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Lyrically this song is amazing. I don't think Coldplay has put this on Rap Genius yet so maybe we can help him out. I've been listening to this song for years and I'm still finding more meaning. If I missed anything let me know
Failure
-Fiasco = failure
-The Failure to follow Lupe
Yeah, whoooo,
What up chitown? Nyc? Philly, Atlanta, Virginia,
They said it was coming back around man,
Back to the lyrics man.
Back to people like me.
Verse 1
It's mean, soldier
Now let me put the streets down like steamrollers
- Steamrollers pave streets (“putting them down”)
With the cats that push 40 ounces through the hood
-Cats is what you can call a group of guys
-CATS refers to Caterpillar Inc’s steamrollers
Like king cobra, see they sling soda
- King Cobra is a malt liquors, mostly commonly known for its 40 ounces and seen in the hood
Cause the extra foam in the split is mix
(It's really 36)
- Double meaning: King Cobras are famous for their 40 oz, 36oz is the beer and the other 4 oz is the foam; 36 oz – a key of cocaine
Used to buy toasters and clips
- Nicknames for guns and ammo
You can tighten your circle or boa constrict
- Boa Constrictors are known for squeezing their prey (“tightening their circle”). Continuing Snake theme from earlier line.
While you was lightin' your purple I was over the scripts
- While folks were getting high (“purple” refers to kush, weed, etc.), Lu’s eyes were over his glasses, studying up (“scripts”)
See, I couldn't walk the walk
Couldn't really talk the talk
Had to get my talk to properly explain my walk
Cause this lack in talk had my walk lookin' off
Now I'm over the limp
Watch how they mugs drop when they see my verbals able
(that's the usual)
- Last two lines refer to revelation in The Usual Suspects when Palminteri drops his coffee “mug” and realizes that Verbal Kint is “able” to walk. He's also saying that people will be amazed when they realize what his wordplay can do
When I was po' I was low,
Now me and my chaps cop purple label
It's Ralph Lauren on the rap Laureate
- Po & Lo refer to famed designer Ralph Lauren’s “Polo” clothing brand. “Chaps” is a British term, which ties into Purple Label, Ralph Lauren’s signature British line.
Nigg*s brown-nose, they are like alf to him
- People are now kissing Lupe's ass b/c he's made it. Also, Alf is a brown alien from late 80s/90s sitcom ALF (who has a “brown nose”)
Runners at interscopes not as styled as him
- Interscope is an record label while stout is a play on words and a reference to Steve Stoute, who once held an executive position at Interscope Records.
Please don't enter scope
- Plays on “Interscope” from previous line. Don't enter the scope of Irene or...
It's gonna be a whole lotta IV-ing and respiratin'
- IV’ing is a play on words referring to Jimmy Iovine, one of the founders of Interscope Records.
If I lean out this window with Irene
- People used to call their guns by female names so they couldn’t be traced (like how a 9mm handgun is referred to as a “Nina”), which also ties into the previous line (getting shot, put in the hospital, being on IV’s and respirator systems)
Nigg*s as tall as Yao Ming
He isn't going to miss anybody during this drive-by
With L-U-P-Emperor
It's the foundation, I-beams and the antennas
It's so serious every time I write my john hancock
Like, you could damn near see Detroit (I see you)
Nigg*s is scared of heights (see you)
- Serious is a play on words, a reference to the Sears Tower in Chicago; John Hancock Center is a Chicago skyscraper and antennas sit atop it. Lupe is the “foundation” of hip hop and ****** is scared of the depth of his rhymes (“heights”)
This is saran wrap and aluminum foil
Some potpourri a little machine oil
I stack my paper and throw off my cents/scents
- Saran wrap, aluminum foil, potpourri and machine oil are all used to disguise the smell of drugs from police dogs; Cents is a double meaning for “scents” (which ties into the previous lines)
This is top flo', better look out below
-Flo is a play on words for “floor” and “flow”, continuing the building metaphor
Pennies from heaven is the same as a semi from the second
And I reign supreme
-Possibly saying "Irene Supreme" referring to name of gun earlier
Turn your umbrellas upside down
Did you even catch the change in theme?
-Pennies (a known myth stating if dropped from a building, a penny could kill a human) & bullets from a semi “rain” at you, which ties into the next line (“I rain/reign supreme”); Normally, an umbrella is right-side up, but you turn it upside down to literally catch the change (Change=Money). Did your catch the change in theme = Did you catch the wordplay
-Diana Ross and the Supremes would regularly perform with props such as umbrellas which they would turn upside down in 'Dream Girls'
(this is gangsta)
-The entire first verse features a subtle movement of height theme from paving streets, then he’s “over the limp”, meaning he’s getting taller, then up to the foundations, to the John Hancock center where “you could damn near see Detroit”.
Lupe to the F to the I to the A to the S to the C to the O
From the west side of the C to the H to the I CA to the G to the O
(this is gangsta, man)
This is gangsta, man
Verse 2
And them nigg*s ain't Was
Nor from him regime, gangsta lean
-Was’ is short for Wasulu, Lupe’s government name and “regime” refers to his label, 1st & 15th.
Hats on tilt like his Snickers ain't drop out the vending machine
You gotta put more money in
And I shake nigg*s up everytime I drop a bar
- “Gangsta lean” plays on “tilt” in the next line. When a person’s Snickers gets stuck in the vending machine, people either put more money in (to get 2) or shake the vending machine (or “tilt” it). Bar is a double meaning for bar (as in rhyme) and bar (as in candy bar).
It's horse in the Porsche, bricks in the box
Like more money them every time I cop a car
- Horse refers to heroin in a Porsche and bricks refer to stashed kilos of cocaine. He gets more money every time he gets a car (because he can hide more drugs)
You see I'm a roller, right?
-Word play on previous "cop a Car" line. Cop=Get or Police officer. A roller = A cop who drives through drug neighborhoods.
So it might be a rover, right?
But every time I drop a 'r' get off the streets
It's ova, aight?
- “Rover” refers to a Range Rover. Drop an ‘r’ from “rover, right?” and you get “ova aight”
Bet I be in her head like overnight
Like rollers, right, she the chauffeur, right?
So I keep her sober
She don't get fed-ex like overnight
I am Dolemite
- Women put rollers in their hair when they go to bed (overnight). Fed Ex acts as a double meaning; Fed Ex (as in the overnight shipping company) and Fed X (as in fed ecstasy, which is why he “keeps her sober”). Dolemite, refers to the first line (“Bet I be in her head like overnight) a pimp, stays in his girl’s head and controls her mind.
All that gas can't help, but solar might
So just call on Son/Sun
Drop a 's' pick up a 'o', you know (UNO), put it all on one
-Solar power refers to the sun. SUN – ‘S’ + O = U-NO. Uno is spanish for the number “one”
-Also Son = Dealer, 'S' = Stack, 'O' = Ounce, Put it all on one =use the all of the cash on the ounce of coke
Then brace yourself like overbite
For that quiet nigg* that relocated down south
-A line from Nas' NY State of Mind Pt. II
Comin' back to floss, nigg* get your molars right
Fix your grill
No plaque but a whole lotta cheese
This the drill, mr. Chill gave me the green light
- This particular set of bars feature a running dentist/mouth theme (“Brace”, “Overbite”, “Floss”, “Molars”, “Grill”, “Plaque”, “Cheese”, “Drill”). Braces are used to correct overbites. No platinum “plaque” but a whole lot of money (“cheese”). Mr. Chill is a reference to Lupe’s 1st & 15th partner, Chilly.
Like Yoda knife
So ima force my will like the force I wield
Of course you will
- Green light refers to Yoda’s lightsaber, of Star Wars fame. The next couple of bars feature a double meaning; one meaning refers to the use of the Force and the Jedi Mind Trick used to control people in Star Wars while the other meaning refers to Green Lantern, whose ring receives its power from sheer WILLpower.
Take my time but weight behind only pertains to that Porsche grill
-- Weight is a play on words; (wait, which ties into (“take my time”), and weight (drugs), which is usually stashed behind the grill of a car.
It's snakes in the hood, gotta watch for that cobra bite
--snakes=Backstabbers
Let me see, there's snakes in the hood
A bird, a horse behind the grill
-bird=drugs, horse = heroine/horsepower
Some gator on the seat and a fox behind the wheel
-gator=alligator seats, fox=attractive female to distract cops if caught
No it's not noah's ark (Ahk), It's just a flower's start
- There’s also a continuing animal theme (“snakes”, “cobra”, “bird”, “horse”, “gator”, “fox”) and it’s tied together by Lupe revealing that it’s not Noah’s ark, a biblical boat that was used to store animals.
