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Fallin' JAY-Z (Ft. Bilal) – Fallin'
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Each track on American Gangster matches to a theme or emotion that Frank Lucas was experiencing during the movie American Gangster.

Frank attends a boxing match in a floor length Chinchilla fur coat. It’s here that the lead investigator recognises him, and begins to tear apart his criminal enterprise.

Jay describes the moment that dawns on Frank: He’s bitten off too much. He’s taken on too big of an operation, and it was foolish to allow it to grow to such a state. It samples “Fell For You” by The Dramatics and features a haunting Bilal, describing the trap that Jay has now set for himself.

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Strange Ways Madvillain – Strange Ways
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Amidst the humorous one-liners and braggadocio rhymes that were heard throughout the album, MF DOOM takes some time out to rap two verses about two social political instances that seem to be full of contradictions.

The first verse finds him discussing the irony of the police force’s job, how they get paid to put a stop to crimes that they also commit, while the second verse has DOOM rapping about how war never causes harm to those who have the power to declare it.

The track itself is ironic, as DOOM and Madlib, together as Madvillain, have claimed to be the “most powerful villains”, but make you question the “strange ways” of those in charge.

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6 years

Also the beat is a sample of “Strange Ways” by prog rock finest creators Gentle Giant.

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08da42f1cec8dcf3c3cc817788d2feec

16,221

4 years

Lyrics to the song were interpolated in billy woods 2019 track “Crawlspaces” in his most critically acclaimed collab album with producer Kenny Segal, “Hiding Places”. There billy interpolates the line that Strange Ways gets it very name from

“Whose ways are strange when it’s time to survive?
Pray on the plane, get off, laugh at God
Goddamn shame, but gave him the nod
Game is the game, still slept like a log
There’s two versions to this story and mine’ll bone poke through
Chip bars to which side, you not goin' very large -Billy Woods.

billy woods is incredibly underrated for a rapper, if you never heard him I highly recommend him to DOOM fans he has a lot of abstract, diverse, lyrics, but with a much darker tone.

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060effa817eaae35355224b88b3f5474

101

7 months

boondocks also featured this song in an episode from season 1 along with all caps, and raid.

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Patience grown thin, home sick and haven't been home since
Fuck a rapper
I'm an actor in a film called
Leave me the fuck alone 'til I find a real job Blu – Amnesia
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Beginning to miss home while growing bitter about his job because the pay doesn’t even justify being away from all the time, so he has created a persona

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I used to have
Peace, serenity, teaching divinity
Break bread, sipping the blood, eating with enemies Blu – Amnesia
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Nothing like waxing nostalgic about what first love feels like

The first 3 lines are references to Jesus Christ. He was peaceful, serene and taught the world divine morals. At the last supper, he ate of bread, which represented his body, drunk wine that represented his blood, and ate with Judas, who would betray him shortly after.

Also referencing in Psalm 23:5

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

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Reverse Pimpology Immortal Technique – Reverse Pimpology
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Immortal Technique gives us his theory on ‘reverse pimpology’ which obviously includes things about the government. The main point of the song is about the perception of men with money and how women are treated.

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-1

9 years

And you know damn well everything said here is reality.

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0

8 years

The annotation that suggests the CIA engineered cocaine to oppress people of color is bogus, but it’s not that far from reality…

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While the press plant fear and exploit the gun blasting Ghostface Killah (Ft. Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, Raekwon & RZA) – Assassination Day
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The media constantly shows videos and news stories of black on black violence to give the perception that it is a constant warzone, exploiting these phenomena in order to bolster their ratings.

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2b388a5dbcd95fb38e5f8834341af6e1

904

4 years

Great reference for this line is a book called “How To Watch The News”

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Rap Ambush MF DOOM – Rap Ambush
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A brilliant metaphor comparing what it’s like to be ambushed, probably by in the Middle East considering the diction and the current military climate in the world, to what it’s like to battle with DOOM

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Cellz MF DOOM (Ft. Mr. Chop) – Cellz
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The introduction of “Cellz” is a reading by Charles Bukowski from the poem “Dinosauria, We”. The recording is from the documentary Born Into This, which is also takes its name from the poem.

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2839a2dacd4fb644e974fc8090975550

103

5 years

its supposed to be “catch retirement”

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3 years

The Bukowski documentary is titled “Born Into This” but otherwise you are correct

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3 years
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[Verse One: Chino XL, Therapist] Chino XL – Skin
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Note the song continually goes back and forth with Chino XL and the therapist, it would be tedious to break each apart

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Yeah, Chino XL took over to protect Derek Barbosa Chino XL – Skin
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As with many rappers, he created a separate persona

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