Genius | Song Lyrics & Knowledge

There's never been a nigga this good for this long JAY-Z – What More Can I Say

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.

Not only is Jay being a good rapper, he’s breaking records putting himself on a level above everyone else. Prior to the release of The Black Album, Jay dropped a platinum album for 7 years in a row:

Reasonable Doubt (1996)
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)
Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life (1998)
Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)
The Blueprint (2001)
The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse (2002)

As it stands today, all of Jay-Z’s 14 albums (including 3 collabos) have gone at least platinum. No one in hip hop (or music, period) history comes close to having this combination of success and longevity.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

Not only is Jay being a good rapper, he's breaking records putting himself on a level above everyone else. Prior to the release of *The Black Album*, Jay dropped a platinum album for 7 years in a row:

- [*Reasonable Doubt*](http://rapgenius.com/albums/Jay-z/Reasonable-doubt) (1996)
- [*In My Lifetime, Vol. 1*](http://rapgenius.com/albums/Jay-z/In-my-lifetime-vol-1) (1997)
- [*Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life*](http://rapgenius.com/albums/Jay-z/Vol-2-hard-knock-life) (1998)
- [*Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter*](http://rapgenius.com/albums/Jay-z/Vol-3-life-and-times-of-s-carter) (1999)
- [*The Dynasty: Roc La Familia*](http://rapgenius.com/albums/Jay-z/The-dynasty-roc-la-familia) (2000)
- [*The Blueprint*](http://rapgenius.com/albums/Jay-z/The-blueprint) (2001)
- [*The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse*](http://rapgenius.com/albums/Jay-z/The-blueprint-2-the-gift-the-curse) (2002)

As it stands today, all of Jay-Z's 14 albums (including 3 collabos) have gone at least platinum. No one in hip hop (or music, period) history comes close to having this combination of success and longevity.

report abuse

Ill Will, rest in peace, yo I'm out Nas – Halftime

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Nas' deceased childhood friend Willie “Ill Will” Graham, for whom Nas would later name his record label.

Nas has mad love for his deceased pal; he references him multiple times on this album alone and basically named the album after him.

He’s also referenced here and here.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

I bag bitches up at John Jay Nas – Halftime

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Nas is not talking about John Jay College of Criminal Justice, an NYC-based city university. As you can tell from the video above, he is talking about John Jay High School. As of 2003, the school was broken up into four different high schools – The Secondary Schools for Law, Journalism and Research and Millennium Brooklyn.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

I drop jewels, wear jewels, hope to never run it Nas – Halftime

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Rapping a good line – or any activity that expands knowledge – is often described as “dropping a jewel” (cf. 2pac)

Then, he talks about literal jewels

Continuing the “jewels” wordplay, to “run” your jewels is to get your jewelry taken from you, presumably at gunpoint.

On “Supa Ugly”, Jay-Z claims that Nas:

had to buy back your chain last time you got robbed–the nerve of this coward, oh my God!

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Dr. Carter, gasoline in your IVs Lil Wayne – D.O.A.

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Wayne, who often likes to play doctor (see “Doctor Carter”), will risk malpractice suits and will introduce “lean” (aka “purple drank” or “syrup” – cough syrup recreational drink) into your body intravenously

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Marked this as missing something ?

7 years

Gasoline

Upvote +0 Downvote

1,084

8 years

It sounds like he’s saying gasoline in your IV

Upvote +10 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Blood gang, motherfucker, call me "Red Alert" Lil Wayne – D.O.A.

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Wayne constantly identifies himself with the Bloods gang

“Red Alert” means:

1) Since Wayne is “in the Blood game” (affiliated with the Bloods), Wayne dresses all-red (the Bloods' color), like an emergency siren

2) Similarly, the video “game” (notice “game/game” pun) Red Alert was a bloody game, bad for kids

3) Might also be a reference to old-school NYC DJ Red Alert

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Dippin' different Rovers, JAY-Z & T.I. (Ft. Kanye West & Lil Wayne) – Swagga Like Us

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Hova has been driving Rovers a long time. On 1997’s “Imaginary Player”, he berates someone for not knowing the difference between a Range Rover 4.0 and a 4.6

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Jumped in a Chickenhawk cartoon with a cape on
And beat up Foghorn Leghorn with an acorn Eminem – Role Model

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

The Chickenhawk appeared in Foghorn Leghorn cartoons; he was always angry, but could really never do anything about it because he’s little.

But in the music video to this song, Eminem jumps into the TV and does what Chickenhawk could never do: beat up Foghorn Leghorn.

http://screencast.com/t/oTgX53GG4W

Possible wordplay on the homophone set “cape on”/“capon”, since capon is the word to describe a castrated rooster and Eminem is attacking a rooster in this line.

It is possible that Eminem wants this line to express that he’s capable of doing things that other rappers aren’t

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

128

5 years

I feel it’s also Em standing up for those who don’t have the power to do it themselves. Something he can relate to since he was bullied as a kid

Upvote +9 Downvote

739

8 years

Also to note Eminem sings the theme hilariously in the background (duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh nuhh)

Upvote +29 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

I'm not a player, just a ill rhyme sayer
That'll spray a aerosol can up at the ozone layer Eminem – Role Model

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

This line and the previous one are a parody of a line in Public Enemy’s “Fear of a Black Planet”;

I don’t know, hey, I’m just a rhymesayer
Skin protected against the ozone layer

Em mocks PE’s politically aware image by using one of their lines to talk about how he wants to increase the size of the hole in the ozone layer

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Marked this as missing something ?

2 years

“I’m not a player” might be a reference to Big Pun, a rapper than Eminem is a fan of, and his songs “Not a Player” and “Still Not a Player” from his first album “Capital Punishment” in 1998. Eminem reportedly attended Pun’s funeral in 2000 and has mentioned Pun as one of his favorite rappers.

Upvote +2 Downvote

3 years

this is a theory I heard and cake here to see but I’ll pick your brains any way. Minnesota Rapper Atmosphere started a record lable called Rhyme Sayers. I don’t think it’s a diss but it would be a very creative one. Again this is just theory I heard.

Upvote +1 Downvote

187

5 years

He’s also implying that he will increase the hole in the ozone layer by using aerosol can which is believed that it can damages the ozone layer

Upvote +0 Downvote

187

6 years

That’ll spray an aerosol

Upvote +0 Downvote

306

7 years

Professor chaos off south parks plan to destroy the world…. you’re welcome

Upvote +8 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

And no matter the weather, niggas know how to draw heat JAY-Z – Where I'm From

Genius Annotation 1 Contributor ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Essentially he’s saying that people pull their guns out (“draw heat”) for any reason at all. Note the pun on “heat” as meaning both warm temperature and guns.

Jay’s phrasing of “And no matter the weather” is also a callback to “Friend Or Foe” from his debut Reasonable Doubt.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

« Previous 1 2 … 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 … 995 996 Next »

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

Integrate the suggestion into the annotation, keeping the contributor guidelines in mind.