King Tubby
Armand Hammer Lyrics

We still talkin' about slavery
We are still discussing the history and impact of slavery

But these are my proof, to show you that slavery
These are my evidence to demonstrate how slavery

Helped [?]
Had an effect or influenced something

Still waitin' on that commencement speech invitiation
Still waiting for an invitation to give a graduation speech

Cash strapped HBCU, but I'll take it
Although the historically black college/university is financially struggling, I am willing to do it

Plagiarized This Is Water
Copied or imitated the work 'This Is Water'

No Foster Wallace, but I'll fake it, I'll fake it
I may not be David Foster Wallace, but I will pretend to be

Makeshift, transubstantiation, cup or chalice, hand shakin'
A temporary or improvised process of changing substances, like a cup or religious chalice, with trembling hands

Pac blood, one sip, a rapper could beat all his cases
If a rapper drinks the blood of Tupac, it is believed they will overcome any criminal charges

In this side-scrolling, 8-bit bullet hell, I'm patient
In this video game-like environment with challenging obstacles, I remain calm and composed

Graceful as third generation bomb makers
As skilled and elegant as individuals who come from a lineage of bomb makers

Dancers bodies [?] basements
The bodies of dancers are present or hidden in basements

Arms tired, eight eyes achin'
My arms are tired and my eight eyes are tired and sore

Squealin' tires as per the arrangement
Tires screeching as planned or expected

Hiding Places was inside my mind's labyrinths and mazes
The album 'Hiding Places' was a representation of the complex and intricate thoughts and emotions within my mind

Heavy headed shapes who live in crawlspaces
Weighty and significant figures who reside in hidden and confined spaces

Lord knows, it's hard bein' famous
It is difficult and challenging to be a well-known and recognized person

Flip phone Pan-Africans call home on occasion
Obsolete Pan-Africans use flip phones as a way to connect with their homeland occasionally

Soundin' happier, soundin' like sincere
Speaking in a more cheerful and seemingly genuine manner

I sincerely hope Cape Town bid on your Acura
I genuinely wish for Cape Town to place a bid on purchasing your Acura car

Mandrax under the front passenger
The drug Mandrax is hidden beneath the front passenger seat

Deus Ex Machina every chapter
A sudden, unexpected resolution to every chapter, like in the literary technique 'Deus Ex Machina'

I glow in the dark, half-life under weighted blankets
I emit a luminous glow in the darkness, representing a partially lived life under heavy burdens and pressures

Fuckin' on cold nights
Engaging in sexual activity during chilly evenings

Lead pipe bangin', waves of x-ray scannin'
Striking with a lead pipe, causing x-ray scans to detect the impact

Catch a body after tamperin' with the body camera
Committing a murder after tampering with a body camera to avoid detection

It's a cancer
It is a destructive and harmful force or influence

It's a mass in the abdomen, it's a tuned mass damper
Referring to a mass in the abdomen as a tuned mass damper, which absorbs and counteracts vibrations

Old man Barnum, super scammers
Comparing oneself to P.T. Barnum, known for his deception and fraud, as a master manipulator

Tamarind daiquiri, no tough guy, I'm a dandy
Drinking a tamarind daiquiri, not portraying oneself as tough but rather as a stylish and sophisticated person

No [?] in the backwood, color of brandy
No lack of confidence in one's abilities, possessing the color of brandy in reference to self-assuredness

Acrid, greed, banana and [?]
A bitter quality of greed, along with a reference to banana and another undisclosed element

King Tubby, where [?], that's the hit fashion
King Tubby, a legendary producer of dub music, is mentioned as a popular trend in the music scene

Russian waters, liquid borders
Referring to borders that are fluid and subject to change, drawing a comparison to Russian waters

Meet me at the shore, address me as your lord
Let's meet at the shore, and you should treat me with respect and call me your lord

I'm with death, flippin' quarters
I am in close proximity to death, gambling with quarters as a symbolic representation

Grillin' swordfish on the back of a black orca
Cooking swordfish on the dorsal fin of a black whale-like creature, symbolizing a unique and unconventional cooking method

Openin' the records, 180 gram warpin'
Taking out vinyl records and playing them, noting they may be slightly warped

