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In this reference to Shakespeare’s Othello, Nas draws comparisons to his role as a leader in the hood of Queensbridge. Othello was a Moorish prince living in Venice, and later a general in the Venetian army. While the army references tie in very well, the most outstanding similarity between Nas and Othello is their African descent.

This reference is most likely one of Nas' best, as it is intricate in characterization and resemblance.

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A densely worded pun. There’s Appetite for Destruction the album, of course. Also, the pairing of “appetite” and “fry”. Jay is big on food-related puns, and uses the same “appetite for destruction” motif on “U Don’t Know (Remix):

Appetite for destruction, I am starving today
Got a money hungry lawyer that’ll eat the case
And that’s just food for thought
Don’t let it go to waste
Nigga, bite the bullet until you stuffing ya face"

He also uses appetite for destruction on “Girls, Girls, Girls.”

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A reference to the classic Mobb Deep song “Shook Ones, Pt. II”, wherein Prodigy and Havoc explain that “shook” means “scared/cowardly”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoYZf-lBF_U

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Jay is requesting Wayne, the younger of the Carters, to carry on his legacy and take rap places even “Young Hov” couldn’t take it. This made sense at the time, Wayne was the new hotness and Jay seemed on the brink of retirement, but these days it looks like Jay might outlast Weezy.

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What rhymes with SPOON and follows auto?

Jay cleverly plays on our expectation he is about to say auto-tune, since Jay and AT was a controversial mix at the time. The literary name for this stylistic device is called par'hyponoian.

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Jay Z drives his Lamborghini Murcielago mercilessly (slow down!)

Murcielago’s were named after a famous bull. It survived so many times in the ring, that it was pardoned by the crowd. This was a rarity in bull-fighting circles. In this light, the line seems like it may have another level of entendre…

Also, Mercy and Murcie- is a form of pararhyme.

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Jay-Z is naming Wayne as his “heir to The Throne” as the King of Rap, and also as the next great Carter.

Wayne explained his reaction this line to Rolling Stone:

That line right there was hard! Unbelievable. I didn’t even realize it at first. My homie had to tell me “You know what he said, right?” I didn’t even get it. I was like, “Why is he saying ‘air’? Is he just talking about the air?” But I’m smart enough to know that he’s smart enough not to just be talking about the air. I felt real dumb, but then I felt so good. It was an incredible compliment.

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Jay-Z often refers to himself as the “King of New York”, a title with a storied rap history: the legendary Notorious B.I.G. also referred to himself in monarchic tones

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An interesting line, as neither Bob Marley nor Marcus Garvey (see below) died violently, though Garvey faced government harassment, arrest, and imprisonment

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Lil Wayne, born September 27th, is a Libra (which means “scale” in Latin)

He claims that his Libra-demeanor is what allows him to stay focused amidst the temptations of fame and fortune

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