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.
Tasmanian Pain Coaster
El-P Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Do you think that if you were falling in space
That you would slow down after a while, or go faster and faster?
Faster and faster...
For a long time you wouldn't feel anything...
Then you would burst into into fire, for ever
And the angel's won't help you, 'cause they've all gone away...
I saw this kid walking down the street
I was like "wait" (echoes)
(El-P)
Bumped into this kid I knew, he often would walk strange
So I ignored the blood on his laces so this cat could save face
The dunks and the gaze stayed in an off grey haze
And the lump in his pocket talked to the ox that he clutched safe
So I saluted him there, waiting for the A
Trapped on the empty platform without the option to escape
Gave him the standard: "Yo, what up man, how you landin'?"
And the hypnotized response was no surprise: "I maintain"
"Yeah we all do, that's the standardized refrain
But on some really real man, good to see you, really, what the dealy deal?"
Oops, fuck, screwed the pooch, asked too much, knew the truth
On the train now, a caboose
In his brain now, no recluse
80 Blocks to uptown spot, destination vocal booth
Metro-card like: "you get what you pay for, stupid", no excuse
He pulled his hoody off his cabbage rugged practical
And began to fancy the words I mistakenly jostled loose
The stogie he brazenly lit where he sit looked legit
But when the flame touched to the tip I could smell it's of another nit
He leaned his head back and inhaled the newpie dip and said
"The whole design got my mind cryin', if I'm lyin' I'm dyin'... shit"
This is the sound of what you don't know killing you
This is the sound of what you don't believe still true
This is the sound of what you don't want still in you
TPC motherfucker, cop a feel or two
The whole design got my mind cryin', if I'm lyin' I'm dyin'
Dyin', I'm flyin', the same line, no disguise, guy... I'm bent up
Know the sky's high by coincidence and I'm tied blind insignificant
To the ground function I'm Munsoned, it's the dreaded 7/10 split again
The medic made it out to be, epidemic shaded... wow for me
Evidence of pressures mounting, residential shroud: King's County
Brotherhood of the working wounded, wounded working city unit
Taking out the trash and strappin in, let's get it movin', stupid
Many men make moves more useless, use abuse quick
Losers, juiceless
Bitch, either speak the truth or you leave toothless
Two fists of the furiously ruthless
Justice for my very own amusement with no regard for the conclusion
I swagger with rats tappin' the glass in a Gov. lab
Pass me the gloves, mask and flask of the cheapest liquor you have
In the back of the tasmanian path, insane again laughin
Cacklin' at the randomness of the city and all its facts
The dark art of interrogation agent skippin' class
And at last in a flash on my tip toes walkin' on cracked glass
Gats blast and wiz by fast or just catch in my calves like "hold that!"
In other words: I'm trash, glad you asked
This is the sound of what you don't know killing you
This is the sound of what you don't believe still true
This is the sound of what you don't want still in you
TPC motherfucker, cop a feel or two
Your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall
Said, your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall
The lyrics of Tasmanian Pain Coaster by El-P Ft. Omar Rodríguez-López & Cedric Bixler-Zavala paint a vivid picture of a dystopian city that is out of control. It starts with an eerie intro from the 1992 film "Fire Walk With Me" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The story revolves around the encounter of the singer with a kid walking down the street. The lyrics describe the kid as walking strangely with blood on his laces. Despite ignoring the blood on his laces, the singer salutes him and engages him in conversation.
The conversation soon reveals the mental state of the kid as he talks about being under some kind of mind control. He talks about the whole design getting his mind crying and how he is tied blind and insignificant. The lyrics then move on to describe the general chaos and darkness of the city. It talks about the pressure mounting, taking out the trash and strapping in, all in a bid to get things moving.
The lyrics of Tasmanian Pain Coaster present a bleak picture that is full of despair and hopelessness. The song serves as a commentary on the state of society, where people are under stress and pressure and feel like they are not in control of their lives. It talks about the dangers of blindly following the norms and the need to question the status quo.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you think that if you were falling in space
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were falling in space
That you would slow down after a while, or go faster and faster?
Would you slow down or speed up while falling in space
Faster and faster...
You would accelerate faster and faster
For a long time you wouldn't feel anything...
For a long time, you wouldn't feel anything while falling in space
Then you would burst into fire, forever
Eventually, you would burst into flames and burn forever
And the angels won't help you, 'cause they've all gone away...
Even the angels wouldn't be able to save you as they've left
I saw this kid walking down the street
El-P saw a kid walking down the street
I was like 'wait'
El-P stopped to observe the kid
Bumped into this kid I knew, he often would walk strange
El-P ran into a kid he knew who walked strangely
So I ignored the blood on his laces so this cat could save face
El-P overlooked the blood on the kid's shoe so he wouldn't feel embarrassed
The dunks and the gaze stayed in an off grey haze
The kid's sneakers and gaze were not clear, somewhat blurry
And the lump in his pocket talked to the ox that he clutched safe
There was a lump in his pocket that spoke to the object he held safely
So I saluted him there, waiting for the A
El-P greeted the kid while waiting for the A train
Trapped on the empty platform without the option to escape
They were stuck on a deserted platform with no way out
Gave him the standard: 'Yo, what up man, how you landin'?'
El-P gave the usual greeting to the kid
And the hypnotized response was no surprise: 'I maintain'
The kid responded in a hypnotized manner, saying 'I maintain'
'Yeah we all do, that's the standardized refrain
El-P acknowledges that everyone says that
But on some really real man, good to see you, really, what the dealy deal?'
