Since few people (if any) call Pusha’s dealing credentials into question, and that Clipse’s manager, Anthony Gonzalez, was jailed for leading a $10 million drug ring, Pusha’s phone probably was tapped, at one time, at least.

Whenever Pusha’s supplier (connect) has drugs, Pusha is quick to get them. This drive to sell helped him overtake his rivals and win in the race to get dollars

Wealthy drug dealers and drug lords were who Pusha looked up to. Pablo Escobar ain’t no Superman.

Pusha was born in 1977, before crack cocaine (infamously cheap) was made available. When crack hit the streets, a whole new drug was made to sell in the slums of America, which changed the drug game.

There’s also some wordplay here. Crack is a reshaped form of cocaine powder, just as crack reshaped the narcotic business.

Here, “colors” might symbolize qualities. Him being called “gold” in the first line is her way of summing up his beauty, value, frailty, and wantedness.

Given that, this line has the speaker discovering that her boo-thang is not one-dimensional (he has several colors).

On the real, though, buried gold can take on different colors depending on how long it’s been there.

Or, this line is just about the shimmer that gold takes on when you’re looking at it through water.

The speaker places considerable value in her love interest since the guy at the bottom is called “a piece of gold”.

The second line suggests that the submerged guy is too weak to save himself (“too heavy to swim”). Indeed, gold (which he is called) is denser that water, so it would sink to the bottom.

Since this all starts with “I wish I was you”, the speaker wants to the one who is chased after, even if that means she’ll be frail (“too heavy to swim”). This might also mean that she’s the one who puts the most effort into their relationship.

Neither Islam (as signified by the month of Ramadan and its holy book, the Qur'an) nor Judaism (as signified by the holiday of Hannukah and the yarmulke, an Orthodox hat) had as much of an effect on Jay as hip-hop (signified by the DJ).

In interviews, he has said his “mission from God” is to make hip-hop music.

Also, see this line from “Voodoo Man”.

The Christ told me “Come close to the light, man"
I went blind, woke up in front of a mic stand.

This couplet is reminiscent of the intro to Killer Mike’s “R.A.P. Music”.

I’ve never really had a religious experience, in a religious place. Closest I’ve ever come to seeing or feeling God is listening to rap music. Rap music is my religion. Amen.

Lupe Fiasco has also made a song titled “Hip-hop Saved My Life”.

Jay might also be referring to the 1982 song, “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtfZbj4J71A

Jay lifts his verse’s first two lines from “Paid In Full”, by Eric B & Rakim.

Rappers often say that they should’ve died before 25 due to life expectancies of young black males in urban environments plagued by drugs, homicide, etc.

Jay Electronica and Erykah Badu had a daughter on February 1st, 2009 named Mars Merkaba Thedford. They live-tweeted her birth.

Given that Pusha T, the King of the Coke Flow, says this, “birds eye view” means that Pusha is able to channel his musical vision because of all the “birds” (bricks of cocaine) he sold. It not only provided him with income but also provides the bulk of his rap content in some form.

And a traditional birds eye view allows people to see things they wouldn’t normally see. Pusha might be referring to his worlds travels by plane, which allows him alternate views of the Earth.

Though Travi$ Scott recites this hook, it’s likely that Pusha wrote it. Under this assumption:

Pusha sells his crack to his devoted fiends.

The fiends might be called a “flocka” (flock) in a religious sense, given that Pusha proclaimed himself the “new god”, even controlling the elements. Or it could just be a comment on their crack dependence, since sheep depend on their shepherd for protection from wolves and such.

And, of course, Jesus is known as a sheperd. Peep John 10:1-21

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The line also sounds like he’s saying “Servants in my flocka” which would imply that his crew’s got his back no matter what

Check Pusha’s hood in his video for “Exodus 23:1”. Shit is intense.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Evs0wwnuak