As a member of Company Flow, he honed his production skills alongside DJ Mr. Len and Bigg Jus. His unique style helped Company Flow gain critical, then popular success, culminating in 1997 with Funcrusher Plus. Eventual differences between the group & label Rawkus, lead to El-P & Len leaving the label in 2000.
El-P then started his own record label, Definitive Jux. Of the many albums he has helped produce (most on Definitive Jux), the most influential and successful has been Cannibal Ox's album, The Cold Vein (2001). In 2002 he released his debut album, Fantastic Damage, which received critical acclaim. His follow-up, I'll Sleep When You're Dead, hit stores in March of 2007. It featured a wide range of artists, including The Mars Volta, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails, and Cat Power. El-P has also contributed productions and guest raps to albums by DJ Krush, Aesop Rock, Murs, Cage, Mr. Lif, Prefuse 73, Del the Funky Homosapien, Mike Ladd, The High and Mighty, Aceyalone, and Alec Empire on the first Handsome Boy Modeling School album.
Cannibal Ox member Vordul Mega can be heard on "Linda Tripp", El-P's rebuttal to Sole's "Dear Elpee". He was also selected to work on Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha's solo album.
In 2012, El-P released his 3rd solo album, Cancer 4 Cure, on Fat Possum Records. The album was released to general acclaim, aggregating a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic.
In 2013, Meline formed rap duo Run the Jewels, with Michael Render (aka Killer Mike).
Sites: Discogs, Wikipedia and SoundCloud.
TOJ
El-P Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So this is maybe just a SOS shrapnel, an echo of dead sentiment
Measurement across the nothing for no one awaits that effort to shrug
Or maybe resident incurable romantic defunct in the face of fact
Blackboard formula waits by the next class
with the outlines still intact, and I see it
And I'm still not sure of the meaning
But I'll say it, write it down, and read it for you
No protective leathery flesh of emotional chain-mail
(No running shoes) no running, no locking doors, no anger
(No e-mail) no voicemail communicational strangulation
Or distortion of purity sentiment
No fantasy of reconciliation or delusion of no revenge
(No bullshit) no culture hidden agendas, no preaching
(No pedestal) no standing on the pulpit, no ego, no new speaker freakish lingo
(Here I go...)
I haven't loved many people
I grew up afraid that I was crazy
And one time when I was deep inside your body you purred
And I was sure that you were gonna have my baby
And you can tell that maybe time is out of joy my love
So this is maybe just a SOS shrapnel, an echo of dead sentiment
Measurement across the nothing for no one awaits that effort to shrug
And you can tell that maybe time is out of joy my love
So this is maybe just a SOS, shrapnel, an echo of dead sentiment
Measurement across the nothing for no one awaits that effort to shrug
I used to be in love...
Everything you said I took it all to heart
And you spurred a change in me
Before I could become a new sun I had to fall apart
And I can see that now
And I wish you well
Cause you saw what was good in me
And I'll be god damned if I didn't see that myself
And everything you are
I know you got to cry
Before I could become a man I had to lose my mind had to lose my mind
And I see that now
And I wish you well
Cause I see what's good in you
And I'll be god damned if you can't see that yourself
The lyrics to El-P's song TOJ are quite complex and can be interpreted in various ways. At first glance, the song seems to be about a failed romantic relationship. The singer talks about the passage of time and his incapability to let go of the past. He considers himself an incurable romantic who is facing the harsh reality of the present. The line "measurement across the nothing for no one awaits that effort to shrug" can be interpreted as the singer trying to come to terms with the fact that his efforts to save the relationship are futile.
The second half of the song seems to be the singer's attempt to come to terms with the end of the relationship. He speaks of the changes he's undergone since the relationship ended and how his former partner inspired him to become a better person. The line "before I could become a new sun, I had to fall apart" suggests that the singer has come to a realization and is willing to let go of the past. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer wishing his former partner well and acknowledging the good qualities in them.
Overall, TOJ is a song about heartbreak, but it's also about growth and self-reflection. The singer has come to terms with the fact that the relationship has ended, and he's using that experience to become a better person.
Line by Line Meaning
And you can tell that maybe time is out of joy my love
Time may have run out on our love.
So this is maybe just a SOS shrapnel, an echo of dead sentiment
This is possibly an urgent call for help, a fragment of a love that has died.
Measurement across the nothing for no one awaits that effort to shrug
It is impossible to measure emptiness, but we still try to ignore it.
Or maybe resident incurable romantic defunct in the face of fact
Perhaps I am a hopeless romantic, unable to accept the reality of our situation.
Blackboard formula waits by the next class
There is a solution to every problem, but it may not work for everyone.
with the outlines still intact, and I see it
I can still see the solution, but it is not applicable to our situation.
And I'm still not sure of the meaning
I have not found a solution to our problems yet.
But I'll say it, write it down, and read it for you
I will keep trying to find a solution and communicate it to you.
No protective leathery flesh of emotional chain-mail
I am vulnerable to emotional pain and do not have any defenses against it.
(No running shoes) no running, no locking doors, no anger
I will not run away from our problems nor will I shut myself out from you in anger.
(No e-mail) no voicemail communicational strangulation
Communication between us will not be choked by electronic media.
Or distortion of purity sentiment
We will not let our pure love for each other be distorted by our problems.
No fantasy of reconciliation or delusion of no revenge
There is no illusion of reconciliation or ideas of revenge in my heart.
(No bullshit) no culture hidden agendas, no preaching
I will not be dishonest with you, nor will I have any secret motives. I will not preach to you either.
(No pedestal) no standing on the pulpit, no ego, no new speaker freakish lingo
I will not hold myself above you nor will I use complicated language to confuse you.
(Here I go...) I haven't loved many people
I have not been in love with many people.
I grew up afraid that I was crazy
I had a fear of being mentally ill while growing up.
And one time when I was deep inside your body you purred
I remember a time when we were intimate and happy together.
And I was sure that you were gonna have my baby
I thought that we would have children together.
Everything you said I took it all to heart
I took everything you said to me very seriously.
And you spurred a change in me
You helped me grow and change as a person.
Before I could become a new sun I had to fall apart
In order to become a better person, I had to go through some difficult experiences.
And I can see that now
I understand that now.
And I wish you well
I sincerely hope that you are doing well.
Cause you saw what was good in me
You recognized my positive qualities.
And I'll be god damned if I didn't see that myself
I now also recognize what is good in me.
And everything you are
I appreciate everything that you are.
I know you got to cry
I understand that you sometimes need to cry.
Before I could become a man I had to lose my mind had to lose my mind
I had to go through some difficult experiences in order to become a mature adult.
And I see that now
I now understand that.
And I wish you well
I hope you are doing well.
Cause I see what's good in you
I recognize your positive qualities.
And I'll be god damned if you can't see that yourself
I hope that you recognize your own positive qualities as well.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind