After dropping one full-length album (Blue Scholars LP, 2005) and an EP (The Long March, 2005) the Blue Scholars have emerged as the latest in a long line of torchbearers for Seattle and greater Pacific Northwest hip-hop scene. The duo formed in early 2002 after ciphers and sessions in a makeshift attic-bedroom-studio in Seattle's University District, where emcee Geologic and DJ/producer Sabzi came from vastly different musical approaches to collide. One a distinguished battle emcee and poet, the other a former punk/ska drummer and jazz-trained pianist, the duo's backgrounds laid the foundation for a versatile combination of beats and rhymes at once political and personal.
Since 2002, the duo has become renowned live show veterans, rocking nearly 200 shows with the likes of De La Soul, Immortal Technique, The Coup, Zion I, One Be Lo, Soul Position, Slick Rick, and Spearhead. The mass appeal of their live show has brought them to many diverse venues - from labor organizing conferences and youth-run community center shows to playing the main stage at Sasquatch! (2006) and Bumbershoot (2006).
In June 2006, Blue Scholars joined forces with Common Market (emcee RA Scion and DJ Sabzi) and emcee Gabriel Teodros (of Abyssinian Creole) to launch MASS LINE MEDIA, a new artist-run independent record label.
Year Formed: 2002
Cinemetropolis
Blue Scholars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one inside a dream you repeated every night
For 24 frames every second through the light
Projected through the screen you been paying for despite
What you see and what you hear, contrary to your sight
Everything you ever learned that you never had to live
Might've heard from a story teller medium
Pictures, words, scriptures to cinema script
From this city emerges a new generation of babies
Who came out of the womb, glued to the tube
With plans and aspirations to prove beyond doubt
We are stars too, even if it's just cartoons
My animated hands that I got from the
Genes of my island native fam I could never not be
I'm here to make them scream like a Hitchcock dame
Whether analog, dig it all, shit is all the same
An American tradition, a narrative for fiction
A Hamilton for tickets, the public is addicted
Just think for a second how much we've been conditioned
To root for the Doughboys, the O-Dogs, the Bishops
Sided with them villains, in spite of what they heeded
He said she gotta have it, she said she didn't need it
And even if she see it, she will probably not believe it
If it ain't bein' projected in a wide screen theatre
If it spins on a reel, it's gotta be real
But 'real' in real life just remind us of film
And now you saying something's like a movie when it's real
Like a film's much realer than anything you feel
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis...
They try to say we bad kids from the start
Grandchildren of Marx and Coca-Cola, yet quoting Godard
And you saying that everything is cinema since
The moving pictures in the center of your living room telling you shit
Like you'll never be shit, walk away from all your dreams
Spark up, drop a lighter on a trail of gasoline
Leading back to the vehicle you crashed before you came
Never looking back, cut, boom, end of scene
We've been gunning for that hundred and some change
The flicks and the flickering flames that been going the same length
Doing battle with the powers that be
That'll be no longer in position when the power's getting seized
So cameras we got redirected from the poor
I directed for my people, *Lino Brocka with the horn*
When the brother yelled 'action' it wasn't just for his act
'Cause he wanted to see the masses get they asses out the door (get up)
My marvelous marksmanship is sharp, shit is hard
But we make it look not, we auteurs
The Godfather poster on the wall, 14
With a movie in my head, writing's the next thing
So we shot y'all 35 millimeter rockstars
How about some hardcore senior to your sophomores
Flyer than a Concorde landing on your concourse
Rolling with the vanguard, burning down your arthouse
If it's spinning on a reel, it's gotta be real
But 'real' in real life just remind you of film
And now you saying something's like a movie when it's real
Blade running like a samurai, killing himself
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis...*
Click.
The song Cinemetropolis by Blue Scholars portrays the power of cinema and how it affects people's lives. The track acts as an ode to the concept of viewing life through a cinematic lens, showcasing how movies, TV shows, and other mediums are responsible for shaping our personalities, thought processes, and beliefs. The lyrics reveal how people have been conditioned to believe that what they see on the screen is the truth, more so than what they experience in real life. The artists also delve into how cinema offers hope and inspires people, especially the youth, to aspire to achieve the impossible and become stars themselves. This concept is juxtaposed against the brutal reality of living in a world where success and recognition often elude marginalized communities.
