As far as hip hop lyrics and messages within music goes, this track has to be one of the deepest to date. This song serves as a form of enlightenment for the listener. Early in the track you can hear Damian Marley using sarcastic lyrics in order to paint a picture of people posing as all knowing beings but not truly understanding the depths of what needs to be understood. "Some of the smartest dummies, cant read the language of the Egyptian mummies. Wanna fly go a moon and can't find food for the starving tummies." says Marley. "Pay no mind to the youth, cuz it's not like the future depends on it," he continues.(Nas) He uses witty wordplay to allow you to focus on the issues at hand that he feels aren't being paid attention to and also stating the things that should be of less importance relative to other obligations.
This particular song comes off of Nas and Damian Marley's collaborative project entitled "Distant Relatives" which was an album that went against the grain and had the purpose of bringing light to Africa, its cultures, and affects on people around the world. It also brought about understanding of the ancestral history that has recently been placed in the background by the youth. They attempted to use this project to also share a theme of togetherness and knowledge seeking through their highbrow lyrics and topics throughout each song on the album.(Distant)
The verse contributed by Nas on this track poses questions throughout. "Who wrote the Bible, Who wrote the Koran, and was it a lightning storm that gave birth to the Earth and then dinosaurs were born," he poses. "Who made up words, who made up numbers, and what kind of spell is mankind under," Nas continues.(Nas) Allowing you to think about this high end questions while listening and vibing to the music. They implement a little more than just beats and rhymes, they provide an informal open forum
Throughout the chorus of the song you can hear a chant of "Sabali" which in Swahili speaks to wisdom and patience.(Nas) There are many different aspects to this song that you would not expect of an ordinary hip hop record. This is definitely a cut that can stand the test of time just for the simple fact that its content can be used to broaden anyone's understanding or want to learn.
I find this a fascinating post. You really had me with the breakdown of the song lyrics. That's some powerful imagery. But I want you to strongly think of finding a more academic source than Wikipedia. Remember--anyone can write there and anyone can edit anonymously. It's not "academic" in that sense.
ReplyDeleteTake a chance and just go to the actual lyrics and see what you can find. Break them down yourself, and then make connections to world events (like Nas and Damian Marley talk about) and show us what is *really* happening in Africa. Prove them right...
I like the post, it was pretty cool that you were analyzing the lyrics and the inner meaning. Something you could add to this blog is like why would they use that setting for the music video? Nas and Marley are more clothed in the video than the others and they are sitting on a throne like chair emphasizing their knowledge and power. But in the end it seems that they walk with the others to show their similarities, nobody truly knows who wrote the Bible or the Koran or who created the Earth, these two bring very controversial topics into play which makes their message great; the thirst for knowledge is very powerful.
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