 Genius Meanings
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JAY-Z – Politics as Usual
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When you are a drug dealer, your “body politic” consists of your supplier, your customers, the police, and the competition. To paraphrase former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill
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Ludacris – Politics as Usual (Obama Is Here)
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Ludacris’s musical endorsement of Obama ‘08.
The phrase “politics as usual” is typically used to express frustration with far-too-common political corruption and ineptitude, which
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JAY-Z – Dead Presidents II
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“Dead Presidents II” is all about getting money that has drawings of dead presidents on it (and/or Benjamin Franklin & Alexander Hamilton, who were not ever President, but whatever
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JAY-Z – Tidal Freestyle (Stream Of Consciousness)
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This song addresses Spotify and other streaming services, along with the way TIDAL has been portrayed in the media. The song was performed during his “TIDAL X: Jaÿ-Z B-Sides
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Ab-Soul – BUCKET
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[Intro: Jay Rock] / (Never, never had fun, always had heart) / (Always had drugs, I don't give a fuck) / (Now I ride like a buck, ride, ride like a buck) / (Never, never had fun
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JAY-Z – Tidal B-Sides Concert Freestyle
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[Verse] / So I'm the bad guy now I hear, because I don’t go with the flow / Don’t ever go with the flow, be the flow / And I don’t need no middle man to talk to my niggas / I
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Wiz Khalifa – Cameras
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Wiz Khalifa- Cameras
Album: Rolling Papers (2011)
Wiz raps on how his fame and fortune changing his old life.
Sample-Politics as Usual by Jay-Z (1996)
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Vuk Aleksić – Kev-CUE's Training Page
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A training page for Kev-CUE – the referents are sorted the way I (StillAtIt) think they should be, but feel free to add your own touch if you wish to. Don’t open the links, they
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JAY-Z (Ft. Briant "B-High" Biggs, Clark Kent, DJ Premier, Emory Jones, Gee Robertson, Jonathan Mannion, Kareem Burke, Kyambo "Hip Hop" Joshua, Memphis Bleek, Peter Panic, Ski Beatz, Tone Hooker & Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith) – RD20
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Released exclusively via Tidal on the 20th anniversary of Reasonable Doubt, the 25th of June 2016, the 35 minute film features exclusive interviews with major players behind Jay’s
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JAY-Z – D'Evils
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A meditation about how the desire for money and power corrupts the ghetto and all of its inhabitants, leading to violence and betrayal.
The song title means “da evils” but is
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Song Lyrics & Knowledge - Genius
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... mean nothing to him. Also Snoop glorifies himself: a “Big ... — from Politics as Usual by Jay-Z. Jay is betting ... So naturally, the song “On Fire” ends with a ...
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The Stylistics – Hurry Up This Way Again
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[Verse 1] / Oh, how it hurts loving someone who has someone else / So many nights I've spent here all alone by myself / Whenever you're with him, who's loving me? (Nobody) / [
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Genius Traductions françaises – JAY-Z - Dead Presidents II (Traduction Française)
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[Refrain: Nas] / I'm out for presidents to represent me / I'm out for dead fuckin' presidents to represent me / [Couplet 1] / Who wanna bet us that we don't touch lettuce / Stack
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JAY-Z – 22 Two's
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“22 Two’s” is Jay’s extended word game — go ahead, count the two/too/to’s!
In an interview with Spin magazine, producer Ski Beatz talked about “22 Two’s”:
That’s like my
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JAY-Z – Regrets
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The closing track of Jay-Z’s classic debut album Reasonable Doubt, “Regrets” is a vulnerable meditation on the moral compromises a Gangster has to make in order to survive.
The
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JAY-Z (Ft. Angela “Mecca” Scott) – Feelin' It
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Released on April 15, 1997, “Feelin’ It” was the fourth and final single from Jaÿ-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt, while the DJ Premier produced “Friend or Foe” was the single’s B
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JAY-Z – Friend or Foe
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In this short track from his first album, Reasonable Doubt, JAY-Z plays drug kingpin and condescendingly dismisses an outsider Jay believes is planning to take over his market.
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Kendrick Lamar – Hood Politics
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Kendrick states in his poem that he dealt with survivor’s guilt by reiterating to himself that he earned his success and stayed true to his A-1 foundation.
“Hood Politics” is just
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JAY-Z – Can I Live
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Irv Gotti samples “The Look of Love” by Isaac Hayes as Jay asks a simple yet resonant question. A sequel was created with a feature from Memphis Bleek and was added as a bonus
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Vado (Ft. Dave East) – Politics
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Oct 11, 2019 ... Q&A. Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning. Ask a question. Who produced “ ...
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JAY-Z (Ft. The Notorious B.I.G.) – Brooklyn's Finest
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Two of “Brooklyn’s Finest,” Biggie and JAY-Z, collaborate over a DJ Clark Kent track built around a sample from “Ecstasy” by the Ohio Players. Clark detailed how the track came
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JAY-Z (Ft. The Notorious B.I.G.) – Brooklyn's Finest
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Two of “Brooklyn’s Finest,” Biggie and JAY-Z, collaborate over a DJ Clark Kent track built around a sample from “Ecstasy” by the Ohio Players. Clark detailed how the track came
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Beyoncé – BLACK PARADE
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“BLACK PARADE” is a song celebrating blackness. It was released in the final hours of Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United
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JAY-Z – Imaginary Player
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On “Imaginary Player,” Jay-Z boasts about his rapping abilities and the privileged lifestyle he lives as a result of his newfound fame.
René & Angela’s August 1981 track, “
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JAY-Z (Ft. Memphis Bleek) – Coming of Age
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“Coming of Age” sees big homie JAY-Z giving game to his little homie Memphis Bleek from the Marcy Projects over a DJ Clark Kent track that samples Eddie Henderson’s “Inside You
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JAY-Z (Ft. Mary J. Blige & Pain In Da Ass) – Can't Knock the Hustle
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“Can’t Knock the Hustle” was released as the third single from JAY-Z’s debut album Reasonable Doubt and featured a guest appearance from R&B superstar Mary J. Blige. She got on the
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Jae Millz (Ft. Poo Mack) – Disappear
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[Intro: Jae Millz] / Let’s get one motherfucking thing clear / Hater try me I’ma make his ass disappear / Poof, hater disappear, new coupe / Fuck all that shit man / [Verse 1: Jae
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JAY-Z – Where I'm From
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“Where I’m From” will forever stand as one of Jay’s most evocative songs; providing the listener a detail-rich—and deeply sad—portrait of the Marcy Houses where he grew up.
This
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JAY-Z (Ft. Angela “Mecca” Scott) – Feelin' It (Video Version)
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[Intro: JAY-Z] / What.. '96 and forever / Rok-A-Blok, Roc-A-Fella / [Chorus: Mecca] / I'm feeling it, fill the glass to the top with Moët / Feeling it, feel the Lex' pushing up on
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2Pac (Ft. Outlawz) – Me Against the World
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On the titular track to Shakur’s 1995 third studio album, Me Against the World, ‘Pac discusses themes of injustice and unfairness on his lonesome battle against the world. The
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Kanye West (Ft. JAY-Z) – Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)
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Both this remix and the original were singles from Kanye’s Late Registration album. Kanye uses the remix to go into more detail on “conflict diamonds”: diamonds which are mined
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JAY-Z – Blueprint²
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The Blueprint 2’s title track. After the “Ether” vs “Takeover” debate was derailed by the “Supa Ugly” debacle, Jay was down but not defeated.
Most in the Roc-A-Fella camp believed
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JAY-Z (Ft. Eminem) – Renegade
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“Renegade” serves as a “fuck you” to critics who said JAY-Z had forgotten his ghetto roots with his new found riches, and moralizers who said Eminem was a bad influence on children
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Jae Millz – I Like That
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Hear that? / Stop / Mummy work that ass out / Get it on the floor my you know what I?m bout / And its your jump lets go, lets take it to my house / And we gone keep it goin? till
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JAY-Z (Ft. Memphis Bleek) – Can I Live II
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The sequel to “Can I Live” from Reasonable Doubt.
“Can I Live II” came out as a bonus track on the 1998 re-issue of the album.
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Polo G (Ft. BJ the Chicago Kid) – Wishing For a Hero
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“Wishing For a Hero” is the final track of Polo G’s sophomore album, THE GOAT. The track samples and draws lyrical inspiration from 2Pac’s classic song “Changes.” Polo G speaks on
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JAY-Z (Ft. Foxy Brown) – Ain't No Nigga
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JAY-Z puts his own twist on The Four Tops' “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got)” to create the second single off Reasonable Doubt. The clean version is “Ain’t No Playa.”
The
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Christopher Jackson, Daveed Diggs, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Okieriete Onaodowan – Cabinet Battle #1
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These cabinet meeting scenes are staged and styled after live “rap battle” performances—like those in Style Wars, Scribble Jam or 8 Mile—where rappers freestyle, often with extreme
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JAY-Z – Moment of Clarity
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This song, with beat by Eminem, shows Jay looking back on his life and career, and the roads taken – and not taken – therein
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JAY-Z – HOV DID
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[Ari Melber] / Now to our special report. Around the world, many nations face corruption. In the U.S., police often tell themselves a story about America being exceptional or
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Pusha T – The Games We Play
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Similar to the intro of DAYTONA, Pusha goes into further details about drug dealing on “The Games We Play.” King Push talks about his wealth and celebrates his success while
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Cam'ron (Ft. JAY-Z & Juelz Santana) – Welcome to New York City
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Bienvenue à New York!
Just Blaze gives some background on the track here.
There’s no sample used for this track and it’s actually Just Blaze himself singing the line “Welcome to
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JAY-Z – Cashmere Thoughts
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“Cashmere Thoughts” finds Jay dropping pimp lines over a Clark Kent track that samples “Save Their Souls” by Hamilton Bohannon. Clark talked about the track in an interview with
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J. Cole – High for Hours
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This song was released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2017. J. Cole touches on his experience meeting President Barack Obama in the second verse and has thoughts of revolution in
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JAY-Z (Ft. Alexis Goldstein, Barney Frank, Bill Maher & Josh Barro) – Appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher
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Jay Z made an 7/2/2013 appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, a talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher.
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