Universal Love
DL Incognito Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Intro)
World wide
You know
Yo everybody everywhere
DL and D-Shade
(Get ready)
Don't be afraid
Spell hip hop
Gotta love it

(Hook)
Connect with fans all across the land
Yo Japan ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
Connect with fans all across the land
Toronto ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
Connect with fans all across the land
Yo New York ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
So lemme see 'em (let me see them!)
Worldwide lemme see 'em (let me see them!)
Everybody everywhere lemme see 'em

(Verse 1: DL Incognito)
I rhyme about hip-hop because I live it
I'm not a gangsta, or crook, neither a villain
I've never been shot but block nigga's keep grillin'
I pack no weapon, ya'll ain't worth killin'
Never sold no drugs, but the nigga's who did
A knife in the ribs, music's how I'm speakin' to kids
I wanna live, what the fuck son you think that's wrong?
Just because I don't speak about death in my songs
I'm not the criminal type, but obliterate mic's
Nigga's skills seem so minimal when their right
Some complain, and criticize everyone on my tracks
If you don't like it, don't buy it, it's as simple as that
Realize that we did it ourselves
We took our own money and put it on the shelves
And now we global nigga's, catch me on live with my man opal
Artists rap all alike that's why they stay local
I'm universal like the label, everywhere like I'm NATO
So we make dough, cash prepaid under the table
(We makin' money ya'll) but this ain't got to do with wealth
I've always wanted some cash and a place to myself, so what

(Hook)
Connect with fans all across the land
Yo Science ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
Connect with fans all across the land
Mt. Real ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
Connect with fans all across the land
Yo LA ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
So lemme see 'em (let me see them!)
Worldwide lemme see 'em (let me see them!)
Everybody everywhere lemme see 'em

(Verse 2: D-Shade)
I treat every day like it was game seven in overtime
Born to shine, at home, and over border lines
I seen this kid that used to hold dimes, loadin' a nine
Said that he's rollin' in crime, and it's blowin' his mind
Got radio stations, pumpin' one minute sensations
They wanderin' aimless, with no destination
Claimin' they amazin', but nobody's movin'
If that's what you call game, man your plays need improvin'
The crowds booin' and your the crumb of the year
I see you holdin' your hand out, but I got nothin to spare
You must be buggin' like Chekov with that thing in his ear
Instead of running your mouth, you should be running in fear
I'm just putting idea's and stress down on the paper
And haters don't even like themselves so of course they hate ya
*Shhh* while d-shade tear an agent to the surf with Vegas preparing the server hater
We found a plate of leftovers from the last of the challengers
And I mop the stage up with you armatures like janitors
If you got nothin' good to say why bother speak?
I heard image is everything and talk is cheap

(Hook)
Connect with fans all across the land
Germany ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
Connect with fans all across the land
Yo Vancouver ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
Connect with fans all across the land
Ayo Chi-town ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
So lemme see 'em (let me see them!)




Worldwide lemme see 'em (let me see them!)
Everybody everywhere lemme see 'em

Overall Meaning

DL Incognito's song "Universal Love" talks about the power of hip-hop music and the artist's personal experience with the genre. He states that he rhymes about hip-hop because he lives it and it's not just a facade or an act. He talks about how he's not a gangster, crook or villain and that he's never been shot. Rather than glorifying violence and crime in his music, he talks about real-life experiences and the joys of living a peaceful life. DL Incognito acknowledges that he is not the criminal type, but he has the ability to obliterate microphones and leave his competition in the dust.


The second verse by D-Shade talks about treating every day like it is the final game in a championship match. He tells a story of a young man who was once involved in selling drugs and now believes he is on top of the world. D-Shade hears young artists creating music that does not necessarily move their audience, nor does it have any message or purpose. He explains that contrary to popular belief, image is not everything, and talk is indeed cheap. He emphasizes the importance of remaining genuine and true to oneself, and the importance of making music that has meaning and can connect to all people worldwide.


Line by Line Meaning

World wide
This song is global


You know
Everyone listening knows what's up


Yo everybody everywhere
Greetings to all listeners worldwide


DL and D-Shade
The artists are introducing themselves


Get ready
Prepare to listen to some dope rhymes


Don't be afraid
Don't hesitate to enjoy the music


Spell hip hop
Pay tribute to hip-hop with this interactive prompt


Gotta love it
Hip Hop is something everyone should love


Connect with fans all across the land
This song is about reaching out to the global hip hop audience


Yo Japan ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
A shoutout to Japanese hip hop fans to throw their hands up in the air


So lemme see 'em (let me see them!)
The artists want to see the hand gestures of the listeners


Worldwide lemme see 'em (let me see them!)
The artists want to see hand gestures from listeners worldwide


Yo New York ya'll know what to do with your hands (put 'em up!)
A shoutout to hip hop fans in New York to throw their hands up in the air


I rhyme about hip-hop because I live it
The artist raps about hip-hop because he genuinely lives and breathes it


I'm not a gangsta, or crook, neither a villain
The artist is not a stereotypical criminal rapper


I've never been shot but block nigga's keep grillin'
The artist does not glorify violence despite hearing about it from others


Never sold no drugs, but the nigga's who did
The artist is not trying to emulate people who have done illegal activities


A knife in the ribs, music's how I'm speakin' to kids
The artist believes music is a better outlet than violence or crime to communicate ideas


I wanna live, what the fuck son you think that's wrong?
The artist has aspirations to live a normal life and hopes that this is not perceived as negative


Just because I don't speak about death in my songs
The artist does not want to be criticized for not including violence or death in his lyrics


I'm not the criminal type, but obliterate mic's
The artist is focused on his music and not criminal activities


Realize that we did it ourselves
The artist and his team made their own music and put it on the market themselves with no label support


We took our own money and put it on the shelves
The artist put his own financial resources into making his music accessible to the public


And now we global nigga's, catch me on live with my man opal
The artist has gained global attention and now has the chance to collaborate with others


Artists rap all alike that's why they stay local
Artists who sound the same fail to break into international markets


I'm universal like the label, everywhere like I'm NATO
The artist is globally recognized like a major record label or international alliance


So we make dough, cash prepaid under the table (We makin' money ya'll) but this ain't got to do with wealth
The artist is making money but it's not solely about becoming rich, it's about trying to connect with a global audience


I treat every day like it was game seven in overtime
The other artist is highly motivated on a daily basis


Born to shine, at home, and over border lines
The artist is confident enough to believe he will succeed both domestically and internationally


I seen this kid that used to hold dimes, loadin' a nine
The artist knows people who have been part of violent situations


Said that he's rollin' in crime, and it's blowin' his mind
The artist understands the negative effects of a life of crime on a person's mental health


Got radio stations, pumpin' one minute sensations
The artist has an issue with radio stations for promoting only short-lived fads


They wanderin' aimless, with no destination
Radio stations are not committed to promoting emerging talent with longevity


Claimin' they amazin', but nobody's movin'
Radio stations are playing music that is not resonating with the wider audience


If that's what you call game, man your plays need improvin'
The artist believes that music should motivate and inspire not just stagnate


The crowds booin' and your the crumb of the year
The crowd doesn't find your show impressive and it shows


You must be buggin' like Chekov with that thing in his ear
You must be going crazy with your cluelessness


Instead of running your mouth, you should be running in fear
You should focus on improving your music rather than overhyping it


I'm just putting idea's and stress down on the paper
The artist is expressing his thoughts through his music


Haters don't even like themselves so of course they hate ya
People who hate on others are usually having issues dealing with themselves


*Shhh* while d-shade tear an agent to the surf with Vegas preparing the server hater
The artist wants people to be quiet so he can listen to the other artist's verses


We found a plate of leftovers from the last of the challengers
The artists are getting ready to succeed where other musicians have failed


And I mop the stage up with you armatures like janitors
The artist will outperform and upstage other rappers like a janitor cleaning up a floor


If you got nothin' good to say why bother speak?
If you have nothing positive to contribute, then it's best to stay silent


I heard image is everything and talk is cheap
Actions matter more than appearances and empty words.




Contributed by Alice F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

@jakekesler8867

This is still one of my all time fav songs after all these years.

@brandi33

One of the best verses I've ever heard, ever after all these years.

@afroagilesoft4805

Still the dopest hip hop song of all times. Reminds me of the time when underground hip hop was better than commercial hip hop.😍😍😍

@ACTUALLYRICH

Nothing better than carving fresh powder to DL.

@drewo9245

Fire🔥

@soldav4830

🙌

@simonschwarzl4734

This song is my secret crush

@noahstewart6832

This was on Tetons gravity research movie called make believe

@chuuurles

Originally from Dave Crichtons segment in Forward though :D

@luisaguilar5343

Who else is here from Redbull TV?

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