The opening lines, "This is the scene you been seeing all your life/ The one inside a dream you repeated every night," indicate that the concept of Cinemetropolis is not something new to the listeners; instead, it has been a part of us for a long time. The song highlights how the medium of cinema empowers people and acts as an instrument of social upliftment. The references to cinema legends like Hitchcock and Lino Brocka indicate how by engaging with a cinematic narrative is an extension of the imagination and the power to create. The artists also reference the global influence of American cinema, which has a pervasive effect on communities worldwide. The lyrics point to how people are encouraged to dream big and explore their creative potential, even when society constrains them.
Overall, the song Cinemetropolis by Blue Scholars is an exploration of the impact of cinema on people's lives, especially on marginalized communities. It celebrates the power of cinema, storytelling, and imagination while also examining how these mediums can perpetuate existing power structures and inequalities.
Line by Line Meaning
This is the scene you been seeing all your life
You've been watching the same thing over and over again, just like a recurring dream
For 24 frames every second through the light
The images come at you fast and continue to flicker like light
Projected through the screen you been paying for despite
You're investing your money in the creation of these images
Everything you ever learned that you never had to live
You've been taught things that you didn't have to experience firsthand
Might've heard from a story teller medium
These things may have come from movies, books, or other forms of storytelling
Pictures, words, scriptures to cinema script
Different forms of communication comprise the framework for these movies
From this city emerges a new generation of babies
This city gives birth to new and aspiring filmmakers
With plans and aspirations to prove beyond doubt
These filmmakers are motivated to succeed and prove skeptics wrong
We are stars too, even if it's just cartoons
Filmmakers consider themselves to be just as important as the actors they animate
My animated hands that I got from the
A filmmaker's techniques and creativity are inherited from their island culture
Genes of my island native fam I could never not be
Their island culture and identity are essential to their filmmaking identity
If it ain't bein' projected in a wide screen theatre
The way a movie is presented is crucial to its impact
But 'real' in real life just remind us of film
Real life can remind us of movie scenes
And now you saying something's like a movie when it's real
People sometimes describe real events as though they're in a movie
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
Referring to a city that is driven by the creation and production of movies
They try to say we bad kids from the start
People often assume that kids who are into movies are troublemakers
And you saying that everything is cinema since
You believe that film and cinema dominates people's thought process and experiences in life
Like you'll never be shit, walk away from all your dreams
Movies can make people feel discouraged and unmotivated in real life
My marvelous marksmanship is sharp, shit is hard
Being a filmmaker takes skill, but they've mastered it
But we make it look not, we auteurs
Filmmakers make the difficult task of crafting a movie appear effortless
Blade running like a samurai, killing himself
An analogy to a movie character who sacrifices everything for their mission
Rolling with the vanguard, burning down your arthouse
A reference to filmmakers who push boundaries and traditions, and create provocative work
If it's spinning on a reel, it's gotta be real
People often believe that movies containing real footage are authentic and truthful
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
A city fueled by movie-making
Contributed by Stella I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Melchor Bongato
This is the scene you been seeing all your life
The one inside a dream you repeated every night
For 24 frames every second through the light
Projected through the screen you been paying for despite
What you see and what you hear, contrary to your sight
Everything you ever learned that you never had to live
Might've heard from a story teller medium
Pictures, words, scriptures to cinema script
Writing a verse
From this city emerges a new generation of babies
Who came out of the womb, glued to the tube
With plans and aspirations to prove beyond doubt
We are stars too, even if it's just cartoons
My animated hands that I got from the
Genes of my island native fam I could never not be
I'm here to make them scream like a Hitchcock dame
Whether analog, dig it all, shit is all the same
An American tradition, a narrative for fiction
A Hamilton for tickets, the public is addicted
Just think for a second how much we've been conditioned
To root for the Doughboys, the O-Dogs, the Bishops
Sided with them villains, in spite of what they heeded
He said she gotta have it, she said she didn't need it
And even if she see it, she will probably not believe it
If it ain't bein' projected in a wide screen theatre
If it spins on a reel, it's gotta be real
But 'real' in real life just remind us of film
And now you saying something's like a movie when it's real
Like a film's much realer than anything you feel
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis...
