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.
One Step
Killah Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
KP Killah Priest Iron Sheek
These times we gotta take one step.. forward.
Put one foot in front of the other my brother..
Yo check this out
Early natives related to throwns of David
They stripped us naked while they wives picked they favourite
Lives were wasted, in the hands of the hated,
Driven from the garden [garden], now we starvin' in the martyring Sodom,
They call it Harlem, wordly problems got us at the bottom,
The Earth crisis, and the righteous grab their ice picks,
Seekers like us for our rices, I stay in ciphers,
Our live is, connected to second son of Isaacs, which had a tight grip,
On the heels of his brother, revealed to his mother,
The elders who served the younger, words heard in thunder,
Down from under, rose and fled to grow in hunger, now it's cold in summer,
To slow your slumbers, behold a number, 600, 6 and 3 score,
The same as he saw, who ate his heat raw, in the time before,
They climbed aboard a dinosaur, information held behind the doors,
We came from the atmosphere, the physical trapped us here,
Then they gave us crack and beer, in the back of the stairs,
Please adapt your ears, add or subtract the years, and form the unwise,
And watch the sunrise from sunset, none-slep, one flesh, one breath..
[Chorus]
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
Devils morale, they caught us playing with the gold marbels,
We wrote novels, now we live life in the bottle, before the devil sold me,
To the unholy, because my father told me,
I lived like a monks of lowly, lowly, but lowly?,
The president just ordered the navy to hit the borders of Haiti,
Slaughtered babies from the waters of Ufraeties,
Maybe they send germs that polluted our sperm,
And made us live with circumcize in the serpent eyes,
And told us certain lies, and each day a servant dies,
But in the halls of Farrow the walls are narrow,
And religion is like a prison for the seekers of wisdom,
Now free them, lets feed um', feed um'...
They took the first book of Jacob to Jamaica,
Promised us 40 achers and a mule, treated like an animal,
Understand the jewel, brought to the 50 states,
Deuteronomy 28, verse 68, it all relates, 1555 is when we first arrived,
We tell jokes wish um' get high, and watch the fish fry...
[Chorus]
One Step...
One, One, Step, Step
One, One, Flesh
One, One, Step..
One, One, Breath...
One.. Step....
One... Step...
The chorus of Killah Priest's song "One Step" repeats the phrase "One Step, One Flesh, One Breath" over and over again, emphasizing the unity and interconnectedness of humanity. The verses highlight the struggles faced by people of color throughout history, as they have been kidnapped from their native lands, enslaved, mistreated, and pushed to the margins of society. Throughout it all, the song insists that we must take one step forward and continue putting one foot in front of the other. The phrase "Your arms too short to box with god" means that individuals cannot fight against spiritual forces in the world alone.
The first verse of the song delves into the experiences of Native Americans, who were taken from their homes and forced onto slave ships. The verse describes the way in which their bodies were stripped, and they were forced to live in desolate conditions. The verse also references the Bible, with the mention of the "throne of David" and the "second son of Isaacs." The second verse discusses the struggles faced by African Americans, who were enslaved and oppressed in America. It brings up the fact that black people were promised 40 acres and a mule after slavery was abolished, but that promise was never fulfilled. The verse also criticizes the U.S. government for attacking Haiti and spreading diseases that have affected the descendants of Africans.
Overall, the song is about the strength and resilience of humanity, even in the face of incredible hardship. The phrase "One Step, One Flesh, One Breath" serves as a call to unite and support each other through these hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
These times we gotta take one step.. forward.
In these difficult times, we must continue to move forward, taking one small step after the other.
Put one foot in front of the other my brother..
We must keep moving forward, relentlessly, even if it is just one step at a time.
Early natives related to throwns of David
Indigenous peoples believed in the same God as the Jews who followed King David.
Captured by some patriots and thrown on slave ships
Native Americans were kidnapped and taken as slaves by American colonizers.
They stripped us naked while they wives picked they favourite
Native people were stripped of their clothing and dignity, while the colonizers' wives selected the ones they wanted to keep as slaves.
Lives were wasted, in the hands of the hated,
Native lives were taken and treated as worthless by the colonizers.
Driven from the garden [garden], now we starvin' in the martyring Sodom,
Native people were removed from their land - their own Garden of Eden - and forced to survive in a land of sin and death.
They call it Harlem, wordly problems got us at the bottom,
Harlem is a place where people struggle with the problems of the world and are at the bottom of the totem pole.
The Earth crisis, and the righteous grab their ice picks,
The state of the earth is in crisis and only the righteous - those who take a proactive stand - can make a difference.
Seekers like us for our rices, I stay in ciphers,
People seek to take advantage of us and our resources; Killah Priest stays within the community to protect and serve.
Our live is, connected to second son of Isaacs, which had a tight grip,
Our lives are inextricably linked to the descendants of Isaac, particularly to the second son, Jacob, who had a strong hold on his destiny.
On the heels of his brother, revealed to his mother,
Jacob was born just after his brother and his destiny was revealed to his mother.
The elders who served the younger, words heard in thunder,
The younger brother, Jacob, was able to succeed because of the help of the elders who recognized his greatness.
Down from under, rose and fled to grow in hunger, now it's cold in summer,
Jacob had to leave behind his past in order to grow and succeed, but the journey was difficult and he suffered both physically and emotionally.
To slow your slumbers, behold a number, 600, 6 and 3 score,
There is a number (666) that is associated with evil and temptation, warning people to stay alert and awake.
The same as he saw, who ate his heat raw, in the time before,
A reference to the Biblical story of Jacob's older brother, Esau, who foolishly gave up his birthright for a bowl of stew.