This is Lupe to the F to the I to the A to the S to the C to the O
From the West side of the C to the H to the I CA to the G to the O
Verse 3
For achiever, my procedures proceed at all cost
With no breather
I'm all walk, rain, snow, or fever
I'm all coughs, comin after your teacher
- Postal Service: through Rain, Sleet or Snow. “Coughs” line connects with the previous line’s fever reference.
I'm on the ball like FIFA, Viva, Lupe, Dulce,
Long live the leader
- FIFA is the Federation Internationale de Football Associatio (soccer). Dulce is Italian for “emperor”. Viva II Dulce is an Italian reference for “Long Live the Leader”, most famous for being Benito Mussolini’s catchphrase.
I remember I ain't have sneakers, it was welfare
Comin' up for air like whales there
Fila's, but now I'm well here
I'm Shamu with twelve pair
And nigg*s wanna take me back to zero like tare, fair
Well, my scale's clear
- Whales have to come up for air to breathe (unlike fish); Air is also a reference for (Nike) Airs, which ties into the sneaker theme and the next line’s reference to Filas. “Coming up for airs” also refers to how Lupe had to “come up” to be able to cop sneakers. “Well here” is a play on the world “whale”. Lupe is Shamu(the whale) with twelve pairs (of sneakers). On a scale, the “tare” button resets the scale back to 0 (“clear”).
Your 'see' world it's Braille here
“See World” is a play on words for the marine mammal park “Sea World”, where Shamuis the name of the whale attraction; “See World” ties into the next line as Braille “shows” blind people how to read andwrite.
I'm Bumpy Johnson, I stick to the streets
Keep my dawgs out in front of me
“Bumpy Johnson” is a play on words (as braille lettering is “bumpy”) as Bumpy Johnson was a well-known Harlem Gangster. The “Keep my dogs” line has a double meaning (blind people usually travel with guide “dogs” and Bumpy Johnson kept his “dogs (protectors)” in front of him.
See what I'm sayin'? and I push keys wonderfully
(He Sells Kilos of Coke, DBZ reference w/ Saiyan and Ki's, Shoutout to Stevie Wonder hence the push keys WONDERfully?)
Failure
-Fiasco = failure
-The Failure to follow Lupe
Yeah, whoooo,
What up chitown? Nyc? Philly, Atlanta, Virginia,
They said it was coming back around man,
Back to the lyrics man.
Back to people like me.
Verse 1
It's mean, soldier
Now let me put the streets down like steamrollers
- Steamrollers pave streets (“putting them down”)
With the cats that push 40 ounces through the hood
-Cats is what you can call a group of guys
-CATS refers to Caterpillar Inc’s steamrollers
Like king cobra, see they sling soda
- King Cobra is a malt liquors, mostly commonly known for its 40 ounces and seen in the hood
Cause the extra foam in the split is mix
(It's really 36)
- Double meaning: King Cobras are famous for their 40 oz, 36oz is the beer and the other 4 oz is the foam; 36 oz – a key of cocaine
Used to buy toasters and clips
- Nicknames for guns and ammo
You can tighten your circle or boa constrict
- Boa Constrictors are known for squeezing their prey (“tightening their circle”). Continuing Snake theme from earlier line.
While you was lightin' your purple I was over the scripts
- While folks were getting high (“purple” refers to kush, weed, etc.), Lu’s eyes were over his glasses, studying up (“scripts”)
See, I couldn't walk the walk
Couldn't really talk the talk
Had to get my talk to properly explain my walk
Cause this lack in talk had my walk lookin' off
Now I'm over the limp
Watch how they mugs drop when they see my verbals able
(that's the usual)
- Last two lines refer to revelation in The Usual Suspects when Palminteri drops his coffee “mug” and realizes that Verbal Kint is “able” to walk. He's also saying that people will be amazed when they realize what his wordplay can do
When I was po' I was low,
Now me and my chaps cop purple label
It's Ralph Lauren on the rap Laureate
- Po & Lo refer to famed designer Ralph Lauren’s “Polo” clothing brand. “Chaps” is a British term, which ties into Purple Label, Ralph Lauren’s signature British line.
