Mos def affiliation
Adequate representation
This is the phat presentation
De la dedication
Common sense collaborations
Peace to all of you haitians
Check it out
Chorus: repeat 2x
If money makes a man strange -- we gots to rearrange
So what makes the world go round
If love is against the law -- listen I don't know
Gotta change how it's goin down
The structure of this song is interesting because it begins with a chorus rather than a verse. The uniqueness of De La Soul is one of the many that makes them my favorite hip hop group. The theme of the song is well summarized in the chorus, and the fact that the song starts with the chorus and it is repeated multiple times helps stress the importance of their message and insures that it won't be forgotten or lost in the phenomenal flows of the De La Soul. The theme of the song is that a change must occur in society's perception of the importance and other monetary things.
Fell in love with this fish who got caught in my mesh
But yo she burned my scene up like david koresh
I guess a diamond ain't nothing but a rock with a name
I guess love ain't nuttin but emotion and game
It's a lesson well learned so praise is well due
I'm sendin off from big i, to kenny calhoun
And add a reservation for the resident crew
And yo get your bowl cuz we cookin up stew
See them cubans don't care what y'all niggaz do
Colombians ain't never ran with your crew
Why you acting all spicy and sheisty
The only italians you knew was icees, niggaz price me
I'm keepin it clean, like a washing machine
And yo, get your locomotion run into full steam
I'm sending out a greeting to my man daseem
I got a child so I gotsta get the green, right rightIn this verse the illusion of money and other nice things is explained that they're all just fronts for much more simpler things, like " I guess a diamond ain't nothing but a rock with a name". The verse also touches on the black community's subservience to other races such as Colombians and Italians, and the black community's wish to be more like those other races. I think Dove, the speaker, wishes that blacks would just go off and do for self, but still keep in mind that wealth is not the most important thing in life. In the beginning of the verse a love affair of some sort occurs," I fell in love with this fish who got caught in my mesh". I found two interpretations of what the fish could symbolize. It could represent a women who he fell in love with but was only in the relationship for his money, and things fell apart when it was time for them to get married. The fish could also represent money and the pursuit of it, and his love for money "burned his scene up" which led to his incarceration,"...sending out a greeting to my man daseem". Itzsoweezee, it;s gettin hot this year
Itzsoweezee, it's gettin hot
(repeat 4x)
Verse two: dove
I own the deeds to some acres in the west, indeed
Where my pops is building residence to house my seed
Now here's the lead, y'all niggaz pray to hot rods and not god
While versace play you niggaz like yahtzee
Crackin jokes like you patzi
(when's the last time you had happy days? )
Blazin up your herb to escape the maze, but the problem stays
Think big get it big is my motto
You can go and play your lotto, I'll be singin like baby won't you be mine
You'll be pressin rewind, you can never see mine
Keep your eyes focused, you can't touch this or quote this
Style is crazy bogus so you can't try to approach this
Stomp you out like roaches, pullin on my coattail
Like some horses pullin coaches, whoa your roller coasters
It's hotter than the temperature that's cookin in your toasters
While the heat'll put you deep into hypnosis
Chorus 2x
Itsoweezee, enoli's in the area
Itsoweezee, timbo king's in the area
Itsoweezee, maseo's in the area
Itsoweezee, ninety-six in your area
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd lawd!
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd lawd lawd
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd, for y'all peace
Where my pops is building residence to house my seed
Now here's the lead, y'all niggaz pray to hot rods and not god
While versace play you niggaz like yahtzee
Crackin jokes like you patzi
(when's the last time you had happy days? )
Blazin up your herb to escape the maze, but the problem stays
Think big get it big is my motto
You can go and play your lotto, I'll be singin like baby won't you be mine
You'll be pressin rewind, you can never see mine
Keep your eyes focused, you can't touch this or quote this
Style is crazy bogus so you can't try to approach this
Stomp you out like roaches, pullin on my coattail
Like some horses pullin coaches, whoa your roller coasters
It's hotter than the temperature that's cookin in your toasters
While the heat'll put you deep into hypnosis
Chorus 2x
Itsoweezee, enoli's in the area
Itsoweezee, timbo king's in the area
Itsoweezee, maseo's in the area
Itsoweezee, ninety-six in your area
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd lawd!
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd lawd lawd
Itsoweezee, lawd lawd, for y'all peace
Itsoweezee The second verse is my favorite part of the song, because it is very dynamic, lyrical, and overall just ill. There is a lot of imagery in this verse, such as in the beginning of the verse where Dove describes some of his riche$, but this might be completely contradictory to the theme of the song except the riche$ he speaks of have a purpose. Their purpose is to "house his seed" which puts him in means of the message of the song, which is to not worship money and to live a much simpler and easier life. Dove continues in the verse where he directly addresses the people he wishes to change in his message, explaining that they should stop holding monetary things at such a high standard. He then goes on to somewhat scold the same audience with a couple bars on how they cannot achieve they same status as him.
Overall just a great song with a message that i see no end in sight of its relevance.
