Lyrics Of The Week: July 5-11

There's quite a bit of repetition in the game these days, and specific lyrics tend to get overlooked. This is an opportunity to take a closer listen and really consider what these artists have to say. We encourage your opinions. 

Keep in mind, these are the most noteworthy lyrics of the week, not necessarily the best. Also, it's hard to get everything right - if you notice any errors, don't hesitate to let us know in the comments section. Lines we're not quite sure about will be bolded.  

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For their latest collaboration (which is presumably a Born Sinner leftover), J. Cole and Wale spit extensive verses over a Jake One instrumental, and their words were by far the most popular of the week. Although they both undoubtedly went in on the track, lyrically speaking, there's nothing particularly remarkable here. It is what it is. Thoughts?

Read excerpts from their verses below, and let us know what you think. 

[Verse 1: J. Cole]

Built it from the ground up, no hit singles
Just a lot of fuckin' gifts, nigga, no Kris Kringle... Cole
I'm the reason that your old bitch single
Gave her dick, made her whole shit tingle, ya wan' feel me?
Born Sinner, doubt this diamond chain gon' heal me
Lord let me kill the game and pray the game don't kill me
Multi before I die, bitch, believe that
These rappers rich as fuck but don't know where they seeds at

[Verse 2: Wale]

I maneuver the industry, few is against me, I ride
With shooters but truthfully, tryna get loot out of Disney, I'm high
I'm trippin', I'm fried, forgive me, that's right, you with me
A cold world if I ain't slide by your chimney, we gifted
Tryna distribute what Allah has given me, listen
But some of the bars are synagogues to a godless opinion
Dig it - in layman's terms
Man these lames can't contain these words

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"Never had a chopper, Juicy bought me one." -Wiz Khalifa

Not even Wiz's giggling ad-libs and geeked-out stoner approach can detract from the threatening, violent tone of this new track from Juicy J. With sombre production from Crazy Mike and Juicy himself, it recalls the early Three 6 Mafia days, with Juicy remorselessly comparing the act of shooting up his adversaries to serious intravenous drug addiction. It's unsettling, to say the least - as is the fact that it was the second-most popular track of the week. 

How'd it affect you? 

[Hook: Juicy J]
I'm shootin' shit up like a dope fiend
Put a hole in your head like a dolphin
I'm puttin' holes in one, no golfin'
Leave his ass dead - where's the coffin?

[Verse 3: Juicy J]
Shootin' on site, nigga, try me if you wanna
Click-click, bang-bang - nigga, you a gonna
Bullet don't hit ya, it'll put you in a coma
Loud mouth niggas - now you a doner
Whole pint of purp and a lot of marijuana
Chrome'd out .38 hot like the summer
Walk up on you, whiskey, mask and pump
And fire them shots just like I'm Donald Trump
Big ass pistol got me walkin' and I'm limpin'
Fuck you and fuck your clique, anybody can get it
Don't do all that talkin', nigga, let's shoot to the finish
They won't find your body, and I won't leave a witness

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The first leak from Capital STEEZ's upcoming posthumous album King Capital, produced by The Entreproducers. STEEZ flows naturally over a summery beat laced with bird song, spitting vivid, multisyllabic verses filled with diverse references ranging from The Wizard Of Oz to electromagnetic space. 

Tracks like this make us miss Steelo even more. Can you dig it? 

[Verse 1]
It don't make no sense
Tell me how you make up a set but not make a percent?
I bet a lot of people think I'm upset
But I ain't playin' defense
I'm more playin' the cut and duct-tapin' ya vents
We cuttin' off ya breathin' supply
They say I've got a greedy mind with the green in my eyes
It's the fire that keeps a lot of people inspired
I can't lie, it's America I need to survive
The Wizard of Oz - tryna live my life behind the plasma
Electromagnetic space started clashin'
Road to gold, got me caught up with the static
And we blowin' out smoke like ectoplasm
I told her make the neck romantic
Move like the Phantom when we shift through Manhattan
My slimes caught a airplane now we radioactive
We comin' for New York like the Jets did to Madden

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This week, Bobby Ray flipped Lil Wanye, Drake and Future's "Love Me" single into something far more substantial. A confessional of sorts, he vividly reflects on his poor, dysfunctional upbringing and the struggle to make a living from his passions. He explores self-doubt, depression and suicide while also touching on the expectations of the industry and American society in general.   

Thoughts on this one? How does it compare to the original song?  

[Verse 1]
Time and time again, I ask myself "who's listening?" 
Who feels my pain, who feels my thoughts?
Who's on the road that I'm travelling? 
But I can't complain, these are just my words
You would feel the same if you was in my skin, if you was in my shoes
If you went all the days that I went struggling and hustling
If you spent all the nights that my momma cried
Those endless nights, those weary eyes
Everyone in the house would just fuss and fight
Flipping over furniture, grabbing knives 
We'd call the cops, here they come again 
All the things in life I couldn't comprehend
We ignored our problems, we'd just pretend 
That they wasn't there, like they didn't exist
In Eastside Decatur our situation made us 
React the the way that we did
All the nights that we had to freeze
"Oh no, huddle up, here comes the wind!"
On a stormy night in a flooded house
I can still hear the raindrops pourin' in... 
And they pourin' in, it's pourin' in
I can still hear the raindrops pourin' in... 

