Been listening to this since I was 15, on the bus, silver iPod 4gb. The memories. 14 years later…

@aaronroberts178

Жыл бұрын

Glad I'm not the only 1

@GivenThoughtBEATs

Жыл бұрын

Damn same scenario for me too!!

@Regalman

Жыл бұрын

SAMMMMMEEEE

@rishi474

Жыл бұрын

SAMEEEE...age 15 2007 tenth grade this song got me thru JV football lmao

@leeandrewminor

2 ай бұрын

These lyrics are STILL top tier sheesh 2007 era

This song is why RapGenius was created.

@lyricalxay696

4 жыл бұрын

On God

@AQGOAT24

3 жыл бұрын

well not literally they said a cam'ron song inspired the creation

@moonflower6607

2 жыл бұрын

@Cedrick Carson "killa cam"

@warispeaceignoranceisstren704

2 жыл бұрын

@Cedrick Carson Cam's lyrics are wack asf!

@neighborhoodka

2 жыл бұрын

it was actually Dumb It Down

arguably the BEST LYRICS ever spat in the booth...Lupe was way ahead of his time..so effin dope

@babyramses5066

8 жыл бұрын

Yep!

@stxx1982

8 жыл бұрын

it really pisses me off how many people don't realize this

@misaelyisrael3849

8 жыл бұрын

+Corey Perry they're resonating on different frequencies..

@Brozioyo

8 жыл бұрын

Facts. I liked this shit alot when I was younger. But now I'm older and listening for the first time in years. Dude had so many metaphors that went over niggas heads.

@bodegaveggies6409

3 жыл бұрын

This song made me a fan.

This shit still going over my head 14 years later

One of the sickest most complex songs ever written. Lupe is the best pure lyricist alive in my opinion.

@herivaldoagostinho1694

11 ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@keirondelaney3267

8 ай бұрын

Yer 12 years later. Lupe tha don

“So it might be a [R]over, [R]ight? But every time I drop an 'R'(R refering to rhyme) Get off the streets! It's over, 'ight?”... Think about that, Rover minus R = OVER. Right minus R = ‘IGHT... Damn! - Lupe Fiasco HAS to be one of the Greatest Lyricist to grace a mic. Like WOW!

@Loo9331

4 жыл бұрын

GREATEST

@ericfrazier5063

3 жыл бұрын

Don’t forget the RR for rolls Royce reference on the street

@Celestialbeing21

3 жыл бұрын

Mannnn... Give Lupe a platinum already DAMMIT!!!

The best writer in the history of the world

Double and triple entendres crazy

when i was po' I was lo'... now me and my chaps cop purple lable... still my fav hiphop line ever

" 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 " ... lupe cracks me up! XD

@zaksji

3 жыл бұрын

Wait until you understand the next line where he mentions learning his verbals able, making your mugs drop, and then saying it’s the usual. Some of the most creative wordplay in the song

@insaneheat2994

2 жыл бұрын

@@zaksji 🤯 I just got it. Thank u.

Lupe different

This might be the most multi-layered song I have ever heard. Lupe straight murders the english language. some of these lines have over 6 different interpretations I love how you guys below me are showing all the ways we see lupe's lyrics. Its beautiful.

that Rover Right bar will never be topped lmaoo

I must have listened to this song at least 100 times, and I probably still havent picked up on all the double entendres and hidden meanings. Lupe is unreal.

Craziest thing is "Mural"(although an improved version of this and several other lu songs) blows this out the water. This song is F'n amazing, how he improved lyrically when he was already so advanced is inexplicable. Battle rappers dont want to battle this dude 🤣🤣🤣🤣

This is hands down my best Lupe track ever. The wordplay was RIDICULOUS. Took my time to understand it lol

@AntSpen27

10 ай бұрын

Lupe killed this song. He the goat

Lupe should have named this song " Entrendres " ....lol !!!! This track till this Day literally runs 100 laps around rappers mixtapes & albums !!! Bravo Lupe!! 👍💯😁

@Jaedon1981

9 жыл бұрын

True, it does.

@titus2832

2 жыл бұрын

you know it's Ironic because the name of the song is an entendre as well, you on point ✊🏿 Failure = Fiasco

Thank you lupe. You changed my outlook on music.

One of my favorite joints by Lupe. Dude is one of the GOATS. I knew it back then that he was on that path.

@jelanibeats

Жыл бұрын

Absolutely!

The deepest lyricism yet.......damn near needed GOOGLE TRANSLATE to decipher this song.....

Years later.......I'm still catching shit I missed...

