Welfare cheques are normally distributed bi-weekly, on the 1st and 15th days of each month. As such, from the 1st – 3rd of each month, people generally get an influx of money and drug dealers tend to make more money on the streets at this time.

The Academy was the original name of 9th Wonder’s music label, to which Act Proof were signed under the IWWMG imprint. Later, artists from The Academy were merged with those already signed to Jamla – 9th’s other independent label.

Shoutout to the genius behind this song’s production, the great 9th Wonder.

“Chopping a rare score” refers to the act of sampling) components of existing records to form the foundation of a hip hop beat. Peep this annotation for more about the original score 9th sampled in this track.

Latin honours indicate levels of academic distinction – summa cum laude roughly translates to mean “with highest honour” (a greater distinction than magna cum laude or cum laude).

While the average listener would simply hear lines being spit, Lupe understands his lyrics are a barbaric incineration of any standing in his way.

Also, note the wordplay: “these ain’t bars, this is barbarity” except the word barbarity literally contains the word bar twice – or 2 bars.

Classic Lu!

Chuck’s raps are so cold that neither an ice cream cone, nor Iceland, nor a snowstorm alone can describe how cold they are – you need to combine all three – sorta like how cold this dude must be:

Common is honouring Bob Marley, Nina Simone (whose song Strange Fruit is sampled in this track) and Marcus Garvey.

All are people who, through their lives work, promoted ideals of peace and afrocentrism.

Switching it up from cricket to another bat and ball game, baseball – you pitch it, Lu’s finna hit a homerun.

Lupe Fiasco wants to use his music to educate the minds of the young kids growing up in the hood, showing them ways to get themselves out – a theme he frequently refers to in his music (peep his verse on RondoNumbaNine’s “Life of a Savage).”