Nigg*s brown-nose, they are like alf to him
- People are now kissing Lupe's ass b/c he's made it. Also, Alf is a brown alien from late 80s/90s sitcom ALF (who has a “brown nose”)
Runners at interscopes not as styled as him
- Interscope is an record label while stout is a play on words and a reference to Steve Stoute, who once held an executive position at Interscope Records.
Please don't enter scope
- Plays on “Interscope” from previous line. Don't enter the scope of Irene or...
It's gonna be a whole lotta IV-ing and respiratin'
- IV’ing is a play on words referring to Jimmy Iovine, one of the founders of Interscope Records.
If I lean out this window with Irene
- People used to call their guns by female names so they couldn’t be traced (like how a 9mm handgun is referred to as a “Nina”), which also ties into the previous line (getting shot, put in the hospital, being on IV’s and respirator systems)
Nigg*s as tall as Yao Ming
He isn't going to miss anybody during this drive-by
With L-U-P-Emperor
It's the foundation, I-beams and the antennas
It's so serious every time I write my john hancock
Like, you could damn near see Detroit (I see you)
Nigg*s is scared of heights (see you)
- Serious is a play on words, a reference to the Sears Tower in Chicago; John Hancock Center is a Chicago skyscraper and antennas sit atop it. Lupe is the “foundation” of hip hop and ****** is scared of the depth of his rhymes (“heights”)
This is saran wrap and aluminum foil
Some potpourri a little machine oil
I stack my paper and throw off my cents/scents
- Saran wrap, aluminum foil, potpourri and machine oil are all used to disguise the smell of drugs from police dogs; Cents is a double meaning for “scents” (which ties into the previous lines)
This is top flo', better look out below
-Flo is a play on words for “floor” and “flow”, continuing the building metaphor
Pennies from heaven is the same as a semi from the second
And I reign supreme
-Possibly saying "Irene Supreme" referring to name of gun earlier
Turn your umbrellas upside down
Did you even catch the change in theme?
-Pennies (a known myth stating if dropped from a building, a penny could kill a human) & bullets from a semi “rain” at you, which ties into the next line (“I rain/reign supreme”); Normally, an umbrella is right-side up, but you turn it upside down to literally catch the change (Change=Money). Did your catch the change in theme = Did you catch the wordplay
-Diana Ross and the Supremes would regularly perform with props such as umbrellas which they would turn upside down in 'Dream Girls'
(this is gangsta)
-The entire first verse features a subtle movement of height theme from paving streets, then he’s “over the limp”, meaning he’s getting taller, then up to the foundations, to the John Hancock center where “you could damn near see Detroit”.
Lupe to the F to the I to the A to the S to the C to the O
From the west side of the C to the H to the I CA to the G to the O
(this is gangsta, man)
This is gangsta, man
Verse 2
And them nigg*s ain't Was
Nor from him regime, gangsta lean
-Was’ is short for Wasulu, Lupe’s government name and “regime” refers to his label, 1st & 15th.
Hats on tilt like his Snickers ain't drop out the vending machine
You gotta put more money in
And I shake nigg*s up everytime I drop a bar
- “Gangsta lean” plays on “tilt” in the next line. When a person’s Snickers gets stuck in the vending machine, people either put more money in (to get 2) or shake the vending machine (or “tilt” it). Bar is a double meaning for bar (as in rhyme) and bar (as in candy bar).
It's horse in the Porsche, bricks in the box
Like more money them every time I cop a car
- Horse refers to heroin in a Porsche and bricks refer to stashed kilos of cocaine. He gets more money every time he gets a car (because he can hide more drugs)
You see I'm a roller, right?
-Word play on previous "cop a Car" line. Cop=Get or Police officer. A roller = A cop who drives through drug neighborhoods.
So it might be a rover, right?
But every time I drop a 'r' get off the streets
It's ova, aight?
- “Rover” refers to a Range Rover. Drop an ‘r’ from “rover, right?” and you get “ova aight”
Bet I be in her head like overnight
Like rollers, right, she the chauffeur, right?
So I keep her sober
She don't get fed-ex like overnight
I am Dolemite
- Women put rollers in their hair when they go to bed (overnight). Fed Ex acts as a double meaning; Fed Ex (as in the overnight shipping company) and Fed X (as in fed ecstasy, which is why he “keeps her sober”). Dolemite, refers to the first line (“Bet I be in her head like overnight) a pimp, stays in his girl’s head and controls her mind.
