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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These two lines are a hyperbole of previous two lines; same meaning but more emphasized.

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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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Single released 2012.

Basically about love between the singer and some girl of his.

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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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Cassius Clay is former American boxer better known as Muhammad Ali

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What is this?

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Allen Iverson, one of the best guards ever to play in the NBA had the nickname “The Answer”.

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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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Trayvon was at his dads, watching the NBA All-Star game, the culmination of All star weekend, which is always played on Sunday.

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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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This is a triple entendre! The corners can refer to the curves of a body, since he is using Brooklyn as a metaphor for women in this song, as well as the corners of the road he is hugging in his Lexus and the corners where he sold drugs.

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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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Jay’s father was a great role model, until he left.

Even though we didn’t live together after I was nine, there are some things he instilled in me early that I never lost. We would sit in the restaurant looking out the window, and play games that exercised our observational skills. For my pop it was just important to take in places as people. He wanted me to know my own neighbourhood in and out.

Jay speaks very highly of him in Decoded, which makes the loss even more potent.

Also notice the play on words. The streets provided a place to crash at. He’s saying the streets provided another home for him. The streets being a places where accidents aka crashes literally do take place. Slick double-entendre.

Jay-Z echoes this same idea on “Made In America.”

The streets raised me, pardon my bad grammar.

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Like Mike Tyson while he was the best

This line also refers to Michael Jackson, as is evident in the next line. As usual for Hova, when it comes to Michaels, Take your pick

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