@rivermana

5 жыл бұрын

this was me listening to Dumb it down, amazed everytime

@soheilgharahi3056

3 жыл бұрын

It’s really 36

10 years later still unraveling the lyrics..

@Neo_Negre

5 жыл бұрын

It's amazing.

Lupe is my favorite mc of all time. I been rocking with him since the beginning but I hate him for one reason. He is so lyrically immaculate that I don't even know if i can listen to most other rappers. He is an elite. Top 1% of 1%. Do the math.

@GhettoArabSage

7 жыл бұрын

DGEPB he killed hip hop for me

@khalfanjunim2982

6 жыл бұрын

DGEPB i feel the same way

i cant believe this only has 1,119 views lol. just goes to show that the industry still isnt giving the proper play and acknowledgment for the audience to enjoy the way it should. thank god it's still lyricist left in the game like lupe. much respect to all my real hip hop heads

Lupe Fiasco has a great catalog. Good thing I have his mixtapes on my PS3 system !!!

best lyrical work in the english language hands down

@sukka4pain

6 жыл бұрын

Listen to "Mural".

@hebrew26commandmentspower55

5 жыл бұрын

Listen to " Peace of Paper Cup of Jayzus "

@idk-vr3fs

3 жыл бұрын

Lol why argue when they're all Lupe songs anyway

In all seriousness, the only other person with wordplay like lupe in the history of the English language is Shakespeare

@lilfoenem8511

7 жыл бұрын

Will Boogie Lupe > Shakespeare, easily!

@stefanfreestylez

7 жыл бұрын

Will Boogie doom has pre crazy wordplay too

@rooksmook1438

7 жыл бұрын

Will Boogie Canibus no doubt has him. I love Lupe though, top five easily.

@MarkieB89

6 жыл бұрын

Rook Canibus has Lupe???

@jamesrelebohilemotaung583

6 жыл бұрын

I really think Canibus has him but not by much. 2000 BC, Mic Club, Rip the jacker and C of tranquility confirm it for me, not to mention poet laureate infinity

Lyricism at its very finest, no doubt!

"Pennies from heaven is the same as the semi from the second And I reign(rain) supreme Turn your umbrellas upside down Did you even catch the change in theme?" In this line he's saying that the bars he drops are like "pennies from heaven" and because he "rains" supreme, you should turn your umbrellas upside down and catch the "change"( as in pennies). Also I think the reason he uses the word "reign" is because an upside down umbrella looks like a crown....

@mards2479

3 жыл бұрын

“Pennies from heaven is the same as the semi from the second” Is he referring to getting shot from a second floor, being the same as getting hit with pennies from heaven, basically saying when he “rains” he’s killing the streets, which he was heavily referring to in the beginning of the verse

@jakesvendsen3346

3 жыл бұрын

There's an old jazz song "Pennies From Heaven" which used the line "turn your umbrellas upside down"

@ishaking6278

Жыл бұрын

Irene - I rain - Irene

With L-U-P Emperor Is the foundations and I beams and the antennas It’s so serious every time I write my John Hancock Lupe literally based each line of this verse on his name and this is shown when he says it’s the foundations and I beams and so serious becomes a homophone for Sears which is building which has I beams (high beams) and a foundation and John Hancock is referring to another building, the John Hancock center. And each Verse has a letter of his name the first L-U-P (E)mperor, (F)oundations, (High/I )beams (S)o, and finally Han(CO)ck This all ends up spelling Lupe Fiasco, genius

This shit is still bumping in my headset in 2021!!! There’s is honestly no one in the industry tht can top this still. I don’t even know if the man himself (Lupe) could beat himself at tht pace anymore.

Somebody's has probably said this already but that penny from heaven line is so good. His music is obviously going to take longer to hit you but when it does it's going to smack just as hard "semi from the second" music.

@SonOfMana100

3 жыл бұрын

and then he caps it with "And I reign/I rain/Irene supreme" which is just amazing

@feedthemind3626

3 жыл бұрын

When i first caught the 3rd meaning like 5 years later. Shit hit me like a train

Lupe come back to this!

ALONE, this song made me a Lupe fan.... I swear this man needs to go back to this...he did with SLR (by far my favorite track by him) but F&L2 was kinda back to his roots...i need a whole album or at least a mixtape/EP

@CriticalThought004

7 жыл бұрын

Kaesid Stuckey hope Tetsuo & Youth satisfied you ;)

@16bitworld2

7 жыл бұрын

or Pharaoh Height

THE ENTRENDRES ARE TOO MUCH

@MegaHAZE21

9 жыл бұрын

kozmik casselle Dude's got lyrics deeper than the mariana trench and wordplay for days, it's a travesty this guy's so underrated.

