Over the course of his career, e-dubble released four albums; Straight Outta St. Mary's (2006), Hip-Hop is Good (2009), Reset EP (2012) and Two Tone Rebel (2016).
[h2]Early life[/h2]
Wallace grew up outside of Philadelphia, the youngest child of a principal and a schoolteacher. In the 1990s, Wallace and his friends fell under the spell of hip-hop cast by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre; his music would later be known for its common celebrations of this love of hip-hop. He played center on the Wissahickon High basketball team, but dreamed of being a rapper. In an interview with the Baltimore magazine, Wallace cited Eminem's breakout success in the late 90's as a major inspiration to him, saying "Eminem showed that a white rapper could have a career. It was about skills, whether or not you could do it."
[h2]Background[/h2]
After graduating from St. Maryβs College of Maryland with a degree in political science, e-dubble moved to Baltimore to live with his friends and collaborators. Together they formed the hip-hop band Young English, and played their first show in July 2008. The group went on to purchase a renovated warehouse, dubbed βThe Hampden Mansion,β where e-dubble would later go on to write, record, and produce his debut album Hip-Hop is Good. He went on to produce his Freestyle Friday series, a weekly series of free songs.
[h2]Career[/h2]
In 2009, e-dubble released his debut album, "Hip Hop is Good". The next year, in August 2010, e-dubble created his YouTube channel. He quickly began releasing freestyles on every Friday creating the series "Freestyle Fridays", in which he sampled other songs (such as Tighten Up and MMMBop) and rapped over the instrumentals. He also occasionally collaborated with his band, Young English, to make the tracks. The series ran throughout 2010 and a final track was released in 2012. The series was noted for its effective use of samples, lyrics and e-dubble's spoken word outros, in which he communicated with fans. He followed this up in 2012 with his next album, "Reset EP". He released his final album in 2016 with "Two Tone Rebel". His most popular songs include "Be a King", "Let Me Oh" and "What it Do".
[h2]Death[/h2]
On 21 January 2017, 23 days before his death, e-dubble posted a photo on his Instagram of a swollen hand, with the caption "I don't recommend throwing up half of your body's blood. Or having your hand swell up like Martin Short in 'Pure Luck' or needing 10 blood transfusions. But I'm gonna be aight. Thanks for the love". One of his business partners, Danny, later tweeted on 27 January: "Keep our friend e-dubble in your thoughts! He is at the Hahnemann Hospital fighting a serious infection", suggesting the infection was not getting better. As e-dubble became unusually inactive on the internet, rumors began to circulate that he had died, and were eventually confirmed on Twitter by many of his close associates as well as eventually the Black Paisley Records website. E-Dubble passed away on February 13, 2017.
What It Do
E-dubble Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
if it means protection in the next election.
Religious groups will keep sending those checks in,
so we can start wars and keep sending those jets in.
Exactly just what kinda shit did we step in?
Exactly just what kinda message we sending?
It don't matter if you condemn condoms, it ain't your problem,
it's the type of thing that only happens in Harlem,
happens in Newark,
it happens in Houston.
I think we got a problem Houston.
Invoke God to camouflage your true sins.
Poke and prod, private life intrusions;
you say it's for our safety when you spy our movements?
Huh, well I don't buy it doofus, I ain't stupid this is my two cents.
You don't know what it's like to pray.
You don't know what it's like.
You don't know what it's like to pray, for God to turn the night to day.
Do you know what it's like to pray?
Do you know what it's like?
Do you know what it's like to pray for god to turn the night to day?
Let's spend some real money on real life improvements.
Instead of moon men and booing same sex unions.
We need to take a look at why society is loosing.
One room shack a single mother with two kids.
They share the same bed and the walls are too thin.
So they hear every fight.
Fourth grade kids who can't read or write.
And all they ever hear in mommy beat at night.
They can't sleep at night, they can't catch no Z's.
So what the fuck they care about the ABC's.
It's crazy kids in grades 1,2,3.
Trying to decide whether to be a B or C.
Their stomachs are empty there's not enough MD's,
but we can spend millions chasing WMD's.
Or we can just build a pipeline in the mid-east.
And when the bill comes, send it to me!
You don't know what it's like to pray.
You don't know what it's like.
You don't know what it's like to pray, for God to turn the night to day.
Do you know what it's like to pray?
Do you know what it's like?
Do you know what it's like to pray for god to turn the night to day?
