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.

Loading...

In reverse order, Jay is detailing the events during and succeeding Bob’s death, that is, he was shot in a car, the car crashed, then there was the funeral.

“Reverse the car” has a double meaning – Jay wishes Bob had reversed his vehicle, so that he may not have been hit. He might also wish that Bob had never bought the car to drive, a sentiment echoed on Jay’s song, “Lost One,” from Kingdom Come. Jay is expressing his wish to turn back events, so that by so doing we come back to the time when Bob Allah was alive.

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

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.

Loading...

Eminem takes a shot at parents taking a moral high-ground towards him and his music, when a lot of them are probably part of a troubled marriage, which is negatively impacting on their children more than he is.

Also, upon close inspection the pure technical brilliance of this verse emerges; Em has been using multi-compound syllable rhyming of 5 syllables consistently since his third line (“shoes fits I’ll wear it”). Try going through the verse and counting all the times he uses words that rhyme with “shoe” and you’ll realize that almost the entire verse is comprised of internal rhymes and other poetic devices. For example:

truth – grin – and – bear – it
lu – cra – tive – lyr – ics
who – could – in – her – it…

A true rap genius.

Also notice the “o” assonance in the verse. It already starts way back in the beginning of the verse, at “if the shoe fits”, and doesn’t stop until the end of the verse.

You fucking do-gooders, too bad you couldn’t do good at marriage
And do you have any clue what I had to do to get here

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

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.

Loading...

Eminem often jokes about the role he plays towards children, and mocks the parents who see him as a ‘menace’ but are ultimately powerless against his influence–especially expressed in his song “White America”. He’s taking a more serious stance here.

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

Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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.

Loading...

Miss America is typically a hot white girl. However Jay-Z doesn’t think this image is fairly representative of America and its flag, and therefore turns his back on her and her “Bush” – notice the pussy – George Bush link

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

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.

Loading...

Here Hov’s use of the phrase “white lies” is ambiguous in its political context. Firstly, he is referring to the deceptions, large and small, of the previous administrations. It makes note of how the 42 Presidents before Barack Obama were all white men delivering “white lies” to the American public.

Secondly he is referring to the way politicians have a way of “stretching the truth,” or telling diplomatic lies to feed the general public what they want to hear.

Jay’s double entendre could be interpreted either way and as always he is aware of, and considers, the way different audiences hear and interpret language according to their cultural background. Sadly, his prediction of Obama ending the Iraq war didn’t quite pan out, as 50,000 troops will be there indefinitely.

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

Unreviewed Annotation 1 Contributor ?

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.

Loading...

Hip hop albums are fairly regularly shelved, or given a delayed release date, if the record label do not see enough commercial appeal. Examples of this would be Q-Tip’s Kamaal/The Abstract and Clipse’s Exclusive Audio Footage

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

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.

Loading...

Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor (November 20, 1970 – March 22, 2016) was a short dude, standing at only 5'3'‘. His height lead to his nickname Phife as in “the Phifooter.”

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

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.

Loading...

If the moment isn’t right to have sex André will just wait, because he doesn’t want to risk having subpar sex that leads to developmental issues in the child. This is because André doesn’t want to have to worry about whether these issues will stop the kid from overcoming the odds and becoming a success, or lead to him falling victim to the “nigga syndrome” (the underachieving of young black males throughout America). This is a wise decision, because there a are plenty of troubling statistics that prove it is difficult to be a troubled young black male in America.

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

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.

Loading...

Fish and grits is a classic southern recipe, so by asking his audience if they like fish and grits André is indirectly asking them if they are down with the Dirty South.

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

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.

Loading...

Since André claims that God is speaking to the masses through his music, he has to make sure that drugs and alcohol don’t distort the message God is trying to get across. This is another way of saying that André takes his ability to influence his listeners very seriously, and doesn’t want to do anything that could lead him to become a negative influence.

André decided to give up drinking and smoking after the release of Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik to get his mind right, something he alludes to in “A Day In The Life of André Benjamin”.

He elaborates on the decision a little more in this interview:

I actually looked in the mirror and saw myself deteriorating. I was like man we’re doing too much. Way too much.“

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