Curry left Raider Klan in 2013, releasing his debut studio album, Nostalgic 64, in September of that year, while still in high school. He has since released three extended plays: 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms in 2015, 13 in 2017, and UNLOCKED (a collaboration with Kenny Beats) in 2020, and four studio albums: Imperial in 2016, Ta13oo in 2018, Zuu in 2019, and Melt My Eyez See Your Future in 2022. TA13OO, ZUU, and Melt My Eyez debuted at numbers 28, 32, and 51 on the Billboard 200 chart, respectively, with Melt My Eyez returning at number 17 after the release of an extended edition. All of his projects have garnered significant critical acclaim.
In 2012, he released his second mixtape, titled King of the Mischievous South Vol. 1 Underground Tape 1996, which caught the attention of fellow American rapper Earl Sweatshirt and other members of Odd Future label.
Curry's third mixtape, titled Strictly for My R.V.I.D.X.R.S., was released after the death of Trayvon Martin, who also lived in Carol City and went to the same high school as Denzel Curry. His rap style on this mixtape was inspired by 2PAC. On June 9, 2015, Curry released his first double EP, titled 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms. His first release in 2016 was the single "Flying Nimbus".
His second full-length album, titled Imperial, was released on March 9, 2016, then re-released later on Spotify as the deluxe version on October 14, 2016. In June 2016, Curry was featured on a cover as one of the XXL's 2016's Freshmen Class.
On May 13, 2017, Curry uploaded a track entitled "Hate Government [demo]" to his SoundCloud account. In the weeks that followed, he released two more demos for songs entitled "Equalizer [demo]" and "ZELTRON 6 BILLION ft. Lil Ugly Mane." After these releases as well as a series of cryptic posts on social media (seemingly portraying another alter ego called Zeltron), he released an EP entitled 13 on June 25, 2017. All of the demo tracks were included on the EP as well as two other new songs. On August 18, 2017, Curry released another song called "Skywalker." Later that year, on September 22, a remastered version of 32 Zel was released, including a remix of "Ultimate" featuring Juicy J.
On April 2, 2018, Curry released the lead single off of Ta13oo titled, "Sumo" on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show. On May 24, 2018, Curry released the second single off the album titled, "Percs". Curry then released the third single titled, "Clout Cobain", on July 13, 2018, and announced that his album TA13OO, would be released in three acts: The first act, Light, was released on July 25, followed by Gray on July 26, and Dark on July 27. Each previously-released single represents one of the album's acts, as "Sumo" represents Light, "Clout Cobain" represents Gray, and "Percs" represents Dark, which comes together cohesively to form TA13OO. TA13OO features guest appearances from GoldLink, JID, JPEGMAFIA, ZillaKami and more.
On January 5, 2022, the official trailer for Curry's fifth studio album, titled Melt My Eyez See Your Future, was uploaded to his YouTube channel. It was revealed that the album would contain guest appearances from artists such as T-Pain, 6lack, Slowthai, Rico Nasty, J.I.D, and Thundercat, among others. Curry said the project would feature a new, more mature sound, different from his previous works: "Y'all are not going to hear the same type of Denzel anymore." On January 24, a single titled "Walkin", along with a Western-inspired music video directed by Adrian Villagomez, was released. Curry also said the album "is made up of everything that I couldn't include on Ta13oo or Imperial because I was going through depression and anger issues", and would take inspiration from traditional hip-hop, drum and bass, trap, poetry, and jazz. The same day, a North American and European tour promoting the album (with guest acts Kenny Mason, Mike Dimes, Redveil, and PlayThatBoiZay) was announced. On February 24, Curry released another single from the upcoming album, "Zatoichi" featuring Slowthai. It was accompanied by a music video also directed by Adrian Villagomez. On March 18, Curry announced the album would be released on March 25. On March 21, a third single, "Troubles" featuring T-Pain, was released along with a music video. The album was released on March 25, 2022. It debuted at number 51 on the Billboard 200 chart, and at number 23 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Curry recorded a song featuring rapper Reason, "1st Quarter", as a contribution to Apple Music's "collection of exclusively commissioned new songs from Black creatives", titled Juneteenth 2022: Freedom Songs. He commented: "It's an accomplishment to make it through the first quarter of my life. Especially as a Black man in America".
