This refers to the amount of respect he has for himself. So much so that he can’t even look his own reflection in the eye.

Don’t take things for granted, he’s saying that some people have trouble even getting to this country for a better way of life and that family members and friends are in jail. There are people living without a home and struggling to survive.

Perspective

“I Am the Sea” is the first song on The Who’s album Quadrophenia. The song is mainly composed of waves splashing onto a shore. Also Heems is an ocean (recall the first line of the song).

Also, plashy means sexy or stylish, Heems is more than just splashy.

Men’s toys:

Benz is short for Mercedes Benz car, a burner is any kind of gun, and brolic means weight-lifting or being buff.

No beef means that they don’t have meaningless disputes/fights and piece of white meat can be referring to meaningless disputes about the past with Europeans/Americans.

He was a bright student, earning good grades yet he wasn’t allowed to enter a good state college unlike some girl he is mentioning who was allowed admission in the college cause she was rich. K'naan is throwing light on corruption here.

She, the counselor, could help him get into good colleges with no problem because of his good grades. But, he didn’t wanna go to college but joined the military because he wanted to make a significant difference in the world, and believed that was more important the knowledge and money that comes from going to college.

“One take” refers to how he “Got her on the first shot.” He’s using a film direction allusion, as in a “shot” in a movie (a specific camera angle), that he gets the “first” time. Hence, later in the line “take” refers to the specific event of filming – as in “we filmed it in one take.”