They try to say we bad kids from the start
Grandchildren of Marx and Coca-Cola, yet quoting Godard
And you saying that everything is cinema since
The moving pictures in the center of your living room telling you shit
Like you'll never be shit, walk away from all your dreams
Spark up, drop a lighter on a trail of gasoline
Leading back to the vehicle you crashed before you came
Never looking back, cut, boom, end of scene
We've been gunning for that hundred and some change
The flicks and the flickering flames that been going the same length
Doing battle with the powers that be
That'll be no longer in position when the power's getting seized
So cameras we got redirected from the poor
I directed for my people, Lino Brocka with the horn
When the brother yelled 'action' it wasn't just for his act
'Cause he wanted to see the masses get they asses out the door (get up)
My marvelous marksmanship is sharp, shit is hard
But we make it look not, we auteurs
The Godfather poster on the wall, 14
With a movie in my head, writing's the next thing
So we shot y'all 35 millimeter rockstars
How about some hardcore senior to your sophomores
Flyer than a Concorde landing on your concourse
Rolling with the vanguard, burning down your arthouse
If it's spinning on a reel, it's gotta be real
But 'real' in real life just remind you of film
And now you saying something's like a movie when it's real
Blade running like a samurai, killing himself
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis...*
Click.
shunkela
These lyrics blow me away, they express stuff I've felt in the past but couldn't describe.
"If it's spinning on a reel, it's gotta be real, but 'real' in real life just remind you of film"...
I feel more justified for having so many existential crisis now...
Dylan Henry
geo is one of the few MCs who can manage triple entendres
acebryk
its the real stuff here. Budo and the boys know what's up. Have a listen to Common Market as well. Another Seattle mate of these fellas.
Melchor Bongato
This is the scene you been seeing all your life
The one inside a dream you repeated every night
For 24 frames every second through the light
Projected through the screen you been paying for despite
What you see and what you hear, contrary to your sight
Everything you ever learned that you never had to live
Might've heard from a story teller medium
Pictures, words, scriptures to cinema script
Writing a verse
From this city emerges a new generation of babies
Who came out of the womb, glued to the tube
With plans and aspirations to prove beyond doubt
We are stars too, even if it's just cartoons
My animated hands that I got from the
Genes of my island native fam I could never not be
I'm here to make them scream like a Hitchcock dame
Whether analog, dig it all, shit is all the same
An American tradition, a narrative for fiction
A Hamilton for tickets, the public is addicted
Just think for a second how much we've been conditioned
To root for the Doughboys, the O-Dogs, the Bishops
Sided with them villains, in spite of what they heeded
He said she gotta have it, she said she didn't need it
And even if she see it, she will probably not believe it
If it ain't bein' projected in a wide screen theatre
If it spins on a reel, it's gotta be real
But 'real' in real life just remind us of film
And now you saying something's like a movie when it's real
Like a film's much realer than anything you feel
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis...
They try to say we bad kids from the start
Grandchildren of Marx and Coca-Cola, yet quoting Godard
And you saying that everything is cinema since
The moving pictures in the center of your living room telling you shit
Like you'll never be shit, walk away from all your dreams
Spark up, drop a lighter on a trail of gasoline
Leading back to the vehicle you crashed before you came
Never looking back, cut, boom, end of scene
We've been gunning for that hundred and some change
The flicks and the flickering flames that been going the same length
Doing battle with the powers that be
That'll be no longer in position when the power's getting seized
So cameras we got redirected from the poor
I directed for my people, Lino Brocka with the horn
When the brother yelled 'action' it wasn't just for his act
'Cause he wanted to see the masses get they asses out the door (get up)
My marvelous marksmanship is sharp, shit is hard
But we make it look not, we auteurs
The Godfather poster on the wall, 14
With a movie in my head, writing's the next thing
So we shot y'all 35 millimeter rockstars
How about some hardcore senior to your sophomores
Flyer than a Concorde landing on your concourse
Rolling with the vanguard, burning down your arthouse
If it's spinning on a reel, it's gotta be real
But 'real' in real life just remind you of film
And now you saying something's like a movie when it's real
Blade running like a samurai, killing himself
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis (in a Cinemetropolis)
In a Cinemetropolis...*
Click.
mr559
Fuck, seems like this was only released yesterday. Still good after all these years.
Lennart
Yes
dekude
Thanks for all that you have given. These songs from all albums have weirdly enough gotten me through some hard times in my life. Burnt Offering in particular helps. I don't know how to put it into words. Appreciative,
Brandon S
"The only thing im afraid of is staying the same"
ROSSZip
I love this album, it is one of those rare few albums where every single song is awesome. This song is sick for the unique beat.
Faraz Kiani
Still listening to this album. Miss Geo and Sabzi