Curry's song featuring PlayThatBoiZay, "Let It All Hang Out", was included in Elvis—a biographical movie about Elvis Presley that premiered in June 2022—as well as on the movie's soundtrack album.
On June 24, 2022, a collaboration between Dot da Genius, JID, Curry, and Kid Cudi, titled "Talk About Me", was released, along with a music video directed by Cole Bennett. On June 29, 2022, Curry performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. On July 21, he performed "Walkin" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
On September 30, 2022, Curry released Melt My Eyez See Your Future (The Extended Edition). The album features reimagined versions of songs from the original album with live instrumentation performed by the Cold Blooded Soul Band, which performed with Curry on his NPR Tiny Desk Concert and The Tonight Show performance.
Zatoichi
Denzel Curry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My only focus stayin' alive, like zombies revived
The second comin', I have arrived, I'm reenergized
I'm Zatoichi leadin' the blind, pressure get applied
They cut my niggas down in their prime, callin' father time
To turn back all the clocks but he still stuck on another line
I tried to crack a smile and still a frown follows right behind
Excruciating pain like Bane breakin' Bruce Wayne's spine
Life is short like a dwarf, fuck the world, intercourse
Life's a bitch, no remorse, but God forbid, we get divorced
Droppin' bars like a stork, flyin' from a prison fort
Fuck a Benz, fuck a Porsche, say my name I teleport
Are we sure not to blow? Fuck the world, intercourse
Life's a bitch, no remorse, but God forbid, we get divorced
Droppin' bars like a stork, flyin' from a prison fort
Fuck a Benz, fuck a Porsche, say my name, I teleport
In a place where they keep feedin' me lies, where my true demise
United once the powers combine, the world will be fine
Bulimic throwing up the peace sign, see we can all dine
Man, I ain't woke I'm just sleep-deprived, I been sick and tired
So be aware or gimme your eyes, inclined to be wise
Don't let the three six turn to a nine, wait, let me rewind
Don't let the three six hypnotize mine, so God is my guide
This pen's a mighty sword on my side, my voice could crack skies
Create a code amongst the Black lives, make sure it's archived
Then go to every hood on this side where they can see crime
And let them know that we can't recline, they planned our decline
Before you get the logic and theory, I'll say, "Whatt up slime?"
I'm Zatoichi leadin' the blind, pressure get applied
They cut my niggas down in their prime, callin' father time
To turn back all the clocks but he still stuck on the other line
I tried to crack a smile and still a frown follows right behind
Life is short like a dwarf, fuck the world, intercourse
Life's a bitch, no remorse, but God forbid, we get divorced
Droppin' bars like a stork, flyin' from a prison fort
Fuck a Benz, fuck a Porsche, they might-they might teleport
Are we sure not to blow? Fuck the world, intercourse
Life's a bitch, no remorse, but God forbid, we get divorced
Droppin' bars like a stork, flyin' from a prison fort
Fuck a Benz, fuck a Porsche, say my name, I teleport
The lyrics of Denzel Curry and slowthai's song Zatoichi describe the struggle to survive in a hostile world where people feed us lies, cut us down in our prime, and time slips away without a solution. The song references Zatoichi, a blind but skilled swordsman character from Japanese cinema, implying that the artists feel the need to lead the blind and misinformed in a world that seems doomed. The line "I'm Zatoichi leadin' the blind, pressure get applied" suggests that they are aware of the enormous responsibility they carry and the challenges they have to face to move forward.
