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
Still Got Love
Blue Scholars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I'm feelin' inside
Uh, Yea
It's a love song, for everybody
Everybody man, everybody
Me, Sabzi, your mom, your mom's mom
Everybody
If we need to be specific, you can get at me
I'll get at you, whatever's good, ya know
Yo, I don't really got no rhymes y'all I got a couple of problems
And the reason that I'm tellin' y'all is that I'm looking to solve them
And furthermore, you heard it before, you probably got them
So now it's time for us to settle the score and air the laundry
But not before I preface this song
And say I still got love for you
It's been a minute since we talked
And I heard it through the bamboo
Telegraph the half-truths of cash rules
Then please consider the payment past due
In fact you smear appearance to your mutual friends
Will make you wonder why some daps and hugs would start to turn limp
Did you volunteer your secrets?
Did you snitch out your people
To get cool with some fools that we used to have some beef with?
And he said that she said that they went and did somebody dirty
And you heard it and now you're no longer friends
I don't operate on that sort of level
I'm face to face
No fake Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal types of handshakes
Got a problem with me? Try diplomacy
Instead of side talk on sidewalks
And pretending that you don't notice me
Or telling people that you're worried about me
And saying nothing when you see a brother walkin' around
To nobody in particular and everybody in general
Don't take this either personal, emotional or literal
'Cause if we both about similar sets of principals
Then check me and I'll check you, like we're supposed to do
Everybody get hurt, everybody cries
Everybody falls down, not everybody rise
Not everybody talks, but everybody lies
Not everybody lives, but everybody dies
You might have owed me cash
Or put my shit on blast
And talk behind my back
But I still got love
You never held me close
When I needed it most
How can I call you my folks
When you ain't got no love?
You might have owed me cash
Or put my shit on blast
Or talk behind my back
And I still got love
You never held me close
When I needed it most
How can I call you my folks
When you ain't got no love?
And I still got no rhymes y'all, got a couple of problems
And the reason that I'm telling y'all, is that I'm looking to solve them
And furthermore, you heard it before, you probably got them
And now it's time for us to settle the score and air the laundry
But not before I finish this song
And say I still got love for the Barkada
Y'all the reason that I still rock
We separated through geographic locations
And we steadily walked along
You taught me loyalty and patience
And I never meant to flake
It's just my calendar's stacked now
'93 until infinity, let's take it back now
From car trips around the South of the sound
From B-town to downtown
And back clownin' out loud
Out at 15, keep it in tact and never fractured
Sometimes I wish that I can travel back so I can capture
The laughter, the waterfront, the ball courts, the tracks
Tiltin' Carlo Rossi back in the summer of 2000
Kicked it in the North before I bounced to the South and
Holdin' down the Heist every night was like a Saturday
And now when, I see you in the crowd
I get reminded how we came about the shadows of this military town
And for those still there, I hold your names close
And though I'm never in the church no more, I hold you in my prayers
And I only hope our paths will cross each other more often
Without you first believing in me, I'd still be lost 'cause
Everybody get hurt, everybody cries
Everybody falls down, and not everybody rise
Not everybody talks, but everybody lies
Not everybody lives, but everybody dies
You might have owed me cash
Or put my shit on blast
Or talked behind my back
But I still got love
You never held me close
When I needed it most
How can I call you my folks
When you ain't got no love?
You might have owed me cash
Or put my shit on blast
Or talked behind my back
And I still got love
You never held me close
When I needed it most
How can I call you my folks
When you ain't got no love?
... Nice here for hours
Talk all types of shit?
I mean like, let's talk about these nigga's shoes
Niggas be hatin' 'cause I be havin' hella tight shoes
And they buy the exact same pair of Nikes
Like, naw, I'm sayin', yadadimean sayin', I'm sayin'
Fools, say that they still make notes right?
Cats be actin' like they know me better than I know myself
Based off of some Nike too low shit, know what I'm sayin'?
5 or 6 years ago I come back and nigga's was tellin' me
"Oh I know who he is." And ain't tryin' to let me be me
You know, I'm tryin' to branch out and make the music I wanna make
And like niggas wanted me to fuckin'
You know what I'm sayin'?
Like what is this?
I gotta have a Jheri Curl and shit
You know what I'm sayin'?
