I don’t feel what you feel though
You don’t feel what I feel so
It all started out Lupe Fiasco (Ft. Nikki Jean) – No Scratches
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He wants them to be truthful, they aren’t understanding each other.
“I don’t feel what you feel though” suggests that even if they try to “keep it real” there will always be issues in relationships as we can only experience things from our own point of view and at best imagine what our partner is feeling.
And just taken literally, the couple doesn’t share the same feelings about each other so the relationship is doomed to be short-lived.
“So it started out” – from these miscommunications the problems begin.
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As a literally reference “sky burial” could refer to
a) throwing cremated ashes into the sky
b) Tibetan Sky Burial – a type of funeral where vultures eat your flesh and fly away, literally carrying you farther.
Figuratively the reference can be to “our father which art in heaven” i.e. God
Wordplay – farther/ father
Limo to the limit, fill it 'til the brim get in it
You can't get it, if you gotta ask Lupe Fiasco (Ft. Terrace Martin & Troi Irons) – Body of Work
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The first line is a reaction to her getting her skin taken from her. Lupe is telling her the only way to be relieved of the pain is to focus on all those material possessions which separate the rich from the poor.
Referring to the fast life he plays on the common phrase “If you gotta ask how much it is, you can’t afford it”. This is the beginning of MYH journey with The Streets and he’s living this fast life.
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Continuing the ball dropping theme, this refers to the famous New Year’s ball drop in Times Square, New York City.
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Hookers and strippers are known for wearing clear heels. Clear heels are called stripper shoes.
Chris Rock once talked on this. He asked “When did clear heels become the new whore uniform."
So Lupe is saying he is still CLEAR on his sugar hills and sweet spots.
Sugar Hill is a reference to the Sugar Hill Gang
Essentially he is saying he is still clear on his GANGS.
“Sweet spots” is just another way of saying sugar hills.
To conclude, Lupe Fiasco is saying he is still familiar with gangs and has friends who are gang members.
[annotation credit: Blk_Stn]
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When someone wants to protest against something they disagree with, they would boycott it or participate in sit-outs.
The inmate Lu is referring to did none of these things and may be in prison paritally as a result of racial profiling (something that has plagued the African American community).
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Currency’s other definition besides money is Acceptance. Lupe could either be referring back to Oedipus’s father King Laius or even the acceptance of his own father.
Also note the wordplay –
currency soaked in blood=blood money
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rUc-HDnRAE#t=3m41s
Blood money is gained at the cost of another’s life. This is also another reference to the film Deep Cover with the main character (as a child) witnessing his father being shot dead when he attempts to rob a liquor store.
All your memories can become enemies Lupe Fiasco (Ft. Nikki Jean) – No Scratches
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He is wondering what the future is going to hold.
If you dwell on your past too much, regret what you have done or hold grudges against your partner, it can haunt you and become your enemy.
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Skimming is just the surface (skin) but you have so much badness within that it isn’t necessary to go deeper to see it.
Note the themes of superficiality (only skin deep) versus being profound (deep).
cf. Jay Z o “Renegade”:
“Do you fools listen to music or do you just skim through it?”
In conjunction with the previous line, scolding to the top of tones, implying anger.
Someone with “thin skin” is also someone who is easily upset or angered.
Maybe this line is illustrating new rapper’s affinity to making angry music or having thin skin themselves which makes of easier to point out their flaws or “sins” in the rap game.
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This can also be a reference to marriage (with hip-hop and his fans) throughout the first verse you hear the background voice say “I love you” and “all of you” so when you “skim through” the marriage of listening to his music you don’t even scratch the surface of what’s being presented, or only getting skin to it (the kissing of the bride) the vows also mention “thick and thin” and when it’s thin it’s taken lightly, marriages like this often lead to a divorce which in most religions is a common sin.
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Hip-Hop is criticized for not being layered. Having no substance at its core. Lupe is saying this is definitely the case if you just skim through it. A lot of music in the genre is enforcing the stereotypes.
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To be clearer, I think these two lines are saying if you read over it, there is nothing but “skin”. Which is to say there is nothing past the surface. He follows it up by saying that in fact there is so little there you can see right into the darkness of the person.