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Jonny 5 just dropped the ‘bald truth,’ which means it’s the truth with no spin or deception. So bald, in fact, that it’s as bald as the mascot for the Mr. Clean brand:

He’ll keep spitting the truth like Listerine (a mouthwash brand). Listerine is effective at killing germs, but it burns your mouth when you gargle it because of its chemical makeup. So Jonny 5 is spitting the truth so hard for so long that his lips are blistered from it.

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Unreviewed Annotation 3 Contributors ?

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The Flobots are very concerned with the rights of LGBT individuals (also a prominent theme in their song Superhero).
These lines start with Jonny 5 making some standard rap boasts with “homo” as a filler in between, noteworthy given hip-hop’s chronic homophobia.

The third line makes reference to the Stonewall Riots, a major backlash against a police raid on a gay bar in 1969, which he tells us not to laugh at (as in disregard or minimize).

The last two lines are the simple statement that Jonny 5 might be gay, or he might not (just as anyone could be), so be careful and don’t disparage people unlike yourself.

In another sense:
Take a pink shirt and a rapper.

Ironic = Rapper wears pink shirt sarcastically, joking about how gay the shirt is but how un-gay he is.

Post-ironic = Rapper genuinely likes pink shirt, but qualifies with “no homo” to ensure no one suspects he’s gay.

Post-post-ironic = Rapper likes pink shirt without qualification. He just wears it. He could be straight or gay; it no longer matters.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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B-1 and F-16 are both models of active-service aircraft in use by the United States military for bombing missions (among other roles). From their generally pacifist viewpoint, Flobots are disparaging the widespread use of these machines to create destruction in the name of national security.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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The Flobots and Jonny 5 tend to reject most traditional hip-hop tropes such as battle raps or opulent money boasts. They prefer to focus on injustice and don’t see how other artists can spend time rapping about money and bitches while people are starving.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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Checking ten different music websites, you’d find the Flobots classified eleven different ways, ranging from hip-hop to rock or alternative, or hyphenated combinations of those. The band themselves don’t pay attention to how they’re classified though. They just make solid music and let the fans worry about the rest.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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Calls out the Flobots' home city of Denver, CO (also known as the Mile High City due to its high altitude) as well as their sub-genre of social/political rap.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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He has the gift of rap ability, which you can’t buy.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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People who hate on Jonny 5 or the Flobots regret it because he stings like one of these. It’s similar to a jellyfish but is actually a colonoid of many small organisms. In any case, their poisonous sting is severely painful.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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Pelé is a famous (now retired) Brazilian soccer player, commonly regarded as the best player in the history of the game. His style incorporated massive flair and style, including the infamous bicycle kick. The Bicycle kick is a half-backflip done to strike the ball when over the player’s head. An appropriate comparison for Jonny 5’s claims of kicking and flipping.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.

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Flobots, and Jonny 5, are Democrats/social rappers, so he often advocates for alternative energies. In this case, he’s saying if we can’t find a better energy source than burning oil and coal then he’s Lady Gaga (he clearly is not).

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