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Move blocks and squares, JAY-Z & Kanye West – Welcome To The Jungle
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Jay moves “the block” (ghetto), “squares” (music charts). He also moves cocaine which he gets by the kilo, or block.

Hov used this block/square association before on The Black Album’s “Moment of Clarity”:

Cause he was on the block where no squares get off

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the feelings built a wall up
Skyscraper with every story it gets taller Jean Grae – Blame Game
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The walls represent the baggage that prevents her and her man from relating to each other in a healthy way: barriers to a good relationship.

The lines also play off the saying “tall tales” as in lies. With every “story” (fictitious account / floor of a building) the “skyscraper” (the relationship problems / the building) gets larger and more insurmountable.

A stunning, evocative bit of wordplay.

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Eminem, 8 Mile Nicki Minaj – Tragedy
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When Eminem put out 8 Mile, his film and its soundtrack, he was unquestionably the biggest thing in rap, and even music in general

Nicki, who is currently experiencing mind-blowing success with her first album, draws the comparison between her current situation and Eminem’s peak, which offers a stark contrast to…

She also grabbed Eminem for Pink Friday on the track “Roman’s Revenge”, which is a Lil' Kim diss.

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You don't know it yet
Its the life that I live that you love and the fact that I'm thug Kelis (Ft. Pusha T) – Popular Thug
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Here’s where it gets more sinister. Where before he was saying that his girl was into him because of all the material aspects of his wealth, what he’s saying now is that she wouldn’t be satisfied with it if he’d gotten it legitimately. He’s saying she digs the danger, the forbidden aspect of it.

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As long as fiends want 'caine then I'm gon' slang
When my financial change then I'm gon' change Kelis (Ft. Pusha T) – Popular Thug
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His way of saying he’s never giving this up. The one thing that’s constant in life is that crackheads are going to want more crack. And he’s going to sell drugs until he doesn’t need to anymore because of the money he made

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Watch the coke light up they life, the rocks is stars Kelis (Ft. Pusha T) – Popular Thug
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Nice wordplay with the “rocks” is “stars” bit. The “rocks” (crack) are like the “star” attraction; the fiends show up in drove to get them. Also, the attention Pusha gets makes him feel like a rock star.

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I would have never talked to you if I had known you was a popular thug
Hey, popular thug (Ya damn right)
I would have never talked to you if I had known you was a popular thug
Hey, popular thug (Ya Damn right) Kelis (Ft. Pusha T) – Popular Thug
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This chorus nicely shows her dilemma. If she had known from the jump that he was dealing, she’d have never become involved with him.

However, now that she’s into the life, she’s kind of turned on by the excitement and the danger. Makes her wanna say… “heeeeeyyyyy”

Throughout, Pusha encourages her to reach the latter conclusion.

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Make my record skip
Make my record skip
Make my record skip
Make my record skip Kelis (Ft. Pusha T) – Popular Thug
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Even though she knows she should leave him when she finds out about his dealing, he excites her too much.

As a side note, the track features a nice “skipping” effect on these lines.

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She need her daddy, baby, please
Can't let her grow up in that ghetto university Kanye West – All of the Lights
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The protagonist is learning from previous mistakes. In the first verse, he’s more than happy to take someone to the “ghetto university”, meaning to act tough and violently.

Now things have changed, and he’s realizing that this isn’t the right kind of environment for his family and people he cares about (‘Ghetto University’ being the streets). This is the argument he presents to his ex, since growing up with a single mother isn’t an ideal situation and is going to be harder on the daughter than if Kanye were to come back into her life.

Using the “daughter as hip-hop/music” metaphor, here Kanye suggests that hip-hop needs him to return to provide something other than the street-oriented gangsta rap we usually get.

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13

1 year

here Kanye is somewhat prolific, ghetto university is a analogous to TikTok where his daughter is growing up imitating women like ice spice in Kanye’s absence.

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Bf7f892be2804f381df832bde1ec4894

112

3 years

*cant

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goya
Marked this as restating the line?
3 years

i think by saying “can let her grow in that ghetto university” he refers that most of rappers in the rap industry talk about being gangster and that stuff, while kanye doesnt. so it means that kanye doesnt want the rap industry to be fully gangsta rap.

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pot keep puffing Jay Dub (Alternate) – Ball Gag
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  1. The pot cooking the stuffing is letting off steam.

  2. The marijuana (pot) Dub is smoking is letting off smoke, which is the likeliest explanation for the ridiculous shit he’s saying.

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