Monotony
Afu‐Ra Lyrics
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"Uprising surprising"
"Knowledge wisdom understanding"
[Afu-Ra]
Smooth like Johnny Cochran, I keep it movin through Brooklyn
Base against the hymn, brings the sweat to the skin
Reminisce of the days as a shorty
I lived it up, yeah, money ain't a thing
Never thought twice on what my future bring
Role models, naw I thought nothing of it
Eyes fixed on skies and planes fly high above it
Summer's comin, September's middle school
Mom Dukes mad strict, she'll never raise a fool
I'm comin up, clean the dirty from the ghetto
So we can plant some seeds and watch them grow
[Chorus]
Right, knowledge wisdom understanding rules, right
Everybody got to pay the dues, right
Knowledge, wisdom understanding rules
Everybody got to pay the dues
[Afu-Ra]
Tripped up by bad luck, 16 years and buck
I realized the world might end, not givin up
Stickin up, runnin up, comin up
Turn it up, I see signs of blowin up
Study life in every facet of my trainin
We need masters in biology, zoology
To overtake, Illuminati trick-nology
Transform, reciprocate your mental state
Now make a date to overtake your objective
Show that through light, that everything is connected
But not in categories, that's the Devil's story
Symbols of cannibalism, ruin your vision
The thoughts formulate in your mind with no precision
So reenact, a rebirth, now you're the Phoenix
When shorties see it, now that's the time they believe it
Achieve it, your goals in life, don't be a casualty
Infinite and intricate, monument
"Knowledge wisdom understanding"
[Chorus]
[Afu-Ra]
Right, knowledge wisdom understanding, rules
"Uprising, surprising"
[Afu-Ra]
I know the next millennium seems like it's cursed
That's why I have to rehearse
Tune my physical, mental spits the lyrical
It's so essential, transcends thoughts I'm into
As we continue, touch rhyme styles I'm into
All grown up, Junior High to 25
A made man, tight connection with my brothers
Bridgin gaps, dodgin traps with my raps
Signs you're followin, shed more light
Then a halogen, take a step back, now who you followin?
[Chorus 2X]
[Hook 4X]
In Afu-Ra's song, Monotony, the rapper reminisces about the days of his youth, where life was carefree and money was not an issue. He talks about how his role models were not important to him, and how he dreamt of flying planes and watching them soar high above. However, bad luck hit him at the age of 16, and he began to realize that the world might end, which only fueled his desire to succeed. He began studying biology, zoology, and other subjects, so he could overtake Illuminati trick-nology and transform his mental state. He encourages his listeners to achieve their goals in life and avoid becoming casualties of the infinite and intricate monument of life.
The song is a rallying cry for knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, as Afu-Ra emphasizes throughout the lyrics. He believes that everyone has to pay their dues to gain these traits, and he encourages his listeners to do the same. The hook of the song, "Uprising surprising" and "Knowledge wisdom understanding," emphasizes the need for a revolution of the mind, where people can gain greater awareness and cause a positive change in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Uprising surprising
We seek knowledge, wisdom, and understanding
Smooth like Johnny Cochran, I keep it movin through Brooklyn
I move smoothly through Brooklyn without much trouble.
Base against the hymn, brings the sweat to the skin
The rhythm of the music and the lyrics provoke strong emotions.
Reminisce of the days as a shorty
I remember my childhood.
Had no stress, no bills, was comin for me
I didn't have any bills or stress to worry about.
I lived it up, yeah, money ain't a thing
I enjoyed my life without worrying about money.
Never thought twice on what my future bring
I didn't think much about the future.
Role models, naw I thought nothing of it
I didn't really have any role models to look up to.
Eyes fixed on skies and planes fly high above it
I was always looking up to the sky watching the planes.
Summer's comin, September's middle school
The summer is ending, and it's time to go back to school.
Mom Dukes mad strict, she'll never raise a fool
My mom was strict, but she raised me well.
I'm comin up, clean the dirty from the ghetto
I'm working my way up and trying to improve things in my community.
So we can plant some seeds and watch them grow
We want to plant the seeds for a better future and see them grow.
Right, knowledge wisdom understanding rules, right
Having knowledge, wisdom, and understanding is important.
Everybody got to pay the dues, right
Everyone has to work hard to achieve their goals.
Tripped up by bad luck, 16 years and buck
I had some bad luck when I was 16 years old.
I realized the world might end, not givin up
I realized that the world could end, but I won't give up.
Stickin up, runnin up, comin up
I'm working hard to achieve success.
Turn it up, I see signs of blowin up
I'm seeing signs of success and things taking off.
Study life in every facet of my trainin
I study every aspect of life to improve my skills.
We need masters in biology, zoology
We need experts in various fields to help us understand the world.
To overtake, Illuminati trick-nology
We need to overcome the tricks and tactics of the Illuminati.
Transform, reciprocate your mental state
Change your mindset and attitude to achieve your goals.
Now make a date to overtake your objective
Set a goal and work hard to achieve it.
Show that through light, that everything is connected
Demonstrate that everything is connected through enlightenment.
But not in categories, that's the Devil's story
Don't categorize things as good or evil, that's the work of the devil.
Symbols of cannibalism, ruin your vision
Symbols of cannibalism can corrupt your perspective.
The thoughts formulate in your mind with no precision
You can't formulate thoughts accurately without precision.
So reenact, a rebirth, now you're the Phoenix
Change yourself and be reborn like a phoenix.
When shorties see it, now that's the time they believe it
When young people see the change, they will believe it's possible.
Achieve it, your goals in life, don't be a casualty
Don't let your goals and dreams become casualties.
Infinite and intricate, monument
Life is infinite, and the details are significant.
Right, knowledge wisdom understanding, rules
Knowledge, wisdom, and understanding are essential.
I know the next millennium seems like it's cursed
The future seems bleak and cursed.
That's why I have to rehearse
That's why I need to practice and be prepared.
Tune my physical, mental spits the lyrical
I need to prepare myself physically and mentally to deliver my music.
It's so essential, transcends thoughts I'm into
It's crucial and goes beyond my current thoughts and feelings.
As we continue, touch rhyme styles I'm into
As we keep going, I'll explore different rhyming styles.
All grown up, Junior High to 25
I'm an adult now, but I still remember my teenage years.
A made man, tight connection with my brothers
I'm successful now and have close bonds with my friends.
Bridgin gaps, dodgin traps with my raps
I'm using my music to bring people together and avoid obstacles.
Signs you're followin, shed more light
If you're following signs, you need more clarity.
Then a halogen, take a step back, now who you followin?
Look closely and think critically about who you're following.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AARON OCOSICE PHILLIP, CHRISTOPHER E MARTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind