“Kush & Corinthians” (His Pain) – My Interpretation (My Pain)

This is article was written by my brother Tony Hanes and is part of our decoded series.  Check him at enterdadome.com 

“To the meaning of life..
What's my purpose? Maybe this Earth is..
Ain't a good place to be..
How far is heaven? Let's see..
Is it in the clouds like they said it would be?” - KDOT

Over 30 years ago, kids in the inner city were told that Hip hop was a “FAD” and had no longevity. Well, I believe we can all agree those critics were wrong and their kids are currently enjoying the culture “WE” created. Rap Music is the most diverse and complex music ever recorded. Music is the ultimate expression of life and the world would be incomplete without it. I truly believe this with all my heart. At any rate, art imitates life and vice versa. I call Rappers Street Poets and vivid Poems can provide listeners with a trip into the heart, minds and souls of the artists. Black People (African Americans etc…whatever) are spiritual people. Let me say this again. Black People are spiritual people. Our spirituality predates Religion.

 

“I wonder when I die..
Will he give me receipts?
I wonder will the eyes of the lord look at me?
Look at me, look at me, I'm a loser, I'm a winner
I'm good, I'm bad, I'm a Christian, I'm a sinner
I'm humble, I'm loud, I'm righteous, I'm a killer
What I'm doing, I'm saying that I'm human” - KDOT

 

Don’t get me wrong, Religion has its place within Black America and during our trials and tribulations in America, our faith in God or a higher power sustained families and communities. With that being said, our pain put pressure on a lot of Street Poets which caused inner conflict with our spirituality, faith and at times the God and Devil within us battle for supremacy. In 2011, Kendrick Lamar recorded the song “Kush and Corinthians” for his debut album Section 80. If you made it this far in the Article, you’ve read some of the lyrics already. I fell in love with Hip Hop all over again upon its release. Kendrick displayed a bundle of emotions that few MC’s dare to share. I remember hearing the first verse of the song and thinking where was he going with it.

 

“Ride to it, ride to it
Cause you never know
When a bullet might hit
And you die to it, die to it
Die to it, die to it
Live your life, live it right
Be different, do different things
Don't do it like
He did, cause he ain't what you is
But we can win, wait
Let's be straight, to the point” – KDOT

 

There is a lot of pressure being a BLACK CHILD in America. This is especially difficult when you’re raised in harsh environments. Harsh environments can come in the form of poverty (Projects, Poor Black Communities, Gang Culture & Drug Culture). It’s not a secret that poverty and violence go hand and hand. This is true for all communities but I will stick with Kendrick’s community in Compton and the Black Community. As you read the lyrics above, you notice a person who has self-awareness. He has an understanding of right and wrong but influence holds weight as you will see below.

 

“It go 1, 2, 3
Two in the front
One in the back seat
Seat, seat, seat
Looking for a victim of an AK-47
100 round each, each, each
But why must we retaliate?
Is it human nature?
I don't know
I look for the answers later
Make a right, there they go!” – KDOT

 

The pressure to be part of something is huge in our community. There are broken families so your friends and the neighborhood become family. My interpretation of Kendrick words is a description of our own CIVIL WAR in the Black Community. Again, I’m talking about the poverty-stricken communities as we are well aware of Middle Class and Affluent Black Communities. At any rate, the cycle of violence is displayed in the lyrics and the individual once again is in conflict with himself. As me move forward, contemplation begins…

 

“As I open this book and then burn up some of this reefer
My plan is to figure out the world and escape all my demons
I'm dying inside, I wonder if Zion inside the heavens
A condom, a rollie, pain, a fat blunt and a mack 11
That's all I see in my life and they tell me to make it right
But I"m right on the edge of Everest and I might jump tonight
Have you ever had known a saint that was taking sinner's advice?
Well it's probably you, am I right? If I'm wrong, you a fucking lie
When I lie on back and look at the ceiling, it's so appealing to pray
I wonder if I'm just a villain, dealing my morals away
Some people look at my face then tell me don't worry about it
I give em back they deposit, no money, just total silence
I'm running, they say I'm wildin' a youngin' with lack of guidance
That's hundreds of us with problems: more money, more drugs and violence
Look at the soul of an out-of-control artist
That's dealing with life the hardest” – KDOT

 

