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
Ordinary Guys
Blue Scholars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm just an ordinary guy, extraordinary time spent
Order in my life working over-time nights
Holdin wires and mics under these lights, but besides that
Always find time to get love and give it right back
I'm just an ordinary guy, a baby from the eighties
Got a little bit of A.D.D, perhaps maybe
Then we work while they break then they say that we play too much
I ain't gonna make it out to every single event
Sometimes I live in my bed, with just a pad and a pen
And a broken ipod I bought stolen from the block
Got holes in the soles of a third of my socks
Neck deep in contradiction in the gut of the beast
If you in debt, then everything you own is on lease
Cause, money don't translate to talent
Money, and talent don't mean you're guarenteed anything, honey
It's funny, when conditions cause anything to happen
Finally got a comma in my check account balance
The 27 year challenge of the curse
Maybe even outlive Janis (Joplin), Jimi (Hendrix) and Kurt (Cobain)
I'm just an ordinary guy,
Ignoring all the hype
I let it all pass me by
I got one life, and one mic
But I'll try, to always stay humble
With a fist in the sky and a bowl of brown rice
Just an ordinary guy, extraordinary time spent
Order in my life working over-time nights
Holdin wires and mics under these lights, but besides that
Always find time to get love and give it right back
I'm just an ordinary guy, with music as a job
If I could do it, the least you could do is give it a try
There's no use, just sitting asking why these ballers rock
Chains like a ball-and-chain just to stay fly
Man I'm cool, with just a pair of reeboks and vans
Some artists think they too hard to talk to their fans
I might, battle just to keep this art sharp
And maybe take a ride through the jewish part of Seward Park
Where the view of Lake Washington is not too far
But far enough, it might be a minute till the comeup
And people keep asking how I dropped all the weight
More work and less food on the plate, Man
Just a simple plan with a little bit of self discipline
To, keep writing, keep spitting, keep em listening
To keep on doing what I do to get a salary
My number one mission is to make my son proud of me
I'm just an ordinary guy,
Ignoring all the hype
I let it all pass me by
I got one life, and one mic
But I'll try, to always stay humble
With a fist in the sky and a bowl of brown rice
Just an ordinary guy, extraordinary time spent
Order in my life working over-time nights
Holdin wires and mics under these lights, but besides that
Always find time to get love and give it right back
I'm just an ordinary guy
Sometimes I ponder if the consequence of all of this trying to be an artist is
Harder then it needs to be, wipe the sleep in my
Eye and set the beats cause the grind never sleeps
I know time moves slow, we on the road again
I hate leaving but I love coming home again
It's like we only see the cities at night but
Phone calls and voicemails from home make me feel alright
I'm just an ordinary guy,
Ignoring all the hype
I let it all pass me by
I got one life, and one mic
But I'll try, to always stay humble
With a fist in the sky and a bowl of brown rice
Just an ordinary guy, extraordinary time spent
Order in my life working over-time nights
Holdin' wires and mics under these lights, but besides that
Always find time to get love and give it right back
And give it right back,
We give it right back,
Always find time to get love and give it right back
We give it right back,
We give it right back,
Always find time for love, and right back
We give it right,
We give it right back,
We always find time for love, and right back
We give it right back,
We give it right back,
We find time to get love, and give it right back
In the song "Ordinary Guys," Blue Scholars provides a reflection on the artist's life, expressing that despite his career as a musician, he maintains a sense of humility and down-to-earth qualities. The ordinary guy persona is used to highlight the artist's relatability and accessibility to his listeners. The lyrics reflect on the difficulties of navigating the music industry while also trying to maintain a personal life, admitting that the grind of being an artist can cause a lot of stress and hardship. The artist emphasizes the importance of staying grounded and serving as a role model for his son. In the end, the artist emphasizes that no matter how successful and famous one becomes, it's vital to always find time for love and to give it right back.
Overall, "Ordinary Guys" by Blue Scholars sends a message about the struggle of being an artist, balancing personal life and career, and maintaining humility even when achieving success. Through the lyrics, the artist brings a sense of relatability to the listeners, portraying himself as an ordinary guy who has to work hard to achieve his dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm just an ordinary guy, extraordinary time spent
I am a regular person who has spent a lot of time working hard to get where I am today.
Order in my life working over-time nights
I work very hard and am dedicated to keeping my life in order, even if that means working overtime at night.
Holdin wires and mics under these lights, but besides that
Although I am often holding wires and microphones under bright lights when performing, my life is more than just my job.
Always find time to get love and give it right back
No matter how busy I am, I always make time to show love to others and give back to my community.
Got a little bit of A.D.D, perhaps maybe
I may have some trouble focusing due to attention deficit disorder.
Then we work while they break then they say that we play too much
The people who have it easy criticize those who work hard for not playing enough, even though they do not understand what those people go through.
Sometimes I live in my bed, with just a pad and a pen
Sometimes I spend time in bed writing or creating, using just a pen and a pad of paper.
Got holes in the soles of a third of my socks
Some of my socks have holes in the soles because I cannot afford to replace them all.
If you in debt, then everything you own is on lease
If you are in debt, you do not truly own anything because it can all be taken away from you.
Money don't translate to talent
Having money does not necessarily mean you have talent.
Money, and talent don't mean you're guaranteed anything, honey
Even if you have both money and talent, there are no guarantees in life.
I might, battle just to keep this art sharp
I may struggle to maintain the quality of my art and have to put in extra effort to keep it sharp.
My number one mission is to make my son proud of me
My top priority is to make my son proud of who I am and what I do with my life.
Sometimes I ponder if the consequence of all of this trying to be an artist is
I often wonder if the consequences of pursuing a career as an artist are more difficult than necessary.
We give it right back,
We always make sure to give love and support to others, especially our community.
We find time to get love, and give it right back
No matter how busy we are, we always make time to show love to others and give back to our community.
Contributed by Nora V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Joe Julet
This song helped me through some rough times, sad Blue Scholars never got any shine but maybe that’s the way they intended it. Thank You guys for putting out good music, Respect!
Johan M
This is what you call a real UNDERRATED album... keeping it real and underground
Aaron Park
Blue Scholars are amazing. Sab knows how to lay down some sick flow for the song, and Geo just tears it up with his incredible lyrics. There's a lot to learn from the Scholars' songs. Go check it Sagaba if you haven't already. And yes, everyone knows Washington is where it's at (:
KiDX77
Everyone can feel this track. Big ups to Blue Scholars!
akajambas
"my number one mission is the make my son proud of me" BOUT TIME, thank you blue scholars for being real rappers that talk about REAL LIFE
xatownage
damn these guys took off. this is the first song of theirs i listened to. it introduced me to all their music and a whole side of rap i never knew existed. from 20k views to 200k in a little over a year. good shit
Kesaurus228
Love this tune its got a pure laid back chillin style to it.
TheFelixxRevolution
i love there lyrics but there instrumentals are something else man there so good
Alex T
incredible... substance and style in a big way. Very impressive
YouKnowNothingAdrian
This album is fire. I buy it as birthday presents lol