Shabazz here gives a (rhyming!) introduction to intersectionality theory

[T]he intersectionality experience within black women is more powerful than the sum of their race and sex, that any observations that do not take intersectionality into consideration cannot accurately address the manner where black women are subordinated

In 1984, Vanessa Williams became the first black Miss America. Her triumph was relatively short-lived, though, as she was forced to resign by pageant officials after some old nude photos surfaced

In Decoded, Jay-Z remembers first hearing Kane use this line in an earlier, likely unreleased, song:

“I couldn’t get Kane’s freestyle out of my head. I remember one punchline in Kane’s verse: put a quarter in your ass / cuz you played yourself. "Played yourself” wasn’t even a phrase back then. He made it up right there on that tape. Impressive

A not-so-subtle reminder that Pitchfork is based in Chicago

See above for the specific part of the review Lauren is referring to here

As he makes clear in the verse below, “Kelly Kapowski” – a.k.a. white girl – is slang for cocaine. Pitchfork drastically misread the song in its review

“Kelly Kapowski”, a should-be nostaligic ode to the Saved by the Bell pinup, finds him in romantic mode, describing the perfect woman in the most generic terms imaginable

Pitchfork’s main criticism of Lauren was that he “has yet to flesh out a recognizable persona”

[T]here’s no real way to tell, over the course of his overstuffed mixtapes, which character is the true Lauren. Is he a fun-loving behemoth or a raw Queens goon? Is he sensible, an endorser of condoms and money made legally, or totally absurd, always out for a laugh, with a shottie cocked underneath the seat? There are lines on Mandatory Brunch Meetings that indicate all of the above, along with a host of other possible options

Lauren responds by saying that he really is “all of the above,” and it would be gimmicky to choose only one option