Genius | Song Lyrics & Knowledge

Cuz my skills ill like slicing up devil's pie off of angel dust Black Milk (Ft. eLZhi & Royce da 5'9") – Deadly Medley

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.

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Angel dust, also known as PCP, is a drug known to cause particularly violent hallucinations

“Devil’s Pie” is a song by D'Angelo about the excessive materialism that has come to represent hip-hop culture. Jay-Z makes on a Devil’s Pie reference on “Lucifer”

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Deadly Medley Black Milk (Ft. eLZhi & Royce da 5'9") – Deadly Medley

Song Bio 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Detroit rappers love talking about how underrated their city is, and here 3 of the D’s best do justice to the claim, tearing apart an excellent Black Milk production

The song appears on Black Milk’s third album Album of the Year. The title does not refer to the best album released in 2010, but simply is an album about the ~365 days since Black’s last one (though this song makes a case for a double meaning).

The track contains a sample from Yeah Yeah by Blackrock.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

But I heard you blew a nigga with a ox for the phone piece Nas (Ft. Q-Tip) – One Love

Genius Annotation 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

An ox is a razor blade (thank Big L on Ebonics for that one), so Nas has heard that his friend cut somebody up, just for use of the prison phone.

Similarly, see his boast, elsewhere on Illmatic, that he is “as ill as a convict that kills for phone time”.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

369

7 years

Double entendre: I think Nas is also talking about a telephone blow.

Upvote +1 Downvote

258

7 years

I thought he sucked someone dick for the phone lol

Upvote +15 Downvote

195

8 years

I never understood that line. Thanks for clarifying!

Upvote +16 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Some brothers'd still be virgins if crack never came out Big L (Ft. Kid Capri) – Put It On

Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

If the allegedly CIA contributed surge in crack cocaine in NY hadn’t occurred in the mid 80s, then some of L’s homies would not be rolling cash, and therefore not have gotten any pussy

6ft7 England striker Peter Crouch was once asked what he’d be if not a footballer, to which he replied “A virgin”

Also if any females wanted to buy crack from a male drug dealer and get a hit from the crack she would have to get her knees dirty.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Marked this as missing something ?

8 years

“If Crack never came out” refers to Fat Joe, nicknamed Joey Crack, a fellow member of DITC alongside L.

His debut album, Represent, came out in 1993, and paved the way for L and others, most famously Big Pun, to debut in turn.

If Crack never released his album, his friends in DITC and elsewhere may have struggled to get heard, they may not have been famous, and, thus, would still be virgins.

Upvote +5 Downvote

5,014

9 years

I think silkboxers has it right

Upvote +1 Downvote

3,843

9 years

This is also a double meaning. If someone was dealing drugs and if a woman wanted some but doesn’t have any money she would have to get her knees dirty.

Upvote +5 Downvote

beatkilla

12 years

Triple meaning here I believe because if brothers had no money and they started to slang rocks and got pussy, the crackheads who didn’t have money for crack would prostitute for it , and if the brothers who got sent to prison for crack dealing which may have gotten raped while in prison therefore “virgins” coming into play.

Upvote +3 Downvote

12 years

true but its also because the hood chicks had no money for crack, so they were prostitutes for crack instead of money.

Upvote +29 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Then I send a shorty from my block to the store for Phillies Nas – One Time 4 Your Mind

Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

The kids respect Nas, and do whatever he asks. Here he desires Phillies cigars, from which he is going to vacate the tobacco and stuff the paper full of weed.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

6 years

When Nas says shorty he means a attractive female

Upvote +0 Downvote

201

8 years

I don’t think he is referring to kids, as they wouldn’t be old enough to purchase tobacco (generally.) I think he’s talking about women, a bad shorty on the block

Upvote +14 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

When I'm chillin', I grab the buddha, get my crew to buy beers Nas – One Time 4 Your Mind

Genius Annotation 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Throughout Illmatic, it’s made evident that Nas has a passionate liking for marijuana, and that he isn’t opposed to the occasional brewski either.