As I started in my initial paragraph, Black People are spiritual people. The “Book” Kendrick is referring to is the Bible and it appears that he (the character in the song) is reading it under the influence of marijuana, trying to figure out the complications of life. In the New Testament, Paul wrote letters to the Church, but I digress. Even as I share my interpretation of “Kush and Corinthians”, I’m forced to think about my own childhood. By the time I was a senior in High School, I had been to several funerals of friends who died to Gun Violence. As a freshman at UNCG, I went to two more funerals back home. As I sat in several congregations, you heard the crying and prayers. Spirituality sustained our sanity but our pain was tremendous. The lyrics on this song took me to the Block, Church, my knees and the refrigerator to grab a beer and contemplate my very existence. When I think about kids who live out these lyrics, my heart is in PAIN. With this pain I pray for healing. Kendrick Lamar is a deep thinker. Kendrick Lamar is one of the few MC’s that can hold my attention from the new generation. Kendrick Lamar’s vivid imagery, storytelling and passion can rival some of the greatest MC’s of all time. Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest MC’s of all time.

 

PEACE – Tony Hanes, Da Dome

 

 

Photo: Genius

Lyrics: Kendrick Duckworth

Decoded: Young G's

Jay-Z and Biggie appeared on three tracks together.  Each time they did so, they pushed each other – whether either would admit it.  In Puff Daddy’s 1997 release of his album, No Way Out, the stage was set for a battle.  At that time, the order of the verses seemed to be correct from worst to best (Puffy, Jay-Z and Biggie).  I have outlined some highlights below, but I want to know your thoughts. 

 

Jay-Z’s verse

Jay-Z was sharp on this track, but he had to be with BIG coming right behind him.  There are far too dope bars to state just one, but I love “Won’t be known until I’m gone and niggas study my bones.”  If we unpack this bar for a moment, it is clear Jay-Z felt underappreciated and maybe even disrespected (Remember: This was 1997).  This is a spin on the old adage that you do not get the roses while you can still smell them.  It is funny when you look at this bar now considering just how much Jay-Z has accomplished to date.  My favorite line from this verse is “they got cats likening me to the mob John Gotti, rap dudes biting me cause I got it locked like the late Bob Marley, pardon me ya’ll, the great Bob Marley.  Again, Jay-Z was laying claim to being the best and having the game on lock.  This is no small statement considering that many people believe Bob Marley is a God.  To have the confidence to rap these lyrics in 1997, when he was not the Jay-Z we all know today speaks to his supreme belief in what he could become.  Jay-Z believed he would be great and there are many examples of his beliefs sprinkled in his lyrics. 


Jay also rapped “And I told my nigga BIG I’d be multi before I did and it’s gon happen, whether rapping or clapping, have it your way.”  Yet another bar about what he was destined to do as an artist even when the numbers did not support his claim.  And when you think about the platinum plaques he racked up after this bar was released, it is easy to see why many consider him to be the GOAT. 

 

BIG’s Verse

If the overall theme of Jay-Z’s verse is confidence and laying claim to hip hop supremacy, BIG’s verse is a crash course in dominating the drug game in the 1990s.  If you love BIG, you know this verse was not the last time BIG gave you a blueprint for surviving the dope game (Think 10  Crack Commandments).  Right out the gate, BIG rapped “Damn it feel good to see people up on it; flipped two keys in two weeks and did not flaunt it.”  This verse reminds me of the scene in American Gangster where Frank Lucas wore the mink coat to the boxing match.  This purchase was the beginning of the end of his anonymity (and his career as a drug kingpin).  BIG rapped about doing the opposite – that is, to keep a low profile.  You know, kind of like Stringer Bell from the Wire?  As my dad told me as a child: “The loudest person in the room is usually the weakest.”  Let that sink in.   