@bigthingspoppinoff

8 жыл бұрын

Lupe has the three most entendre filled, wordplay laden dope flow tracks in hip hop. Failure, mural and form follows function

@InfiniteGenresOfMusic

8 жыл бұрын

+MegaHAZE21 The crazy part is that people know he is a goat. A lowkey legend but wont give him the "public crown."

@yoyoyoaliman

7 жыл бұрын

it's so ridiculous lol. Everytime the most lyrical rapper is mentioned, everyone yells out "Emimen!", when Em's specialty is really rhyme schemes. He's as lyrical as Lupe and people don't want to accept that lol.

@InfiniteGenresOfMusic

7 жыл бұрын

Alex Fairgood​ I put Lupe up there with Pac, Big, Pun, Big L, Nas, Jay-Z, Em etc.

This might be the most technical "freestyle" of all time.

This is probably one of the most complex tracks I've ever heard.. each line has 2 or 3 meanings, it's crazy

So sad that this doesn't have over 10 million views

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 looking off What a line

I used to ride the 204 and 206 bus to this song as a teenagers dreaming of going to college and getting out of the hood and traveling to Japan and buying a house one day and doing tech. I did it all and now I have to build a production company animation & video games.

"Niggas wanna take me back to zero like tare fare, and my scales clear" "and I push kis wonderfully" yeah lupe was definitely pushing that boy. His partner is doing like 40 years for being a dope kingpin in Chicago and they were caught on the phone discussing splitting up yellow and red packs. Lupe said they were talking about mixing tracks but come on.

@TheRJRabbit23

Жыл бұрын

The line goes “ take me back to zero like Telfair” Sebastian Telfair an NBA player or “tearing a ticket fare”

@stevenglansberg4448

Жыл бұрын

@@TheRJRabbit23 The whole song is filled with double entendres referring to selling h so its probably both.

@ishaking6278

Жыл бұрын

This zero thing is a quadruple entendre which ties into the skill/scale double entendre. This pushing ki's line was a quintuple. Great

This could very well be the most lyrical song ever in the history of hip hop ....

@PoloBoyPrince he's also doing a Stevie Wonder reference, going with the whole "blind" theme in that verse...."[See] World"..."its [brail] here...i'm "bumpy" (like brail) johnson"....."I stick to the streets keep my dawgs out in front of me" [like a blind man with a stick and a seeing eye dog]...."you SEE what im saying? and i push keys (like piano keys) Wonderfully (like Stevie wonder).............

lupe is a genius ! best rapper to spit truth in a song and have your mind blown wanting more. forever a fan :)

I don't know how many times i've listened to this song, but i still catch meanings each time. Lupe is deff on top of my list.

When he said "You see what I'm Sayin(Saiyan) and I push Key's(Ki's) wonderfully" That's like 3 different meanings in one. Lupe is like the master of the English language.

@bobbybigfellow8516

3 жыл бұрын

What you said ain't bad but that ain't what he was saying there

@Papercut625

3 жыл бұрын

THat line links back in to the braille reference. For blind people to read. Since they can't see. It also links in with I keep my dogs out in front of me. (Service dogs) but this links into the Bumpy Johnson statement who was a drug king pin in NYC. So thats also a reference for street dealers. Ki as in Kilo. BUt the wild shit is what you have is also another possible meaning.

@bobbybigfellow8516

3 жыл бұрын

@@Papercut625 and also "I stick to the streets" = blind folks wit canes "see what I'm sayin" is another blind reference he talks about seeing with his ears all the time.... and push keys wonderfully ties it all together... Keys = bricks/drugs whatever you wanna call it.... Wonderfully = he's very good at it, and also WONDERfully as in Stevie wonder....back to the blindness Dude goes bonkers on this one smh

@Portthefirst

3 жыл бұрын

@@bobbybigfellow8516 he is right, Lupe used a dragon ball reference here, and it's not like he hasn't done it in other freestyles/songs. Lupe is an otaku, he loves japanese culture, he is a weeb. He even did "Mazinger". "You see what I'm saiyan/sayin and I push KI's(Chi's)/Keys wonderfully"

@denzeloliver2455

Жыл бұрын

Bro how yall missing the Stevie Wonder reference though

a magnificent display of lyricism!

can i say most lyrical song of all time!!!!!?? i wish lupe still spit like this

@Burst644

11 ай бұрын

I wonder how bro reacted to mural

I'm STILL in awe over this line "Call on sun (son)...drop the S pick up a O...(uno[you know[)(you know)..put it all on one" Seriously, what the fuck. o_o. Lupe = GOAT Lyricist.

