Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville, Killah Priest became infatuated with hip-hop as a child, listening to old-school and new school acts like Eric B. & Rakim alike. He also was influenced by local rappers, like GZA and Onyx's Suave, who would often play local parties. Killah Priest began working on his rhyming and eventually earned a considerable reputation in Brooklyn , but instead of pursuing his musical career further, he took a sabbatical in order to educate himself, primarily about religion and history.
Killah Priest returned to rapping in 1995, appearing on several Wu projects. All of his cameos were noteworthy, but his role on Liquid Swords earned special attention. By the end of 1996, he formed his own side project, the Sunz of Man. In 1997, GZA suggested to Geffen that they sign Killah Priest, and the label took his advice.
Killah worked on the album with True Master and 4th Disciple, two producers associated with the Clan. The resulting album, Heavy Mental, was dense with religious imagery and filled with evocative sounds. It received excellent reviews upon its March 1998 release and was a respectable commercial success, debuting at number 24 on the pop charts.
Killah Priest issued his second album, View from Masada, in the spring of 2000, further bolstering his status as one of the most compelling solo artists in the Wu-Tang stable. After that he has released more projects such as Priesthood and Black August.
Born 2 Die
Killah Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'ma live, I'm gonna live, I'ma fly, I'm, gonna fly
I'ma live, I'm gonna live, I'ma fly, I'm, gonna fly
[Killah Priest]
"Whosoever therefore humble themself as this little child" (Matthew 18:4)
The saying was the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven
Wings on the ledge and felt his way home, he sings with his brethrens
But supreme in his presence, a king in his essence of woe
Unto the world because are office is corrupt
And false justice broke peace we bought the beast amongst us
Grief of a hustler, beef between brothers
To reap what we suffer
There's cancer inside, we eat off each other
Growing in us like a tumor, false rumors.
Up at the tree like a puma on the night of a lunar
We fight here comes the goons of out we live and you die
They sent the apes into space
To plant new life for the lead of only one race
Gun chase make our sons erase, some deteriorate
Evaporate from flesh to spiritual bodies
The masters of fate, still clash us with fate
The mirrors are godly, pardon me
[Chorus]
I'ma live, I'm gonna live, I'ma fly, I'm gonna fly
I'ma live, I'm gonna live, I'ma fly, I'm gonna fly
[Victorious]
Ever seen me fly, that's me
Ever seen me cry, I see
The dreams of a land I, I need
Four REASONS TO JAMROCK, I MEAN
Poor reasons the more breathing
The more achieving, the more BELIEVING
Then the more reaching, I MEAN
Usual cats stay forth eating
PUT A PLAN TOGETHER, couple of meals together now they all eating
[Killah Priest]
So, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones
Before I say that to you the Heaven and the angels
Do always behold the face of the father
Which is in heaven and the son of man is coming
Save those which is lost" (Matthew 18:11)
WOW, let that sink in your thoughts
This is a force, a movement, a blueprint of the true prince
We're the remnants of Israelite descendents
We all kindred's, cross out you mimics
Follow the lineage of Genesis
To the prisoners, to all my listeners
Remember my affliction to my sister's addiction
To my spirit conviction, to my sister conditions
To my soul collisions, to my sister's soul submission
I'm here baby girl and through me ye still living
Feel me
[Chorus]
In the song Born 2 Die, Killah Priest and Victorious contemplate the state of the world and the impact of human actions on it. Using biblical references such as Matthew 18:4 and 18:11, the chorus asserts the intention to live and fly despite the world's current state. In the first verse, Killah Priest recognizes the corruption and false justice existing within society and how it feeds into the "cancer" growing amongst individuals. He also speaks of the conflict between individuals and the need to work together despite their differences. Killah Priest highlights how "we eat off each other" and emphasizes the need to break the chain of deterioration to reach spiritual freedom. In the second verse, Victorious acknowledges the struggle that comes with achieving success and emphasizes the importance of making plans and executing them. There is also a reflection on the power of belief and how it can lead to greater achievements.
Born 2 Die is an introspective song that touches on various topics such as spiritual freedom, societal corruption, and the struggle for success. One interesting fact about the song is that it samples an old recording of a bird chirping, which is played during the chorus to emphasize the idea of flying. Another interesting fact is that the song is featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. Born 2 Die is also widely regarded as one of Killah Priest's most popular tracks. The song was released on the album The Offering, which was released in 2007. It was produced by Dutch producer Koen "Dirt" Lommerse. The song was accompanied by a music video that showcases various images of nature, particularly birds flying in the sky.
