The “seven tiers” refer to the heaven’s seven layers of the sky. The concept can be found in the Abrahamic religions such as Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

As Lupe practices Islam, it would make sense that he would be familiar with this idea. In Islam, each Heaven or “ss-samawat” consists of seven levels, the first and lowest level is Dunyah, which covers the known universe and all within it.

Mansions are desirable places to live, and a person defined as a champion would have succeeded in life. Thus, in direct reference to these lines, those who win the right to enter heaven —champions— get to live life in a beautiful new home —mansions— in one of the afterlife’s seven layers.

Furthering on the specificity of the use of the word “mansions” when talking about faith, Lupe could be borrowing ideas from John 14:2 where Jesus said:

In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

As stated on the Chicago State University website:

“Baba Kwesi,” as his students knew him, was a mentor, educator, activist, and long-time director of the African-American Male Resource Center at Chicago State University … Although he has transitioned, his presence is even more so felt as his spirit continues to live on in the minds and hearts of all who knew him.

Moreover, formerly The Lupe Fiasco Foundation, We Are M.U.R.A.L. (Magnifying Urban Realities and Affecting Lives) provides nurturing meals and winter clothing to inner-city youth, while fostering artistic and academic excellence in their respective neighborhoods. The foundation soon became the catalyst for The Neighborhood Start-up Fund, which encourages disenfranchised youth in developing entrepreneurial skills to establish businesses in undeserved communities.

To be self-aware is to have conscious knowledge of your own being and feelings. Thus, if an opera was to be self-aware, it would have to literally compose itself in a musical sense. Moreover, conjuration is the creation of something magic, and creating a self-aware opera would definitely meet this criteria.

In the classic video game Sonic the Hedgehog, a “zone” refers to a playable level. Lupe leaves out “Hedgehog” at the end of the line so as to match the previous end rhyme of “opera.”

To put it as simply as possible, much like a self-aware opera, the music Lupe puts out is so magical that it would take a conjurer to create anyone who can be on the same level as him —note that compose, conjure, and produce are all synonyms for create. Moreover, all who aspire to be like Lupe must stay composed and in the zone.

Opera is the key word here, as it is a kind of “work” that attempts to impress the audience with sounds more than it attempts to express meaning. It values feeling over thinking, which seems to be the basis of this track, as it becomes harder to understand him as the song goes on. I sense that Lupe’s playing in mumble mode.

Also play on con-t-ra..like contraband

Transfiguration is a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.

As the chorus of this song talks about both Greek mythology and the osprey, this line is likely inspired by the story of King Nisus. Nisus was betrayed by his own daughter, who had fallen in love with an opposing king, and decided to act upon her love, carrying out a chain of events that transfigured Nisus into an osprey. His daughter was drowned and then transfigured into a small sea bird, and for thereafter, Nisus, as the osprey would forever chase after the sea bird.

More in line with the slavery centered theme of the album, this transfiguration could directly be referring to one from the state of a captured slave to being free and living immortally among the LongChains.

Taylor makes reference to lyrics from Lil B’s hit song, “Wonton Soup”:

Hopped up in my car (swag!)
Then I drop my roof
Wet like wonton soup
That’s just how I do (swag!)