His mother was an English literature professor from Jamaica. His father was a Ph.D. Marxist writer, active in the Zimbabwe War of Liberation and then a member of the government in Zimbabwe. In 1980, the family moved to Zimbabwe. After the death of Woods' father, they returned to the United States in 1989. Woods briefly attended Howard University before getting involved in New York City's hip-hop scene. He started making music in the late 1990s. He wrote his "first real rhyme" at a laundromat in Kennebunk, Maine in 1997.
Billy Woods released his debut solo album, Camouflage, on his record label Backwoodz Studioz in 2003. In 2012, he released History Will Absolve Me. In 2013, he released Dour Candy, which was entirely produced by Blockhead. In 2017, he released Known Unknowns. It was included on Rolling Stone's "15 Great Albums You Probably Didn't Hear in 2017" list. In 2019, he released a collaborative album with producer Kenny Segal, titled Hiding Places, and a solo album, Terror Management. 2020 brought Brass, a collaborative album with Moor Mother. Woods released Aethiopes and Church in 2022. On May 5th 2023 Woods released Maps , second collaborative album with producer Kenny Segal.
Pro Wrestling
Billy Woods Lyrics
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Walls filled with fear
We don't even understand freedom
Anymore we are a country that is heading
Towards socialism, totalitarianism
Beyond your wildest imagination - Glenn Beck
Blessed with technical skill and extremely
Well off when it
Comes to wrestling ability - Ted Di Biase
They do interviews
Veins bulging out the neck
Mock outrage? Or is they really vexed?
Anybody's guess facts don't matter
Make 'em twist and shout
Much beating of the chest
Popcorn buttered, feet up
Eyes glued to the set
It never gets old, like Pro Wrestling for NES
They be goin' off the top rope, suplex
Pay-per-view to your double-wide or duplex
A swing and a miss, but he still hit the deck
Badly choreographed cheap shot
Meet The Press logic is a foreign object
It's who cheats the best
Yells the loudest in the snake pit
Issuing cowardly threats
Work the crowd with oiled pecs
Emmanuel Goldstein on screen, grotesque
Come on down the aisle with your
Flag waving, with your music playing
And all your little fans standing and
You must get a weapon, you
Must have a weapon, You must get any
Weapon that is legal to have and
Keep it in your house
And not worry so much that you're going
To use it to kill yourself
Can I finish please? Yes, Alright absolutely
Death threats against my children
- Star Parker
Wriggled out the eight-count
Razors in his mouth steel cage match if the
Ratings keep going south
The heel plays his role to perfection
Steps on toes
Comes out throwing bo's at your section
Apply the sleeper hold just
In time for elections
Talking heads tap the side of
They nose as it grows
Catch a tiger by his toe, wag the dog
Thousand pound gorilla in the room
Fresh meat in the claw bring home the bacon
High on the hog
Pulled stuffing out the turnbuckle
Brass on the knuckle
Fan favorite, HGH in the muscle
Are you not entertained?!?
For this, better men, crippled and maimed
It's all in the game
Grab the mic, hit your marks
Spit those scripts
Pretty girls on the screen, showing some tit
Folding chair to the spine
Clothesline to the jibs
Dry-erase battle lines
One eye on Channel 9, like "can I live?"
Roll us into a new
Global government, environmental fascism
Dictatorship of the banking cartel
- Alex Jones
Cathy, get off my phone get off my
Phone you little pinhead i don't care
You people don't care about
The trillions get off my phone - Glen Beck
You're a hack
Integrity it's like Jacques Cousteau
Trying to find a dry spot in the ocean
I ain't got no damn integrity how you think
I got so far - Roddy Piper
I was born with a golden spoon in
My mouth nobody likes that it's
The old adage of: "You like to
Hear somebody is doing pretty good
But you don't want to
Hear they're doing better
Than you" You see, the bottom line is
I've always done better than everybody
Else only because of
One reason I was born with a golden spoon
I inherited the ability, I
Inherited the money
I inherited the God-given best looks
In the world today
And with this, I dress myself in ultra
Suede I dress myself in cashmere
Yeah i dress $100 pleated slacks i dress
Myself in alligator shoes i wear
A $15, 000 Rolex i got a Mercedes
Benz, Rolls Royce the biggest house
On the biggest hill, on the biggest
Side of town you know
Why I got all that because I was born
With a golden spoon - Ric Flair
The lyrics of Billy Woods's song "Pro Wrestling" delve into the themes of deception, manipulation, and the spectacle of pro wrestling as a metaphor for various aspects of society. In the first verse, Woods references the fear and walls seen in someone's eyes, highlighting the uncertainty and lack of freedom experienced in society. He then sarcastically quotes Glenn Beck's alarmist statement about the country heading towards socialism and totalitarianism, implying that fearmongering exaggerations are often used to manipulate and control people's perceptions.
Moving into the second verse, Woods takes on the persona of Ted Di Biase, a professional wrestler known for his arrogance and wealth. Here, Woods mocks Di Biase's self-proclaimed superiority and wealthy status, drawing parallels between the flashy showmanship of wrestling and the grandiosity often found in the pursuit of wealth and power.
The following lines delve deeper into the spectacle of pro wrestling, highlighting the over-the-top interviews, fake outrage, and disregard for facts. Woods also suggests that the audience, just like fans of pro wrestling, are easily entertained and distracted by the spectacle, comparing the addictive nature of watching wrestling to playing the Pro Wrestling video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
As the song progresses, Woods touches on various topics, using quotes from Star Parker and Alex Jones, both known for their controversial views, to add layers of critique and irony. He addresses the absurdity of death threats against one's children, the manipulation of narratives by talking heads, and the collusion between media and politics. Woods compares the tactics employed in pro wrestling, such as cheap shots and deception, to the tactics used in political discourse, where the one who cheats the best and yells the loudest often gains an advantage.
The lyrics also include quotes from conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Roddy Piper, as well as iconic professional wrestler Ric Flair. These quotes further emphasize the characters and attitudes present in the world of pro wrestling, while also satirically reflecting on the themes of wealth, integrity, and success.
Overall, "Pro Wrestling" explores the parallels between the spectacle, manipulation, and grandiosity of pro wrestling and various aspects of society, including politics, media, and societal constructions of success.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind