After a spell with the group Art Of Origin, Chino XL released his debut album Here To Save You All in 1996, a diverse work which included more conventional battle rap tracks (featuring Kool Keith and Ras Kass) alongside autobiographical tracks such as What Am I (which dealt with his heritage- half Puerto Rican, half African - background). The album got a very positive critical reception and is still regarded by many as one of the finest hip-hop albums of the nineties.
After building his reputation further by making several famous appearances freestyling on the Wake Up Show radio show, Chino incurred the wrath of Tupac Shakur in Tupac's track Hit 'Em Up. This is believed to be as a result of a simile on his debut album in a track called Riiiot, which read "by this industry, I'm trying not to get fucked like 2Pac in jail". The ambiguity over where the simile begins possibly caused confusion, but nevertheless Chino soon responded in a radio freestyle. However, Tupac did not respond back and was soon dead due to an unresolved shooting in Las Vegas. Chino XL has since explained that he greatly respected Tupac and used his line simply as a metaphor and meant no disrespect.
Following a long period of inactivity, Chino's second album I Told You So was released in 2001. It was decidedly more battle rap-oriented than his debut, and featured a slightly more commercial production style. It received reasonably positive reviews but received little promotion and did not sell particularly well. Despite the positive underground reaction to I Told You So, another period of relative inactivity followed the album's release, during which Chino moved to California and proclaimed himself officially a West Coast artist. His highly anticipated third album, entitled Poison Pen, was eventually released in January, 2006. After Poison Pen, in 2006, his album Warning, hosted by King Tech, was released in the same year.
Aside from music, Chino has also recently forged a career in acting, appearing in several films and making a guest appearance in the sitcom Reno 911.
Messiah
Chino XL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y'all niggaz done fucked up now (tell 'em how)
Messed around and let me out (stupid motherfuckers)
Let me back in the game
knowin damn well Chino is the lyrical messiah
And I'm not arrogant
I just know that I'm the shit
You fuck around with me and you'll get pistol-whipped
(Hit these motherfuckers - kill these niggaz!)
[Chino XL:]
Yo, yo
You a fake killer, from a fake place
You a fake [coughs], that's a fake Ma$e
I spit it for 80 wakes, you couldn't fit it on 80 DAT's
Like {?} been hatin rap, the son of a thousand maniacs
You insane thinkin I'll ever be sane
I always been the same, forward or back like Eve's name
I slap Alfreita's unibrow, give a fuck what she painted
Gimme a time machine, a bottle of crack in {*edited*} manger
No stranger to the fact rappers can't stand me
I shoot 'em down with bullets made by melted down Grammy's
You cats offended me, soft R&B, radio trendy
I'm angry like Jewish Holocaust survivin families
in a room with a Nazi, cause hip-hop cannot see
why non-lyricists is on 'Cribs' and not me
You probably wanna body papi
Cause I be on the big screen with Angelina Jolie
I'm sorry, we livin lives just a little different
You'll be in the movies too, rippin the fuckin tickets
I'm wicked, Aurelius Maximus, revenge'll take patience
But I refuse to die 'til history record my greatness
[Chorus]
[Chino XL:]
On the day I was born, Taoist monks banged a big gold gong
with the same insignia that I have tattooed on my arm
In the mist of a rainstorm eclipsed over Asia
The day finally arrived, the one they prayed for
Gasping in awe they couldn't believe that they saw
the illegitimate son of Father Time and Mother Nature
I've been here before from Earth's core to seashore
One law, be warm, bringin 'em love through war
(JESUS!) Nah, but I appreciate the comparison
I've avoided bein wack, I've avoided three marriages
The Poison Pen pen penances, burn down villages
What I write with ain't ink my ballpoint hemorrhages religiousness
The record business is all luck
I go to a whorehouse for a good deal and get a record deal to get fucked
Now leaving childhood they stole my innocence
'Chi' contained in the word 'Christ' - not a coincidece
[Chorus]
In Chino XL's song "Messiah," the artist asserts himself as the lyrical messiah. Chino XL calls out those who are fake and inauthentic, pointing out how they are ruining the rap game. Chino XL compares himself to JESUS due to his presence in the music industry and his avoidance of being wack. He also talks about how the record industry is all luck and how he's had his share of bad deals, but he refuses to let it dampen his spirit. He concludes by stating that he refuses to die until history records his greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
