Get Outlined
Urban Chronicles: Black Thought's Reflection on City Struggles
Lyrics
Uh, LA, uh huh, Chi Town, Philadelphia, PA
Introduction to various cities: LA, Chicago, Philadelphia.
Hey now, uh, LA, yeah, Chi Town, Philadelphia, PA
Reiteration of cities and setting the tone.
Listen, pick any city, the South side, the outside
Setting the scene - any city, South side, outside, describing challenges.
It isn't pretty, the tods cryin' and shots fired
Highlighting the harsh reality - crying toddlers and gunshots.
Protection there be the lopside, the cop kind
Disparity in protection, mentioning the police.
You see the scene of a crime like every stop sign
Observation of frequent crime scenes, drawing parallels with stop signs.
My section of twenty-one pound is downtown
Personal location reference - his section is downtown.
They walkin' 'round wit' the guns out
Describing a tense atmosphere with people carrying guns.
It's wild how the younging's dumb proud, firin' the crowd now
Commenting on the recklessness of youth firing into crowds.
Leadin' the blind with they minds up in the Soundcloud
Reference to leading blindly, influenced by Soundcloud and online culture.
Ain't a lotta sunshine when you on a frontline
Acknowledging the lack of positivity on the frontline.
Listenin' to that ghetto drumline, duckin' one-time
Listening to the drumline of the ghetto and avoiding law enforcement.
Thinkin' how the Devil doesn't tire, even sometimes
Reflecting on the persistence of evil, even intermittently.
Wonderin' how the fuck could one's rhyme be this unkind
Questioning the harshness of his own rhymes.
Everybody cold to me, seem to throw this bullshit
Feeling isolated and resistant to false narratives.
The only thing that sold to me bein' told, we should hold on
Expressing skepticism about advice to hold on in difficult situations.
Gettin' old tell me I'm about to buckle
Feeling the pressure and strain of life.
'Cause holdin' tight got my hands fully white-knuckled
Struggling to maintain composure and control.
And to be honest, tomorrow is not promised
Acknowledging the uncertainty of the future.
Whether you on the streets of Chicago or Botswana, you gotta be rock solid
Emphasizing the need for resilience regardless of location.
Not to be outsmarted, the rise from rock-bottom to one of the top scholars
Reflecting on personal success from rock bottom to scholar.
I never asked what's the secret of success with a
Questioning the secret of success amid challenges.
Target on your back and a scarlet on your chest
Highlighting the vulnerability with a target on the back.
Listen, just get it, not a minute to rest
Motivation to seize opportunities, emphasizing urgency.
This is not a test, settle for the best, nothin' less, dig it
Stating the importance of striving for the best.
Pick any city, the South side, the drought side
Reiteration of the city theme, emphasizing different challenges.
Where E-M-S has arrived, well, it's about time
Noting the arrival of emergency services after a crisis.
People who just get they tops fried get outlined
Referencing violence leading to outlining or marking victims.
Minutes and seconds go clockwise but not mine
Highlighting the unique experience of time for the narrator.
Where I'm from it's a war scene where more fiends
Describing a war-torn environment with drug addiction.
Scream for Morphines, Zoloft and Thorazine
Mentioning specific drugs and questioning societal plans.
We don't subscribe to the grand scheme
Rejecting conformity to societal expectations.
The plans seems to be keepin' us all sick, sellin' them vaccines
Criticizing the profit motive behind selling vaccines.
Ain't a lot of fun time when your only son dyin'
Expressing the pain of losing a child and societal decay.
And the world's comin' untied from the inside
Observing the disintegration of the world from within.
That's between affection and depression, it's a thin line
Exploring the thin line between affection and depression.
Stress and pressure here is multiplied ten times
Highlighting the intensified stress and pressure.
Everything is blurred to me, lessons deferred for me
Perceiving a blurred reality and postponed lessons.
Fans said it's been a long term since they heard from me
Noting fans' anticipation after a long absence.
My lil' homie never made it out of surgery
Revealing personal tragedy - a friend didn't survive surgery.
Sometimes I feel like South Philly tryna murder me
Feeling targeted and threatened by the community.
First, everybody's upset 'cause you died
Commenting on the aftermath of death and people's reactions.
They like, "wait a minute, man
Quoting the response of others when falsely declared dead.
I ain't the ones who's dead, he's the one that's brown bread"
Addressing the confusion and denial after death.
Hah, so in comes the second lie, ya dig?
Introducing the concept of a second lie and deception.
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