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.
Drama
Killah Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The journey, peninsula, states of a cruel emperor
Pay ya tax or axes from the Knight Templar
The Anglo-Saxon of rapping, for me it gets extraneous
Men to trust, put ya ear to my paper while my pen discuss
The silent fall of a righteous kingdom, the cries of freedom
The scare speech of the boy king, would the crowd receive 'em?
The nervous Senator, would the people believe 'em?
The lost and found let us bury treasures in the ground
Empire's sack, behead 'em with the crown
The _______ sisters all of 'em drown
The picture shows the image of a man leaving a swamp
Towards an old Church, that said where a ghost once haunt
The kid writing his lyrics guided by spirits
Godlike appearance in armor, so light ya ganja
The persona of the music is horror
When I write it's an honor, it conjures drama...
-
Drama... (echo)
It conjures drama (echo)
It's drama (echo)
-
I came back to where rap was first prosecuted
Made merciless music, more ruthless with murderers influence
But with a smooth kick, that in Church boy can groove with
So light up the L's, I build thunder in the skies over hell
And the oceans for the lost souls to go in
When a hot coals take over their skin, the Omen's approaching
One Savior, one slogan, one prayer, one potion
I'm in his layer, the slayer, here comes his goatman
What type of life is this for a made star?
My A&R wishes to see me in the graveyard
The president of rap music put me in his radar
Hire goons to start shooting, but I'm a quasar
Priest is smarter, if we kill 'em, he'll just be a martyr
My leg kneel, better take words aligning my chakras
Tried to get me like Michael Jackson
A disciple of rapping, lyrics spin and slide
We'll walk a psycho with passion
Comma, contrast, Contra, dondra
Drugs, llamas, hundra, it's drama...
-
It's drama (echo)
-
The Beast within eat at my skin
Come out of my flesh, break through my neck
But what? The Beast has something lurking in him
It searches through his limbs, it tears through his fur
It glances at the Earth, but what lies inside of it is something worst
It comes out of his hooves, than runs in the woods
Holding his stomach cuz his lungs feel full
Than it howls like a wolves, it burst open
Here comes the Shogun, I saw the piece to show men
He's golden, deep, speaks words exploding
Black ho's are born, wind-pool's form
Meteor storms, Mars grows corn
Monster man throw blows than grows horns
My words are tetrahydrocannabinol
Your brain's the sword, I plant in you all
Chew feel the mouth like cannon balls
I shoot at ya insanity walls
All ya vanity, humanity falls
It's just some thoughts for the marijuana
Just some payback for ya comma
A shell to protect ya armor
I just call it drama....
-
Drama... (echo)
It's drama (echo)
I just call it drama
Drama... (echo)
I write drama
What made 'em write like this?
What made 'em make beats like this?
What makes 'em rock like this?
I hold the mic like this! What!?!
It's drama (echo)
From the 2 - 0 - 0 - 1
Priest!
The lyrics to Killah Priest's "Drama" describe a world of political corruption, treacherous power struggles, and otherworldly forces. The song opens with imagery of a cruel emperor ruling over a journey through dangerous lands, followed by references to the Knight Templar and Anglo-Saxon rapping. Priest then alludes to the fall of a righteous kingdom and the government's willingness to deceive its people. The line "The lost and found let us bury treasures in the ground" suggests that there are secrets and hidden truths waiting to be unearthed.
Moving on to the second verse, Priest describes his own approach to rap music, which he characterizes as "mercenaries music, more ruthless with murderers influence." He references his own persecution in the music industry and the president of rap music putting him on his radar. Despite these threats, Priest remains defiant, declaring that killing him would only make him a martyr. He ends the song with a flurry of surreal imagery, from a beast lurking within his own body to meteor storms and growing corn on Mars.
Line by Line Meaning
The journey, peninsula, states of a cruel emperor
The path towards a place ruled by a merciless ruler through a narrow strip of land.
Pay ya tax or axes from the Knight Templar
Choose between either paying taxes or facing brutal punishment from the Knight Templars.
