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The Rebel, I make more noise than heavy metal Wu-Tang Clan – Protect Ya Neck
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‘Heavy metal’ refers both to guns and the genre of rock music known for its more amplified sound than other types of rock.

Deck’s volume knob must go up to 12.

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3 months

Also Metals are sonorous, meaning they produce a ringing sound when struck. The line could also be referring to this very fact.

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maudderung
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2 years

Also Inspectah’s previous moniker was Rebel.

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Produce a smokescreen with the funky green to keep your eyes slanted Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin'
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If you don’t like Dre’s songs, he’ll let you smoke some of his weed as a “smokescreen” to improve your likability (pretty standard marketing trick)

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Moving on your left kid, Method Man & Redman – How High
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Meth is quoting his own lines, from Wu-Tang single “Protect Ya Neck”. He does the same thing in “Bring the Pain”. Come to think of it, Meth does this a lot…

This is also in reference to him calling himself a southpaw in “Bring the Pain” which is a fighting stance used by left handed people. Its a common boxing term so Meth is saying he will be coming on your left with his left fist.

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Look, I'm not a halfway crook with bad looks Method Man & Redman – How High
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As Mobb Deep said in “Shook Ones Pt. II,” and Eminem channeled in 8 Mile, ‘ain’t no such thing as halfway crooks’

This line, along with a majority of this verse was in response to Mobb Deep’s dissing Redman and Keith Murray on the skit on The Infamous.

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Through meditation
I program my heart to beat breakbeats and hum basslines on exhalation Blackalicious (Ft. Lyrics Born & Saul Williams) – Release
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Williams expresses similar sentiments on British drum-and-bass artist Krust’s ‘Coded Language’

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You're a Tom Thumb Blackalicious (Ft. Lyrics Born & Saul Williams) – Release
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Tom Thumb is a kid in a fairy tale who is the size of his father’s thumb. ‘General’ Tom Thumb appeared in P.T. Barnum’s circus and was at one point the most famous dwarf in the world

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If Red got the blunt, I'm the second one to hit it Method Man & Redman – How High
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Rather than passing the dutchie on the left-hand side like Musical Youth, Redman just passes it directly to Meth

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I breaks 'em off proper
Ask Biggie Smalls who shot ya Method Man & Redman – How High
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Biggie’s classic ‘Who Shot Ya’ features a sample from a David Porter song, ‘I’m Afraid the Masquerade is Over,’ also used in GZA’s ‘Duel of the Iron Mic’

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I thought it was dope how she was on that freestyle shit Common – I Used to Love H.E.R.
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Although Com doesn’t like West Coast hip-hop as a whole, he enjoyed the movement started by the Freestyle Fellowship in L.A.’s Good Life Cafe

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1 year

what? common has said he likes west coast hip hop before – are you confusing this with his beef with ice cube?
“she broke to the west coast & that was cool”
“i wasnt salty she was with the boyz n the hood”
both these lines show common having no issue with the west coast. if u still dont believe me plz go check out a video about it.

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She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle
Now she be in the burbs, lookin' rock and dressin' hippie Common – I Used to Love H.E.R.
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In 2005’s “Real People”, Common criticized black men who date white women:

Black men walking with white girls on they arms
I be mad at ‘em as if I know they moms

The line is also an extension of the overall metaphor of the song, he’s not talking about a girl, but how hip-hop started in New York, then gradually spread across America, losing some of its original meaning, and becoming more “whitewashed” as it became more corporate.

To be fair, according to his book, the first girl Com went down on was white.

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2 years

burbs he met surburbs or suburbans

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Hector
7 years

This is meant so say how Hip Hop first only appealed to more of the urban, inner city crowds that created and lived the lifestyle that centered around the culture, but as it’s popularity grew, the suburban kids became fans and practitioners, adding some of their style to it (i.e “looking Rock and dressing hippy”)

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