
Where oppression is the queen and ignorance is the king"
the fools are the mainstream rappers and anyone who participates in this glamourized lifestyle. they are the ones who are oppressing their own kind and are used as "intruments" in the rap game perpetuating ignorance through the music.
"Where revolution is dead--no candles in its memory
No remembrance of it's fame, just a mystery
No mentioned in the history of the chained, the enemy
No Hennessy sentiments in its name"
there is no revolutionary rappers, no one mentions the struggles of the peoeple "history of the chain" i.e slavery. no one remembers what real hip hop is about.
"Just an unmarked grave that menaces have defamed
With the propaganda, and images of the gangs
A lost art, no apprentices in the trained
And they brainwashed, no interest in this thing"
hip hop is dead. and it's grave is not marked. the menaces who have defamed it are all the commercialized rappers who perpetuate violence and stereotypes. its a lost art with no one to teach the new and up and coming rappers what its all about.
"The pride is still here, the privileges still remain, but"
there is still hope, we still have pride and are priviledged to speak new messages.
"And you gotta respect the position in which you're playing
Never let your heart reflect the conditions in which you're staying
Even if it's dark, and the temperature is the same as winters in the Ukraine
"
dont take advantage of the fact that u are a rapper who has plenty of possiblilites. never let your art reflect all the anger and negativity that is inside of you. "Keep maliciousness restrained, be smart" stay away from malice and be smart when delivering your lines.
"Cause it's innocent witnesses oblivious to the things
Become the ones hypnotists keep entertained
"
innocent witness are the young impressioned listeners to hip hop, be weary of them, not to spread any negative messages because they've already been hypnotized by the media and the violence in rap that is out there today.
"Stay resistant, and committed to what you saying
Cause they'll flip it the minute that you refrain
Read the book, and the lines, and literature in between
Cause you gotta be educated when going against the grain
Pay attention, they illegitimate in they claims
stay commited to what you rap about. cuz at any chance the media, and other commercial rappers will attack your work anytime that u dont stick to your guns. stay read up and educated on things because you have to know your stuff when going against the majority.
when he says "illegitimate in they claims" he's talking about the lies regarding money, hustling and women that most rappers lie about. when he says "they assisted in the killing and pillaging, in addition to the addiction" he means they are the reason a lot of people in the hood are on drugs, and are killing eachother. impressionable minds listen to the hardcore rap and think a lot of it is cool, so they immulate those images by going out selling drugs and keep strapped killing eachother because of what they are fed through the media and rap music.
there is so much more depth to this song i only scratched the surface. lupe is brilliance personified.
"When your spirit is strained and you limited to change The lyrics in your limericks'll change A different hook, the way the sentences arranged More demented in your deliverance, more sinister in your slang Sounds more belligerent when it's sang"
"The truth--is limitless in it's range If you drop a "t" and look at it in reverse, it could hurt Look at the grimaces of the pain And it's worse when it works and your membership is gained"
"Like poof, the media pours images in your brain Of the score of the war where militants are slain The faces of the guilty where innocence is proclaimed And they filthy, the deaf ears are the winners The listeners are the lames Of the ballad of the man that the son of a minister has became, so "
"Now the fools that are used as instruments in the game Where oppression is the queen and ignorance is the king"
"Where revolution is dead--no candles in its memory No remembrance of it's fame, just a mystery No mentioned in the history of the chained, the enemy No Hennessy sentiments in its name"
"Just an unmarked grave that menaces have defamed With the propaganda, and images of the gangs A lost art, no apprentices in the trained And they brainwashed, no interest in this thing"
"The pride is still here, the privileges still remain, but"
"And you gotta respect the position in which you're playing Never let your heart reflect the conditions in which you're staying Even if it's dark, and the temperature is the same as winters in the Ukraine "
"Cause it's innocent witnesses oblivious to the things Become the ones hypnotists keep entertained " innocent witness are the young impressioned listeners to hip hop, be weary of them, not to spread any negative messages because they've already been hypnotized by the media and the violence in rap that is out there today.
"Stay resistant, and committed to what you saying Cause they'll flip it the minute that you refrain Read the book, and the lines, and literature in between Cause you gotta be educated when going against the grain Pay attention, they illegitimate in they claims
when he says "illegitimate in they claims" he's talking about the lies regarding money, hustling and women that most rappers lie about. when he says "they assisted in the killing and pillaging, in addition to the addiction" he means they are the reason a lot of people in the hood are on drugs, and are killing eachother. impressionable minds listen to the hardcore rap and think a lot of it is cool, so they immulate those images by going out selling drugs and keep strapped killing eachother because of what they are fed through the media and rap music.
there is so much more depth to this song i only scratched the surface. lupe is brilliance personified.