Genius | Song Lyrics & Knowledge

Now I'm tryna figure how to bend spoons Capital STEEZ – Apex

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Done with women, and focusing his energy on better things.
STEEZ considered himself to be an Indigo child, someone with a better understanding of this world and worlds beyond as well as a better understanding of human interaction. They are often described as having a high IQ and/or ADD/ ADHD. The reference to bending spoons could be a reference to his superior mind as an Indigo child.

The prodigy of an alchemist is indigo, indigo comes from the 6th sense so he uses his 6th sense energy on concentrating on the inner side of the world where anything is possible as long as you free your mind through balance. Also a reference from the matrix

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

116

7 years

When your spitting insane fire like STEEZ he must be doing hard drugs. When liquefying heroine you bend the spoon so you don’t hurt by the fire (of your stove).

Upvote +0 Downvote

Marked this as restating the line ?

7 years

Or he’s tryna figure how to just bend spooning with bitches. 👌

Upvote +0 Downvote

9 years

In an interview he said he’s tryna figure how to bend spoons.

Upvote +0 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Out for dead presidents, VPs and delegates Capital STEEZ – Apex

Genius Annotation 5 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

This seems to be a reference not only to his own song, Dead Prez, but also to the song The World Is Yours by Nas which is where lines like this originate from. Since the release of Nas’s track, Jay Z and several others have paid homage to “dead presidents” in their lyrics.

“Dead presidents” are a slang term for money. Not only does he want those dead presidents, but he uses the double entendre of “dead presidents” to transition over to how he wants to bring the whole system down Presidents Vice Presidents,etc.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

I call it astromagentum, Pro Era – Run or Fly

Genius Annotation 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

This is what Cap calls this state that he is in, foreshadowing for the next line: “i woke up in a dream state” so apparently, he has named this state, or the fame he has recently achieved, ‘astromagentum’

It could also be “Astrum Argentum” -Silver Star in Latin – the name of “a Thelemic magical fraternity, the goals of which are the pursuit of light and knowledge”
He’s saying he’s in a higher “magical” thinking state. Reminiscent of the 5 Percenters of 90s hiphop who “refer to themselves as scientists, implying their search for knowledge”.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Marked this as missing something ?

1 year

I call it “Astral magisterium”
Meaning cap is a wiseman of the astrals.
Thats why this life seems great but it aint hes already been here before and hes wise to it. But the pain of that knowledge can lead to self medicating which he speaks to in the song . Which is like leaving the choice. “Run or Fly”

Upvote +0 Downvote

1 year

Its “ i call it Astral Magisterium “

Meaning hes a magi or a wiseman of the astrals

Upvote -1 Downvote

147

8 years

I’m sure it’s “astral-magentum” instead of “astromagentum” because STEEZ was very interested in Astral Projection.

Upvote +10 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Fuck that, we gon' raise the roof Capital STEEZ (Ft. Chuck Strangers & CJ Fly) – Cab Fare

Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Raise the roof is a 90’s expressing similar to “turn up” today. This is an expansion of the previous line. Instead of ceilings falling on them, they will be raising the roof.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Marked this as missing something ?

7 years

Also means they will raise the bar of the standard expected in Hip Hop.

Upvote +0 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

People pollutin' our minds, tryna keep me from cruisin' Capital STEEZ – Evol Love

Genius Annotation 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

TV, Radio, and Matter are all things that run our society and also pollute the mind.

When speaking about his mixtape AmeriKKKan Korruption, STEEZ had this to say:

AmeriKKKan Korruption came about during a time in my high school years where everyone was following fads and trying to fit in and naturally I did the same. It got to a certain point where I asked myself why? I started to open my eyes, I was a slave to television, media, and the daily motions of what we call the American Dream. My only intentions are to get the American Public to open up that 3rd eye just a little bit, and from there we all can grow.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

376

3 years

Cruises are also horrible for the planet with respect to pollution. Known fact.

Upvote +0 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Put my partner on, he got her pregnant Trinidad James (Ft. Reija Lee) – Female$ Welcomed

Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

After he hit-it-and-quit-it, he let his homie take a pass at her. Unfortunately, his homie got the girl pregnant. Hopefully he doesn’t pull a Swayze.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

They tell me I'm a dreamer, they ridicule Brother Ali – Letter To My Countrymen

Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

This is a reference to John Lennon’s “Imagine”

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

[Verse 2] Kendrick Lamar – Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst

Genius Annotation 4 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

This verse comes from the perspective of Keisha’s sister.

She is mad at Kendrick for putting her sister on blast (on Section.80) without even knowing her properly.

She talks about how she is living the same life as her sister, as a prostitute, and is proud of her living and what she does. She claims not to be just another woman lost in the system. She says her sister died in vain. Unlike Dave’s brother she doesn’t want to be sung about on the album.

She feels great and says she’ll never fade away….but then she does, her vocals slowly fade out in to obscurity…perhaps she died or just became another nameless “hoodrat”.

Kendrick’s decision to rap this verse from the perspective of someone else rather than from his own is an iconic technique of Nas, of whom Kendrick is an admirer. Most notably, Nas raps from the perspective of a woman in “Sekou Story”.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

This verse comes from the perspective of Keisha's sister.

She is mad at Kendrick for putting her [sister on blast]( http://rapgenius.com/Kendrick-lamar-keishas-song-her-pain-lyrics) (on [*Section.80*](/albums/Kendrick-lamar/Section-80)) without even knowing her properly.

She talks about how she is living the same life as her sister, as a prostitute, and is proud of her living and what she does. She claims not to be just another woman lost in the system. She says her sister died in vain. Unlike Dave's brother she doesn't want to be sung about on the album.

http://images.rapgenius.com/43b736e7d36e1696c8fd6504c293dee7.640x426x1.jpg

She feels great and says she'll never fade away....but then she does, her vocals slowly fade out in to obscurity...perhaps she died or just became another nameless *"hoodrat"*.

