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Soul singer (from Philly!) Phyllis Hyman was bi-polar, though Black Thought isn’t. Her name worked well for the rhyme scheme, I suppose
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What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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What is this?
The Genius annotation is the work of the Genius Editorial project. Our editors and contributors collaborate to create the most interesting and informative explanation of any line of text. It’s also a work in progress, so leave a suggestion if this or any annotation is missing something.
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A twist on the old saying, “keep your eyes on the prize,” which in turn became the inspiration for the most famous documentary about the civil rights movement
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An agriculture metaphor that isn’t about money – nice! Black Thought is dropping seeds of knowledge and wants to see who learns the most
Also, “The Seed 2.0” is a popular Roots song about impregnating a girl – maybe Thought wants to see which of the ladies can have the most children for him?
Also, he asks, “Whose thumb is the greenest?” With this, he is saying that he is not only dropping seeds of knowledge, but he’s also saying he’s the best at doing this. This goes with the first line, explaining that he can drop the best seeds of knowledge because of all that he’s overcome (“rising up out of the flames”).
I keep it doin' it again
Oh, I'm doin' it again
Yes, I'm doin' it again
I said it would end The Roots – Doin' It Again
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When I'm with you, I get the shakes
My body aches when I ain't with you, I have zero strength Eminem – Space Bound
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The hook is sung by the British singer, Steve McEwan.
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Ed McMahon’s famous catchphrase: “herrrre’s Johnny!” would introduce the host every night from The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
Likewise – although The Roots are on late night television – their fans remain loyal
Re-used, chillingly, in The Shining
The Roots are the house band for The Tonight Show. Hopefully everyone reading already knows this but it makes the “Here’s Johnny” reference that much more important.