Duel of the Iron Mic
Genius & GZA Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Picture bloodbaths and elevator shafts
Like these murderous rhymes tight from genuine craft
Check the print, it's where veterans spark the letterings
Slow moving mc's is waitin for the editin
The liquid soluble that made up the chemistry
A gaseous element, that burned down your ministry
Herbal vapors, and biblical papers
Smokin exodus, every square yard is plush
Fuck the screw-faced photo sessions facial expression
Leaves impressions, try to keep a shark nigga guessin
Give crazy shouts son here's the outcome
Cut across the semi-gloss rhymes you floss
Shit is outdated, just like neckloads of sterlings
Suede-fronts, bell-bottoms, and tri-colored shearlings
I ain't particular, I bang like vehicular homicides
On July 4th in bed-stuy
Where money don't grown on trees and there's thievin mc's
Who cut-throat to rake leaves
They can't breathe, blood splash, rushin fast
Like runnin rivers, I be that whiskey in your liver

Duel of the iron mic, it's the fifty-two fatal strikes!

This is not a eighty-five affair, made clear
When the gods get on to perform storms blew up
Wu's up, causin the crowd to self-destruct
Killer bees are stingin somethin while I reveal
Science, that's heavily guarded by the culprit
Bombin your barracks, with aerodynamic
Swordplay, poison darts by the doorway
Minds that's laced with explosive doses
Damagin lyrical launcher
Lunge at the youthful offender then injure
Any contender, testin the murderous master
Could lead to disaster, dynamite thoughts
Explode through your barrier, rips the retina
Who can withstand the astonishing punishing
Stings to the sternum, shocked in the hip-hop livestock
Seekin for a serum, to cure em

Adults kill for drugs plus the young bucks bust
Duckin handcuffs, throats get cut when dough rush
Out of town foes look shook but still pose
We move lioke real pros through the streets we stroll
Bullet holes lace the windows in one-six oh
So control the avenues that's the dream that's sold
Building lobbies are graveyards for small-timers
Bitches caught in airports, keys in they vaginas
No peace, yo the police mad corrupt
You get bagged up, dependin if you're passin the cut
Plus shorty's not a shorty no more, he's livin heartless
Regardless of the charges, claims to be the hardest
Individual, critical thoughts, criminal minded
Blinded by illusion, findin it confusin

Duel of the iron mics
It's that fifty-two fatal strikes




Duel of the iron mics
It's that fifty-two fatal strikes, nuh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Duel of the Iron Mic" by Genius and GZA depict a violent world where MCs are engaged in a lyrical battle for supremacy. The first verse paints a vivid image of bloodbaths and elevator shafts, with the MCs' rhymes as their deadliest weapons. The lyrics celebrate the skill and craft of the veteran MCs and warn against underestimating their power. The second verse reveals the MCs as the gods of the hip-hop world, performing deadly storms and causing the crowd to self-destruct. The lyrics also touch on social issues such as drug abuse, crime, and police corruption, depicting a world where survival is a constant struggle.


Overall, the lyrics of "Duel of the Iron Mic" are a commentary on the rap game and life in general, with a focus on the cutthroat nature of both. The song encourages MCs to sharpen their skills and be ready for the challenges that lie ahead.


Line by Line Meaning

Picture bloodbaths and elevator shafts
Visualize violent scenes of death and destruction


Like these murderous rhymes tight from genuine craft
The lyrics are lethal and expertly crafted


Check the print, it's where veterans spark the letterings
Examine the text to see how skilled veterans create the words


Slow moving mc’s is waitin for the editin
Sluggish rappers crave editing to fix their subpar rhymes


The liquid soluble that made up the chemistry
The verbal fluidity that comprises the music's chemistry


A gaseous element, that burned down your ministry
A powerful element that can destroy religious institutions


Herbal vapors, and biblical papers
Marijuana smoke and religious scriptures


Smokin exodus, every square yard is plush
Inhaling biblical literature with ease and luxury


Fuck the screw-faced photo sessions facial expression
Disregard the unappealing facial expressions during photo shoots


Leaves impressions, try to keep a shark nigga guessin
The impressions made can mislead even the most astute observers


Give crazy shouts son here's the outcome
Announce boldly and with enthusiasm the result of the lyrics


Cut across the semi-gloss rhymes you floss
Tear apart the mediocre rhymes you boast about


Shit is outdated, just like neckloads of sterlings
The fashion and style is obsolete, like expensive necklaces


Suede-fronts, bell-bottoms, and tri-colored shearlings
Fashion trends that have gone out of style


I ain't particular, I bang like vehicular homicides
I don't discriminate, I hit hard like deadly car accidents


On July 4th in bed-stuy
Refers to a time and place for setting off fireworks (Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn)


Where money don't grown on trees and there's thievin mc's
In a place where money is scarce, there are rappers who steal from each other


Who cut-throat to rake leaves
They stoop to low levels to make a living


They can't breathe, blood splash, rushin fast
The victims struggle to breathe and blood spills quickly


Like runnin rivers, I be that whiskey in your liver
As intoxicating as whiskey, flowing through your bloodstream


This is not a eighty-five affair, made clear
This is not old school hip-hop, it's something new and powerful


When the gods get on to perform storms blew up
When the Wu-Tang Clan perform, it's like an explosive storm


Wu's up, causin the crowd to self-destruct
Wu-Tang's presence causes the crowd to go wild and lose control


Killer bees are stingin somethin while I reveal
The Wu-Tang Clan is causing damage while revealing the truth


Science, that’s heavily guarded by the culprit
The knowledge and power of the Wu-Tang Clan are protected by a mysterious figure


Bombin your barracks, with aerodynamic
Blowing up the competition with swift and graceful movements


Swordplay, poison darts by the doorway
Using sharp weapons and dangerous tactics to take down opponents


Minds that's laced with explosive doses
Wu-Tang members have explosive and dangerous ideas


Damagin lyrical launcher
Harming the opposition's rap skills with precision


Lunge at the youthful offender then injure
Wu-Tang members attack young, inexperienced rappers and defeat them


Any contender, testin the murderous master
Any rapper who challenges the Wu-Tang Clan is putting themselves at great risk


Could lead to disaster, dynamite thoughts
A challenge to the Wu-Tang Clan can lead to catastrophic consequences with explosive ideas


Explode through your barrier, rips the retina
Wu-Tang Clan's music breaks through the listener's defenses and impacts them strongly


Who can withstand the astonishing punishing
No one can endure the incredible power and punish delivered by the Wu-Tang Clan


Stings to the sternum, shocked in the hip-hop livestock
Wu-Tang's attack hits the listener's chest hard and causes a disturbance in the hip-hop community


Seekin for a serum, to cure em
Looking for a remedy to fix hip-hop's ailments caused by Wu-Tang's devastating impact


Adults kill for drugs plus the young bucks bust
Drug wars lead to adult casualties and young men getting into the trade


Duckin handcuffs, throats get cut when dough rush
Trying to escape the law results in violence and danger


Out of town foes look shook but still pose
Opponents from outside are scared but continue to pretend to be tough


We move like real pros through the streets we stroll
The Wu-Tang Clan moves expertly through the dangerous streets


Bullet holes lace the windows in one-six oh
The violence has left bullet holes everywhere in the neighborhood of 160


So control the avenues that's the dream that's sold
The ultimate goal is to have complete control over the streets and the 'dream' is just a facade


Building lobbies are graveyards for small-timers
Small-time criminals die in the building lobbies


Bitches caught in airports, keys in they vaginas
Women smuggling drugs are caught in airports with drugs hidden inside their bodies


No peace, yo the police mad corrupt
There is no peace because the police are extremely corrupt


You get bagged up, dependin if you're passin the cut
Getting caught by the law depends on how involved you were in the crime


Plus shorty's not a shorty no more, he's livin heartless
The young person is no longer innocent, but a ruthless criminal


Regardless of the charges, claims to be the hardest
Even if the charges are severe, the criminal still thinks they are the toughest


Individual, critical thoughts, criminal minded
The criminals have independent and dangerous thoughts


Blinded by illusion, findin it confusin
They are blinded by their own illusions and find their situation confusing


Duel of the iron mic, it’s the fifty-two fatal strikes!
The song is a battle of powerful lyrics, with each line being a deadly strike


Duel of the iron mics
Repeats the title line to emphasize the battle of lyrics


It's that fifty-two fatal strikes
Reiterates the deadly nature of the lyrics involved in the duel


Nuh
A slang word for 'no' used to end the song




Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HERBERT MAGIDSON, ALLIE WRUBEL, GARY GRICE, ROBERT DIGGS, RUSSELL JONES, AUTHOR UNKNOWN COMPOSER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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