By saying it’s a religious war he probably means that it’s a war (metaphoric for an ominous situation, in this context) of different perceptions and cohorts. Religion, in general, is a set of values and culture that many people adhere to and assimilate into their everyday beliefs and actions.

What he’s ultimately saying is that his music is up for interpretation based on different beliefs but basically he considers it a complete success in a normal standard and that the people who don’t like it, have a skewed perception of music and thus shouldn’t be his audience (they’re the failure).

The amount of blood Chino is spilling is similiar to that of Exxon Valdez, which was an oil tanker that ended up aground and ultimately spilled hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil into Alaska.

Strike like a boa constrictor is a simile, because a boa constrictor is a snake.

Chuck D have never fully appealed to the mainstream public nor has never intended to. Here he’s referring to the widely protuberant harangue between the east and west coast and especially that of appraised late Hip Hop legends Tupac Shakur and Biggie. The recording of this album was around the peak of the feud, around the time Tupac released his zealous expostulation Hit Em Up

Before the release of Chuck D’s solo debut, he have already deeply been established as a Hip Hop pioneer and music legend as the lead artist of Public Enemy, which, prior to this album he have released 6 critically acclaimed albums with.

1987: Yo! Bum Rush the Show
1988: It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
1990: Fear of a Black Planet
1991: Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black
1992: Greatest Misses
1994: Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age

Even 9 years deep, his style, vitality, charisma,and core audience have not changed but he have never stopped innovating his music (never jumped backwards). Also when he mentions “kissed myself” he’s referring to how many rappers, unlike him, have looked back at their success/impact with an overwhelming sense of achievement that lead them to change their style and fan base and ultimately the essence of their music.

Like….

Never been and never will be the case with the pundit Chuck D

The man got into a sexual as well as a drug relationship with this woman. It was sinister, and he ended up getting HIV/Aids.

MC Lyte alludes all of this with euphemisms purposely so that the ambiance of verse keenly correlates with the song title: Eyes Are The Soul.

NOTE: The song title describes the implication you can make of the situation by looking through one’s eyes, literally and figuratively.

This verse is an allegory of a man who got involved with the wrong woman who was an addict, and more importantly, HIV infected. This changed the man’s life forever.

In the first line of this annotation, Canibus uses a metaphor to describe how his style is impetuous and ominous,by calling it radioactive – aka dangerous and ready to react and explode.

On the next line he metaphorically portrays the power of his rhyme by saying how he plans to push Earth in front of Halley’s Comet. Halley’s comet is a short-period comet discovered by Edmond Halley in 1705, that comes around every 75 to 76 years and is clearly visible to the human eye.

Next sighting is expect midway 2061

This a brilliant line when you consider both of the ways you can denote the last couple words.

“I earn my stripes like zebras” refers to the “stripes” of status you earn in the army as well as the respect Chino deserves being a prominent half black half Puerto Rican Hip Hop artist. Hence “zebra” [half white – half black]

A play of words based off of the adage “is the glass half full or half empty?”. Usually the adage refers to one’s pessimism (e.g. if you see the glass half empty, you’re a pessimist. If you see the glass half full, you’re an optimist). Often, this adage is used metaphorically, pertaining to how one perceives life. Chino, in this instance, sees the floor half full of blood instead of half-empty. This alludes the obviously pessimistic view he had towards his abuse as looking on the bright side. Metaphorically he would have seen the floor as half empty of blood thus which would have alluded that he could have been abused much worse. This though, is not the case here as it shouldn’t be with abused victims.

The Exodus, as a hystorical term, represents the departure of the Israelites from Egypt that is mentioned in the Bible. However, for Chino to make his exodus would mean to take his own life — to get departed (dead). And of course, it would make sense for him to commit a suicide since he went through a lot of horrible things in his childhood and he’s a pessimist.

The predilection was that being a good hip hop artist meant having many records out. O.C. detests this and claims that hip hop is NOT quantity over quality.

He artfully compares this to the drug game were indeed quantity over quality holds true. Ultimately, O.C. believes people are succumbing to the fakes while deviating from hardcore lyricism.