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.

Loading...

This explanation pertains to the lines “A lot of us fall victim somehow” through “A lot of niggas singing”

He’s saying lots of people that’s “caught up in the mix” of the “game” is doing wrong to each other in order to benefit themselves, which leads to “a lot of us fall[ing] victim somehow” sometimes via drugs (thus references to “bricks” and “dust”) and involves people falling victim to something wrong. Furthermore Backbone feels guilt for being partly to blame. He feels sorrow and sadness that these “everyday” circumstances of victimization happen “in every way but the right.” Or in other words, for all the wrong reasons. This is why he laments in acknowledging his own guilt and role in how “I control the substance my people fiend for at night.” Thus he concludes by saying “Lord knows I do wrong.” He also acknowledges this does sound a bit cliche because many other rappers have discussed this subject, and so says “Sound like the same old song/A lot of niggas singing.”

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

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.

Loading...

I think this one is actually referring to a lot of the NY rappers of the mid-lates 90’s, like WuTang, who referred to themselves and each other as “God”, but spoke and acted like average men. Hence “sound like another nigga to me.”

Also check out his verse on Common’s “Gaining One’s Definition (G.O.D.)”. That’s where he drops the clue that explains this intro. Towards the end of that verse he says “So how can you call yourself God when you let a worldly possession become an obsession/and the way you write your rhymes and can’t follow your lesson” I.e the 5% lessons.
Cee-Lo was callin em out.

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

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.

Loading...

Smith is using the first four line’s to establish West a hero who himself likes to bend the law – a desperado. He claims his reputation for aggression (rough riding) is so well established that no one would want to cross him (you don’t want nada). His main weapon is his six chamber magnum, and that allows him to ‘run this’. Smith then makes a strange reference to being a Buffalo Soldier. There were no Buffalo Soldiers in the Wild West (but then again, nor were there any mechanical spiders).

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

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.

Loading...

Peace tapped him on the shoulder and asked him 2 questions, one of which it should know the answer to: “How to make it sleep”, or “how to make it stop”. He sarcastically replied with the closest war being his feet and the street, or simply, his feet hurt. Since peace is how to end a war, he replied by saying that if he could answer that question then he wouldn’t need relief in the first place.

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

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.

Loading...

While people often search for peace of mind or peace of soul, Aesop is saying he found the entity of peace while it was looking for a conflict to end.

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

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.

Loading...

He’s saying that the police can call him again, but he won’t give anything up, he doesn’t pity their predicament.

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

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.

Loading...

They weren’t making much money even when they put their incomes together. But man it was great to bang her!

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

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.

Loading...

His room was hot as hell, which is a trademark of the dreams that Freddy haunts. The Fresh Prince notices this, but doesn’t put two and two together.

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

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.

Loading...

Wedding rings make a couple “trapped”, and unable to express their true feelings.

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

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.

Loading...

This refers to her response (later in the song) to his attempt at writing the beginning of a book/story to impress her.

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