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.

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not so different? Both MC Geo and Bruce Lee are of Asian descent.

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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.

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Lalo Schifrin is an Argentinian composer who wrote the scores for many TV shows and films including Mission Impossible, Bullitt, and the Dirty Harry films.

Blue Scholars call this album “a visual soundtrack” and their genre “cinema art rap”.

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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.

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Four possibilities:

  1. It is a maze to sell meth in Bama, always trying to escape police officers and prison and such.

  2. Yela is selling all over, so he is walking down turns and twists like a maze.

  3. He’s trippin and is stuck in the maze of his mind

  4. There is a sea of meth dealers in bama and no preset guidelines. You have to find your own way to be one of the top dogs.

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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.

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Yelawolf and his Alabama boys love riding around and doing tricks on ATVs and four-wheelers, etc. And he is delivering Crank another name for meth which is hidden in/under his gastank.

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Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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.

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He is comparing his ability to rap to that of boxing. He is so fierce at rapping that he could spark someone unconscious, meaning he could knock them out. He literally means he could beat anyone in a rap battle.

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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.

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Em uses both living and killing in reference to ‘making money’, taking advantage of the irony of the contrasting literal meanings of these words.

Em not only earned enough money off his raps to get by and support his family (a living), rap music made him millions (a killing).

He could also be referring to beefs he had where he figuratively “killed” his opponents.

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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.

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New York City’s 1 Train is infamously slow because it always goes local.

Interestingly The Straphanger’s Report ranks the 1 train 4th out of the 19 MTA lines, although sections of the line are infamous for the stalls, hobos, and smells.

The message of this line is that anything is better than poverty (it’s also the title of the track). So Rocky and all his homies on the streets are willing to do absolutely anything to get something better to ride in than the 1 train (like a Mustang or a Lambo). Even if it means letting his gun bang or selling drugs. Luckily, Rocky is able to get paper through fame and music.

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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.

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The fact that he won’t stand for this must be making the bully mad. So, Em’s not wrecking him physically, but emotionally.

Interestingly, research suggests that most real-life bullies degrade others to make themselves feel better about personal insecurities. Usually their targets are smaller or weaker than them, so it is easy to get away with the cruelty and thus receive a self-esteem boost.

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What is this?

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Royce is saying that as he grew up, he became more mature.

He will still take out anyone that fronts on him, but anger and beef no longer define his life as they had around the time he was recording his darkest album, Death is Certain

Royce told RapGenius all about how the changes in his demeanor over the years, and how it has affected his music.

Further, this line is a reference to something Ice-T has said in a number of different interviews, such as this one:

The old Ice-T is, like, mad at everybody… just like, ‘I’m young, I don’t know what I’m mad at.’ I’m just like, fuck it. I’m an orphan, I felt like I got dealt a bad hand. The old Ice-T is like, “Yeah, nigga, I kill niggas!” The new Ice-T is like, (calmly) “You know I’ll kill you, right?”

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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.

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The opening line is often overlooked, despite it establishing Pac’s mindset at this time of his life.

In 1996, 2Pac was becoming increasingly paranoid. His paranoia was largely attributed to the events of November 30, 1994, the night he was shot five times. He believed the shooting was orchestrated by Puffy and Biggie, whom he considered friends. Perhaps due to his paranoia, he felt he was being used by his friends, even thinking they were turning against him. His distrust may’ve been well-founded, however it’s likely that his paranoia would’ve amplified it.

In May 1996, the same month this track was recorded, 2Pac was interviewed by Vibe:

Do you have groups coming out that you’re producing?

Yup, the Outlawz.

Oh, really?

I murdered Thug Life and gave birth to the Outlawz. I murdered Thug Life, them niggas ain’t act right. I murdered all of them, as far as the music business, and I gave birth to the Outlawz, and they all blood relatives. Now, I got a military—not “mob” like Italians—but mob like we’ve been mob-orientated all our lives.

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