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This week saw Snoop Dogg returning to form on the first leak from The LA Leakers' upcoming Mental $tates project, dropping next month. Tha Doggfather gives us a faded tour of his native Long Beach, California, soundtracked by a smooth instrumental from Cardo. Although he does sing a bit, there's no sign of the lion here. 

It's starting to look like Snoop's rasta reincarnation may have just been a phase, and we're not complaining. 

Read an excerpt below, and let us know what you think of the cut.

[Verse 1]

I'm an Eastside rider, I was born to roll
Never tell to be told, never sell to be sold
On the level, what a rebel, boy, I stay in control 
And I'mma let you ride with me so you can see how it goes
And we'll hit the track and let you peep out some hoes
And if you like what you see, and you agree with me
Then you enjoy my perspective of the LBC
Kick back and roll up, and mix the Henny with the soda
We ridin' like we flyin' through the system of solar
And the aroma of doja, the atmospherin' we hearin' 
Since I'm the driver I'm ridin' with rear-end super suspension 
The misson can't be completed 'til you get that vibe
Now you're mobbin' to the beat on the passenger side

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A new cut from NYC DJ/producer Preservation, featuring frequent collaborator and tour partner Yasiin Bey (Mos Def). The track is a standout from his debut album Old Numbers, which dropped this week. Despite the title, Yasiin doesn't exactly get political or deep on the track. Cool, calculated and slightly braggadocios, he flows soulfully over the classical string-based instrumental. 

Can you dig it? 

[Verse 1: Yasiin Bey]
You see, my swing is super ghetto like a Cutlass Supreme
And when I'm comin' up your strip, baby, I'm somethin' to see
I got my bass on thunder, sittin' on two-hundred
Your baby mama love me, and homie, it's no wonder
Now when I'm in the east, them babies know my name
And when I'm ridin' on the west, them babies know me the same
And when I'm up top, you know I can't stop
And when I'm in the Dirty Dirty, I get it twerkin', workin'
My swing is super ghetto like a Cutlass Supreme
A velvet headrest with a couple of screens
And if you want somethin' funky, then you want it from me
But if you want something ugly, you don't want it from me
Shit, I could put it there, however niggas want it to be
I keep the proof right here if you don't want to believe
Keep game in my vein, fuck under the sleeve
You just fuckin' with yourself out here fuckin' with me

Click the badge below to read the hook and second verse: 

The original, completed version of Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents III", produced by Young Guru. Cut from his American Gangster album, a snippet of the track showed up on DJ Green Lantern's 2007 mixtape R.O.C. Stars Street Leak: American Gangster, but a full version hadn't been released until now. Hov gave Guru permission to drop the full song during a lengthy Q&A session he hosted on Twitter this week. 

Despite Just Blaze's downplaying of the situation, pointing out that the track isn't new but composed of the Green Lantern snippet and the third verse from The Black Album's "Moment of Clarity", many were excited about the track's unearthing. 

How do y'all feel it compares to Magna Carta Holy Grail, lyrically speaking? 

[Verse 1]
While others spit that
Wonderama shit
Me and my conglomerates
Same crime, bigger trial
Ya Honor, suck a dick
Let me live out my dreams
Until my heart give out
Devour cream
You know exactly what this is about
Fuck y'all mean?
Handlin' since a teen
Like LeBron or Sebastian
High school graduates
Straight to the league
I ain't waitin' for my knee to blow
Yesterday I was needin' this dough
Get it, I was kneadin' this dough
Long as your math is fast
If your readin' is slow
Yo, my life ain't rosy
But I roll with it
My mind was fine 'til the dough hit 'it
And told me that the Mo' did it
And now it's Kosher, shit is so Hasidic
I blow a digit on a diamond
At San Tropé visits
And won't miss it
So don't twist it
Young is just as nice
More risks than '96, trick!

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On July 9th, LeBron James posted this brief "freestyle" on Instagram, and there may be a full version on the way. We'll leave the commentary up to all of y'all - let us know what you think. 

Stay tuned for next Friday’s Lyrics of the Week, and thanks for joining the discussion. 

[Verse 1]
Yo, y'all already know what it is
It's the kid, King James
Wanna give a shoutout to the Four Horsemen
Shoutout to Fab 5
Akron, 330
Ramos, Mav, and the homie Rich
J-time at the Hazelden
Chillin', thinkin' of a master plan
By the time I'm here and the sub blow
The carrier droppin' off another 100 bands
La Familia over everything