Big rapped “Quickly niggas wanna hit me if they get me, dress my body in linen by Armani, check it . . .”  BIG described the paranoia that comes from being knee deep in the drug game.  But, in true drug kingpin mentality, BIG was saying even if his enemies get him, dress him in some fly shit at his funeral.  “Got lawyers watching lawyers so I won’t go broke, now check it . . .” In this line, BIG provided free game on two critical facets of the game: (1) protect your money at all costs; and (2) trust nobody.  Greed and betrayal are the kryptonite for drug dealers and usually end a successful run in the game.  BIG warned you. This verse reminds me of Carlitos Way when Carlito hired the lawyer to help him clean his money, but quickly learned that the lawyer was corrupt and could not be trusted.  No drug dealer song would be complete without mentioning women and the many roles they play in the game.  BIG rapped “Got my shorty flying in with keys taped to her thighs.”  BIG bragged about how much he had the game on lock and how his lady was a big part of the game.  The last bar I’ll highlight is “Them country niggas call me Frank White.” BIG hustled in the south and was locked up in a prison in Raleigh, NC briefly.  And, Frank White was the main character from the movie King of New York, which is about a big time drug dealer.  BIG gave us some similarities between the dope game and the rap game.

 

To choose a winner is tough.  But, I think BIG probably best Jay-Z on this song.    

Nas - The GOAT

Music that is truly classic stands the test of time. As a child, my dad listened to James Brown; The Temptations; and many others.  Although I was not born when these artists were at their respective peaks, I loved their music from the moment I first heard it.  Just like Illmatic, this music is timeless.  I have visited many cities across the country and have frequented bars, clubs, music halls, hole-in the walls, etc.  Anytime I have heard Illmatic, the crowd response is always the same – the hip hop “head nod.”   

 

“I was Scarface, Jay was Manolo.  It hurt me when I had to kill him and his whole squad for dolo . . .”

 

From the beginning of civilized society, our society has loved battles.  There is something inside of us that loves the spirit of competition.  People seem to dislike, or even discount the importance of a battle when held between adversaries on uneven footing. For example, Floyd Mayweather – a man who is one of the greatest boxers ever – is criticized for never having a worthy adversary.  This is not his fault, but it has cast a shadow over some of his accomplishments.  In the same way Ray Leonard needed Hagler, Jay-Z and Nas needed each other.  They needed A one-on-one battle to the death.  Even before they eventually clashed, I found it odd that Nas and Jay-Z had not recorded a record together.  They were widely considered the best in the NY city, yet no collaborations.  So when they started hurling subliminal shots at each other, I was not nearly as surprised as other folks. 

 

By the summer of 2001, the gloves were off and the unofficial war filled with subliminal jabs had given way to all-out war.   Jay-Z performed “Takeover” during Summer Jam 2001.  This was a heavy duty shot that landed on Nas’ chin.  But what ensued later was the greatest collection of counter punches recorded in the history of hip hop.  The crowned jewel of the responses is Ether – the greatest diss song of all time.  When I first heard this song, I was sitting on the stoop with a few of my friends in front of North Spencer Dorm (one time for my UNCG folks!).  Some random guy pulled up to the stoop.  Think, how Ilena’s cousin from Menace to Society crept out of his house to address Caine.  He asked us if we had heard Nas’ new track (mind you, this dude was a complete stranger, but that underscores how big this release was to the culture).  We must have listened to the track five times in a row.  Through a series of diss records, and responses, Nas dropped “the Last Real Nigga Alive,” and with that song, he put the nail in Jay-Z’s coffin.  He had won the biggest battle in hip hop history; and he was the clear King of NY; and he had released another classic album, which is arguably his second-best album ever. 

 

"Queensbridge leader, no equal I come from the wheel of Ezekial to pop thousand-dollar bottles of scotch, smoke pot and heal the people.”

 

Since his debut in 1994, Nas has dropped 12 solo albums.  In 2012, at the age of 39, Nas dropped another classic album (Life is Good) – nearly 20 years after Illmatic.  Make no mistake: hip hop is a young man’s sport much like the NBA and NFL.  So, it is significant that Nas dropped a classic at damn near 40 years of age.  It is the equivalent of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant winning an MVP trophy at the same age.  It is basically unheard of, and I feel confident saying Life is Good is the best hip hop album released by a person over the age of 35. This album received critical acclaim from just about anyone with a pulse.  It was felt by the 20-somethings as well as 70’s babies, which is no small feat. 

 

To conclude: Nas has the best hip hop album in the history of hip hop; he has influenced peers and foes and the younger generation alike; his catalog of work speaks for itself; and, in terms of longevity, he just released a new album in late 2018 – nearly 25 years after his debut.  For all of these reasons, Nas is the GOAT. 

 

 

- Peace