Strangely enough, this song was written before Lupe’s label Atlantic Records decided to postpone the release of his third album LASERS. It wasn’t until a petition for its release reached over 20,000 signatures (some RapGenius™ Editors included) that Atlantic caved to the pressure

Lupe is saying that no one pays attention to problems (specifically the big world problems) until it’s too late, and this is to blame on the fact that the media guides our thoughts into the wrong direction.

Lupe references Chess Records since that was the label robbing Little Richard. Lupe compares himself to Jerry “The King” Lawler, a professional wrestler known for his arrogant, cocky persona and his outlandish ring attire

Out of the ring, Lawler’s dealt with some legal trouble, divorcing three wives, running over a policeman’s foot and being falsely accused of statutory rape

Lupe, I get that you feel like a black sheep, but try to stay out of the legal system, bro!

Alberto “Alpo” Martinez was a Harlem drug lord in the 1980s who had a pretty mean rep until he turned snitch. The movie Paid In Full was based on the lives of Alpo and his partners Rich Porter and Azie Faison.

Alpo downgraded a life sentence into 35 years after his 1992 arrest by snitching on the enforcer Wayne Perry, and it’s rumored that he was released in July 2011 then put into witness protection.

A “dingbat” is a foolish person – a fair assessment of most people that choose to inject heroin (“shoot smack.”) Nas kicks it with their suppliers to pick up street knowledge about NY figures such as Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols, a big time hustler from Queens. The mere mention of his name brings this group on a nostalgia trip.

As Wale grew up, he began to believe that light-skinned people had easier and more fulfilling lives. Because of this, Wale began to act spiteful towards those with a lighter skin tone

In Washington D.C., more than 90% of homicide victims from 1985 to 1999 were black; the statistics would seem to back Wale’s theory, at least in D.C.

On the cover of Lupe’s sophomore album Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, a trinity of images appear surrounding the album’s logo. One of them is a skeletal hand, pulled from this line, to represent the character of “The Cool” in the Coolest saga.

Lupe explained that the right hand is all bones because Michael Young History lost all his “right"eousness.