Gave it two spins in the gym tonight and it brought some clarity to the narrative for me. I'll briefly just give my thoughts on each track and what it could possibly mean (at least one of the meanings, as each song is obviously complex and multi-layered). I think there's a few interwoven themes all happening at the same time. "The Game" with all the video game references, reincarnation and the religious aspect as far as cruxifiction/Christ, drugs and addiction, and racing/road/lines (which could refer to cocaine lines, tying into the drug thing).
THIS COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG AND I COULD BE REACHING LIKE HELL, BUT fukk IT, THAT'S HALF THE FUN, RIGHT?
Note: this is going in backwards order, as I believe it is how the album is intended to be listened to. Also, I believe the album, as pertaining to the narrative, is about THIS version of Michael Young History (remember how he died and came back to life on "The Cool"? I think something similar happened here.)
This tweet is of upmost importance:
Spring: The calm before the storm. Spring represents new beginnings and resurrection.
T.R.O.N.- The "re-spawning of MYH has taken place and this is MYH making his "oath" to "The Streets" and "The Game".
Adoration of the Magi- This is MYH essentially receiving tutoring and instructions on how to play "The Game". The hook is his questioning his motives and trying to talk some sense into him (while also dope ass wordplay on various classic album covers). The key part of the hook is "Why You Wanna Be Born Again?" because the album is essentially about a character in "The Game" that keeps dying in "The Streets" and "The Game" and keeps coming back to life, only for the cycle to repeat itself. That part is basically saying "Why the hell do you wanna go down this road AGAIN?!"
Madonna- The character gets caught up in "The Game" and eventually dies. Remember, Michael didn't have a father (He Say, She Say). He dies in "The Streets" playing "The Game".
Deliver- Not really sure how this fits in. Think it may just be a description of "The Streets" while MYH is asking for "Deliverance" from the "Master Creator" after seeing the error in his ways and realizing that life doesn't ever end on a positive note. "Get a little slice of Heaven, I can enter it again"... remember MYH was at Heaven's gates on Superstar. Think that might tie in.
Chopper- I think MYH is "re-spawned" back into "The Game" as Lupe Fiasco. Hence the "And now Ladies & Gentlemen, Lupe Fiasco" at the beginning of the song which wouldn't make sense otherwise.
No Scratches- I think this describes the courting of him by "The Streets". I think he resists the temptation at first, but by the 3rd verse and succumbs to her advances. She was patient at first but then put the full court pressure on him and he gave in. By the end of the song, the "no scratches" represents him breaking down and satisfying his "itch", thus no more scratching himself like a fiend.
Little Death- This song is him getting high and again, satisfying that "itch". The drugs have him "in chains".
"
How are your chains, do they make you behave
Keep you over here, by your overseer"
Body of Work- He is fully enamored with "The Streets" and is fully invested, unlike in No Scratches, when he was hesitant.
"
Quiet in the court for the courtship
Marriage of the dork and the gorgeous
Took her from the king of the corpses"
The "courtship" referring to The Streets courting him. He's the dork and she's the gorgeous. Took her from the king of corpses, who is "The Game" (He's being played, this is what The Streets does to you). How do we know that this is referring to "The Game"? Because remember this:
And from a throne of their bones I rule
These fools are my fuel, so I make them cool
Prisoner 1- Could be about the mental prison of addiction as well as the song in a literal sense, physical prison.
Now he doing double life, while she lead a double life. The character is addicted to drugs and "The Streets" is living a double life. He things she's hers, but she's really with "The Game".
Prisoner 2- Obviously about prison guards in the literal sense, but I think it could also be about drug dealers who "imprison" people with their "ki's".
fukk, I'm tired... I'll post the rest of my thoughts tomorrow.
wheres my rep
Wow, that gotta be one of the best tracks Lupe has ever made
oh shyt Lupe at the end going in on Cudi
I gotta watch the entire thing when I get off
