7L & Esoteric (7LES) formed in 1992 when Esoteric (Known at the time as Sea… Read Full Bio ↴7L & Esoteric (7LES) formed in 1992 when Esoteric (Known at the time as Seamus the God Awful) DJed a hip-hop show at a college radio station north of Boston. 7L, a DJ and producer who listened to the show, contacted Esoteric in the interest of collaborating. The two found they shared a common love of the golden age of hip-hop and decided to form a group with Esoteric as the MC and 7L as the DJ.

After performing for some time in the Boston underground, the duo, known at the time as God Complex, released their first single in 1996 to critical acclaim. This lead to the release of the Rebel Alliance LP, a compilation of Boston talent that featured acts such as Virtuoso, Mr. Lif, Tony Infamous and Force Five. Also at this time the two dropped the God Complex moniker becoming simply 7L & Esoteric.

One Six
7L & Esoteric Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

"Ladies and gentlemen" .. "it's about that time"
"Put your, your, your, your hands together"
"We bout to bring him out!"

Yo, I'ma read it to y'all, like it was read to me
We the was, the is, and the end to be
7-L, E-S! A new era, for rap terror
Turn me up Ray, yo

Cats say they strapped like they ready to blast
Realistically they strapped, meaning needing some cash
Claim you wet, fourth element to keep it real
But when I spit ill you feel like a fifth wheel
I rip steel, kids peeled like burnt skin
Many tried to copy Esoteric but weren't him
Somethin' bout the way I use breaks and loops
Take steaks, make 'em into boots
Break up groups like cash issues
Tomahawk cruise missiles rip through your tissue, endin' your life
Dem is some nice flowers that I'm sendin' your wife
Attemptin' to fight, point is like a bendable knife
Comin' at me sideways, at the (?)
That's how crabs move, bad move
I am hip-hop, so if I ever bite a line
I'm only takin back what's rightfully mine, motherfucker!

Just a little taste, so strap on that neck brace
One-six.. yo, 7L

Overall Meaning

& Esoteric's song "One Six" begins with the line "Ladies and gentlemen" and this can be interpreted as the start of a performance or a show. This line is immediately followed by "it's about that time" which further strengthens the suggestion that the artists are addressing the audience prior to a show. The line that follows is "Put your, your, your, your hands together" and this can be viewed as the artists commanding the audience to participate in the show by clapping their hands. The final line in this opening is "We bout to bring him out!" which acts as an introduction to the artists' performance.

The main lyrics in this song revolve around the concepts of authenticity and originality in the music industry. The artists criticize those who claim they are "strapped" or ready to take on the world but in reality are just looking to make quick money. The artists claim that they represent a new era of rap music and are true to their craft. They highlight the fact that many have tried to copy Esoteric's style but have failed, and he is a unique and original artist. The artists make references to violent imagery through words such as "rip steel" and "cruise missiles," which can be viewed as a metaphor for their powerful and strong music that is capable of causing a stir in the industry.

Line by Line Meaning

Ladies and gentlemen.. it's about that time
The performance is about to start and everyone should be ready.

Put your, your, your, your hands together
Applause is necessary for the upcoming artist.

We bout to bring him out!
The artist is about to be introduced.

Yo, I'ma read it to y'all, like it was read to me
The artist wants to share something personal with the audience.

We the was, the is, and the end to be
The artist represents past, present, and future of hip-hop.

7-L, E-S! A new era, for rap terror
7L & Esoteric are here to bring a new era of hip-hop.

Turn me up Ray, yo
The artist asks for the volume to be increased for the performance.

Cats say they strapped like they ready to blast
Some artists claim to be armed and dangerous.

Realistically they strapped, meaning needing some cash
In reality, they are just in need of money and not really dangerous.

Claim you wet, fourth element to keep it real
Some artists claim to be the real deal, but they are not.

But when I spit ill you feel like a fifth wheel
Other artists feel insignificant and inadequate when compared to the artist.

I rip steel, kids peeled like burnt skin
The artist is a master of rhymes and can easily dismantle other artists.

Many tried to copy Esoteric but weren't him
Other artists tried to copy the artist's style but failed to do so.

Somethin' bout the way I use breaks and loops
The artist has a unique way of using beats and samples.

Take steaks, make 'em into boots
The artist has the ability to turn anything into something else.

Break up groups like cash issues
The artist can easily divide and conquer other artists.

Tomahawk cruise missiles rip through your tissue, endin' your life
The artist's rhymes are deadly and can destroy any opponent.

Dem is some nice flowers that I'm sendin' your wife
The artist threatens to harm someone's family members.

Attemptin' to fight, point is like a bendable knife
Anyone who tries to challenge the artist will be defeated quickly.

Comin' at me sideways, at the (?), That's how crabs move, bad move
Anyone who tries to attack the artist from the side will be unsuccessful and will ultimately fail.

I am hip-hop, so if I ever bite a line. I'm only takin back what's rightfully mine, motherfucker!
The artist declares that he represents the true essence of hip-hop and sometimes other artists copy his style. In those cases, he is just taking back what is rightfully his.

Just a little taste, so strap on that neck brace
This is just the beginning of what the artist has in store. The audience needs to be prepared for more.

One-six.. yo, 7L & Esoteric are here to bring the realness
7L & Esoteric are here to bring the true meaning of hip-hop.

We represent the past, present, and future of hip-hop
The artist represents the essence of hip-hop throughout time.

And we're about to take the stage!
The artist is ready to perform.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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