![]() You got three eyes, but you can never see us You got three eyes, three eyes, three eyes When I die, donate my organs to science bitch ![]() I'm in a fucking lab coat rhyming as high as shit We overseas, back-to-back, never wore Chanel Last nigga tried to cross the line got crucified Last nigga tried to scratch the surface broke a nail Got a letter from Andromeda, they tryna shrine my bladder Shitted in a crater last time I sat on Saturn Just spirit molecules and geometric patterns Your time is ticking, the sky's the limit It's mine, I spend it, my mind is spinning My demeanor is the meanest, I'm gettin meaner by the minute They failed in testing like what's inside of them I'm lookin like "who the fuck invited them? " Probably why these niggas can't fuck with me My synapses act like lightning, probably why I'm so enlightening Plus I got two white sluts down to blow meĬan't you see I'm floating, like root beer and ice cream The black sheep running with a pack of wolvesĭiamond in the rough, tell Brock I need a pack of woods Please don't tell my mama this ain't marijuana That's right, you ever been conscious in a coma? ![]() No man is safe from the war going on outside Just retire, if I light this fire I might blow your block upĮnjoy your mind trip but don't trip on your mind You hit this shit a few times, you might see the futureĪsk my nigga Blocka, we be rolling up that Blanka Tell the truth, I'm the coldest cat, sabertoothīlaze the booth, blaze the buddah, this ain't hookah Play the fool, you jealous dudes are just a plate of food Making moves, you just another human being being still I don't even know what's real, I'm just being real Missing screws, bending rules like kneecaps Let me hit the weed, you know I really need that I wrote like Edgar Allen, I was po' like Edgar Allen Cos he’s got plenty to spare.Uh, It was all a dream, I swear it never happened You can have your own light - and that’s cool, and he’s going to support that - but when you’re ready, Ab-Soul is happy to share his light with you. But one of those themes is that his isn’t the only way. So: he throws the name out in a song where he’s laying out his philosophy, a perfect chance to define himself against an artist who was hugely successful commercially in 2012, and then he follows it up with “And that ain’t wrong”? It makes sense only when you put it together with the hook, with the apparent contrast between the yells of “They wanna share my light!” and the smooth delivery of “I’ll give you the light.” Ab-Soul has his own preoccupations, his own themes to deliver, and he’s out to convince you he can deliver them better than anyone else. If 2 Chainz is at one end of the spectrum, Ab-Soul might not be the polar opposite but he’s damn close. Nowhere is that more true than on the seeming toss-off line “Put 2 Chainz on/ And that ain’t wrong,” which is the other key, a line that’s basically “ILLuminate” in miniature. It’s never “I am” but rather “I can.” The boasting quickly falls away and the aftertaste of “ILLuminate” is the minor key production and the offer that “You can have all my shine / I’ll give you the light.” Ab-Soul doesn’t require the recognition of the rest of his Black Hippy crew, his instinct to regulate and his drive for perfection are constant and unerring.ĭV: The brilliance of this track is how the hook compliments and complicates its verses: MG notes how there’re plenty of “assertions of greatness” in “ILLuminate” - but there’s also that core idea that “I’ll give you the light.” And that’s one key to the song and the idea that while Soulo might be throwing out references and quotations faster than you can probably catch, the hook turns his words into an education, not a boast. Even in his gloating, an humble undercurrent pulses. He’s simply a man with a message and rap is his medium. Like any great preacher, his message is wrapped in relatability. He raps, “They wanna see me wearing Polo drawers / Put 2 chains on and that ain’t wrong / But that ain’t me, I go too damn hard / I don’t need clothes or jewelry to stand out / Black lip nigga with his hair wild / Too damn proud” in an attempt to remove himself from the pose of mainstream rap and a subconscious empathizing with his audience. Throughout assertions of greatness, he weaves anecdotes of being taken advantage of, the scales always balancing with each personal victory of flow checked by a label head or promoter. On “ILLuminate” he reminisces on the past while dreaming of a better tomorrow. He’s not selling stories so much as pulpet ravings and pamphlets. MG: Ab-Soul is Black Hippy’s super-ego - conceptual and often overlooked in favor of Kendrick’s ego and ScHoolBoy Q’s id.
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