Chords: Unfortunately, chords for this track are not known as it is a hip-hop song with no traditional instruments.
Line by Line Meaning
"Whosoever therefore humble themself as this little child" (Matthew 18:4)
Be humble like a child to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
The saying was the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven
The statement is important in the world.
Wings on the ledge and felt his way home, he sings with his brethrens
The bird felt its way home and sang with its fellow birds.
Flapping away through the air, white and seems like the pheasants
The bird flew through the air with ease and looked like the other birds in its species.
But supreme in his presence, a king in his essence of woe
The bird is powerful and has a kingly essence despite the sadness around it.
Unto the world because are office is corrupt
The world is corrupt because our leaders are corrupt.
And false justice broke peace we bought the beast amongst us
The injustice and desire for peace led us to bring violence among us.
Grief of a hustler, beef between brothers
The sadness and struggle of a hustler, and fights between siblings.
To reap what we suffer
We must endure the consequences of our actions.
There's cancer inside, we eat off each other
There is a destructive force within us, and we harm each other for our own benefit.
Growing in us like a tumor, false rumors
This harmful force grows within us like a disease, and lies and rumors only feed into it.
Up at the tree like a puma on the night of a lunar
Like a fierce animal ready to attack, hidden in the darkness of the night.
We fight here comes the goons of out we live and you die
We always fight, and the outcome is either life or death.
They sent the apes into space
Humans have sent creatures into space.
To plant new life for the lead of only one race
Yet, we only seek to benefit one race.
Gun chase make our sons erase, some deteriorate
The constant violence harms and destroys our future generations.
Evaporate from flesh to spiritual bodies
We transform from physical beings to non-physical souls.
The masters of fate, still clash us with fate
Powerful forces continue to control our destiny and create conflict.
The mirrors are godly, pardon me
There is something holy and powerful in reflections and images.
Ever seen me fly, that's me
I can fly and achieve my goals.
Ever seen me cry, I see
I acknowledge my emotions and am not afraid to express them.
The dreams of a land I, I need
I dream of a better world and believe it is necessary.
Four REASONS TO JAMROCK, I MEAN
I have four reasons to go to Jamaica, but more broadly, I have reasons to pursue my dreams.
Poor reasons the more breathing
If my reasons are not genuine, then living longer does not make them any better.
The more achieving, the more BELIEVING
As I achieve more, I start to believe in myself and my abilities even more.
Then the more reaching, I MEAN
This leads to me reaching higher and higher goals.
Usual cats stay forth eating
Regular people stay in one place, only concerned with survival.
PUT A PLAN TOGETHER, couple of meals together now they all eating
If we work together and have a plan, we can achieve more and all benefit.
So, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones
Before I say that to you the Heaven and the angels
Do always behold the face of the father
Which is in heaven and the son of man is coming
Save those which is lost" (Matthew 18:11)
Do not look down on or harm the innocent, for God is watching and will come to save them.
WOW, let that sink in your thoughts
These words are powerful and should be deeply considered.
This is a force, a movement, a blueprint of the true prince
This is powerful and influential, with potential to create change.
We're the remnants of Israelite descendents
We are the remaining descendants of the Israelites.
We all kindred's, cross out you mimics
We are all family and connected, so stop pretending to be something you're not.
Follow the lineage of Genesis
We should study our origins and history to understand ourselves.
To the prisoners, to all my listeners
This message is for those who are captive and those who will hear it.
Remember my affliction to my sister's addiction
Remember my struggles and my sister's struggle with addiction.
To my spirit conviction, to my sister conditions
Let my beliefs and the circumstances of my sister be heard.
To my soul collisions, to my sister's soul submission
My inner struggles and my sister's struggles should not be ignored.
I'm here baby girl and through me ye still living
I may be physically here, but my legacy and impact will live on.
Feel me
Understand and connect with my message and experiences.
I'ma live, I'm gonna live, I'ma fly, I'm gonna fly
I will live and achieve my dreams.
Contributed by Gabriel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Trajanus LaRocque
Classic album
Amsel 76
Great. Stil liten and all WU forever...
Angelisi Grey
as always.....
Grum Pee
Thank You!
Grum Pee
Nourishment for the malnutrition as well as healthy.