Yea I'm surprised Blur My Hands didnt get more of a push as a single from the label. Guy Sebastian killed that hook. Way better than that soft ass Battle Scars shyt from the last album.
Speaking of Blur My Hands...check this break down out. Shout outs to Silent Ace from KTT.
So, anybody else see this song as Lupe's final middle finger to Atlantic?
Here's my interpretation, ignoring many of the references and just getting down to his overall intent.
Quote
[Guy Sebastian:]
From the floating death, to the fire of death
To a flower outside my grave and oh man
Were you just being polite with your hands?
He's opening the song essentially taunting Atlantic who gave up on him, gave zero promotion for his music in return for his dissent, and references their intent to kill his career and relativity in the industry.
Quote
Take time to learn me like court appointed attorneys
Restore the order, we either join or adjourning
Less you join I'm up performing the journey
In all earnest, I go so Bernie
Takes another nikka to turn me
Get it straight, I ain't late on states
I'm just sternly stating
How what I do, with grace takes another nikka to turn mean
My return means like blockbuster with a tick
And I ain't kind but I don't hit
He's opening the verse comparing how little the label cared about who he was and instead focused on the money he could make with his talents. The court appointed attorney's are his metaphor for someone at the label who really doesn't care what his story is or what he desires. He wasn't treated as a human being and just a number to them.
Next, he touches on how he gave them an ultimatum. He states that either their join up and work together or he leaves to begin his own "journey". As he's doing this, he reminds Atlantic of his talents and how another person would need to completely go off to reach his level.
He compares his return to relevance with a Blockbuster reference (movie rental place that failed to adapt to stay relevant) with a nervous tic (this part, I admit, hasn't hit me yet).
Quote
So you starting at the end, that's the part where you begin
I skip the bullshyt so we can start it where we win
Yeah, spoiler alert
I can hear you all saying "boy you're a jerk"
But it's cool though, know we gotta rule yo
Get in, then we win and do it all again, ho
While many people have stated this is in reference to listening to the cd in reverse order, it could also be referencing his departure from the label. He's indicating that a new era of his career will begin at the end of the Atlantic era. He's saying, "I know you think I've been a jerk and a problem child but we both know we have to (rule) control our own futures". He's coming clean and stating that he never could allow them to manipulate his vision to the extent that they require, thus, the need to leave.
Quote
Now me and words, we made a deal, that I'm gon' keep 'em real
And they show me their secrets, I can even cop a feel
Victorious, can't match wit, with warriors
One of my favorite parts of the album on first listen. He's flaunting his intimate relationship with words and how he's learned to master them. He's also stating that he promised to never compromise, never dumb it down... hence the "keep it real" reference. He's stating that he refuses to dumb it down in order to keep his relationship with words, the root of his talent, strong.
Quote
I match wig with wits, similarly can't mix matchsticks with forests'
Only you can prevent what I do
Only due/dew can prevent what's my view
I match matchsticks with wicks
Wicker man, take a sip of liquor and
Spit the lip off warriors
And spit flames, nikka get in the gang ahh
One of the clearest metaphors here. He's directly telling Atlantic that they are the only ones who can stand in the way of what he does. He's singling them out as the only downfall to his career. Atlantic is the "dew", moisture coating the forests' preventing him from setting the forest (world) on fire when he spits. This part here is a HUGE indicator of the song's intent.
Quote
It's road rage, without a roll cage
Takes courage to run on these roadways
I know you like "no way", but I'm a full race
He's referencing them trying to scare him about what will happen to him if he goes independent. He won't have any "roll cage" protection to stop him from getting hurt as he speeds along on this journey. He says, "I know you like 'no way', but I'm a full race". It's a reference to them telling him he isn't capable, isn't good enough, and can't stand on his own. He disagrees.
Quote
All so every soccer Terry Fox moulding, go ahead
Don't stop, go ahead
Sitting in your car, just listening to the bars
And there's traffic all around and you feel like falling down
This here is a member of the label listening to him in the car realizing that they made a huge mistake as he drops arguably his best album on his departure from the album as he drops his own music without filter at the expense of no promotion. They realize that they really fukked up when the work of art with no filter exposes itself and they've been holding it back all this time.
Quote
And the music that I'm spewing out, enough to calm him down
'Fore you know you watch your car with your briefcase walkin' round
And them dollars from the budget that went to S1 Production
And Sebastian on the hook, like being dug by Michael Douglas
So don't start that walk through Echo Park
My life's a one-on-one and you caught up in the jam
Just show some love back to your number one fan
This is an obvious reference to the Falling Down film where the man with a briefcase leaves his car in traffic and walks to his destination, on his two feet with no assistance, just like Lupe leaving the label. Except, in this case, it's the label member getting out of his car to get to Lupe through the obstacles they, themselves created, in attempt to make him stay. He sarcastically says they should "show some love" to him as their "number one fan".
Only downside is Ab-Soul. I would have much rathered had another Lupe verse.
