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Jay just tries to stay legal and alive.

“What’s today’s math” is a common greeting among Five-Percenters, which relates to their Supreme Mathematics.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

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You cannot comprehend Jay Electronica unless you digest his lyrics.

“Do the knowledge” is a five percenter term. Jay is a five percenter.

As Francis Bacon said about books (in this case lyrics),

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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As Biggie said, “things done changed.”.

Or have they? By stating “And way back it was a half-assed trife like now,” Jay questions whether urban environments have changed that much (at least qualitatively), or if people just romanticize the past.

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Looks can be deceiving. Larry moved K’s (kilos of cocaine), and, it would seem, was also a weapons dealer. The “banana clips” refers to the curved clips for AK-47’s.

As Weezy said,

Real G’s move in silence like lasagna!

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Jay’s hood still seems to have some semblance of true community, which Biggie noted was lacking in his own Brooklyn neighborhood.

As said by Biggie,

Damn, what happened to the summertime cookouts?
Every time I turn around, a nigga getting took out

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Unreviewed Annotation 2 Contributors ?

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When Jay’s cousin is sober, he’s a smart, level-headed dude (in “rare form”).

“Rare” might also emphasize how often he’s under the influence of drugs.

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The DEFCON (Defense Readiness Condtion) was developed by the US Armed Forces to symbolize threat levels pertaining to war. DEFCON 5 is the normal threat level, while DEFCON 1 is the most threatening level and is only used if thermonuclear war is imminent.

Given this song’s numerous references to the Book of Revelation, known for its apocalyptic imagery, this line implicitly has Jay recognizing that the end of the world is that much closer, so the threat level should be increased.

Note: Def-Con 4 is also the title of a movie.

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Jay seems to be recounting his history of extensive world traveling (from Babylon to London, England to the USA). In all of these places, it would seem that he’s threatened.

Also, notice the wordplay with “molding a way,” and “miles of clay.” So, Jay seems to be shaping, or molding, the land he travels on, which could be his way of saying he has tremendous influence.

Taking into account the allusions to the Book of Revelation in this song, “Babylon” probably alludes to the Whore of Babylon.

Check Revelation 17 for more source info on her.

Her title is

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

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5%ers like coffeehouses, apparently.

This might also be an allusion to the quote from the biopic Malcolm X, where Malcolm says “the only thing I like integrated is my coffee”, hence the “cream.”

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Nothing compares to raking in the greenbacks!

It might also be a shoutout to “Top Billin'” by Audio Two.

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