Talkin' about eatin' babies
They want me to be like the Seattle Brotha Lynch
I'm tryin' to be Q-Tip
And they're like, "Nah, Nah, Nah"
It's cool, I still got love for you though baby
It's all good
It's all good
You know that blue shit
...
Bleh!
The Blue Scholars song "Still Got Love" is a commentary on the complexities of maintaining relationships with people who have wronged you in some way. The verses speak to the tension between the love and loyalty that one may feel for old friends or family members who have mistreated them, and the hurt and betrayal that those same people have caused. Sabzi's simple, jazzy melody and his blend of live instruments and samples serve as the song's foundation, allowing the lyrics to soar over the track without being bogged down by excessive instrumentation. The chorus of the song, which repeats the lines "You might have owed me cash/ Or put my shit on blast/ Or talked behind my back/ But I still got love," is a refrain directed at everyone who has ever felt hurt, betrayed, or disappointed by someone they care about.
One interesting fact about "Still Got Love" is that it was featured in the popular video game series NBA 2K. In addition, the song has been used in a number of commercials and television shows, including MTV's True Life and the film The Motel. The Blue Scholars have been praised for their socially conscious lyrics and for their focus on issues affecting the Asian American community, and "Still Got Love" is considered one of their most successful songs. Finally, the song can be interpreted as a commentary on the importance of forgiveness, as the singer reminds listeners that everyone gets hurt at some point, and that holding onto resentment can be toxic and ultimately self-destructive.
Chords (according to Ultimate Guitar):
Intro: Dm7, G7 (x2)
Verse: Dm7, G7 (x2)
Chorus: Bb, C, Dm7, G7
Bridge: Bb, C, Dm7, G7 (x2)
Outro: Bb, C, Dm7, G7 (x4)
Line by Line Meaning
Is it love, that I feel?
Asking if the feeling they have inside is love
What I'm feelin' inside
Describing the feeling they have inside
It's a love song, for everybody
This is a love song for everyone
Yo, I don't really got no rhymes y'all I got a couple of problems
Acknowledging their problems and that they don't have any rhymes to start the song with
And the reason that I'm tellin' y'all is that I'm looking to solve them
Explaining that they are sharing their problems to find solutions
Not everybody talks, but everybody lies
Everyone has the ability to lie, even if they don't always do so
Did you snitch out your people
Asking if the person betrayed their friends and revealed information about them
Did you volunteer your secrets?
Asking if the person willingly shared personal information
Got a problem with me? Try diplomacy
Suggesting to use diplomacy and have a conversation to solve problems rather than resorting to gossip or aggression
Instead of side talk on sidewalks
Advising to avoid talking behind someone's back in public places
And pretending that you don't notice me
Pointing out that the person is ignoring them
Or telling people that you're worried about me
Calling out the fake concern some people may show
Don't take this either personal, emotional or literal
Asking the listener to not take these criticisms personally, emotionally, or literally
From car trips around the South of the sound
Remembering trips they took with friends in the southern area of Seattle
And now it's time for us to settle the score and air the laundry
Saying it's time to talk about issues and problems to clear the air
Everybody get hurt, everybody cries
Everyone gets hurt at some point and cries
You never held me close when I needed it most
Reminding someone that they were not there for them during a difficult time
It's been a minute since we talked
It's been a while since they last spoke
Not everybody lives, but everybody dies
Everyone dies eventually, even if they didn't always live their life to the fullest
Talkin' about eatin' babies
Critiquing the ridiculous expectations some people have for their artistry
It's cool, I still got love for you though baby
Despite the criticism, showing love and appreciation for that person
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@GasolineSmellsGood
Their music puts me into such a healthy mindset
@Pazzoal
+GasolineSmellsGood Amen to that.
@schaan420
Yesssss what happened to music that this.
@raoulhery
yes. Totally
@shapevader9311
Listened to these guys years ago, Now listening to them again. They were before there time. So dope.
@ilyddndk825
Shape Vader I agree 100%
@cockboy12
I have every Blue Scholars cd, cannot wait for another to come out... hopefully... they have changed my life. thank you geo and sabzi,
@godsreed
This album was a big part of what got me through my first winter in Indiana after living in the NW my whole life, what a great song.
@gavinmcintyre1
Checking in May 29th, 2023 - Much love! 🤙🏽
@TwinArrival
I love that Sabzi went from Common Market to Blue Scholars without losing his touch with these amazing beats. Still though, I think him and Ra Scion were a match made in heaven.