“Basement” can be interpreted in a few ways. Basements are where high school kids have parties or band practice. Basement bars and apartments are cheap. He’s speaking about how he used to have some faith in the little guys, used to believe that people making music or hanging out in basements could rise to the top, literally and figuratively. Now he doesn’t have the same respect for them.

Slug has used “the basement” as a metaphor for rap music’s underground before, like on Blame Game. The person Slug is speaking with here may have been a fan of underground/edgy stuff when he was young, but now that he’s older it seems strange or unnatural to him.

Shad’s tough experiences in life have wore down his smile, but he is not sad though. He still has money and does not lack distribution, meaning he still gets good sales. And even if he didn’t he wouldn’t change to get fistfuls of cash because he isn’t a black minstrel show.

Minstrel Show — white people in black face doing shows.

In 1988, Masta Killa was making money. Must have been a good year because Jay Z once said he was “still spending money from ‘88".

Ed aspires to become an artist of the same calibre as Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice. Rice has played at large stadiums like Wembley in 2007.

Damien Rice has definitely been one of Ed’s biggest inspirations.

Afterwards, we stuck around and Damien and his band came into the pub next door. I didn’t have much to say — I was too young — but it was inspiring seeing him on stage for two hours with just an acoustic guitar and his voice. Being able to command a crowd like that made me think, “Wow, it can be done.”

Sheeran met Rice as a thirteen-year-old, as mentioned in the above interview. Damien Rice’s autograph and drawing from that day have made it into the impressive and extensive list of Sheeran’s tattoos.

He’s insanely cocky with his skill, as seen in the last line of this verse, where he claims to be one of the best in the game. He also does the same thing in many other songs of his, like “Laugh, Clown, Laugh” or “Tom Thum”.

Naming the best ever, I’m supposed to be listed

For many young black men, academic success isn’t an option for them or hard work such as a skilled trade. Instead, the only hope for a lot of them is music or basketball, but if they fail at that their only option may be selling a “package,” (cocaine) for income.

But then again, even in the music industry there is really only two things black youth can do, rap or make beats.

Shad is from London, Ontario, which is a primarily white city. In school, it was easier and cooler to be white than black until rap hit the mainstream.

Shad was influenced by rap at school and he kept doing it because he amused other people when he rapped at them.

He holds hope for young black people with African heritage close to his heart although there are many obstacles to overcome, as he himself was born in Kenya of Rwandan parents. Shad discusses the importance of this heritage in his next album, TSOL, on the song “A Good Name”.

The doctors may contact the proper authorities should they feel that there is a risk of abuse having occurred, which could lead to “fatal” retaliation from the pimp or his associates should he undergo a police investigation. That’s why her pimp never lets her visit a doctor. “Poxy” is an English slang term for stupid.