All that gas can't help, but solar might
So just call on Son/Sun
Drop a 's' pick up a 'o', you know (UNO), put it all on one
-Solar power refers to the sun. SUN – ‘S’ + O = U-NO. Uno is spanish for the number “one”
-Also Son = Dealer, 'S' = Stack, 'O' = Ounce, Put it all on one =use the all of the cash on the ounce of coke
Then brace yourself like overbite
For that quiet nigg* that relocated down south
-A line from Nas' NY State of Mind Pt. II
Comin' back to floss, nigg* get your molars right
Fix your grill
No plaque but a whole lotta cheese
This the drill, mr. Chill gave me the green light
- This particular set of bars feature a running dentist/mouth theme (“Brace”, “Overbite”, “Floss”, “Molars”, “Grill”, “Plaque”, “Cheese”, “Drill”). Braces are used to correct overbites. No platinum “plaque” but a whole lot of money (“cheese”). Mr. Chill is a reference to Lupe’s 1st & 15th partner, Chilly.
Like Yoda knife
So ima force my will like the force I wield
Of course you will
- Green light refers to Yoda’s lightsaber, of Star Wars fame. The next couple of bars feature a double meaning; one meaning refers to the use of the Force and the Jedi Mind Trick used to control people in Star Wars while the other meaning refers to Green Lantern, whose ring receives its power from sheer WILLpower.
Take my time but weight behind only pertains to that Porsche grill
-- Weight is a play on words; (wait, which ties into (“take my time”), and weight (drugs), which is usually stashed behind the grill of a car.
It's snakes in the hood, gotta watch for that cobra bite
--snakes=Backstabbers
Let me see, there's snakes in the hood
A bird, a horse behind the grill
-bird=drugs, horse = heroine/horsepower
Some gator on the seat and a fox behind the wheel
-gator=alligator seats, fox=attractive female to distract cops if caught
No it's not noah's ark (Ahk), It's just a flower's start
- There’s also a continuing animal theme (“snakes”, “cobra”, “bird”, “horse”, “gator”, “fox”) and it’s tied together by Lupe revealing that it’s not Noah’s ark, a biblical boat that was used to store animals.
This is Lupe to the F to the I to the A to the S to the C to the O
From the West side of the C to the H to the I CA to the G to the O
Verse 3
For achiever, my procedures proceed at all cost
With no breather
I'm all walk, rain, snow, or fever
I'm all coughs, comin after your teacher
- Postal Service: through Rain, Sleet or Snow. “Coughs” line connects with the previous line’s fever reference.
I'm on the ball like FIFA, Viva, Lupe, Dulce,
Long live the leader
- FIFA is the Federation Internationale de Football Associatio (soccer). Dulce is Italian for “emperor”. Viva II Dulce is an Italian reference for “Long Live the Leader”, most famous for being Benito Mussolini’s catchphrase.
I remember I ain't have sneakers, it was welfare
Comin' up for air like whales there
Fila's, but now I'm well here
I'm Shamu with twelve pair
And nigg*s wanna take me back to zero like tare, fair
Well, my scale's clear
- Whales have to come up for air to breathe (unlike fish); Air is also a reference for (Nike) Airs, which ties into the sneaker theme and the next line’s reference to Filas. “Coming up for airs” also refers to how Lupe had to “come up” to be able to cop sneakers. “Well here” is a play on the world “whale”. Lupe is Shamu(the whale) with twelve pairs (of sneakers). On a scale, the “tare” button resets the scale back to 0 (“clear”).
Your 'see' world it's Braille here
“See World” is a play on words for the marine mammal park “Sea World”, where Shamuis the name of the whale attraction; “See World” ties into the next line as Braille “shows” blind people how to read andwrite.
I'm Bumpy Johnson, I stick to the streets
Keep my dawgs out in front of me
“Bumpy Johnson” is a play on words (as braille lettering is “bumpy”) as Bumpy Johnson was a well-known Harlem Gangster. The “Keep my dogs” line has a double meaning (blind people usually travel with guide “dogs” and Bumpy Johnson kept his “dogs (protectors)” in front of him.
See what I'm sayin'? and I push keys wonderfully
(He Sells Kilos of Coke, DBZ reference w/ Saiyan and Ki's, Shoutout to Stevie Wonder hence the push keys WONDERfully?)
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