9th was then tapped to produce a track on Jay-Z's Black Album, which became his first major label placement. From there, 9th Wonder produced 3 songs for the R&B Super group Destiny's Child on the album "Destiny Fulfilled ("Girl", "Is She the Reason", "Game Over"), won a Grammy with Mary J. Blige for her album The BreakThrough ("Good Woman Down"), Erykah Badu's "Honey", and "20 Feet Tall" on the album New Amerykah 1 and 2, Ludacris' "Do the Right Thang", a song featuring Common and Spike Lee, and most recently David Banner on the album Death of a Popstar. 9th will also be working with Drake for the second time on his sophomore album release. 9th also has 3 albums with Murs, an Emcee that hails from MidCity, CA, in which all three albums have received critical acclaim.
9th was chosen by Aaron McGruder to score music for the critically acclaimed series "The Boondocks". He has endorsed companies such as M-Audio Electronics, FL Studio, LRG Clothing Company, and Creative Recreation Shoe Company. 9th Wonder was one of 12 individuals selected by The Pepsi Corporation for the African American Calender, "The First Of Many". 9th has also worked on an album with Hollywood actor Idris Elba.
He is the president, founder and CEO of It's a Wonderful World Music Group, which focuses on catering to the 28 to 40 year old demographic of hip-hop music lovers, 9th Wonder hosts a radio show along with Kyle Santillian on Soul 104.5 FM in Fayetteville, NC called "TRUE SCHOOL RADIO" playing the first 24 years of hip-hop, along with 80's R&B, and New Jack Swing.
9th Wonder and six other individuals founded the True School Corporation in 2006 to celebrate the music, culture, and film of 70's babies and The Spike Lee Era. In the United States there are millions of Black Americans between the ages of 28-40 that grew up in a time where hip-hop was diverse, informative, and soulful. These same individuals have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, accountants, dentists, etc., and still have a love of what hip-hop used to be. The media has demonized hip-Hop in the last 10 years; so many Black Americans tend to shy away from the picture that the media has created for hip-hop. True School has changed the minds of the generation before us (50's and 60's babies) and let them know that emcees such as Chuck D, Rakim, KRS-One, The Native Tongues, Outkast, and countless other has had much of an effect on our lives as our teachers and educators.
9th believes in the preservation of Black Music throughout all its divisions (jazz, gospel, funk, soul, afrobeat, hip-hop), and its connections to music enthnocology and the African diaspora. 9th was recently appointed the National Ambassador For Hip-Hop Relations and Culture for the NAACP by Ben Jealous, President of The NAACP, where he leads a board of PhD's, Hip-Hop Artists, and Juris Doctorates. 9th was recently interviewed by Neill McNeill of FOX 8 News in The Piedmont, NC, for a segment entitled "NewsMaker", to showcase North Carolinians who are making a difference in the community. 9th Wonder is also a member of the Zulu Nation, a hip-hop peace organization started by Afrika Bambaataa in 1973.
9th was appointed Artist in Residence by former North Carolina Central University Chancellor James Ammons (now President of Florida A&M University) in the fall of 2006. An Artist in Residence is someone involved heavily in the music industry to conduct a course or seminar of a particular subject. He was approached by Dr. Kawachi Clemons, PhD of Education, to develop a course called "Hip Hop in Context, 1973-1997, a study of the development and cultural history of Hip-Hop starting with James Brown in the late 1960's, going all the way to death of The Notorious B.I.G. in 1997. He is now currently an Adjunct Professor at Duke University while still traveling the country lecturing at different universities.
"You have to see one to be one." Hip-Hop is now making its 20yr generational turn, and there are a new breed of artists who are children of the first hip-hop generation, that have studied that generation's sound, look, and feel. "If the younger generation. . . " he continues. With President Barack Obama's message, and the new movement of hip-hop hipsters. . . "Along with several colleagues, I plan to have Summits, Festivals, and lecture panel series throughout the year, to show kids the true manifestation of the hip-hop culture and lifestyles," 9th says.
"Hip-Hop is the voice of at least 2 generations. At one time, it was the POSITIVE voice, as stated earlier. Chuck D was the black history teacher I never had, along with countless other black Americans my age. It can be that again, but with the right voices and the right players. As the late Curtis Mayfield said, "We must educate and Well as Entertain."