Four fingers on the lazy susan
Placing four fingers on a rotating serving tray, known as a lazy susan

Breathless detail, [?] the movement
Providing detailed information about something, potentially related to a specific movement

First [?]
Initial or foremost reference to something

[?] jurisprudence
An inexplicit term related to a particular system of laws or legal principles

Naked underneath, save for the Ruger
Wearing no clothes except for carrying a Ruger firearm

A real boofer, rumor
Being a true enthusiast or avid follower, especially in relation to a rumor

Boy with the red balloon driftin' toward a new Earth
A young boy with a red balloon floats or moves aimlessly towards a different world or reality

Cloud burst before the boom, like quickenin' in the womb
The release of a sudden cloud burst is compared to the anticipation and excitement before birth

Quivers coarsin' through, contortions
Trembling movements pulsating and coursing through, resulting in contortions

I'm at the source, true north, new morning
I am at the origin or core, the ultimate truth or guidepost, experiencing a fresh start or beginning

Sea birds and jetsam
Birds from the sea and discarded debris or cargo

What I needed, a little bit extra
What I required was a small additional amount

Yep, yep, I seen it, shiny chrome dipped in polish
Yes, yes, I have witnessed it, a shiny object coated with gloss or shine

Handsome gun, a mnemonic picture so you frame the logic
An attractive firearm, serving as a visual memory aid that allows you to construct or understand the reasoning

Your mind the greatest weapon, but your heart the biggest target
Your mind is the most powerful tool you possess, yet your heart is the most vulnerable aspect of your being

Marksman
A skilled shooter or sniper

I devour from the lands of time forgotten
I consume or take in knowledge or inspiration from ancient or disregarded eras

Power, power, power, on the minds of those without it
The desire for power consumes the thoughts of those who lack it

Cowards in high places refute this world is ours
Cowardly individuals in positions of authority deny that this world belongs to all of us

Flowers from [?] the light rerouted
Flowers sourced from an undisclosed location where the light has been redirected

I watch Ms. Rogers splayed on the stoop and cry for hours
I observe a disarrayed or spread-out Ms. Rogers sitting on the porch steps, shedding tears for an extended period

They liars, only trusted through proven truth, the survivors
They are dishonest, and only those who have proved their trustworthiness are considered survivors

I'm giant, I'm giant, no weapon formed shall triumph
I possess immense strength and power, making any weapon created against me ineffective

They left us out to dry, I recombined like I designed it
They abandoned or deserted us, but I regrouped and restructured everything as if it was my intention

Reclinin' with the lions, like the [??]
Relaxing in the presence of powerful or influential individuals, akin to reclining with lions

[?] suffer lions, when Jah didn't provide enough
Suffering from the demands or expectations of powerful figures when God did not sufficiently provide

Scratchin' and survivin', shootin' tight for months
Struggling and enduring, barely making it through, facing tight situations for extended periods

Maybe greed, maybe not, when I see Zion
Possibly driven by greed or ambition, depending on one's interpretation, when encountering Zion or a utopian place

Aquarius move, the various roots consume
An Aquarius-like movement or change, where different roots or influences are absorbed and digested

Ritual smoke fumed above the tomb
Sacred smoke rises above the burial site in a ceremonial manner

Ain't no white witch bitch here on nobody broom
There is no female witch riding on a broom here, specifically a malicious or evil witch

Aight then boom
Alright, then suddenly something dramatic or impactful happens

We tarry for whom, scarab bearer blooms
We wait for someone or something, expecting the emergence of a significant bearer of a scarab, a symbol of rebirth and protection

In the ruins feelin' tender, render me unctous
Amidst the wreckage, feeling delicate and sensitive, making me oily or ingratiating

Ain't no tellin' where I might end up
It is uncertain where I may find myself or what situation I may be in

Entombed, a livin' artifact, far from yours
Trapped like being buried alive, a living artifact that belongs to another or is distant from your possession

Drums or horns or harpsichords
Referring to musical instruments - drums, horns, and harpsichords

Distant form upon horizon
A shape or presence that appears far away on the horizon

You can try, but if the heart denies, find silence
You can attempt something, but if the heart refuses or rejects, you will encounter silence or rejection

Glad tidings
Pleasant or cheerful news or information