@l.k.9666

Жыл бұрын

I just caught this line. Here in 2022. I have listened to this song so many times, and I'm still picking up lines and entendres.

@jakyll1833

Жыл бұрын

Also: s = stack = $1000 o = ounce = ounce of coke

i love how he uses so much sarcasm in his lyrics. in so many songs.

A rap song with no curse words. That still knockss ..

im not a big lupe fiasco fan but this is amazing

@Peglesss

2 жыл бұрын

You must be by now!

2024 who is here listening

Dawg....Lupe!!!!!! This is pure lyricism and skill!!!!!!!!

That's crazy! Still learning stuff coming back to this song, classic. Lupe's soooooooo underrated.

this might be the most lyrical song of all time, think about it ! ! !

There's enough material here to write a dissertation and I wouldn't be surprised if someone already has. This is the dope/deepest song I have ever heard. If you don't like this song it's because you aren't intelligent enough to get it. I know that sounds stannish but I don't even care. ✌🏿️💯

@414malmal412

8 жыл бұрын

It's the truth fam 👌

@StanHowse

8 жыл бұрын

listen to "handcuffs", not fulla metaphors, but still one of the realest tracks out.

@babyramses5066

8 жыл бұрын

+Violent Handcuffs is lit fam 🔥and Gotta Eat

@StanHowse

8 жыл бұрын

+Ishimwe from the block Oh yeah man, straight fire.

@IDEASUNLIMITEDNYC

8 жыл бұрын

I feel the same way, but it's not necessarily intelligence that they lack, it's knowledge of the streets. The real monster of the double entendre is Lupe not JZ.

one of the sickest tracks ever.. lupe's iiiiilll!! can't stress that enuff! dudeis a beast! damn one of the most intellegent tracks i've ever heard.

This song right here (along with a lot of other lupe songs...) goes over a lot of peoples heads. CLASSIC

i rain supreme, turn ya umbrellas upside down.. did u even catch the change in theme?

@ThaDreamMerchant

7 жыл бұрын

Every time I hear that line I get chills

@zelfrmnaloop5360

6 жыл бұрын

Greg K hell yea

@KTKZon58

5 жыл бұрын

Top 5 dopest bars in rap history

@ant112990

5 жыл бұрын

I don't get it

@MrFlameRad

4 жыл бұрын

Did y'all realize that it was a continuation from the previous line when he said "PENNIES FROM HEAVEN" then says "did you even catch the CHANGE (like coins) in theme" this guy is unfair 😭

jesus fucking christ these lyrics are insane

Lupe is amazing, but the GOAT im not ready to give that to him while Nas is here still putting out quality music.

I’m glad everyone else recognizes this as the most lyrical rap song of all time in terms of entendres / punch lines. Lupe was a genius.

THE GOAT

I haven't got pass "she don't get FedEx like overnight"...Stop it dude

@Portthefirst

3 жыл бұрын

FedEx/fed ecs[stasy]... yeah, he nice with homophones.

for me it still remains to be seen for someone to make a collection of songs like this, glory, theme music to a drive by, twilight zone, mean and vicious, dumb it down, real recognize real, ooh...as a collection those are some of the best lyrics i have heard come from one mc

One of the greatest to ever breathe into the mic.

WORD PLAY LUPE!

Mural tops this, which I didn't even think was possible

@Jaedon1981

9 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I heard it the other day. He went all the way in on it. He had to stop himself.

@jebustavera8132

8 жыл бұрын

+john stewart still lightwork for lupe tho

@hebrew26commandmentspower55

8 жыл бұрын

peace of paper cup of Jayzus tops this lol

@bubblesr9259

8 жыл бұрын

I listen to twilight zone a few times a month. Mind fuck

@UnclePhilTheProducer

6 жыл бұрын

oh shit really? lupe topped this?? he topped failure? fuuuuck...im boutta listen right now

Straight drill music! The pioneer of drill music rap.

Most insane collection of words ever. It's actually unbelievable what this song entails. Much like his Dead Presidents, just absolute genius.

Why isnt this on spotify?!?!?

Samples idris Muhammad could heaven ever be like this

So many triple entendres, amazing.

lupe has to be the most creative rapper out there...its amazing

FIRE!!!!! his best shit!

