We off the road, we 'posed to be on Uptown XO – Finding My Way
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XO has no idea what’s right and what’s wrong anymore, like he was metaphorically lost without a compass or GPS. MapQuest is an online mapping service that allows people to plan out their routes and directions, something XO’s soul needs as it isn’t following the right path. This plays back to the traveling metaphor that is found throughout this verse.
Want the old me back, can’t remember yesterday
Gotta pray for tomorrow, stay away from the bottles Uptown XO – Finding My Way
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Even though he hates doing it, XO turned to alcohol to help him cope with his tough life. The pain could also be seen as the hangover. He drinks an excessive amount, so much that he blacks out almost every night, drinking enough that he is worried about his health and what he might do while in the intoxicated state. He wants the old XO back, the one who was fun and sober and didn’t have to worry about money or what the next meal will be.
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Explaining how XO had to move houses a lot, mainly because his mom could not afford to pay the rent. They would pack their suitcase and move, only to have to repeat the process over again.
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Even while working 3 jobs (his father left the country while he was a teen), XO’s mom still couldn’t afford rent, let alone support the family. This shows the hard times XO went through as a child, and really shows how far he’s come to become a worldwide rap star.
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Dirt City is another name for the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This is where Cadence was born and raised, and often reps it in his songs. He even named his 3rd album Hope In Dirt City.
Y'all gotta dig when we dig and then grind these refine coals
Call 'em gems, Shad + Skratch Bastid (Ft. Cadence Weapon) – Homie
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Talking about the poems he has written while playing on Neil Diamond and physical diamonds.
Shad has tons of poems that he’s written, a mine full to be exact, and they are so good they can be referred to as gems. Shad will “refine” these gems by putting them to music, music like what Neil Diamond is known for. You guys have to dig (as in appreciate, and dig into the ground dealing with the “mine” theme) what he creates.
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Shad often spends time working and hanging out in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, or Van for short.
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WestJet Airlines is a Canadian discount airline, often known for their “tough” security.
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This line is spoken, showing what Shad is doing in the actual situation. He is saying that the security guard that threw out his toothpaste now owes him $5.99 for the tube of Crest toothpaste that he threw out in the previous line.
I'm not quoting the Quran with a vest on
And who the hell's ever made a bomb out of Crest armed
To the teeth Shad + Skratch Bastid (Ft. Cadence Weapon) – Homie
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Playing back to the “based out of a suitcase” line, Shad talks about troubles he’s had at airports over strict carry-on rules and his race. Just because he is black and is carrying fluids in his suitcase, he is immediately assumed to be a Muslim terrorist, blowing up planes with bullet-proof vests on all for the sake of the God Allah and the Quran. However, all Shad is doing is bringing his Crest toothpaste onboard so he can brush his teeth.
