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.
RISE
Chino XL Lyrics
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High pitched shrieks, my body lie dead in the streets
Yeahhh, my body lie dead in the streets
(repeat 4X)
The darkened clouds reflect my inner confusion
Frustrating feelings of dying too soon and I'm
in purgatory, I'm not your everyday sinner
It's often viewed as stepping into a great light
with shadows of time, some people are forgotten in life
Move in past situations, stolen moments frozen proving
you ain't had a thing but evil in your human heart
It's startling, but I keep on following
The pain is mind-boggling, I hear angry souls hollering
High pitched shrieks, my body lie dead in the streets
Crackheads searching through my pockets too I see this all from side view
Now as I stand in the judgment of my forefathers
They agree I was murdered without my goal accomplished
Inside my heart is where the curse lay scared in the worst way
like a savior on the third day, I rise
Chorus:
"feel my aura, just around death's corner"
(Rise!) Rise!
(repeat 4X)
The actual transition between death and life
reveals darks passageways, painted like stained glass
Soaking wet from the rain and my brain tired
and I'm barefooted freezing cold as I walk through fires
A child born with no soul signifies my return
from pure thought to put my killer's ashes in a urn
Outside the realm of light, demons dance in preparation
Weightless, only to be seen during incantation
Feel my aura, just around death's corner
Hands of liquid candlelit by a mourner (water)
Surrounding me it startles me, cry to me
Visions pushing me towards revenge and anger nothing's stopping me
What about this Crow it follows wherever I go
From a rooftop I see one of my killers in the window
Tears dwell up in my eyes, turn to highs, blood's
raining from the skies, as one of my murderers dies... rise
Chorus:
"The flesh is weak..."
(Rise!) Rise!
(repeat 4X)
I believe... I believe
Yeah...
Yeah, I inhale the cold mist feeling lost
Like I'm in a dark forest that's illuminated by my soul
Like a Phoenix from the Earth watch me take flight
The world's in color when I walk it's all in black and white
I try to scream but no sound escapes, migraines
I shapeshift, I exist, she doesn't remain
Her name's etched in the walls of my nightmares
And levitates and elevates like flights of stairs
Second thoughts about karma but I can't cease
Without revenge, I think I'll never rest in peace
Blemishing, shaken like I'm off of heroin
I'm burrowing deep to reverse death, remembering
Now I rise like a zombie from the dirt I kill again
Feeling no better than what I am here to avenge
As we stand face to face you see death in my eyes
I won't destroy another man, the flesh is weak... rise
Chorus: (variations)
Sometimes death ain't even strong enough to stop living spirit
With our mind we call life into existence
Worlds are thoughts that are burning in me
Sometimes we come back
Chorus: (variations and outro)
The song "Rise" by Chino XL is a reflection on the transition between life and death with the main character describing his experience of being murdered and his subsequent rise from the grave for revenge. The lyrics capture the confusion and frustration that he experiences during the transition, especially when he is in plain view of Master and all of his glory in purgatory. The pain is mind-boggling as he hears angry souls hollering and high pitched shrieks as his body lies dead in the streets. However, he keeps following the path towards the light, despite the stolen moments frozen, proving that he was not an everyday sinner. He rises up again to achieve his goal after feeling like he couldn't complete it before dying.
The song draws on themes of vengeance and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Chino XL's lyrics portray his desire to punish those who wronged him, giving physical form to the concept of karma. The imagery used in the lyrics paints a vivid picture of the despair and hopelessness that the main character experiences, from the darkened clouds reflecting his inner confusion to the demons dancing in preparation outside the realm of light.
The chorus "feel my aura, just around death's corner, Rise!" is repeated throughout the song, acting as a sort of incantation or mantra for the main character. The use of repetition and rhyme in the lyrics makes the song catchy and memorable, sticking in the listener's mind long after they finish listening to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, sometimes they come back
Sometimes people return after death.
High pitched shrieks, my body lie dead in the streets
The singer hears screaming while seeing their own dead body in the street.
The darkened clouds reflect my inner confusion
The singer's emotions are confusing and overwhelming, like the cloudy sky above.
Frustrating feelings of dying too soon and I'm sitting in plain view of Master and all of his glory
The artist feels like they died too soon and are now being judged by God.
in purgatory, I'm not your everyday sinner
The artist is in purgatory, a place for temporary punishment, but isn't like the typical sinners.
It's often viewed as stepping into a great light with shadows of time, some people are forgotten in life
Death is often seen as moving towards the light, but some people are forgotten and left in darkness.
Move in past situations, stolen moments frozen proving you ain't had a thing but evil in your human heart
The memories of the singer's past reveal that they were a bad person.
It's startling, but I keep on following The pain is mind-boggling, I hear angry souls hollering
The artist is scared but continues to follow their path, despite hearing the screams of angry souls.
Crackheads searching through my pockets too I see this all from side view
Even after death, people still try to take advantage of the artist's body.
Now as I stand in the judgment of my forefathers They agree I was murdered without my goal accomplished
The artist's ancestors judge them and agree that their murder was unjust and they did not achieve their goal in life.
Inside my heart is where the curse lay scared in the worst way like a savior on the third day, I rise
The singer's heart is cursed and they are scared, but they will rise again, like Jesus did on the third day.
"feel my aura, just around death's corner" (Rise!) Rise!
The artist's presence can be felt even near death and they rise.
The actual transition between death and life reveals darks passageways, painted like stained glass
The journey from death to life is dark and painted like intricate stained glass.
Soaking wet from the rain and my brain tired and I'm barefooted freezing cold as I walk through fires
The singer is physically uncomfortable and disoriented during their transition from death to life.
A child born with no soul signifies my return from pure thought to put my killer's ashes in an urn
The birth of a soulless child represents the singer's return from their abstract thoughts to seek revenge on their killer.
Outside the realm of light, demons dance in preparation Weightless, only to be seen during incantation
Outside the realm of light, evil forces prepare for the artist's arrival, and can only be seen or felt during rituals.
Hands of liquid candlelit by a mourner (water) Surrounding me it startles me, cry to me
A mourner's hands with liquid dripping startles the artist and they cry out for help.
Visions pushing me towards revenge and anger nothing's stopping me What about this Crow it follows wherever I go
The singer is determined to seek revenge and is haunted by the presence of a crow wherever they go.
From a rooftop I see one of my killers in the window Tears dwell up in my eyes, turn to highs, blood's raining from the skies, as one of my murderers dies... rise
The singer sees one of their killers and experiences intense emotions, leading to their death, allowing the singer to rise again.
"The flesh is weak..." (Rise!) Rise!
The body may be weak, but the artist's spirit rises again.
Sometimes death ain't even strong enough to stop living spirit With our mind we call life into existence Worlds are thoughts that are burning in me Sometimes we come back
Death can't always conquer the human spirit and we are able to bring life into existence with our thoughts. Sometimes we come back after death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRISTOPHER H JASPER, DEREK K BARBOSA, ERNIE ISLEY, MARVIN ISLEY, O'KELLY ISLEY, RONALD ISLEY, RUDOLPH ISLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind