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And lamp like Capone, with drug scripts sewn
Or the legal luxury life, rings flooded with stones, homes Nas – N.Y. State of Mind
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Lamp is slang for relax and chill. Nas would give up this life of crime he glamorizes for a legal luxury life. He would love to sit back with riches, legal or illegal. But living normally, he would only do it illegal.

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0a4aa5abfd57eb31c3e1be426b843b63

424

3 years

“with drug script sewn” I don’t think it means sewn to the lamp shade and playing with the word “lamp”. In some old movies you have guys sew secret document to their clothes I think Nas simply meant that. Nas in my opinion is one of the best lyricist but not a “wordplayer”.

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0a4aa5abfd57eb31c3e1be426b843b63

424

3 years

unpopular opinion but isn’t “holmes” a stretch? Nas is simply saying multiple real estate properties as part of his “legal luxury” lifestyle.

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5 years

The “drug scripts sewn” has to do with the fact that a lamp shade is sewn together with fabric. Nas is implying the multiple verbal drug transactions/exchanges he made on the street, these “drug scripts” is the very fabric that’s allowing him to spark up and chill in one spot.

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'Eko
5 years

Can someone please explain the “drug scripts sewn” part?

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'Eko
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5 years

Lamp is a slang/metaphor comparing a person to an actual lamp, where one would, like a lamp, sit in one spot and light up(smoke weed)

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5 years

He uses the same word, ‘lamp’ in The World is Yours (Q-Tip Remix).

The crew is lamping Ill Will style.

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6 years

Rings flooded with stones=round houses, Holmes=homes. Great double entendre.

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poetic
6 years

The play on “homes” and “holmes"is being missed.

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Camoflauged Torahs, Bibles, and glorious Qurans Lupe Fiasco (Ft. Matthew Santos) – American Terrorist
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Terrorism is not color blind, or exclusive to any particular religion

Jews, Christians, and Muslims all display modes of terrorism

Also, a possible reference to camouflage-patterned book covers/cases such as the one below:

This cheap marketing gimmick encourages the reader, in a way, to approach the subject with a hostile mindset before even opening the book (and kids like ‘em best).

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Default_avatar_100

0

4 years

I feel like this line could also be a reference to the way many people use religion as a guise for their own personal, hateful, extremist messages

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My underground sound vibrates the streets Eric B. & Rakim – Don't Sweat the Technique
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Nice poetry here. His non-commercial underground sound vibrates the streets, as in makes people go wild for his music

It can also be taken literally, if his music was playing underground, the city would vibrate. Rakim often uses double meanings such as this clever rhyme.

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Somethin' told me, "Try to fake a stomach ache, it works"
I screamed, "Ow, my appendix feel like they could burst
Teacher, teacher, quick, I need a naked nurse" Eminem – Brain Damage
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Marshall wanted nothing to do with this bully, so he faked an illness in order to be sent home early. Appendicitis is actually a pretty good choice since the appendix is located inside your body, but he reveals that he doesn’t know anything about the injury when he says “they could burst”; there is only one appendix.

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7 years

I agree with everything, but i feel you forgot something – WTF did he mean by ‘NAKED NURSE’!?

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ag10
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7 years

I think it’s more that he says “My appendics hurt” – because ‘appendix’ sounds like plural for ‘appendic’.

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duh
7 years

He’s referring to it as “they” because he’s still a kid in this song, and “appendix” sounds like a plural word.

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Eqfgmp3jsxam7auet9ka

308

9 years

For the part “Something told me, try to fake a stomach ache it works” That is referring to how his mother has munchausen syndrome. In case you don’t know what that is, it’s a mental condition where you fake injuries or medical issues to get attention and or sympathy from another person.

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I make ya hotter than the next bitch - no need
For you to ever sweat the next bitch - with speed
I make the next bitch see the exit - indeed
Gotta know you're thoroughly respected - by me
You get the keys to the Lexus - but no drive
You get your own 2002, she through ridin'
Keep yo' ass tight up in Versace
That's why you gotta watch yo' friends
You gotta watch me, they connivin' shit JAY-Z & R. Kelly – Take You Home With Me A.K.A. Body
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The majority of Kelly’s verse is taken from Jay-Z’s first verse on “Ain’t No Nigga.”

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Niggas is this and that, I'm just the best Fat Joe (Ft. Big Pun, Jadakiss, Nas & Raekwon) – John Blaze
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Nas explained the origination of the line to King Mag and said that it was actually Big Pun who told him to include it:

I said, ‘Niggas is this and that. I’m just the best.’ But Pun told me to say that. He was like, ‘You got to say that. Fuck that.’ It was on Fat Joe’s record, ‘John Blaze.’ Me and Pun were in the studio having a ball, and I’m writing my rhyme, and Pun leans over and says, ‘Just say, 'Niggas is this and that. I’m just the best.’ Just say that.’ He was not letting me go without saying that. I’m sure I’ve said it another time.

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HiPHoPHead2000
2 years

Fat Joe claimed or compered himself with “John Blaze”, that’s why Nas though that line could be taken as a slick diss to Fat Joe who was the song’s owner “Niggas is this and that, Im just the best” basically saying you claim to be whatever but I still the best. Nas was just “Ego tripping” in that line.

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With the hoods, fatigues with the boots with trees The Notorious B.I.G. – Niggas
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In New York, the typical wardrobe for drug dealers consists of (but of course, not limited to) hoodies, army fatigues, and Timberland boots. This in addition to a bag of grass conveniently located in their front pocket.

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Straight up shit is real and any day could be your last in the jungle (yeah) Fabolous (Ft. Velous) – Gone for the Winter
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Fab starts the track with the same lyrics Nas used on “Represent”, which is sampled for this tracks beat.

Straight up shit is real and any day could be your last in the jungle/
Get murdered on a humble, guns’ll blast niggas tumble

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Thou shalt not fuck with raw me, or he
Face a thousand deaths from Mr. Shawn Corey JAY-Z – Squeeze 1st
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Jay continues the ode to Biggie with this mosaic line inspired by Big’s “Who Shot Ya:”

Thou shall not fuck with nor see Poppa
Feel a thousand deaths when I drop ya

Of course, Jay’s full name is Shawn Corey Carter.

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'Cause I'm Pete Carroll, left college and I fucked the pros up Bas (Ft. J. Cole) – My Nigga Just Made Bail
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Just like American football coach Pete Carroll left the University of Southern California to join the pro-team Seattle Seahawks and eventually win them their first Super Bowl, Cole left Fayetteville, NC to pursue rap. He went to college at St. Johns University in Queens, NY. After he graduated he got signed to Roc Nation and started releasing classic records.

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Randeep
10 years

I think he meant that his story is initially analogous to Pete Caroll in that they both left college and ‘fucked the pros up’, but in addition to that, Cole no longer needed to follow the grammatical structure which is emphasized in college which is why he also means ‘I fucked the prose up’.

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