Talib Kweli made his musical debut in 1997, appearing five times on the Mood album Doom. He is featured on “Nuclear Hip-Hop,” “Sacred Part 1,” “Peddlers of Doom,” “Peace Infinity,” and “Industry Lies.” Although he did not publicly release any music until 1997, he is likely referring to how he was working on his craft as early as 1992.

Sway and Heather B are the hosts of the SiriusXM Shade45 radio show “Sway in the Morning.” The show frequently includes freestyle sessions from various rappers attempting to show off their rhyming skills, and the word “hyena” is used to describe the most skillful rappers.

In the animal kingdom, lions and hyenas are mortal enemies, entangled in a vicious rivalry that traces back thousands of years. Their conflict stems from the fact that they live in the same area, hunt the same prey, and compete for the same resources. In the context of the line, Talib Kweli paints himself as better than his rap competitors, since a single lion is more dangerous than a single hyena. The hyenas' advantage are their large numbers.

Talib Kweli references the quote, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” a quote that is commonly attributed to writer Mark Twain. However, the quote is not entirely accurate, and is a paraphrased version of what he actually said.

Mark Twain visited London in 1897, and during his stay there, someone started the rumor that he was seriously ill, which then sparked the rumor that he had died. A journalist from the New York Journal contacted Mark Twain to address his rumored death, and Mark Twain’s humorous response was published in an article by the publication. The response includes the actual quote:

Mark Twain was undecided whether to be more amused or annoyed when a Journal representative informed him today of the report in New York that he was dying in poverty in London … The great humorist, while not perhaps very robust, is in the best of health. He said: ‘I can understand perfectly how the report of my illness got about, I have even heard on good authority that I was dead. James Ross Clemens, a cousin of mine, was seriously ill two or three weeks ago in London, but is well now. The report of my illness grew out of his illness. The report of my death was an exaggeration.’

Narcos is a crime drama series distributed by Netflix. The first two seasons of the show follow the story of Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who became one of history’s richest criminals, and biggest drug traffickers through the distribution of cocaine. The third season follows the Cali Cartel, who in their prime controlled nearly the entirety of the cocaine market, following the death of Pablo Escobar. After that, the show leads into the companion series Narcos: Mexico, which follows the drug war in Mexico.

As the life of drug traffickers are not pretty, the show portrays a lot of morbid content. The show is severely violent throughout, including scenes of bombings, brutal torture, bloody executions, and more. It is not something that is meant to be viewed by the faint of heart.