El-P asks how things really are, genuinely wondering
The stogie he brazenly lit where he sit looked legit
The kid lit a cigar that appeared genuine
But when the flame touched to the tip I could smell it's of another nit
However, El-P could smell that the cigar had something else mixed in
He leaned his head back and inhaled the newpie dip and said
The kid inhaled the mixture and said
'The whole design got my mind cryin', if I'm lyin' I'm dyin'... shit'
The mixture was affecting him, making his mind overwhelmed
This is the sound of what you don't know killing you
This song represents how ignorance can harm you
This is the sound of what you don't believe still true
Things you don't believe can still be true and relevant
This is the sound of what you don't want still in you
Even if you don't want it, things can still remain within you
TPC motherfucker, cop a feel or two
TPC stands for Tasmanian Pain Coaster, a reference to feeling emotional pain
Your future's uncertain here now
In the present, your future is uncertain
The plot smears on the wall
The events in your life can smear together, forming an unclear path
Contributed by Callie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Allamaraine
Lyrics:
“Donna Hayward: ‘Do you think that if you were falling in space
That you would slow down after a while
Or go faster and faster?’
Laura Palmer: ‘Faster and faster
For a long time you wouldn't feel anything
Then you would burst into fire forever
And the angels wouldn't help you, 'cause they've all gone away’
(Uno, dos, uno, dos, tres, quatro)
(I seen this kid walking down the street
I was like, ‘Wait!’)
Bumped into this kid I knew, he often had walked strange
So I ignored the blood on his laces so this cat could save face
The dunks and the gaze stayed in an off gray haze
And the lump in his pocket talked to the ox that he clutched safe
So I saluted him there, waiting for the A
Trapped on the empty platform without the option to escape
Gave him the standard, ‘Yo, what up man, how you landin'?’
And the hypnotized response was no surprise: `I maintain`
‘Yeah, we all do, that's the standardized refrain, but on some
Really real man, good to see you, really, what the dealy deal?’
Oops, fuck, screwed the pooch, asked too much, knew the truth
On the train now, in caboose, in his brain now, no recluse
80 blocks to uptown spot, destination: vocal booth
Metro-card like, ‘You get what you pay for, stupid, no excuse’
He pulled his hoody off his cabbage rugged practical
And began to fancy the words I mistakenly jostled loose
The stogie he brazenly lit where he sit looked legit
But when the flame touched to the tip, I could smell it's of another nit
He leaned his head back and inhaled the newpie dip and said,
‘The whole design got my mind cryin'; if I'm lyin', I'm dyin', shit!’
This is the sound of what you don't know, killing you
This is the sound of what you don't believe, still true
This is the sound of what you don't want, still in you
TPC, motherfucker, cop a feel or two
This is the sound of what you don't know, killing you
This is the sound of what you don't believe, still true
This is the sound of what you don't want, still in you
TPC, motherfucker, cop a feel or two
(The whole design got my mind cryin'
The whole design got my mind cryin')
‘The whole design got my mind cryin’; if I'm lyin' I'm dyin'
If I’m dyin', I'm flyin' - the same line - no disguise, guy, I'm bent up
Know the sky's high by coincidence and I'm tied blind insignificant
To the ground function, I'm Munsoned, it's the dreaded 7/10 split again
The medic made it out to be, epidemic shaded, wow for me
Evidence of pressures mounting, residential shroud, King's County
Brotherhood of the working wounded, wounded working city unit
Taking out the trash and strappin' in, let's get it movin', stupid
Many men make moves more useless
Use abuse quick, losers, juiceless
Bitch, either speak the truth or you leave toothless
Two fists of the furiously ruthless
Justice for my very own amusement with no regard for the conclusion
I swagger with rats tappin' the glass in a Gov. lab
Pass me the gloves, mask and flask of the cheapest liquor you have
In the back of the Tasmanian path, insane again, laughin'
Cacklin' at the randomness of the city and all its facts
The dark art of interrogation agent skippin' class
And at last, in a flash on my tip toes walkin' on cracked glass
Gats blast and wiz by fast, or just catch in my calves like, hold that
In other words, I'm trash, glad you asked'
This is the sound of what you don't know, killing you
This is the sound of what you don't believe, still true
This is the sound of what you don't want, still in you
TPC motherfucker, cop a feel or two
This is the sound of what you don't know, killing you
This is the sound of what you don't believe, still true
This is the sound of what you don't want, still in you
TPC motherfucker, cop a feel or two
Your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall, wall
Said, your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall
Your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall, wall
Said, your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall
Your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall, wall
Said, your future's uncertain here now
The plot smears on the wall”
SwegLah
This album and Fantastic Damage changed my life and influenced me as a producer so fucking much. This shit still gives me goosebumps
ND77
One of the greatest album openers of all time, imho. ✌️
Joshua Rominger
Best intro for sure. right up there with TMV's Deloused
MrPhukawf
100 percent
Luis Velez
ive always thought that
Jonathan Layne-Gordon
Laura Palmer could never be saved
Tbird761
No kidding. I can't fathom the creativity that took.
Blaeb Robinson
One of the best hip-hop beats and lyrics Of all time. El-p is monster producer, rapper.
miisterstabby
A masterpiece of music from what is becoming my favourite ever hip hop EVERYTHING. The flows, the key changes, the use of piano and wind instruments. He is a fucking genius... The pace at which this ramps up through the crazy piano/laughter is perfection. Man...
Funk Worth Rollin
A beautiful disaster. Much respect to this cat.