Steve Knight - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Lopez - El… Read Full Bio ↴Piper - Vocals
Steve Knight - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Dave Lopez - Electric and Acoustic Guitar
Flipsyde's music is an unconventional, yet harmonious mix of styles. The top and bottom of their innovative sound is straight-up Hip Hop while the middle punches with Rock. These parts are made whole through Piper's consummate MC skills and stinging rhymes, Steve Knight's emotive voice & adhesive melodies plus Dave Lopez' inspired Latin-flavored flourishes of blazing guitar.
Of course ... Flipsyde is a natural amalgam in a post-modern world where cultures, beliefs and music collide like wrecking balls but, at once, coexist, interlace and augment our everyday human experience.
At first, the backgrounds and influences of the three members that make up Flipsyde appear disparate, but, upon closer inspection, their common thread of passion, politics and commitment to music becomes evident.
Piper is a razor-sharp MC from the streets of Oakland, California whose distant childhood memories of an intermittent father from Brazil opened a window of curiosity to the Portuguese language and the bigger world outside. He weaves both interests liberally with a wicked flow to form precise rhymes. Focused and resolutely opinionated about the political landscape of our times, Piper can shift effortlessly between dazzling bravado and indictment of national and international policy.
Steve Knight's grainy vocals betray the gravely road he's tracked from his spiritual roots of Alabama to a tour of duty in the U.S. Coast Guard and through a self-described "chemical" journey from which he emerged more driven and committed to pursue his love of music in the Oakland scene.
A loyal disciple of the Bay Area music community, Dave Lopez originally immigrated to the U.S. from Chile where he was born and raised until his early adolescence. He carried with him - and has always harbored - a passion for the rhythms of South America and the melodic cadences of Chile's bold and deep-rooted musical traditions.
When asked to describe Flipsyde's unique sound, Piper offers the following analogy: "Our music is like water, it has no form but can cover you ... or morph into anything."
Piper and Knight were originally signed to the same Bay Area indie label where they had each been working on separate projects. They often helped one another by trading rhymes or guitar parts on each other's tracks. But, it wasn't until 2003, in Oakland's Soundwave Rehearsal Studios, that Dave - working there at the time - happened to cross the pair's path.
"Steve barged into me," remembers Lopez of their initial meeting, "and it really irked me. But then he started to play 'Someday' and I was in awe. I thought right away that I might have something to contribute to it and we've been jamming ever since that day."
In addition to serendipitous timing, Piper, Knight and Lopez also share a common dedication to unity and political awareness. This message comes across loud and clear in Flipsyde's lyrics.
"It doesn't matter where you come from, how rich or poor you are or what your religion is," says Knight. "You can break down the walls and communicate. You can gain strength from these things and come together."
Flipsyde's debut album on Cherrytree/Interscope Records is aptly titled "We the People." As Piper explains "It's 'We the People ... of the world;' a new declaration of independence without political boundaries. Our music promotes unity, peace and the empowerment of people." Lopez adds with a confident smile: "Our music is a big mess of love."
My People
Flipsyde Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take me back on down
There’s nobody left to save in this town
I keep runnin’ away
I keep runnin’, runnin’ away
As long as I remember, been fightin’ for my freedom
Staying up, reading, searching for a way to beat ‘em
I used to stay weeded, now I’m standing undefeated
You know I love my people. I write a fucking thesis
On how we struggle and survive, but you won’t read it
And by the all of my people come from different races
And come from different nations. They die for education
All of my people fill the streets, they’re scared of opposition
My people take the country back from all you greedy bitches
My people chop your head off for pimpin’ little sisters
My people know how to shut the fuck up and listen
My people plannin’ when, my people must prevail
Some of my people cops, some of them locked in jail
They all know the real, so you could keep the trash
And take your propaganda, and shove it up your ass
Tryin’ to take me back away
Take me back on down
There’s nobody left to save in this town
They’ve been tryin’ to shoot me down
Ohh, I keep runnin’ away
I keep runnin’, runnin’ away
My people never run, unless they run for cover
And then return fire, until your ass smothered
My people never bluffin’, they know that life is real
My people keep their word; it’s worth a hundred mill
Ain’t no way you gon’ survive when all my people strong
They try to bury us alive, but we made it home
It’s time to kill Bill; I sharpened all my weapons
I kissed the wife and kids. I’m talking to the reverend.
I got two brothers sitting on their ass up in heaven.
I cuss them both out every day, cause neither one is helping.
My people working hard, or looking for a job.
My people go to school. My people getting robbed.
By the credit cards, thugs, and the greedy system.
My people tried to play it cool, ‘till the rules bit ‘em.
So welcome to the end, unless you let us in.