Y'all niggaz done fucked up now (tell 'em how)
You all messed up now, it's time to pay for it (let me explain how)
Messed around and let me out (stupid motherfuckers)
You messed up by letting me out (how stupid can you be)
Let me back in the game
Let me back in the rap game
knowin damn well Chino is the lyrical messiah
You are aware that Chino is the savior of rap lyrics
And I'm not arrogant
I'm not arrogant, just confident
I just know that I'm the shit
I know that I'm great
You fuck around with me and you'll get pistol-whipped
If you mess with me, I'll hit you with the mic like a weapon
by God's instrument, Chino is the lyrical messiah
Chino is God's instrument, the savior of rap lyrics
You a fake killer, from a fake place
You are a fake gangster from a fake environment
You a fake [coughs], that's a fake Ma$e
You are fake, just like the rapper Ma$e
I spit it for 80 wakes, you couldn't fit it on 80 DAT's
I rap for the deceased, you couldn't record it on 80 DAT tapes because there's too much material
Like {?} been hatin rap, the son of a thousand maniacs
I'm like {?} who hates rap, I'm different from my insane family
You insane thinkin I'll ever be sane
You're crazy to think that I'll ever be normal
I always been the same, forward or back like Eve's name
I've always been consistent, like the name Eve spelled backwards
I slap Alfreita's unibrow, give a fuck what she painted
I don't care what makeup she wears, I'll still slap her ugly unibrow
Gimme a time machine, a bottle of crack in {*edited*} manger
If I had a time machine, I'd go back to Jesus' birth and give him drugs to cope with his difficult life
No stranger to the fact rappers can't stand me
I'm aware that other rappers dislike me
I shoot 'em down with bullets made by melted down Grammy's
I destroy other rappers with lyrics made from melted down Grammy awards
You cats offended me, soft R&B, radio trendy
I am offended by soft R&B music and radio trends
I'm angry like Jewish Holocaust survivin families
I am as angry as Jewish Holocaust survivor families
in a room with a Nazi, cause hip-hop cannot see
Like a Jewish Holocaust survivor, I am angry because hip-hop doesn't recognize true talent
why non-lyricists is on 'Cribs' and not me
Why are non-lyrical rappers on MTV's Cribs instead of me?
You probably wanna body papi
You probably want to kill me
Cause I be on the big screen with Angelina Jolie
I'm famous, and people might kill me because of it
I'm sorry, we livin lives just a little different
I'm sorry, but we have very different lifestyles
You'll be in the movies too, rippin the fuckin tickets
You might work at a movie theater, ripping tickets
I'm wicked, Aurelius Maximus, revenge'll take patience
I'm evil, like the character Aurelius Maximus; I'll take my revenge eventually
But I refuse to die 'til history record my greatness
However, I won't die until history records my greatness
On the day I was born, Taoist monks banged a big gold gong
When I was born, Taoist monks celebrated with a big ceremony
with the same insignia that I have tattooed on my arm
The ceremony featured the same symbol that I have tattooed on my arm
In the mist of a rainstorm eclipsed over Asia
The ceremony took place in Asia during a storm
The day finally arrived, the one they prayed for
The day I was born was a long-awaited miracle
Gasping in awe they couldn't believe that they saw
The monks were amazed by my birth
the illegitimate son of Father Time and Mother Nature
I am the illegitimate child of Time and Nature
I've been here before from Earth's core to seashore
I'm experienced and well-traveled, from the center of the Earth to the ocean's edge
One law, be warm, bringin 'em love through war
My motto is to bring warmth and love to the world, even through difficult times
(JESUS!) Nah, but I appreciate the comparison
I am not Jesus, but I appreciate the comparison
I've avoided bein wack, I've avoided three marriages
I've never been a bad rapper and I've never been divorced three times, unlike some famous rappers
The Poison Pen pen penances, burn down villages
I use my poisonous pen to attack, and I can destroy whole villages with my lyrics
What I write with ain't ink my ballpoint hemorrhages religiousness
When I write, my pen bleeds with religious passion
The record business is all luck
The music industry is unpredictable and is based on luck
I go to a whorehouse for a good deal and get a record deal to get fucked
I can't catch a break, even when I think I have a good deal, it turns out badly
Now leaving childhood they stole my innocence
Growing up in tough environments, I lost my childhood innocence
'Chi' contained in the word 'Christ' - not a coincidece
The 'Chi' in my name is not a coincidence, it's similar to the 'Christ' in Jesus' name
[Chorus]
Repeating the chorus
Contributed by Michael F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.