"I stick to the streets keep my dogs out in front of me, you see what I'm saying and I push keys wonderfully"

@TheKidKniseBurgh

6 жыл бұрын

Newtoschool damn WONDERfully! I iust got that... Smh

@djdj696

6 жыл бұрын

"Saying(Saiyan)" "Push KEYS(Ki)". I caught that DBZ reference.

@motsekiletsela876

5 жыл бұрын

Only caught the Stevey wonder reference

@bobbybigfellow8516

4 жыл бұрын

@@motsekiletsela876 he said it was Braille there...then that he was bumpy Johnson....a gangster, but also bumpy like the Braille is cuz of his face....he talks about seeing with his ears all the time so the blind Braille reference goes right into STICK to the streets (like their canes) dogs out in front of me (obvious on both levels) SEE what I'm saying (as in he's blind so sees with his ears and also just the obvious are you keeping up with him) and he push keys wonderfully (as adept at moving work as Stevie is on a piano)

@feedthemind3626

3 жыл бұрын

@@djdj696 this goes back to the first verse. Pushing drugs line CATS

drop the mug... walk with a leap... usual suspects ending when the cop is sitting back with his mug he figures out that the guy who did all the crimes was Roger "Verbal" Kint. And at that very time he realizes it, we see Verbal, whose character was known for walking with a limp, all of a sudden start walking normally and gets away. crazy metaphor.

Just scrolled through my TL and HAD to run this 🔥🔥 back. LU different

"when i was po i was lo now me and my chaps cop purple label"

Am I the only one that loses it when he cracks the soda and pours it? lol

OMG this song should be put in the hip hop hall of fame of lyrical wordplay. Sheeeeeesh

TALK THE TALK

Kendrick who?

@romaretaylor9953

3 жыл бұрын

Let’s not do this

This shit is dope

The most lyrical rap song ever, not Nas, not Rakim, not Tupac, not Biggie, not Kool G Rap has done somethin like this, when u talk about lyrics and not hits, Lupe is the greatest rapper ever.

I've NEVER EVER witnessed words be put together so flawlessly - no fucking exaggeration.

...back to zero like tare fair (tare is a button on a digital scale) or ... back to zero like telfair (sebastion telfair wears number 00 for the OKC thunder) just trying to fix your description. Thx for the upload

@jarv5955

7 жыл бұрын

both of those metaphors went way over many people's heads. I think if they'd understand the depth of his lyrics, they'd give him more credit.

@imfamous974

6 жыл бұрын

Wrong

Lil wayne could never

@ii8192ii

Жыл бұрын

both of you are wrong lmao

@ishaking6278

Жыл бұрын

@@ii8192ii Ok

LOL ive known this song for like 2-3 years and im still JUST getting some of his metaphors omg... he is too lyrical. raw

THIS is hip hop. Welcome back. Missed you.

AB SOUL has the same type of design with his cover for control system, very ironic

@righthandluke8143

9 жыл бұрын

jakobi kornegay Na, it's not ironic, it's the illuminati.

@ConceptofKobi

9 жыл бұрын

Righthand Luke actually it is the tree of life chakra for an souls design, but opinions are opinions,

@righthandluke8143

9 жыл бұрын

jakobi kornegay Nope Illuminati bro, educate yourself.

@1LIFEtoWIN

9 жыл бұрын

Righthand Luke How do I know you're not Illuminati? Righthand Luke = Illuminati Confirmed.

@PaintedHoundie

9 жыл бұрын

jakobi kornegay Soul used the tree of life for his. this is lupe's own original symbolism.

LUPE TOP 5 DOA

Runners at interscope are not as Stoute as him Please don't enter scope It's gonna be a whole lotta IV-ing and respiratin' If I lean out this window with Irene

@feedthemind3626

3 жыл бұрын

This connects to the I regin supreme line.

i like how lupe dosent talk about doing ppl and doing drugs alot. He talks about different things Drake used to be like that then lil wayne changed him. Eminem dose the same stuff on how lupe talks about other stuff. this song is very speaking about lots of ppl

lupe has always had that old school flow it changed when he released lasers hopefully F&L2 will bring back the flow we all love

why isnt this song on spotify???

@TragicAyk

7 жыл бұрын

LVscreamed still aint

@BeeHell28

6 жыл бұрын

It was originally Juelz Santana's track. Still should be tho cuz this is no question Lupe's now

Lmao he said This is Saran Wrap

its all about knowing your general knowledge and the sadness and realness and putting it into words and a beat is all it is, but lupe takes that and makes it better and more lyrical

thats heavy cuz... lupe is a monsta... giggidy giggidy...