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That "got rich and still rapping like I’m poor" shit J. Cole – The Autograph

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Most rappers are talking about how they’re still hood when they have Beemers, Benzes, and Bentleys in their driveway.

He’s also saying that money can’t change the way he raps, that he’ll still be rapping and grinding like he was when he was broke and hadn’t made it yet.

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Shoutout to the bootleggers who supply my shit
The fans online tryna find my shit J. Cole – The Autograph

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He’s shouting them out because it is getting his name out, at this point in his career, any way the his name can be spread he will take. Also acknowledging his real fans that dig for his songs.

Also potentially ironic because of how the bootleggers are putting his songs and albums online and the fans are trying to get it for free. Some fans, not even willing to pay for the music he’s giving them.

The use of the word “bootleggers” ties into the end of the last verse where Cole mentioned prohibition, bootleggers being the people who supplied the illegal alcohol at that time.

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We let the lust interrupt something real, damn J. Cole – The Autograph

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The sex got in the way of the relationship. In this case, the woman’s relationship with her husband/boyfriend. Cole basically saying she got excited since it was him and even though she doesn’t really love him like she does her man they let the lust take over and thats gonna destroy her real love.

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This my New Year's resolution, dawg, no more pork in me
Uh, I ain't no Muslim though
Caron Butler, I’m a wizard if ya doesn't know J. Cole – The Autograph

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The Qur'an is the name of the Muslim holy book, which along with other Abrahamic texts, condemns eating pork.

Cole then uses the homophone of Qur'an/Caron to transition to the next line. Caron Butler was a member of the Washington Wizards, hence he was a wizard by profession.

By comparing himself with Butler, Cole establishes that he is as well, though his wizardry is with words.

Also a butler is a type of domestic worker who works primarily with serving food. So Cole could be saying that while he isn’t Muslim, he is his own butler (since at the time of recording he wasn’t wealthy enough to afford waitstaff) and he won’t serve himself pork, thus acting as a Muslim butler or butler to a Muslim person, a Qur'an butler, would.

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The [Qur'an](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran) is the name of the Muslim holy book, which along with [other](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible) Abrahamic [texts](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah), condemns eating pork.

http://images.rapgenius.com/374e34c1596b37070fe12c7a5c086977.219x250x1.gif

Cole then uses the homophone of Qur'an/Caron to transition to the next line. [Caron Butler](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caron_Butler) was a member of the Washington Wizards, hence he was a wizard by profession.

http://images.rapgenius.com/d21f165147e15505cf2b1e6b3ff63b2b.689x1000x1.jpg

By comparing himself with Butler, Cole establishes that he is as well, though his wizardry is with words.

Also a [butler](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butler) is a type of domestic worker who works primarily with serving food. So Cole could be saying that while he isn't Muslim, he is his own butler (since at the time of recording he wasn't wealthy enough to afford waitstaff) and he won't serve himself pork, thus acting as a Muslim butler or butler to a Muslim person, a Qur'an butler, would.

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100

12 months

This may be a stretch but “pork in me” can be heard as “porking me”, so “fucking me”, indicating that he is now more serious and careful as he knows more about the game and won’t let anyone trick him or “fuck with him”

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201

2 years

being wizard is haram in Islam though

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See, I'm a poet to some, a regular modern-day Shakespeare
Jesus Christ, the king of these Latter-day Saints here
To shatter the picture in which of that as they paint me as
A monger of hate, satanist, scatter-brained atheist JAY-Z (Ft. Eminem) – Renegade

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Em refers to himself as a modern day poet who, like Jesus, influences millions of young people around the globe.

Since he’s portrayed as the sacrilegious problem to the youth by media, Marshall uses this verse to “shatter” that picture by mocking religious critics, both Christian and Mormon (Latter-day Saints).

Here, he sets up some contradictory statements about himself, both calling back to his criticism of his detractors as hypocrites and setting up his further discussion of people’s contradictory opinions. Generally, an atheist doesn’t believe in supernatural beings, such as God or the devil, so an atheistic satanist is oxymoronic. However, the use of scatter-brained, in addition to keeping the rhyme with Latter-day, acknowledges that Em’s thoughts aren’t the result of carefully considered doctrines of belief, so he could be both at the same time, a sentiment he similarly addressed much later in his career.

