In early 2014, Arif signed a career management deal with Nora Collective. While working on his long-play debut, Arif released one of the biggest urban hits of the summer of 2014; “Lowkey” and in January 2015, he released the radio-friendly “Kanke Gi Opp” (feat. Magnus Eliassen), the first single from the April 2015 album “HighEnd / Asfalt” - raising the expectations for his album debut even further.
Background:
In the wake of the critically acclaimed EP, along with the national hit “Gal”, Arif was named Untouched Artist of The Year - a prestigeful aknowledgement for new, independent artists, presented by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK). After his performance at Norwegian music festival by:Larm, Arif was hailed as a rising star by VG, P3, Dagbladet and Aftenposten - some of Norway’s largest media outlets. This paved the way for a career step in the right direction when major label EMI/Warner Music Group signed Arif in early 2013. He released his well recieved sophomore-EP “Aldri & Alltid” in the fall of 2013, which had a more dark and serious theme than his debut release.
Arif’s music and impressively energetic live performances, combined with his charismatic appearance, has helped earn Arif gigs at the biggest festivals, his own t-shirt collection together with the Varner Group, as well as several radio and TV performances, including a guest role in TV show “Helt Perfekt” with comedian Thomas Giertsen.
Jimmy Darmody
Arif Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hjernen spinner som en vindmølle I Nederland
Sjeldent sur, jeg har problemer med mitt temperament
Gjemmer følelser bak et smil, så de tror de kjenner han
Bare hold meg unna den siste dråpen
Ja, ja
Bare hold meg unna den siste dråpen
Ja, ja
E'kke rart disse folka tror jeg mangler en skrue
Svarting virker truende
Kanskje jeg er gæren, kanskje jeg er bad
Sorteste får, sorteste sau
Kanskje jeg appellerer til meg for lille Norge mener jeg er sær
Du lever I en drøm, bare skru av TV'en
Sorry, pappa, men du lagde deg en djevel
Mama mata meg a la Capri, fatter'n min never
Jeg fantaserte om å drepe deg, fucking djevelsk
Hatt en bra barndom, så fuck it
Men helt ærlig, jeg kan si at det er dyrt å være fattig
Hull I mine fotballsko
Men de samme skoene ga meg baller til å fuckings tro på no
Slutta rocke Louis, for folka her er på no' fake shit
Holder det Givenchy på no' made shit
Baws I en tid, på no' made shit
Bare gi oss tid, så får du greatness
Ser ut som en reklame fra Benneton
Rusa på vår egen dritt, jeg sverger jeg får så bender'n as
Er det nå jeg sier "no homo"?
Ser fremtiden utvikle seg I slow-mo
Eller I blinde
Vi skal gi Norge noe å være stolt av uten om ostehøvel og binders
Studio hele natta, bare planer og scheemer
Mista bryllup til babo, håper homie min tilgir
Som kids drømte vi om å bli som Diddy og Biggie
Du fant din egen vei, jeg få'kke vaska vekk mine synder
Dem pleide å si 'du få'kke drømme, jævla nigger'
Men alle har vel en drøm, selv en uteligger og tigger
Gjør det for taxi-sjåfører med mastergrader
Gjør det for advokater som vasker lokaler
Gjør det for ingeniører som vasker gamle rumper
For Preben ville chiller'n, han sa pappa betaler
Ha'kke klart å vokse, bakfull hver søndag
Så jeg er stolt av min homie som for seg sønn snart
En bedre far kan en sønn aldri skaffe seg
Og når du kommer hjem, bare vit det finnes en plass for deg
The lyrics to Arif's song Jimmy Darmody talk about the struggles the artist faces being a black man in Norway. He talks about his issues with his temperament and how people perceive him as a black man. He mentions how he hides his feelings behind a smile and how people think they know him, but they do not. He also talks about his childhood, how he had a good one, but it was expensive to be poor. He mentions how he wanted to kill his father but moved on from the anger.
Arif then talks about his dreams of becoming like Diddy and Biggie but found his own path. He mentions how people told him he could not dream but that everyone has a dream, even an outcast. He talks about doing it for the taxi drivers with master's degrees, the lawyers cleaning offices, and the engineers wiping old butts. The song ends with Arif being proud of his friend, who is going to be a father soon and how there is always a place for him to come home to.
Overall, this song sheds light on the difficulties people of color face in a predominantly white country and how they have to work ten times harder than their counterparts. It highlights the hopes and dreams of people and how they strive to achieve it despite the odds stacked against them.
Line by Line Meaning
Neger, neger, neger, kom deg hjem til negerland
The singer is addressing someone, telling them to return to their home in Africa using a derogatory term.
Hjernen spinner som en vindmølle I Nederland
The singer's mind is racing with thoughts, like a windmill in the Netherlands.
Sjeldent sur, jeg har problemer med mitt temperament
The singer is not usually angry, but struggles to control their temper.
Gjemmer følelser bak et smil, så de tror de kjenner han
The artist hides their true feelings behind a smile, leading others to think they know him well.
Bare hold meg unna den siste dråpen, Ja, ja
The artist asks to be kept away from any further frustration or irritation.