The lyrics also reflect on the theme of mortality, with lines like "Life is short like a dwarf," and "Excruciating pain like Bane breakin' Bruce Wayne's spine." This theme is juxtaposed with the line "Fuck the world, intercourse," implying a nihilistic worldview that is struggling to come to terms with the world's harsh realities. It's a call to action for the audience to become aware of the situation and break through the ignorance.
Overall, Zatoichi is a song that addresses the struggle for survival in the face of looming chaos and uncertainty, urging the audience to stand up and fight back.
Line by Line Meaning
In a place where we could hardly survive and barely could thrive
We are in a tough environment where survival is difficult.
My only focus stayin' alive, like zombies revived
Our only goal is to stay alive and overcome the challenges in front of us.
The second comin', I have arrived, I'm reenergized
I have arrived with renewed energy and strength to face the adversities.
I'm Zatoichi leadin' the blind, pressure get applied
I am taking charge and leading others through difficult situations.
They cut my niggas down in their prime, callin' father time
The people around me are dying young and time seems to be against us.
To turn back all the clocks but he still stuck on another line
Even though we wish we could turn back time, we cannot change what has happened.
I tried to crack a smile and still a frown follows right behind
Even though I try to remain positive, negativity seems to always follow me.
Life is short like a dwarf, fuck the world, intercourse
Life is too short to worry about what society thinks or expects from us.
Life's a bitch, no remorse, but God forbid, we get divorced
Life can be unpredictable and unforgiving, but we must not give up.
Droppin' bars like a stork, flyin' from a prison fort
We are expressing ourselves through music, even though we feel trapped by our environment.
Fuck a Benz, fuck a Porsche, say my name I teleport
We prioritize our art and passion over material possessions.
Are we sure not to blow? Fuck the world, intercourse
We are questioning whether we can handle the pressure and staying true to ourselves despite societal expectations.
In a place where they keep feedin' me lies, where my true demise
We are surrounded by deceit and it feels like it could be our downfall.
United once the powers combine, the world will be fine
If we come together and unite, we can make a positive impact on the world.
Bulimic throwing up the peace sign, see we can all dine
Even those struggling with inner demons can still strive for peace and unity.
Man, I ain't woke I'm just sleep-deprived, I been sick and tired
We may not have all the answers, but we are mentally and emotionally drained from the hardships we face.
So be aware or gimme your eyes, inclined to be wise
We are urging others to pay attention and be knowledgeable about the world around us.
Don't let the three six turn to a nine, wait, let me rewind
We are cautioning against changing or distorting the truth.
Don't let the three six hypnotize mine, so God is my guide
We refuse to let negative influences take over and will rely on our faith to guide us.
This pen's a mighty sword on my side, my voice could crack skies
Our art is a powerful tool that can create change and impact society.
Create a code amongst the Black lives, make sure it's archived
We want to establish a set of values and principles for the Black community to follow and preserve for future generations.
Then go to every hood on this side where they can see crime
We want to reach out to every neighborhood and address the issue of crime and violence.
And let them know that we can't recline, they planned our decline
We must keep moving forward and not let our oppressors keep us down.
Before you get the logic and theory, I'll say, "Whatt up slime?"
We are greeting and showing support to our listeners before getting into the deeper meaning behind our lyrics.
I'm Zatoichi leadin' the blind, pressure get applied
We are leading others through difficult situations and must handle the added pressure.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Denzel Curry, Jonathan Birkner, Powers Pleasant, Tyron Frampton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DENZELCURRYPH
THE BLIND CANNOT LEAD THE BLIND?
@spingu
😎
@jaykombatzz4014
YESSIR
@samrichards1770
No
@drrnvevo
hiiiii zel
@brodytrash
👀
@DizzySpark
That drum and bass line is a hot step i can't get over it.
Hip hop never dies.
@john8953
https://youtu.be/bxI4gDlfzVA🔪
@cmmnlgic2588
The dnb interval created the entire track( lyrics excluded), Genius at it's best.
@kendricklamar6550
https://youtu.be/VsCJGTVk6yg