Like William Shakespeare, Em wrote a twisted version of “Romeo and Juliet” – the main difference – he murders Juliet.

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Em refers to himself as a modern day poet who, like Jesus, influences millions of young people around the globe.

Since he's portrayed as the sacrilegious problem to the youth by media, Marshall uses this verse to "shatter" that picture by mocking religious critics, both Christian and Mormon (Latter-day Saints).

Here, he sets up some contradictory statements about himself, both [calling back to his criticism of his detractors as hypocrites](http://genius.com/3902) and setting up his [further discussion of people's contradictory opinions](http://genius.com/24557). Generally, an atheist doesn't believe in supernatural beings, such as God or the devil, so an atheistic satanist is [oxymoronic](http://genius.com/1418721). However, the use of scatter-brained, in addition to keeping the rhyme with Latter-day, acknowledges that Em's thoughts aren't the result of carefully considered doctrines of belief, so he could be both at the same time, [a sentiment he similarly addressed much later in his career](http://genius.com/Eminem-evil-twin-lyrics).

Like [William Shakespeare](/artists/William-shakespeare), Em wrote a twisted version of ["Romeo and Juliet"](http://genius.com/William-shakespeare-romeo-and-juliet-act-1-prologue-annotated) - the main difference - he [murders Juliet](22990).

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119

6 months

Bro is not Jesus

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3 years

He might also be saying that his critics consider themselves saints. And that he’s their King because he’s really their source of controversy which they wrote about. maybe a stretch on my part.

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7 years

LaVeyan Satanism (aka Church of Satan) is the generally referenced Satanist philosophy, which actually does NOT involve the worship of or belief in Satan, so it is actually an atheist religion.

However, there is some NEXT-LEVEL foreshadowing here: The concept of self-deification (to regard yourself as a god/deity) is one of the core concepts of Satanism. 12 years after Renegade came out, Em released Rap God. Damn.

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859

8 years

There was an infographic going around a while ago that showed that the lyrical of richness of Em’s works are similar to those of Shakespeare

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Them niggas wasn't ballin' but yet they was foul shootin', uh J. Cole – Before I'm Gone

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Those guys weren’t ballin' (playing basketball/showing off their riches and hustling) but still were foul shooting (doing free throws/shooting guns). A nice comparison which refers to two of the ways persons always say they can get out of the hood with; sports and drugs. Also a play on foul, saying that killing to get these things is fucked up/foul.

Foul shooting can also mean people were having things handed to them (such as rich people making money and getting things for free and not doing anything to deserve it), like a ref giving a foul shot, an uncontested chance to get points in basketball.

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I see the devil grinning, as if he winning
This just the bottom of the 9th inning J. Cole – A Star is Born (BET Performance)

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The devil thinks he got Cole beat, but Cole says the game aint over. Cole is talking about Baseball when using the 9th inning reference. The bottom of the inning is the home team’s half of an inning.

Home teams go second in baseball, and the 9th inning is, barring overtime, the last inning of the game. So the bottom of the ninth is the very end of the game.

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Photo-op is priceless, frame our wanted posters Kanye West (Ft. Big Sean, CyHi, J. Cole & Pusha T) – Looking for Trouble

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Double entendre:

His photos have been used on wanted posters
He could be framed for a crime like a picture

Pusha also means she is his “partner in crime” and the photo ops they have are like “Wanted” posters as everyone “WANTS” what they have. Also saying he’s proud of his crimes. When people are proud of an accomplishment, they often take pictures and frame and hang them for others to see.

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'Cause yo, I used to play Apollo balcony seats
Watchin' niggas swing razors in the front row
Then out in the streets, Nas – Doo Rags

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Harlem’s world-famous Apollo Theater held rowdy crowds during its late-80’s era

This is a metaphor, comparing how he used to entertain himself on his balcony watching stuff happening in the streets to people who watched Apollo, but instead of singing and dancing, the streets performed much darker talents, like fighting and killing.

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