Remember, this is simply my opinion and interpretation (but I'm up for a good debate). But, I would love to talk to Jay Electronica, if possible, and find out more of the meaning behind these lines. Anyway, I'm really diggin' this new Jay Electronica song, so I thought I'd try to break it down a little bit and share what I come up with!
(you can follow him on Twitter @JayElectronica)
First, the lyrics:
"We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that... now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." – MLK Jr.
Boom, bazz, dash I had break I had to get away
Packed my bags, headed for Greyhound, It was a Monday
Time to start my mission
I felt that burning feeling in my soul, I had to listen
I had this reoccurring dream from the stage in a suit with a fade
I had set the game ablaze and they threw me a parade
I stacked a lil change and took my family out the caves
But I was trapped in the maze like a lab rat
And like at the bottom of the barrel where they keep the crabs at
No Geico, No Afflac
Nothing to fall back on
But the streets where niggas cussed out the police and sold their crack on
Better known as back home
Where they treat the Arabs, and the Spanish, and the Blacks wrong
There he go with that song
You may be tired but I spit what I’m inspired
From the Lord of the worlds cause the Devil is a liar
[Chorus]
Say, Say
I’ve seen the lighting flashing (Yes I did)
And I seen the thunder roar
But you can’t (You can’t keep my down for long)
Cause I’m getting stronger (Cause I keep getting stronger)
Oh yeah (Oh yeah)
(Here we go)
My style is like a shot of Jack Daniels, a baby grand piano
Lightin’ Hopkins smokin’ cigs, strumming on a banjo
The son of man is a son-of-a-gun with hella ammo
The sheriff shooting Bob Marley, John J. Rambo
6 Sextillion, 19 Million
The Holy Pyramids say we all Allah’s children
Voodoo for the pilgrims who bring weapons and conceal them
They silence you with force then indoctrinate the children
Yo Gabba Gabba, Ahmadinjabba
Blow up your apartment if you don’t observe the Sabbath
I look the Devil in his eyes, then say Abracadabra
Then drown him in the mighty light, his brain couldn’t fathom
Scrapping everyday, just like Fight Club
A thriller and a smooth criminal just like Mike was
I love the MLK quote to kick things off and set the tone. He's sending a message to the oppressed people of the world. Also important to note is that this was the last speech Dr. King gave before he died (he was assassinated the next day).
First Verse:
Boom, bazz, dash / I had break I had to get away /Packed my bags, / headed for Greyhound, It was a Monday /
Time to start my mission /I felt that burning feeling in my soul, I had to listen"
Just like Gil Scott-Heron, this song is told by an oppressed man who has his own individual story of oppression, but, any oppressed people will be able to connect to his desire to escape. His escape is his music (going on tour), and he borrows Rakim's famous line Start my mission... so we can be sure of his intentions. The last line is Jay's confession to us that his music comes straight from his heart.
I had this reoccurring dream from the stage / in a suit with a fadeJay's use of in-rhymes is phenomenal. Read only the initial phrases and then only the second phrases of each the first four lines and you are told a different story. The initial phrases tell the glory of success and how it affected Jay's self; the second phrases are the social consequences of being successful (some good, some bad). The initial phrases speak more autobiographical, while the second phrases have many interpretations and meanings when understood literally and when understood in social context.
I had set the game ablaze / and they threw me a parade
I stacked a lil change / and took my family out the caves
But I was trapped in the maze / like a lab rat
And like at the bottom of the barrel where they keep the crabs at
No Geico, No Afflac /
Nothing to fall back on /
But the streets where niggas cussed out the police and sold their crack on /
Better known as back home /
Where they treat the Arabs, and the Spanish, and the Blacks wrong /
There he go with that song /
You may be tired but I spit what I’m inspired /
From the Lord of the worlds cause the Devil is a liar
While he acknowledges his humble roots, the streets of New Orleans, he also realizes: if he fails he will wind up back on those same streets. He also acknowledges the streets as his connection to the oppressed people around the world. While some people may not want to hear the message of unity, he only raps about what the ways God inspires him; in this way, he fights off the Devil using rhymes as his sword.
Second Verse
My style is like a shot of Jack Daniels, a baby grand piano /
Lightin’ Hopkins smokin’ cigs, strumming on a banjo /
The son of man is a son-of-a-gun with hella ammo /
The sheriff shooting Bob Marley, John J. Rambo
Jay is influenced by good times, classiness, the original bluesmen and their struggle. What man has become, and is becoming, is violent-- willing to vilify, attack, and murder those who do not conform to societal norms. On a more political level, he is saying man is now aggressively opposed to those asking for universal human rights.
6 Sextillion, 19 Million /
The Holy Pyramids say we all Allah’s children /
Voodoo for the pilgrims who bring weapons an conceal them /
They silence you with force then indoctrinate the children /
Yo Gabba Gabba, Ahmadinjabba /
Blow up your apartment if you don’t observe the Sabbath /
I look the Devil in his eyes, then say Abracadabra /
Then drown him in the mighty light, his brain couldn’t fathom /
Scrapping everyday, just like Fight Club /
A thriller and a smooth criminal just like Mike was /
The weight of the earth is six sextillion tons, the world is huge and vast. (My guess is) The 19 million refers to the number of vacant homes in the United States of America; he is pointing out the irony of these numbers. This final stanza begins by alluding specifically to the conflict in Palestine (though it could, conceivably, be applied to other situations). He begins by saying we are all children of the same God, implying criticism of those who play and play into racial and religious politics. The Voodoo for the pilgrims... line can be applied to several different situations, but I will fit it into Palestinians allusion. These two lines:
Voodoo for the pilgrims who bring weapons and conceal them / They silence you with force then indoctrinate the children
This is a criticism of the illegal Israeli settlements which result in the indoctrination of both Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian children: the children of Israeli settlers will be raised with a false sense of an entitlement while the Palestinian children will be raised yearning for recognition of their entitlement. (I'm still trying to figure out what "Ahmadinjabba," as the lyrics I found online say, or "Ah-madine-jabwa" as he pronounces phonetically, exactly is). He makes a reference to Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians (maybe more specifically: Operation Cast Lead and the new Israeli loyalty oath).
Jay tells us that his other other weapons are knowledge and intelligence; and he will thoroughly train his weapons everyday until he is held in the same (music) conversation as Michael Jackson. He doesn't claim to be the greatest, but he has the tools and the determination to make it to the top.
Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but I do know that Jay Electronica is an extremely intelligent human being. Cheers to his success!
Follow me on twitter: @SamaanAshrawi