“Get my crew to buy beers” likely refers that Nas was only 19 years of age when Illmatic came out, so he legally needed his older crew members to purchase alcohol for him.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

Start off the dice-rollin' match, from craps to cee-lo
With side-bets, so roll a deuce, nothin' below Nas – Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)

Genius Annotation 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Craps is a casino game often referenced in hip hop due to its popularity in the hood. You win if you get a 2 (deuce) or a 7, so let’s just say Nas is sending other dudes home, “to a shoebox”. Cee-lo is another dice game with different rules

The clever part about this line is that a 2 is the lowest number you can possibly roll in Craps (a 1 + 1), but it’s the best roll in the game. So by “nothing below” 2, he actually means every number above 2.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

310

4 years

Double meaning? He “rolls a deuce” (rolls a double-sized blunt) and nothing below.

Could also be a Five Percenter reference to Wisdom (2). He says “Peace God” 2 times in the next line, which makes me think the number is symbolic.

Upvote +1 Downvote

Sam

5 years

Another meaning could refer to rolling a two in cee-lo. The only roll lower than a two is 1-2-3 which is an automatic losing roll. Nas may be suggesting he is impermeable to failure.

Upvote +1 Downvote

175

7 years

This part of the verse actually describes losing at craps, imho. You do not win on a come out roll in craps on a 2, only on 7 or 11. In fact, you lose on a 2, 3, or 12, which is why he says “nothin' below”. It’s clever because there’s nothing worse than rolling a 2 and it’s the lowest possible roll. He follows this with “Peace God” to end the verse, perhaps indicating that he’s out of money. This song is about reality, not bravado. Nas references gambling in many of his songs, and the reality of gambling is you often lose.

Upvote +2 Downvote

6,776

9 years

deuce is probable a reference to cee-lo… a common side bet in cee lo is to beat the deuce which is any pair and a 2.

Upvote +4 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

No sign of the beast in the blue Chrysler, I guess that means peace
For niggas, no sheisty vice to just snipe ya Nas – Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)

Genius Annotation 5 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

“No sign of the beast” is a reference to the police.

Many New York police drove blue Chrysler Diplomats in the 1980s (see below).

None of them are patrolling his neighborhood or harassing, shooting (“snipe ya”) and arresting people; there’s “peace” and no immoral and shady activity ( “no sheisty vice”).

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

373

2 years

this is by no means a miss in analyzing the lyrics – I just felt like mentioning a couple references. KRS One famously referred to the police, as Nas does here, as “the beast” in “Sound of the Police” (released just a year earlier). It’s also a riff the phrase “no justice no peace”, in this case pointing out that the absence of the NY Justice Dept. means peace in his neighborhood.

Upvote +3 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

Shook at these unmarked vans, parked in the dark
NARC's — where's your heart? Nas – N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II

Genius Annotation 3 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

Unmarked police cars, operated by plain clothed police officers, usually monitoring individuals on a tip-off, have the potential to spring surprises on unsuspecting criminals due to their ambiguous nature, which is what makes Nas so paranoid. He sees such dishonest behaviour, if you will, as immoral, and makes this clear to narcotics officers, those that enforce drug laws

Also, possible wordplay on the word ‘narks’. (which means “to agitate or annoy”)

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

10 years

it’s actually “Shook of Ds”

Ds meanin DETECTIVES in the unmarked vans.

Upvote +8 Downvote

Show all improvement suggestions

hookers crawlin' off the stroll, coughin'
Stitches in they head, stinkin' and I dread thinkin' they be snitchin'
But who else, could it be? Nas – N.Y. State of Mind Pt. II

Genius Annotation 2 Contributors ?

What is this?

To learn more about participating in the Genius Editorial project, check out the contributor guidelines.

The stroll is the area where prostitutes kindly offer their services, and tricks classily patrol. Nas sees them, all haggard, frail and weak, and believes surely they are the most likely to be informing on other hood members to the police, since it is they who seem to crave and need money the most.

Premo would later scratch the “who else could it be” in Nas' song, also produced by Premier, “2nd Childhood”.

This video is processing – it'll appear automatically when it's done.

report abuse

« Previous 1 2 … 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 … 29 30 Next »

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

What is this?

Integrate the suggestion into the annotation, keeping the contributor guidelines in mind.