TyrantX

The first line refers to Kanye’s rapping, the fury he finds within himself during a late night recording session. He’s in the zone, he’s possessed, he doesn’t feel tired at all.

The second line is another film reference. It doesn’t tie into the big three, but is extremely interesting. The Omen is a 1976 horror film where a priest warns that a boy will become The Antichrist, this comes true and the boy ends up killing all parties involved.

The media portrays him as crazy, you could so far to say possessed. Is Kanye referring to himself as the Antichrist? Not strictly the biblical Antichrist, the Catholic church was dominated by mostly white people throughout history, right wing, upper class people, so you can see why he would reference himself as the so called “Anti-Christ”. He’s openly criticizing structural and institutional racism, and is leaving no stone un-turned.

The context in which he’s referring himself to be the Antichrist is that of society. This song, this movement he’s pushing is the prosecution of traditional thought. Kanye West is the outspoken leader of a generation and to the people who dislike him, he would literally appear to be the Antichrist. If you think about it, the name “Yeezus” could also be a part of this metaphor.

In addition, he’s not the first to evoke controversy involving the Antichrist, Kanye may be one of the “limited readers” that Friedrich Nietzsche referred to in the foreword of his controversial philosophical work The Antichrist:

“One [of his readers] must be honest in intellectual matters to the point of harshness to so much as endure my seriousness, my passion…One must have become indifferent…”

Kanye undoubtedly meets the criteria of the individual intellectual who does not give a fuck.

The second film reference to complete the extended metaphor. It refers to the 2009 film Inglourious Basterds. This film again is fiction, much like 300 and King Kong.

The film is set during World War 2, with a group of American soldiers dropped into Germany to do one thing and one thing only — kill Nazis'. They were the masked men that no one knew, the men that ironically scalped their victims after killing them. Ye uses the film reference and the following lines, most notably this one to create a metaphor for society. White Corporate America are the Nazi Germans controlling our every move and taking over the world with their ideals. Kanye on the other hand sees himself as a vigilante — he must do what’s right by the people. He’s the outspoken voice that the corporations love to hate.

Just as Mandela blew up the buildings and eventually became president…Contrary to popular opinion, sometimes you have to blow up the building.

Interestingly, there is a rapping bastard in Inglorious Basterds: French actor-rapper Jacky Ido. He plays the projectionist Marcel in the film. He’s famous in France for his fake/parody song “On t'viole” (“We rape you”) in which gives his raping schedule.

In addition, is Tyler, The Creator also referenced in this line? Could you even say he helped inspire the title of the track? Look: In Tron Cat, Tyler raps

Because I’m the blackest skinhead since India Arie

Of course, Tyler’s debut album was entitled Bastard

Switching up the lyrics slighting on the second hook, Ye shouts out his baby mamma Kim.

Baby we livin' in the moment

He’ll also do what he pleases, making him unpredictable:

I’ve been a menace for the longest
But I ain’t finished, I’m devoted

This is only the beginning, Kanye has alot more to say.

Ye uses the multiple meanings of goon to establish the vicious cycle of growing up as a young black man.

In essence, it’s a call to end the senseless violence that is pervasive in Chicago as of late. “Goon” on the streets implies gang affiliation and toughness. The other meaning of “Goon” comes into play as implying something being silly or stupid. The broadcasting of early morning cartoons that validate violence drill into our kids heads that violence in normal. Whereas Ye knows it’s not.

He knows Chicago is going through a tough time dealing with young gang related crimes. There’s aren’t petty crimes though, murder is high up on the list. Just in March this year, 7 were shot at a local rappers album release party. Steps need to be taken to protect and censor young children from an early age. What ever happened to just letting kids be kids?

Also worth noting the potential reference to Kendrick Lamar’s “Cartoon and Cereal”. The song deals with “goon shit”, and features cartoon samples. Cartoons are starting to get seriously scary.

A shoutout to everyone else in the rap game. 21 Grammy’s so far? Fam you ain’t on the same level musically Yeezus is.

Continuing on from the previous line, he implies that using deal sweeteners in contracts will get a black man to sign any contract. Common incentives such as money, cars and women are used in the music industry to control rappers.

Throughout his career, Jay was always repped where he’s come from — New York City. In particular, the borough of Brooklyn. Shouting out his hometown and city in numerous tracks. Most famously, in his Blue Print 3 album he dedicated a song with Alicia Keys to the great city of New York, Empire State of Mind. The single has sold 5 million copies to date and captured the hearts of many more.

Concrete jungle where dreams are made, oh
There’s nothing you can’t do
Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you
Let’s hear it for New York

2 step process:

• Find out whose song it was originally, some songs might have multiple artists on them, or even be a remix of a remix so we want to find the original.

• Once the original artist has been found. Find that song on RG. Find the matching lyrics, highlight that section on the remix and add an annotation similar to this one.

That’s it! Simple and effective.

Annotating remixes can be a little tricky, some of the original lyrics will have already been annotated and we don’t need to waste time doing this again. Hence, there is a procedure.

Khaled said fuckbois? My GAWD!

Khaled always stays winning