A Star U R ft. Terrace Martin Problem & GQ
9th Wonder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Which side are you on, friend? Which side are you on?
Justice for Mike Brown, justice for us all
Justice for Mike Brown, justice for us all
(He was a thug)
Which side are you on, boy? The silence is unappreciated
Which side are you on, my lord? I'mma go ahead and take that as disrespect
Which side are you on, my lord? Get off the fence son
Get off the bench son
Which side are you on, boy? Who will stand to defend us?
Which side are you on, my lord? If you ain't with us, you against us
We drawing a line in the sand
You with us or against us? Gotta decide where you stand
There's an angel and a demon inside of every man
It's completely up to you, who getting the upper hand?
I make my music for the people
Survival guide the ruthless, be confusing it with evil
When I say "the people" I don't just mean the ones that agree with me
I'm on the side of the people regardless of who they seem to be following
Which side are you on, boy? Get off the fence son
Which side are you on, my lord Get off the bench son
Which side are you on, boy? Who will stand to defend us?
Which side are you on, my lord If you ain't with us, you against us
Which side are you on, boy? Get off the fence son
Which side are you on, my lord Get off the bench son
Which side are you on, boy? Who will stand to defend us?
Which side are you on, my lord If you ain't with us, you against us
Ain't none of these deaths making sense
Nothing is sacred when you suffering to pay your rent
Celebrities be making money off the powerless
They silence in the face of injustice is just cowardice
I roll with a crew that ain't never scared of the challenges
We don't wait for the tragedies, freedom is the catalyst
We don't call in the cavalry, we the leaders we waiting on
You standing up for justice, then trust us, this is your favorite song
They want us caught up in more legal drama than Law & Order
In the streets police is on trial and rappers is the court reporters
You won't be more then one of the lambs they fattening up for the slaughter
If you don't pull your weight [?] for our daughters
How a kid without a gun become a threat to cops
When they let off shots
hoping that his head will pop and that his breath will stop?
Gotta be satisfied with waiting until we get the verdict
It's just perverted, no justice for the family of the kid they murdered
Today, today, who you gonna be?
Who you rollin' with?
Quit your stalling, all or nothing
Which side are you on?
Today, today, who you gonna be?
Who you rollin' with?
Pick your poison
Which side are you on?
Gold choppers, [?] match my eyes if they [?]
Martin on my arm, but the struggle made me more Malcolm
Demon in the smoke, kush burnin' like Ferguson
Fuck Obama and Don Lemon nigga, the nerve of them
CNN, CNN but they ain't seein' him
Tears of the tear gas, tears of the Elohim
POE the priest, hit a pig with a prison shank
God got me, copy? I ain't scared of a fuckin' tank
Glorious struggle, shout out my brother [Troy Russell?]
[?] don't put a bullet hole in my spleen
[?] in my dreams
Don't kill me for that line, conceal me or flat lines
I don't believe in no laws, I don't believe in your God
It's your block for my black freedom, put a car bomb in your heart
Black child, ain't no love in this bitch
Feed your seed and get your chopper like the government did
P-O-E
Which side are you on, boy? Get off the fence son
Which side are you on, my lord Get off the bench son
Which side are you on, boy? Who will stand to defend us?
Which side are you on, my lord If you ain't with us, you against us
Which side are you on, boy? Get off the fence son
Which side are you on, my lord Get off the bench son
Which side are you on, boy? Who will stand to defend us?
Which side are you on, my lord If you ain't with us, you against us
Mike Brown
Eric Garner
Tamir Rice
John Crawford
Kajieme Powell
Antonio Martin
And that's just last year son
The song A Star U R by 9th Wonder featuring Terrace Martin Problem & GQ calls people out to take a clear stand by asking one question repetitively, "Which side are you on?" They make a direct reference to the shooting of Mike Brown by saying "Justice for Mike Brown, justice for us all." They want people to speak up against injustice and be vocal about it. The lyrics insist that silence is not embraced, and that "Silence is death." One must take a stand to defend themselves and others, and not just sit on the fence. The song also talks about how important it is to be with the people and stand up for them, whether they agree with you or not. This is declared by saying "I'm on the side of the people regardless of who they seem to be following." The artists in the song urge people not to wait for calamity to happen before speaking up, saying that "We don't wait for the tragedies, freedom is the catalyst." Finally, the song reminds people to take responsibility for their children and secure their freedom: "Feed your seed and get your chopper like the government did."