Kendrick's decision to rap this verse from the perspective of someone else rather than from his own is an iconic technique of Nas, of whom Kendrick is an admirer.  Most notably, Nas raps from the perspective of a woman in ["Sekou Story"](/Nas-sekou-story-lyrics).

report abuse

You lyin' to these motherfuckers
Talkin' about you can help 'em with my story
You can help me if you sell this pussy for me, nigga
Don't ignore me, nigga, fuck your glory, nigga, you ain't shit… Kendrick Lamar – Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst

Genius Annotation 10 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Kendrick is trying to help Keisha’s sister by putting her story in a song as a lesson to other women struggling in the same circumstances, but to her the only way he can help is to be her pimp.

As she’s saying these last lines, she’s actually fading away like she said she wouldn’t. This can represent many things:

her eventual death like the gangbanger in the first verse (possibly from HIV/AIDS)
her fading into the life of prostitution just like other fallen women
Kendrick is walking away ignoring her
The listener is walking away from her, making her irrelevant

Dave’s, as well as his brother’s death from gunshots was quick and abrupt, just like the ending of the first verse. Here death from HIV is shown as a longer, fading but still inevitable process.

The fading away could also signify how women’s stories and voices are traditionally unheard in discussions of racial oppression. Traditionally there is a large focus on the struggles of black men but the narratives of black women are not discussed or deemed unimportant. Also,there is the stereotype that black women complain and nag unnecessarily which leads to black men, their husbands and boyfriends, to ignore and tune them out, hence the fading of her voice as she begins to list her problems.

TDE labelmate, ScHoolboy Q would use these lines in the hook for, “Grooveline Pt.2.”

Will you sell that pussy for me?
Will you sell that pussy for me? (Will you sell that pussy for me?)
Will you sell that pussy for me?
Will you sell that pussy for me? (Will you sell that pussy for me?)

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

Kendrick is trying to help Keisha's sister by putting her story in a song as a lesson to other women struggling in the same circumstances, but to her the only way he can help is to be her pimp.

As she's saying these last lines, she's actually fading away like she said she wouldn't. This can represent many things:

- her eventual death like the gangbanger in the first verse (possibly from HIV/AIDS)
- her fading into the life of prostitution just like other fallen women
- Kendrick is walking away ignoring her
- The listener is walking away from her, making her irrelevant

Dave's, as well as his brother's death from gunshots was quick and abrupt, just like the ending of the first verse. Here death from HIV is shown as a longer, fading but still inevitable process.

The fading away could also signify how women's stories and voices are traditionally unheard in discussions of racial oppression. Traditionally there is a large focus on the struggles of black men but the narratives of black women are not discussed or deemed unimportant. Also,there is the stereotype that black women complain and nag unnecessarily which leads to black men, their husbands and boyfriends, to ignore and tune them out, hence the fading of her voice as she begins to list her problems.

TDE labelmate, [ScHoolboy Q](https://genius.com/artists/Schoolboy-q) would use these lines in the hook for, ["Grooveline Pt.2."](https://genius.com/Schoolboy-q-grooveline-pt-2-lyrics)

> Will you sell that pussy for me?
Will you sell that pussy for me? (Will you sell that pussy for me?)
Will you sell that pussy for me?
Will you sell that pussy for me? (Will you sell that pussy for me?)

report abuse

110

2 years

I think the most likely is that she’s just another girl lost by the system, as Kendrick mentions.

Upvote +8 Downvote

117

4 years

The verse also suggests that Keisha’s sister has trust issues. She believes that Kendrick is trying to use her story to make money on a song. She is also trying to tell Kendrick that she is hard headed and isn’t phased with his status and fame as a rapper. She thinks he is trying to tell her what to do because he thinks he’s better than her.

Upvote +49 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

If Pirus and Crips all got along
They'd probably gun me down by the end of this song
Seem like the whole city go against me
Every time I'm in the street, I hear— Kendrick Lamar (Ft. MC Eiht) – m.A.A.d city

Genius Annotation 10 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Piru Bloods and Compton Crips are two rival West Coast gangs. Usually enemies, Kendrick suggests they could team up against him for denouncing their collective lifestyles in this song.

This is the antithesis of “Ronald Reagan Era” from Kendrick’s mixtape Section.80:

Compton Crip niggas ain’t nothin' to fuck with
Bompton Pirus ain’t nothin' to fuck with
Compton éses ain’t nothin' to fuck with
But they fuck with me, and bitch I love it

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Marked this as missing something ?

5 years

Something to be noted is that Schoolboy Q comes from a Hoover Crip background, so when he and Kendrick (who comes from a Piru Blood background) say these lines together, it subtly reinforces the mentioned unification of the Bloods and Crips against Kendrick for denouncing their lifestyles. Considering these few lines are the only time we hear from Q in the track, it does seem like this, or a similar message, is intended.

Upvote +26 Downvote

1,576

7 years

The gangs are not named right. It’s not the “Pirus Bloods” or “Compton Crips”. Pirus are the original Bloods, a subset. They were called Pirus before they grew. They started on Piru Street in Compton. The Crips were not started in Compton. There are Crips in Compton, but it’s just “Crips”, with various sets.

Upvote +29 Downvote

244

7 years

Kendrick seems to follow in pac’s footsteps with trying to end gang violence, and one thing pac was known for was the truce between the bloods and crips before the LA riots (mentioned later in the song). Since Tupac potentially had the power to end gang violence, this may be why he was killed (to keep black people living in a vicious cycle). So Kendrick is saying that if the truce happened again, “they” would kill him off as they did Tupac.

Upvote +124 Downvote