Nok bullshit som fyller mitt huet
The singer is tired of all the nonsense that fills their head.
E'kke rart disse folka tror jeg mangler en skrue
It's not surprising that people think the singer is crazy or unstable.
Svarting virker truende
The artist believes that black people are viewed as threatening.
Kanskje jeg er gæren, kanskje jeg er bad
The artist acknowledges the possibility of being crazy or bad.
Sorteste får, sorteste sau
The artist feels like the black sheep in society (a play on words using 'sorteste' which means blackest).
Kanskje jeg appellerer til meg for lille Norge mener jeg er sær
The singer feels like they don't fit in with mainstream Norwegian society, which makes them feel like an outsider.
Du lever I en drøm, bare skru av TV'en
The artist suggests that someone is living in a dream world and should turn off the TV to face reality.
Sorry, pappa, men du lagde deg en djevel
The singer blames their father for creating a devil-like character (possibly referring to themselves).
Mama mata meg a la Capri, fatter'n min never
The singer had a good childhood, cared for by his mother like they do in the island of Capri but not shown enough love by his father.
Jeg fantaserte om å drepe deg, fucking djevelsk
The singer admits to having fantasized about killing their father, which is a disturbing thought.
Hatt en bra barndom, så fuck it
Despite the previous lines, the artist says they had a good childhood and doesn't want to dwell on the negative.
Men helt ærlig, jeg kan si at det er dyrt å være fattig
The artist acknowledges that it can be expensive to be poor and that they have struggled financially.
Hull I mine fotballsko
The singer had holes in their football shoes, which represents their struggle and possibly their humble beginnings.
Men de samme skoene ga meg baller til å fuckings tro på no
Despite having holes in their shoes, the singer still had the courage to believe in themselves and dream big.
Slutta rocke Louis, for folka her er på no' fake shit
The artist stopped wearing Louis Vuitton because people in their community were only focused on superficial things.
Holder det Givenchy på no' made shit
The artist still wears Givenchy, but it's on their own terms and not because it's trendy or expensive.
Baws I en tid, på no' made shit
The artist is a boss in their own way, even if they don't conform to traditional ideas of success.
Bare gi oss tid, så får du greatness
The singer is confident that with time, they will achieve greatness.
Ser ut som en reklame fra Benneton
The artist's group of friends or community is racially diverse, like a United Colors of Benetton ad.
Rusa på vår egen dritt, jeg sverger jeg får så bender'n as
The singer and their friends get high on their own supply (possibly drugs) and it makes them feel good.
Er det nå jeg sier 'no homo'?
The singer is questioning whether they need to clarify that something they said was not meant to be homosexual in nature.
Ser fremtiden utvikle seg I slow-mo
The singer feels like the future is moving slowly and they are waiting for something big to happen or change.
Eller I blinde
The artist acknowledges that they may be blind to the future or the path ahead of them.
Vi skal gi Norge noe å være stolt av uten om ostehøvel og binders
The artist and their community want to contribute something meaningful to Norway beyond cheese slicers and paper clips (symbols of Norwegian inventions).
Studio hele natta, bare planer og scheemer
The singer spends all night in the studio, making plans and scheming for their future success.
Mista bryllup til babo, håper homie min tilgir
The singer missed their own wedding due to something related to their father, but they hope their friend will forgive them.
Som kids drømte vi om å bli som Diddy og Biggie
The artist and their friends grew up dreaming of becoming like P. Diddy and The Notorious B.I.G. (two prominent figures in hip hop).
Du fant din egen vei, jeg få'kke vaska vekk mine synder
The artist acknowledges that their friend has found their own path in life, but the artist still feels burdened by their own mistakes or sins.
Dem pleide å si 'du få'kke drømme, jævla nigger'
People used to tell the artist that they couldn't dream big because they were black and that was a derogatory term to refer to them.
Men alle har vel en drøm, selv en uteligger og tigger
The singer believes that everyone has a dream, even someone who is homeless or begging on the street.
Gjør det for taxi-sjåfører med mastergrader
The artist wants to succeed for the taxi drivers who have master's degrees (people who are highly-educated but working menial jobs).
Gjør det for advokater som vasker lokaler
The singer wants to succeed for the lawyers who clean buildings for a living (people who are overqualified but working low-skill jobs).
Gjør det for ingeniører som vasker gamle rumper
The singer wants to succeed for the engineers who are cleaning up human waste (people who are trained in high-level skills but working in low-status jobs).
For Preben ville chiller'n, han sa pappa betaler
The singer wants to succeed for Preben, who can afford to relax because his father will pay for everything.
Ha'kke klart å vokse, bakfull hver søndag
The artist admits to struggling to mature and feeling hungover every Sunday (possibly suggesting a lifestyle of drinking and partying).
Så jeg er stolt av min homie som for seg sønn snart
The artist is proud of their friend for having a son on the way (which represents maturity and responsibility).
En bedre far kan en sønn aldri skaffe seg
The singer believes that their friend will be a great father and no son could ask for a better one.
Og når du kommer hjem, bare vit det finnes en plass for deg
The singer tells their friend that when they come home, they will always have a place to belong.
Contributed by Jonathan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Selina Jeanette
on Flexnes
Where is the french part?