This is the age of truth. The phoenix flies again.
Tryin’ to take me back away
Take me back on down
There’s nobody left to save in this town
They’ve been tryin’ to shoot us down
Ohh, I keep runnin’ away
I keep runnin’, runnin’ away
Tryin’ to take me back away
Take me back on down
There’s nobody left to save in this town
They’ve been tryin’ to shoot me down
Ohh, I keep runnin’ away
I keep runnin’, runnin’ away
Tryin’ to take me back away
Take me back on down
There’s nobody left to save in this town
They’ve been tryin’ to shoot me down
Ohh, I keep runnin’ away
I keep runnin’, runnin’ away
The lyrics to Flipsyde's song "My People" are powerful and provocative, discussing the struggles and strengths of a group of people fighting for their freedom and survival. The opening lines express the frustration of constantly being pulled back into a difficult situation with no one left to save them. The artist then describes their own fight for freedom, staying up and reading, constantly searching for a way to beat those who would oppress them. The artist declares themselves a soldier, standing undefeated and in control of their own destiny.
Throughout the song, the artist speaks about their love for their people, describing a diverse group from different races and nations who all share a commitment to education and hard work. The people are willing to fight against oppression and are unafraid to take on corrupt systems and individuals. The artist also speaks about their personal struggles, with siblings in heaven who are not helping them and a sense of betrayal by the system that has robbed and mistreated them.
The song is a call to action, urging listeners to join together to fight for change and take control of their own lives. It highlights the power of collective action and the strength of those willing to stand up to oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
Tryin’ to take me back away
I'm fighting against people who are trying to push me back into oppression
Take me back on down
Take me back to a time when I didn't have the same rights as others
There’s nobody left to save in this town
This town is full of people who have given up, and there's no one left to help them
I keep runnin’ away
I'm constantly trying to escape the oppression and discrimination that surrounds me
As long as I remember, been fightin’ for my freedom
I've been fighting for my rights and freedom for as long as I can remember
Staying up, reading, searching for a way to beat ‘em
I spend countless hours educating myself and searching for ways to overcome oppression
I’m a soldier. Bullshit – I don’t really need it
I am a fighter for justice, and I don't need anyone telling me how to do it
I used to stay weeded, now I’m standing undefeated
I used to use drugs to cope with my struggles, but now I'm standing strong and undefeated
You know I love my people. I write a fucking thesis
I have an immense love for my community, and I write extensively about the challenges and accomplishments we face
On how we struggle and survive, but you won’t read it
I write about our struggles and resilience, but those in power refuse to acknowledge them
And by the all of my people come from different races
Our community is made up of individuals from diverse racial backgrounds
And come from different nations. They die for education
Our community includes individuals from various nations who have fought for equal access to education
All of my people fill the streets, they’re scared of opposition
Our community comes together in unity, but we fear those in power who try to silence us
My people take the country back from all you greedy bitches
We're taking back control from those who care only about their own greed and power
My people chop your head off for pimpin’ little sisters
We won't tolerate the exploitation and abuse of our own people
My people know how to shut the fuck up and listen
We understand the importance of listening and learning from each other's experiences
My people plannin’ when, my people must prevail
We're always strategizing and planning our next steps to overcome oppression and succeed
Some of my people cops, some of them locked in jail
Some members of our community are serving as police officers, while others are unjustly incarcerated
My people never run, unless they run for cover
Our community is resilient and strong, but we also know when to protect ourselves
And then return fire, until your ass smothered
We will fight back against oppression and discrimination, even when it's difficult
My people never bluffin’, they know that life is real
We don't pretend that the challenges we face aren't real or important
My people keep their word; it’s worth a hundred mill
We value honesty, and our word means everything to us
Ain’t no way you gon’ survive when all my people strong
We are a powerful community, and those who try to oppress us won't succeed
It’s time to kill Bill; I sharpened all my weapons
We're prepared to fight against those in power and take back control
My people working hard, or looking for a job
Our community is filled with hard-working individuals, some of whom are still searching for employment
My people go to school. My people getting robbed.
Our community values education, but we're often overlooked and robbed of resources
By the credit cards, thugs, and the greedy system
We're exploited and oppressed by systems and individuals who prioritize greed over our well-being
My people tried to play it cool, ‘till the rules bit ‘em.
We've tried to play by the rules, but those in power have never had our best interest at heart
So welcome to the end, unless you let us in.
Our community won't be silenced or oppressed any longer, and those in power need to include us in decisions and policies
This is the age of truth. The phoenix flies again.
We're in a new era where the truth will prevail, and we will rise up and overcome oppression once again
They’ve been tryin’ to shoot me down
We face constant threats and attacks from those in power
Contributed by Adam N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.