Their commercially successful sophomore album E&A (released 2004) became a staple of the Twin Cities hip hop community, although following hectic touring the release of Eyedea & Abilities next album By The Throat would take several years, with Eyedea and DJ Abilities touring separately.
After a productive hiatus they returned with the critically acclaimed By The Throat (released 2009). Sonically divergent from their earlier work, By The Throat would showcase the their individual development along with the talents of Jeremy Ylvisaker, J.T. Bates & Graham O'Brien.
Eyedea (Born Micheal Larsen on November 9, 1981 – October 16, 2010) who also performed under the name Oliver Hart became widely known because of his battle and freestyle skills. The Many Faces of Oliver Hart prominently features the obliterating lyrical speed of a young Carnage the Executioner aka Terrell Woods along with Slug (of Atmosphere). Eyedea was best known for his victory at the Blaze Battle, which was aired on HBO, showing some of the best underground battlers in action. Eyedea largely toured with Slug aka Sean Daley during his early career, and would continue to collaborate with his mentor.
Numerous posthumous releases regularly appear since his passing, including Face Candy Waste-Age Teen Land and Eyenine Afraid to Dream on Crushkill Recordings, along with dedications from Kristoff Krane aka Christoffer Keller, Sadistik aka Cody Foster, No Bird Sing, Sage Francis, Brother Ali, Carnage XXXL, Murs among others. His mother Kathy Averill maintains an official dedication site www.micheallarsen.com.
DJ Abilities aka Maxx Keltgen is known for winning three DMC awards and for his work on his mixtapes and 1200 Hobos. He continues to tour, and is currently signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.
Kept
Eyedea & Abilities Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Verse 1]
I'm a be -boy, that's the best way to define me
Born in 81' been rhymin' since the early 90s
And I don't plan on stoppin' any time soon
That's why fools try to be down with my crew
But you recitin' feeble(?) chatter, either that or beatin' off
I keep a choke chain on the peoples thoughts
Teach the whole game how to read between the chalk
Okay we so crazy don't play me just pay me you babies
I break teeth on fake freaks(?) and maybe, just maybe you might live
That's solely dependent upon your mic skills
You rap slowly homey, no regard for what's ill
Still I hope you're not the nicest of your teammates
I'm your worst nightmare, you like a whack emcees dream date
A walkin' target, plus an awful artist
What you talk is often fuckin' garbage
The public regrets the fact they have to hear your music
What you call spittin' looks more like unvoluntary droolin'
Say I'm stupid for entertain rumors
But I heard you give your favorite producer
head in trade for his creative juices
We makin' music, just tryin' to put the fun back in
Turntablism, lyricism, ain't no gun packin'
It's hard to swallow, even my simple sing(?)
So biters not recommended by 9 out of 10 dentists
I step on snakes and yes I'll make a mess on tape cassettes
With my brother ain't no other quite like my mel'(?) or my man
So Abilities, let me hear you make some funky music with your hands
*Ooo you love it!*
Wall lights(?), solo, drums, and vocals
Guaranteed to put your attention span in a choke hold, peace
We just representin' for all the hip-hoppers worldwide,
Emcees, DJs, be -boys, raff-writers, everybody in the house
Yeah, Blueprint in the house
Uh-huh, Day Light in the house
Uh-huh, E-Wok in the house
Yeah, Mr. Dibbs in the house
Uh-huh, X-Cal(?) in the house
Uhh, Abomination's in the house
Uhh, Head Shots in the house
Yeah, Rhymesayers and we out, PEACE
In the song "Kept," Eyedea & Abilities emphasize the essence of the hip-hop culture and declare their dedication to keeping it authentic. The lyrics of the verses include the rapper boasting distinctively about his experience and commitment to the art of rapping. He mentions that he has been involved in rapping since the early 90s and intends to continue doing so. The rapper taunts his competitors, portraying himself as nothing less than superior. He further critiques other artists who do not respect the art of rap and keep it unreal in lyrics.
He even goes on to call out fake artists who have to perform sexual acts with producers to gain access to their creativity. He declares that he and Abilities only make music that genuinely sparks joy and highlight the importance of turntablism and lyricism before anything. The song's hook, "We gon' keep it raw," is a clear message that they will always keep their music uncompromised and real.