The Anglo-Saxon of rapping, for me it gets extraneous
Being a skilled rapper feels monotonous and tedious for Killah Priest, who is like the Anglo-Saxon of rap.
Men to trust, put ya ear to my paper while my pen discuss
Trustworthy people should listen to Killah Priest's writings and the conversations stem from his pen.
The silent fall of a righteous kingdom, the cries of freedom
A virtuous domain collapsing without a noise as people rebel for liberty and rights.
The scare speech of the boy king, would the crowd receive 'em?
A young ruler's speech, that happens to instill fear in people's minds, would it influence his followers?
The nervous Senator, would the people believe 'em?
The shaky remarks from a politician and whether common folks would trust them.
The government getting dressed ready to deceive 'em
The officials are making themselves ready to cunningly trick the people.
The lost and found let us bury treasures in the ground
Lost valuables, when found, ought to be concealed underground to keep them protected.
Empire's sack, behead 'em with the crown
The empire's loot should be confiscated and the monarch punished with their own crown.
The _______ sisters all of 'em drown
Unknown.
The picture shows the image of a man leaving a swamp
An illustration of a person exiting through a marshy land.
Towards an old Church, that said where a ghost once haunt
Heading towards an ancient sacred place that is rumoured to be haunted.
The kid writing his lyrics guided by spirits
A young artist, receiving guidance from otherworldly entities, is authoring his verses.
Godlike appearance in armor, so light ya ganja
A divine being wearing protective gear, urging people to smoke weed and chill.
The persona of the music is horror
The music presents a character of terror and horror.
When I write it's an honor, it conjures drama...
Killah Priest finds inner satisfaction in writing songs that evoke drama and spectacle.
It conjures drama (echo)
Emphasizing that the song instigates conflict and tense situations.
It's drama (echo)
Reiterating that the rhythm and words of the song create a dramatic atmosphere.
I came back to where rap was first prosecuted
Returning to where rap was met with disapproval and blame for societal problems.
Made merciless music, more ruthless with murderers influence
Creating music infused with influence from violent murderers, making it even more unrelentingly brutal.
But with a smooth kick, that in Church boy can groove with
Providing a comfortable and easy melody that religious boys can enjoy and dance to.
So light up the L's, I build thunder in the skies over hell
Smoke a cannabis cigar, while Killah Priest creates explosive sound effects in the skies over the land of the damned.
And the oceans for the lost souls to go in
Offering the oceans as a passage for wandering, lost souls to take refuge in.
When a hot coals take over their skin, the Omen's approaching
The feeling of hot-coals overtaking their flesh is an indication of bad luck and ominous events incoming.
One Savior, one slogan, one prayer, one potion
A salvation figure with a singular phrase, religious supplication, and a healing mixture.
I'm in his layer, the slayer, here comes his goatman
Implying that Killah Priest is a formidable presence who has eliminated several opponents and is prepared to challenge more beasts.
What type of life is this for a made star?
Reflecting on the pressure and scrutiny that comes from being a famous artist.
My A&R wishes to see me in the graveyard
The artist representative yearns to see him dead.
The president of rap music put me in his radar
The most influential promoter of rap music has started to take notice of Killah Priest.
Hire goons to start shooting, but I'm a quasar
Hiring thugs to assassinate him is pointless, as he can protect himself like a quasar.
Priest is smarter, if we kill 'em, he'll just be a martyr
Killah Priest is intelligent; if assassinated, he'll become a martyr, earning public sympathy and respect.
My leg kneel, better take words aligning my chakras
Healing energy enters his body, and he places his knee on the ground, uttering words that align his chakras.
Tried to get me like Michael Jackson
Someone attempted to harm Killah Priest, similar to the attack on Michael Jackson.
A disciple of rapping, lyrics spin and slide
Killah Priest is a devoted student of rapping and songwriting, filled with deftness and agility.
We'll walk a psycho with passion
Walking with an insane, intense passion.
Comma, contrast, Contra, dondra
A list of words or topics separated by commas, highlighting sharp differences and opposition, culminating in 'dondra,' which has an unknown meaning.
Drugs, llamas, hundra, it's drama...
A collection of terms, including drugs, llamas, and hundreds, further emphasizing the drama and complexity of the song.
It's drama (echo)
Reiterating that the track emphasizes dramatic and complicated themes.
The Beast within eat at my skin
The ferocious monster inside tears at his skin.
Come out of my flesh, break through my neck
The beast exits through his skin, emerging from his throat and head.
But what? The Beast has something lurking in him
Ruining the excitement of the previous line, as the monster hidden inside is still present.
It searches through his limbs, it tears through his fur
The beast rips and claws through his skin and hair, looking for something.
It glances at the Earth, but what lies inside of it is something worst
The creature looks towards the ground, but what is inside the earth is even more terrible.
It comes out of his hooves, than runs in the woods
The animal leaves Killah Priest's hooves and dashes into the wilderness.
Holding his stomach cuz his lungs feel full
The artist experiences discomfort from the intense atmospheric pressure on his abdomen and chest.
Than it howls like a wolves, it burst open
The beast makes a wild, animalistic scream as it exits his body.
Here comes the Shogun, I saw the piece to show men
A prominent ruler approaches, with Killah Priest noticing a puzzling sign that he will present to his people.
He's golden, deep, speaks words exploding
The Shogun is outstanding, having significant knowledge, and speaks with explosive charisma.
Black ho's are born, wind-pool's form
African horns come to life, and strong gusts of wind create a vortex.
Meteor storms, Mars grows corn
Heavy meteoric downpours occur, and there's agriculture on the planet Mars.
Monster man throw blows than grows horns
A monster attacks and increases its ferocity and the length of its horns with every blow.
My words are tetrahydrocannabinol
Killah Priest's lyrics have the potency and effectiveness equivalent to tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana.
Your brain's the sword, I plant in you all
Your mind is the sword, and he is sowing his words into it.
Chew feel the mouth like cannon balls
His words have a significant impact, hitting the listeners as cannonballs would.
I shoot at ya insanity walls
His rhymes are aimed at breaking down the listeners' barriers of madness and mental instability.
All ya vanity, humanity falls
All your egotism and pretentiousness will result in the downfall of humanity.
It's just some thoughts for the marijuana
These are mere musings, created with marijuana in mind.
Just some payback for ya comma
The song is a response or revenge towards an unknown recipient and their wrongdoing represented by a comma.
A shell to protect ya armor
An outer layer to safeguard their internal defenses.
I just call it drama....
The term drama refers to the song and its themes.
Drama... (echo)
Reiterating again that the song is full of tense and conflicted circumstances.
It's drama (echo)
Further emphasizing the dramatic nature of this music.
I write drama
Killah Priest specializes in writing dramatic and engaging music.
What made 'em write like this?
Encountering artists who express themselves in this way, Killah Priest wonders what inspired them.
What made 'em make beats like this?
Similar to the previous line, but instead questioning what motivated producers to create music like this.
What makes 'em rock like this?
What are the elements and factors that make people dance or sway to this music?
I hold the mic like this! What!?!
Suggesting that Killah Priest holds the microphone in a distinct manner when performing, expressing excitement and confidence.
It's drama (echo)
The ultimate tonality of this song revolves around creating dramatic scenarios.
From the 2 - 0 - 0 - 1
Referring to the year 2001 when the song was probably created.
Priest!
A shoutout to himself and his moniker.
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michael M.
Man this song is so amazing . When #killahpriest gets Gothic things get crucial. A true Draculario, OG Gravedigga
Paul Edmondson
I love when Priest gets a hold of dark beats
Jacob Smith
Love, love!
Truth Seeker
Indeed
Malik Knox
Its been over a decade since I first heard this album and its still INCREDIBLE. That last verse on here STILL gets me!
Master Commenter Sire
Easily one of my favorite hip hop beats
Lord Nakama
dopest album cover art ! !
john john
"Tried to get me like Michael Jackson, a disciple of rapping, lyrics spin and slide, moonwalk (heee heee), a psycho with passion" lol
Ish
The last verse is sick
Akbarrel Yeshua
The nervous Senator + will the people + Believe him...