Line by Line Meaning
Which side are you on, friend? Which side are you on?
Asking the listener to choose a side in the fight for justice
Justice for Mike Brown, justice for us all
Demanding justice for all those subject to police brutality and violence, particularly Mike Brown
(He was a thug)
Commenting on the unjust characterization of victims of police brutality as 'thugs'
Which side are you on, boy? The silence is unappreciated
Addressing the listener as 'boy' and calling out the inaction of those who've yet to join the fight for justice
Which side are you on, my lord? I'mma go ahead and take that as disrespect
Challenging the apathy of those in power and calling out their lack of action
Which side are you on, boy? Silence is death, yes
Rejecting the notion that staying silent and inactive helps anyone and emphasizing that inaction enables further oppression
Which side are you on, my lord? Get off the fence son
Urging those in power to take a stance on the issue rather than try to remain neutral
Get off the bench son
Encouraging the inactive to take action and join the fight for justice
Which side are you on, boy? Who will stand to defend us?
Asking who will take action to fight for justice and defend those who have been victimized
Which side are you on, my lord? If you ain't with us, you against us
Positing that there is no neutral ground in this struggle--either you are actively fighting for justice or you are contributing to the problem by doing nothing
We drawing a line in the sand
Metaphorically dividing those who are fighting for justice and those who are not
You with us or against us? Gotta decide where you stand
Continuing to urge people to take a stance on the issue and choose to fight for justice or be complicit in oppression
There's an angel and a demon inside of every man
Commenting on the duality of human nature and the struggle between good and evil
It's completely up to you, who getting the upper hand?
Positing that people are in control of their own destiny and can either choose to be agents of good or evil
I make my music for the people
Asserting that the artist creates music meant to empower and uplift individuals
Survival guide the ruthless, be confusing it with evil
Acknowledging the difficulty in discerning between being ruthless as a survival mechanism and engaging in truly evil behavior
When I say "the people" I don't just mean the ones that agree with me
Clarifying that when the artist says 'the people' they're referring to all who need to join the fight for justice
I'm on the side of the people regardless of who they seem to be following
Reiterating that the artist is fighting for justice for all, regardless of who they may have previously aligned themselves with
Ain't none of these deaths making sense
Commenting on the senselessness of the deaths resulting from state-sanctioned violence
Nothing is sacred when you suffering to pay your rent
Noting the way that poverty and systemic oppression can make daily life feel like a constant struggle
Celebrities be making money off the powerless
Highlighting the way that celebrities may profit off of the oppression and suffering of others
They silence in the face of injustice is just cowardice
Calling out those in power who remain silent in the face of such oppression as being cowardly
I roll with a crew that ain't never scared of the challenges
Expressing solidarity with those who are willing to take action in the face of adversity
We don't wait for the tragedies, freedom is the catalyst
Asserting that the path toward freedom and justice requires proactive action, not only reactions to tragedy
We don't call in the cavalry, we the leaders we waiting on
Rejecting the notion that those in power will save the powerless and emphasizing the importance of individual leadership
You standing up for justice, then trust us, this is your favorite song
Empowering and encouraging those who are fighting for justice to continue doing so, with the reassurance that they are not alone
They want us caught up in more legal drama than Law & Order
Commenting on the overwhelming amount of legal obstacles that continue to plague the movement for justice
In the streets police is on trial and rappers is the court reporters
Noting the irony of a broken legal system and highlighting the role that artists can play in calling attention to such issues
You won't be more then one of the lambs they fattening up for the slaughter
Warning that complacency and inaction will only lead to becoming a further target of the oppressive system
If you don't pull your weight [?] for our daughters
Challenging the listener to be proactive in the fight for justice if they hope to ensure safety and protection for their children
How a kid without a gun become a threat to cops
Positing that the system has created a narrative where even unarmed children are viewed as dangerous
When they let off shots hoping that his head will pop and that his breath will stop?
Highlighting the disturbing reality of police brutality and the way that it can often go unpunished
Gotta be satisfied with waiting until we get the verdict
Noting the reality that the fight for justice can be slow moving and frustrating, but patience is key
It's just perverted, no justice for the family of the kid they murdered
Commenting on the unjust reality that those who commit acts of violence against unarmed civilians often face little to no repercussions
Today, today, who you gonna be?
Urging the listener to reflect on their values and decide how they want to contribute to the fight for justice
Who you rollin' with?
Asking the listener to consider who they want to support and align themselves with in the fight for justice
Quit your stalling, all or nothing
Urging an end to indecisiveness and apathy, and encouraging the listener to take action one way or another
Pick your poison
Positing that everyone must make choices and take action, even if the choices themselves are difficult
Gold choppers, [?] match my eyes if they [?]
Lyrics whose meaning is unclear
Martin on my arm, but the struggle made me more Malcolm
Referencing Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X to express the impact of social justice movements on individual growth
Demon in the smoke, kush burnin' like Ferguson
Illusionary lyrics
Fuck Obama and Don Lemon nigga, the nerve of them
Expressing frustration with public figures who have failed to speak out against injustice
CNN, CNN but they ain't seein' him
Commenting on mainstream media's failure to give visibility and coverage to issues of police brutality and violence
Tears of the tear gas, tears of the Elohim
Alluding to the divine 'Elohim' and the impact of state-sanctioned violence on civilians
POE the priest, hit a pig with a prison shank
Metaphorical phrasing for standing up to those in power and utilizing nonviolent resistance
God got me, copy? I ain't scared of a fuckin' tank
Expressing faith and confidence in the fight for justice, and the rejection of fear tactics
Glorious struggle, shout out my brother [Troy Russell?]
Reference to an individual within the fight for justice
[?] don't put a bullet hole in my spleen
Unclear line
[?] in my dreams
Unclear line
Don't kill me for that line, conceal me or flat lines
Referencing both literal violence that writers and activists face, as well as the need to keep working to fight for justice
I don't believe in no laws, I don't believe in your God
Rejecting the societal norms and systems that oppress certain groups and expressing skepticism toward religious ideology
It's your block for my black freedom, put a car bomb in your heart
A metaphor that the fight for freedom for black people can only be won with the support and willingness of individuals within the community
Black child, ain't no love in this bitch
Commenting on the difficult realities of racism and oppression, and the pain that they cause
Feed your seed and get your chopper like the government did
Alluding to the militarization of police forces and the way that people are encouraged to be self-sufficient in order to protect themselves from state-sanctioned violence
P-O-E
Artist signature
Mike Brown
Referencing the police shooting of Michael Brown and the subsequent protests and activism that it sparked
Eric Garner
Referencing the death of Eric Garner at the hands of police, and the subsequent failure of the legal system to hold his killers accountable
Tamir Rice
Referencing the tragic killing of 12 year-old Tamir Rice by a police officer, which once again highlighted systemic issues within police forces
John Crawford
Referencing the shooting of John Crawford, who was killed while holding a BB gun in a Walmart, which once again brought national attention to police killings
Kajieme Powell
Referencing the death of Kajieme Powell at the hands of police, which highlighted the incredible violence and brutality that police are capable of
Antonio Martin
Referencing the shooting of Antonio Martin, who was killed by police while unarmed, demonstrating the ongoing nature of the struggle for justice
And that's just last year son
Highlighting the relentless and ongoing nature of police brutality and violence against civilians, as well as the need for continued activism and change
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chosen Savior
I love this song so much. This is that feel good music that can lift you up no matter how your day is going.
JAVI VERCETTI
ABSOLUTELY
Chulo Sinclaire
Chosen Savior my apologies. Star of the Story
Chulo Sinclaire
Chosen Savior the intro and shoutro feels so good. The sample is from Heatwave 'The Story of a Star'
TheHomey NowUKnowMe
@winston timothy Tell 'em reverend, lol!
Amber M
" I love being grounded but I'm flirting with the sky, knots in my stomach be deserving of a tie, if Martin had a nightmare Sojourner was a lie"
Brandon Hammond
Amber M #dope #lit 🔥
A.G.E. The Gawd
GQ a genius.
Andrew Wilson
I'd kill to know the sample used on this. -_- been searching since it's release. STILL no luck. My favorite song on the album.
JAVI VERCETTI
@Andrew Wilson my dude, this story is GOLD lol hit him up on social media, I know he'll respond to you