The lyrics of "What It Do" by E-dubble are a commentary on the politics and societal issues in America. The first verse talks about the hypocrisy of politicians who use religion or abortion as a means to gain votes and support from religious groups. They keep sending money to fund wars and sending jets instead of using the funds for important social issues. The lyrics sarcastically question what kind of mess the country has gotten into and what kind of message they are sending. The verse ends with the artist stating that those who condemn condoms are not affected by the problem, as it only affects the underprivileged communities in places like Harlem, Compton, Newark, and Houston.
The second verse talks about the need to spend money on real-life improvements and social issues rather than funding inappropriate projects like the space program and discriminating against same-sex unions. The lyrics discuss the harsh realities of society, where a single mother with two kids live in a one-room shack, and the kids are unable to get a proper education because they are too busy worrying about their next meal. The kids hear their mother's domestic violence and are unable to sleep, let alone focus on schoolwork. The lyrics then talk about how students in grades one, two, and three are going to school hungry and have to decide whether to focus on their academic life or their empty stomachs.
Overall, "What It Do" is an excellent commentary on the societal issues and politics faced by America. E-dubble's lyrics are insightful and thought-provoking, giving a deeper insight into the current problems of the country.
Line by Line Meaning
Lessen programs promoting contraception,
if it means protection in the next election.
Cutting back on programs that aim to prevent pregnancy through contraception to increase the likelihood of winning the next election is dangerous and short-sighted.
Religious groups will keep sending those checks in,
so we can start wars and keep sending those jets in.
Religious organizations continue to fund armed conflict with their donations, ensuring that military action remains a priority even if the consequences are devastating.
Exactly just what kinda shit did we step in?
Exactly just what kinda message we sending?
What kind of mess have we stumbled into? What message are we sending to our children and the rest of the world?
It don't matter if you condemn condoms, it ain't your problem,
it's the type of thing that only happens in Harlem,
happens in Compton,
happens in Newark,
it happens in Houston.
I think we got a problem Houston.
The stigma surrounding condom use doesn't just harm specific communities - it hurts us all. In every corner of America, people are suffering from the consequences of sexual activity.
Invoke God to camouflage your true sins.
Poke and prod, private life intrusions;
you say it's for our safety when you spy our movements?
Huh, well I don't buy it doofus, I ain't stupid this is my two cents.
Don't use religion as a cover for immoral behavior. When people in power start invading our privacy under the pretext of protecting us, it's time to speak up and reject them.
You don't know what it's like to pray.
You don't know what it's like.
You don't know what it's like to pray, for God to turn the night to day.
Do you know what it's like to pray?
Do you know what it's like?
Do you know what it's like to pray for god to turn the night to day?
Those who have never been in the depths of despair do not understand the power of prayer. When everything seems hopeless, all you can do is turn to a higher power and hope for a miracle.
Let's spend some real money on real life improvements.
Instead of moon men and booing same sex unions.
We need to take a look at why society is loosing.
We need to stop obsessing over pointless distractions and make a real investment in improving society. Rather than discriminate against a group of people who pose no threat, we should examine the root causes of our problems.
One room shack a single mother with two kids.
They share the same bed and the walls are too thin.
So they hear every fight.
Fourth grade kids who can't read or write.
And all they ever hear in mommy beat at night.
They can't sleep at night, they can't catch no Z's.
So what the fuck they care about the ABC's.
The struggle for families living in cramped and uncomfortable conditions is unbearable. When young children are exposed to domestic violence and neglect, their education suffers along with their physical and emotional health.
It's crazy kids in grades 1,2,3.
Trying to decide whether to be a B or C.
Their stomachs are empty there's not enough MD's,
but we can spend millions chasing WMD's.
Or we can just build a pipeline in the mid-east.
And when the bill comes, send it to me!
Children living in poverty are unable to focus on their education because of their unmet basic needs, yet our government spends billions on military technology and foreign policy ventures that only continue to destabilize the world.
You don't know what it's like to pray.
You don't know what it's like.
You don't know what it's like to pray, for God to turn the night to day.
Do you know what it's like to pray?
Do you know what it's like?
Do you know what it's like to pray for god to turn the night to day?
In the darkest of times, we turn to prayer in the hope that things will get better. But those who have never experienced the depths of despair cannot understand the power of this act.
Lyrics Β© CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Honest Outlaw
RIP man your music will live on
Titanme
i love his music
Rev
Doesn't everybody tho
SueTheBlue
I cant listen to this without shedding tears
Austin R
true legend
Thomas Ward
Did he pass????
John Welsh
I remember when this song came out he hadn't made a song in ages and then he came out with this masterpiece
Worland
Yea... Sad he can't make music anymore...
#RestInPeaceE
Brandonez Doofenshmirtz
I wish I knew about e-dub before his passing
David H
same