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.
I AM
Killah Priest Lyrics
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I was born like that
I live like that
Feel me?
Free, so let it be
I Am... King
Transform the God
Of who? Of me
[Killah Priest]
If I could write my own obituary
I tell of things I've seen and heard
I'll admit not a bit was scary
'Cause it was real so I'll feel no remorse
For those who try to crucify me then kneel to my cross
Why do women love to come in my life then leave?
Then hate the way I talk
He tries to walk righteously
They listen to their friends
My sins, my short comings
Impregnated your thoughts with their nonsense
When all of them have lost husbands
Wives have trials, try to save lives
Life and death is in the hands of what you feed the family
Think of poisoning the God? Then plea to insanity
Nah, Satan you a liar, internal fire
The life eternal of things that concerns the writer
The brighter inferno of ring that make the sky light up
We're bound by honor, we're bound law
What I found is armor, his word is the sword
Heard by all but felt by few
Before I make a cause, my inner self I view
If Corinthians is correct, gave you the respect
Not the jealousy of the next couple trouble of steps
Let's cuddle to death
(Chorus) Priest x2
[Killah Priest]
My manifestation came when you were hand to hand with Satan in reign
My crown rolled upon the ground, I'm slained, drizzling rain
Wait, my adrenaline done came
I'm still in the game, I rose like Neo
Behold, meet me in the sequel
For the people, the soaring eagle, fall like D-evil
Divinity sentence me, infinity, imagery seeing scenes when I dream
My genes is like that of a King but that energy leaves
Like a spiral of Bibles, going up it's Jacob's Ladder
God break up my matter
Spiritual body is formed, so long, stop trying to hold on
Appear in white and gone like a snowstorm
Belove it, be not ignorant of this one thing
A day with the Lord is a thousand years
Yards of blood, miles in tears, clouds turn clear
I'm finally there
My mind's prepared to climb those stairs to my destiny
My kindred body set it free; the spirit alone let it be
I got my weaponry; secondly my seventh plane is heavenly
The unexplained is shown of me, the mysteries, the thrones
I'm giving keys to the bottomless pit
Solomon whits, the obvious man will marvel at this
(Chorus) Priest x2
The lyrics of "I Am" by Killah Priest reflect on the artist's life and spirituality. The chorus repeats "I Am... King" which is a reference to his belief in himself as a divine being. The first verse discusses how the artist feels no regret about the experiences he's had in life, even when others try to put him down. He notes the importance of his faith in guiding his decisions, and the need to be cautious of those who try to poison his mind with negativity.
The second verse touches on the idea of reincarnation and redemption. The artist reflects on a past life where he was "slain," but has risen again to fight against the forces of evil. He believes in the power of his spirituality to overcome physical limitations and to connect him to a higher power. He also hints at having access to secret knowledge and understanding that others may not have.
Overall, the song is a reflection on Killah Priest's faith and relationship to a divine power. He portrays himself as a king, representing his power and connection to the divine, and he uses his experiences to strengthen his spiritual beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could write my own obituary
Reflecting on my life, I have seen and heard many things that I will share in my narrative
I'll admit not a bit was scary
None of the things I witnessed were frightening
'Cause it was real so I'll feel no remorse
I don't feel guilty for any of the events that happened because they are true
For those who try to crucify me then kneel to my cross
People who criticize me will eventually admire me for my strength and sacrifice
Why do women love to come in my life then leave?
I wonder why women enter my life and then depart from it shortly thereafter
Then hate the way I talk
They dislike how I express myself verbally
He tries to walk righteously
I make an effort to live righteously
They listen to their friends
People tend to heed advice from their peers
My sins, my short comings
I acknowledge my wrongdoings and faults
Impregnated your thoughts with their nonsense
They have filled your mind with falsehoods and nonsense about me
When all of them have lost husbands
The people spreading rumors have all lost their partners
Wives have trials, try to save lives
Wives go through hardships, striving to preserve lives
Life and death is in the hands of what you feed the family
The sustenance you provide to your family impacts their survival
Think of poisoning the God? Then plea to insanity
You cannot harm the divine and justify it to be insane
Nah, Satan you a liar, internal fire
I reject Satan's lies and remain on fire internally
The life eternal of things that concerns the writer
The writer is concerned with topics that are eternal
The brighter inferno of ring that make the sky light up
The brilliance of the ring illuminates the sky
We're bound by honor, we're bound law
We are bonded by principles of honor and law
What I found is armor, his word is the sword
The truth is my shield and God's word is my weapon
Heard by all but felt by few
Many people have heard God's word, but few have experienced its impact
Before I make a cause, my inner self I view
I reflect on myself before taking any action
If Corinthians is correct, gave you the respect
If Corinthians is accurate, then I have shown you respect
Not the jealousy of the next couple trouble of steps
I am not envious of my peers or their accomplishments
Let's cuddle to death
We should comfort each other as we near our end
My manifestation came when you were hand to hand with Satan in reign
My presence came when you were under Satan's influence
My crown rolled upon the ground, I'm slained, drizzling rain
My crown fell to the ground as I died, symbolized by the falling rain
Wait, my adrenaline done came
Wait, I feel invigorated
I'm still in the game, I rose like Neo
I'm still in the fight, like Neo from the Matrix franchise
Behold, meet me in the sequel
Come see me in the next installment
For the people, the soaring eagle, fall like D-evil
I stand for the people, soaring like an eagle, while evil falls
Divinity sentence me, infinity, imagery seeing scenes when I dream
The divine sent me a message, showing me infinite images in my dreams
My genes is like that of a King but that energy leaves
My genes align with royalty, but my energy dissipates
Like a spiral of Bibles, going up it's Jacob's Ladder
I ascend like Jacob's Ladder, with Bibles spiraling around me
God break up my matter
God separates my physical and spiritual forms
Spiritual body is formed, so long, stop trying to hold on
I have a new spiritual form; let go of the old me
Appear in white and gone like a snowstorm
I appear in white and disappear like a snowstorm
Belove it, be not ignorant of this one thing
Believe it, and don't be ignorant of this fact
A day with the Lord is a thousand years
Time with the Lord is not linear but infinite
Yards of blood, miles in tears, clouds turn clear
So much suffering occurred, but clarity has come
I'm finally there
I have finally reached my destination
My mind's prepared to climb those stairs to my destiny
My mind is ready to ascend the stairs of fate
My kindred body set it free; the spirit alone let it be
My physical body is liberated, leaving only my spirit
I got my weaponry; secondly my seventh plane is heavenly
I have my weapons, and my seventh plane is divine
The unexplained is shown of me, the mysteries, the thrones
The unknown has been revealed to me, the mysteries, the thrones
I'm giving keys to the bottomless pit
I am granting access to the abyss
Solomon whits, the obvious man will marvel at this
Even the wisest people will be amazed by this
Contributed by Anthony B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
eno
on From Then Till Now
In Palestine there would drink Ballentine
A poetic description of happiness and abundance
in pallestine Now we drink ballantine. ballantine ale is a mat liquor usually sold in cans with xxx on it. the song is from then till now. imost lines are comparisons. iono who translated this one of the most poetic songs ever written, reminds me of khalil gibrans writings
eno
on From Then Till Now
We used to sing songs, upon Mount Hebron
The past was filled with beautiful moments and music
We was the wisest and the richest, now we turn to snitches
The community used to be respected and honorable, but now they resort to snitching to survive
you skipped one of the most poetic lines ever written in hip hop music "how does gold turn to bronze? how does gold turn to bronze?"
eno
on From Then Till Now
now we step in precincts for your ebony prince
eno
on From Then Till Now
the moments intense for her to step into my white tent.