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.

Loading...

Nas was a fan of the group the Jackson 5 child prodigy with lead singer Michael Jackson too, he even sampled a song from Michael Jackson in his song “It Ain’t Hard to Tell”, off the same album.

When Mike Jack was black:

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

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.

Loading...

It’s Code Money’s time to start “kuttin”, and mixing during the chorus.

Pictured on the right

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

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.

Loading...

Other MC’s compared to Schoolly D do not reveal to truth about growing where they lived. This was due to record labels companies at the time not wanting to reveal the “hood”. Other acts like RUN-DMC would never talk about the “hood”, Schoolly D was one of the first to talk about the “hood”.

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

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.

Loading...

Schoolly D can’t obviously spell. His Dj is DJ Code Money.

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

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.

Loading...

In the “hood” homeboys has to learn to become men, since their fathers were never there to teach them that. The word Homeboy is often now associated with Latino’s in LA, however this is one of the first hip hop songs to contain this lyric.

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

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.

Loading...

PSK stands for Park Side Killas, a gang in Philly, who Schoolly D admired.

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

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.

Loading...

This is, of course a play on words, and on the entire song. The song up to this point has been about characters named for alcohol. The song’s final character, Endo, is named for marijuana. Smoked means murdered here. But it’s a play on words because Endo (which means marijuana) “smoked” the other characters (people smoke marijuana, but this time marijuana smokes the people).

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

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.

Loading...

“E” has a 9mm pistol, “J' had an AK-47, a popular assault rifle, very popular with gangsters in the 1990s.

Continuing the liquor theme, E&J a winery & distillery that makes popular brandy under the E&J name (for example, E&J XO, E&J VS, and E&J VSOP). This was a popular drink in the 90s. Mobb Deep references E&J in their raps.

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

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.

Loading...

Referring to B-Boys showing off their dance moves:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9md-YkgmB0

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

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.

Loading...

Nas told MTV in 1994:

That’s the thing in New York, representin'. A lot of rappers fell off and went to singing and all that. A lot of us say, “represent” to remind ourselves that we can’t fall, and have to stay on the right track.

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