The song "Kept" also works as an anthem for the Rhymesayers crew, as it features shout-outs to many members of the collective. The artists mentioned in the lyrics, such as Blueprint, Day Light, Mr. Dibbs, and X-Cal, are all Rhymesayers members. The song's title, "Kept," refers to keeping the culture alive, and it depicts the artist's loyalty to its roots. It was released as a part of Eyedea & Abilities' debut album called "First Born" in 2001.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a be b-boy, that's the best way to define me
Being a b-boy defines who I am
Born in 81' been rhymin' since the early 90s
I was born in 1981, and I've been rapping since the early 1990s
And I don't plan on stoppin' any time soon
I'm not going to stop rapping anytime soon
That's why fools try to be down with my crew
People try to join my group because they see it as an opportunity
But you recitin' feeble(?) chatter, either that or beatin' off
The things you say are weak or you're just wasting your time
Peace to No Name, breathin' patterns that'll leave 'em lost
Shout out to No Name, whose rhymes are complex and can leave people confused
I keep a choke chain on the peoples thoughts
My rhymes control people's thoughts
Teach the whole game how to read between the chalk
My rhymes teach people how to see the deeper meaning behind things
Okay we so crazy don't play me just pay me you babies
We're crazy, so don't mess with us- just pay us what you owe us
I break teeth on fake freaks(?) and maybe, just maybe you might live
I'll destroy wack rappers who try to step to me and maybe, just maybe you'll survive
That's solely dependent upon your mic skills
But whether or not you survive depends on how good you are with the microphone
You rap slowly homey, no regard for what's ill
You rap slowly and don't care about what's good
Still I hope you're not the nicest of your teammates
But I hope you're not the best out of your group
I'm your worst nightmare, you like a whack emcees dream date
I'm your worst fear, and you're the type of person a bad rapper dreams of dating
A walkin' target, plus an awful artist
You're an easy target, and you're also bad at being a rapper
What you talk is often fuckin' garbage
What you say is usually just trash
The public regrets the fact they have to hear your music
The audience doesn't like having to listen to your music
What you call spittin' looks more like unvoluntary droolin'
Your rapping looks like someone drooling involuntarily
Say I'm stupid for entertain rumors
People say I'm dumb for even listening to rumors
But I heard you give your favorite producer head in trade for his creative juices
But I heard that you gave your favorite music producer oral sex in exchange for inspiration
We makin' music, just tryin' to put the fun back in
We're just trying to make music that's enjoyable again
Turntablism, lyricism, ain't no gun packin'
Our music is based on turntablism and lyricism, not violence
It's hard to swallow, even my simple sing(?)
Our music is difficult to accept and understand, even the parts that seem basic
So biters not recommended by 9 out of 10 dentists
Copying our style is not advised, just like 9 out of 10 dentists recommend a certain toothpaste
I step on snakes and yes I'll make a mess on tape cassettes
I'll destroy anyone who tries to undermine us, putting it on record
With my brother ain't no other quite like my mel'(?) or my man
My brother and I are unique, there's no one quite like us
So Abilities, let me hear you make some funky music with your hands
Abilities, show us your DJ skills and make some good music
Wall lights(?), solo, drums, and vocals
We're performing using a live band with just percussion and vocals
Guaranteed to put your attention span in a choke hold, peace
Our performance will keep you captivated the entire time, goodbye
We just representin' for all the hip-hoppers worldwide,
We're representing hip-hop culture for people all over the world
Emcees, DJs, be-boys, raff-writers, everybody in the house
This message is for all rappers, DJs, breakdancers, graffiti artists, and everyone else in attendance
Yeah, Blueprint in the house
Blueprint (another artist) is also here
Uh-huh, Day Light in the house
Day Light (another artist) is also here
Uh-huh, E-Wok in the house
E-Wok (another artist) is also here
Yeah, Mr. Dibbs in the house
Mr. Dibbs (another artist) is also here
Uh-huh, X-Cal(?) in the house
X-Cal (another artist) is also here
Uhh, Abomination's in the house
Abomination (another artist) is also here
Uhh, Head Shots in the house
Head Shots (another artist) is also here
Yeah, Rhymesayers and we out, PEACE
We're Rhymesayers (a record label), and we're leaving now. Goodbye
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MATT NATHANSON, MARK WEINBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind