I'm with sphinxsnakeon on it being pointed towards all the different vain/showy things that artists do. Many people seem to interpret that specifically, he's talking about all the vain and showy things about rap culture and telling rappers to be more humble.
I just barely discovered this song and I'm still digesting it but I'll see if I can figure out a few meanings.
"Ay, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances
Finesse a n**** with some counterfeits
But now I'm countin' this
Parmesan where my accountant lives
In fact, I'm downin' this
D'USSÉ with my boo bae, tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts"
As sphinxsnakeon pointed out, while he's talking about 'allowances', 'counterfeits', and counting them-- the music video displays women in medical masks and headgear counting money. Aside from medical reasons, most people wear them during flu seasons or an outbreak when they don't wanna catch something. He's talking about Dirty Money and references that by the medical masks, touching that what is unclean.
"Ay, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances" If you look up syrup sandwiches, it's a reference to eating barely put-together sandwiches as a result of being poor.
"Finesse a n**** with some counterfeits
But now I'm countin' this
Parmesan where my accountant lives
In fact, I'm downin' this
D'USSÉ with my boo bae, tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts"
He then goes on to switch to another character and go on bragging about persuading (finesse) people with fakes and profiting. D'USSÉ is another religious symbol actually, which is a very refined drink with the bottle decorated with the Cross of Lorraine. So this character isn't very humble and sees themselves as a higher being, despite profiting from a a bad profile. I think this is a reference to rappers who brag about their crimes.
"Girl, I can buy yo' ass the world with my paystub
Ooh, that pussy good, won't you sit it on my taste bloods?
I get way too petty once you let me do the extras
Pull up on your block, then break it down: we playin' Tetris
A.M. to the P.M., P.M. to the A.M., funk
Piss out your per diem, you just gotta hate 'em, funk
If I quit your BM, I still ride Mercedes, funk
If I quit this season, I still be the greatest, funk
My left stroke just went viral
Right stroke put lil' baby in a spiral
Soprano C, we like to keep it on a high note
Its levels to it, you and I know, bitch, be humble"
I feel like this switches back and forth to both of their thoughts (the unhumble character and Kendrick himself) and in the video you see it switching between the proud character in a lavish situation to Kendrick being in more down-to-earth situations like being in a hair salon with women wearing sweats and sneakers. It might also be how initially they both started out in the same kind of background. They might even be sort of agreeing with each other until, ultimately Kendrick is basically going "yeah okay BUT-" as a rebuttal. "Yeah but there's levels to it, you and I know" and reminds the other to be humble.
I'm still processing the rest of the lyrics but here's my take for now.
I'm with sphinxsnakeon on it being pointed towards all the different vain/showy things that artists do. Many people seem to interpret that specifically, he's talking about all the vain and showy things about rap culture and telling rappers to be more humble.
I just barely discovered this song and I'm still digesting it but I'll see if I can figure out a few meanings.
"Ay, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances Finesse a n**** with some counterfeits But now I'm countin' this Parmesan where my accountant lives In fact, I'm downin' this D'USSÉ with my boo bae, tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts"
As sphinxsnakeon pointed out, while he's talking about 'allowances', 'counterfeits', and counting them-- the music video displays women in medical masks and headgear counting money. Aside from medical reasons, most people wear them during flu seasons or an outbreak when they don't wanna catch something. He's talking about Dirty Money and references that by the medical masks, touching that what is unclean.
"Ay, I remember syrup sandwiches and crime allowances" If you look up syrup sandwiches, it's a reference to eating barely put-together sandwiches as a result of being poor.
"Finesse a n**** with some counterfeits But now I'm countin' this Parmesan where my accountant lives In fact, I'm downin' this D'USSÉ with my boo bae, tastes like Kool-Aid for the analysts"
He then goes on to switch to another character and go on bragging about persuading (finesse) people with fakes and profiting. D'USSÉ is another religious symbol actually, which is a very refined drink with the bottle decorated with the Cross of Lorraine. So this character isn't very humble and sees themselves as a higher being, despite profiting from a a bad profile. I think this is a reference to rappers who brag about their crimes.
"Girl, I can buy yo' ass the world with my paystub Ooh, that pussy good, won't you sit it on my taste bloods? I get way too petty once you let me do the extras Pull up on your block, then break it down: we playin' Tetris A.M. to the P.M., P.M. to the A.M., funk Piss out your per diem, you just gotta hate 'em, funk If I quit your BM, I still ride Mercedes, funk If I quit this season, I still be the greatest, funk My left stroke just went viral Right stroke put lil' baby in a spiral Soprano C, we like to keep it on a high note Its levels to it, you and I know, bitch, be humble"
I feel like this switches back and forth to both of their thoughts (the unhumble character and Kendrick himself) and in the video you see it switching between the proud character in a lavish situation to Kendrick being in more down-to-earth situations like being in a hair salon with women wearing sweats and sneakers. It might also be how initially they both started out in the same kind of background. They might even be sort of agreeing with each other until, ultimately Kendrick is basically going "yeah okay BUT-" as a rebuttal. "Yeah but there's levels to it, you and I know" and reminds the other to be humble.
I'm still processing the rest of the lyrics but here's my take for now.