They climbed aboard a dinosaur, information held behind the doors,
People have a thirst for knowledge and will go to great lengths (e.g. even riding a dinosaur) to obtain it, and some information is kept secret or hidden from the masses.
We came from the atmosphere, the physical trapped us here,
Humans are said to have originated from outer space, but are now limited and constrained by their physical bodies.
Then they gave us crack and beer, in the back of the stairs,
The government and other powers that be use drugs and alcohol to keep people passive and complacent, particularly those in urban areas.
Please adapt your ears, add or subtract the years, and form the unwise,
Be open-minded and reflective, taking into account the events and ideas of the past in order to better understand what's happening in the world today.
And watch the sunrise from sunset, none-slep, one flesh, one breath..
Be watchful and prepared, never asleep or giving up, always working together as if we were one.
Devils morale, they caught us playing with the gold marbels,
The devil and his followers use tempting, material goods to entice and control people.
We wrote novels, now we live life in the bottle, before the devil sold me,
We had great aspirations and dreams but have succumbed to a life of addiction and despair, which the devil uses to control us.
To the unholy, because my father told me,
Our fathers and ancestors have passed down their beliefs and warnings, and we must listen and learn from them.
I lived like a monks of lowly, lowly, but lowly?
I chose to live a life of self-denial and humility, but at what cost and to whose benefit?
The president just ordered the navy to hit the borders of Haiti,
The government is able to impose violence and force whenever it wants, as seen in its treatment of Haiti.
Slaughtered babies from the waters of Ufraeties,
The government is capable of committing atrocities, even against innocent children.
Maybe they send germs that polluted our sperm,
The government may also use biological weapons to control and destroy people.
And made us live with circumcize in the serpent eyes,
The idea of circumcision - a ritual that represents the difference between good and evil - has been twisted and distorted over time.
And told us certain lies, and each day a servant dies,
Many lies and falsehoods are spread by those in power, and the common people suffer and die as a result.
But in the halls of Farrow the walls are narrow,
There are constraints and limitations placed on people, particularly those who stand up against authority or seek knowledge.
And religion is like a prison for the seekers of wisdom,
Religion can be both a source of comfort and a prison for those seeking truth and knowledge.
Now free them, lets feed um', feed um'...
It's time to break free from the chains and constraints that keep us trapped and unfed, and to feed one another instead.
They took the first book of Jacob to Jamaica,
The first book of the Bible, which tells the story of Jacob, was taken to Jamaica by colonizers.
Promised us 40 achers and a mule, treated like an animal,
Former slaves were promised land and animals but were instead treated like animals themselves.
Understand the jewel, brought to the 50 states,
We must understand the value and worth of ourselves and our ancestors, who were brought to the United States as slaves.
Deuteronomy 28, verse 68, it all relates, 1555 is when we first arrived,
The Bible's Deuteronomy 28:68 describes the plight of the Israelites, but can also be applied to the plight of African Americans, who first arrived in the US in 1555.
We tell jokes wish um' get high, and watch the fish fry...
We try to find escape and enjoyment in life through humor, drugs, and communal gatherings.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Integrity Music, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JAMES SAMUEL III HARRIS, TERRY STEVEN LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yassintriggerdellarobia
[Intro: Killah Priest, (Tekitha), [Killah Priest in background of his intro]]
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
KP, [Killah Priest] Iron Sheik
In these times we gotta take one step [Prodigal Sunn] forward [Hell Razah, Royal Fam]
Put one foot in front of the other [Dreddy Kruger], my brother
Yo, check this out
[Verse 1: Killah Priest]
Early natives related to thrones of David
Captured by some patriots and thrown on slave ships
They stripped us naked while their wives picked they favourite
Lives were wasted in the hands of the hated
Driven from the Garden
Now we starving in the modern day Sodom, they call it Harlem
Worldly problems got us at the bottom
The Earth crisis had the righteous grab their ice picks
Seekin psychics for advices, I stay in ciphers
Our life is connected to the second son of Isaac's
Which had a tight grip on the heels of his brother, revealed to his mother
"The elder should serve the younger,"Β words heard in thunder
Down from under, rose and fled to grow in hunger
Now it's cold in summer, the soldier slumbers
Behold a number
600, 6 and 3 score
The same as Esau, who ate his meat raw
In the time before
They climbed aboard a dinosaur
Information held behind the doors
We came from the atmosphere, the physical trapped us here
Then they gave us crack and beer
In the back of the stairs, please adapt your ears
Add or subtract the years
And form the unwise and watch the sunrise from sunset
None slept, one flesh, one breath
[Hook: Hell Razah, (Tekitha)]
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
One Step, One Flesh, One Breath
(Your arms too short to box with God...)
[Verse 2: Killah Priest]
Devil's marveled, they caught us playing with the gold marbles
We wrote novels, now we live life in the bottle
Before the Devil sold me to the unholy
He called my father Toby, I live life amongst the lowly
The President just ordered the Navy to hit the borders of Haiti
Slaughtered babies from the waters of Euphrates
Maybe they sent germs that polluted our sperm
And made us live uncircumcised in the serpent eyes
And told us certain lies and each day a servant dies
But in the halls of Pharaoh, the walls are narrow
And religion is like a prison for the seekers of wisdom
Now Freedom, let's feed 'em, feed 'em
They took the first book of Jacob to Jamaica
Promised us 40 acres and a mule
Treated like an animal, understand the jewel
Brought to the 50 States
Deuteronomy 28, Verse 68, it all relates
1555 is when we first arrived
We tell jokes with some get high and watch the fish fry
@alphaBETZ.
Classic Priest. Still bumping this album in 2023. Heavy Mental
@rsantero
π₯π₯π₯
@mr.orisha52
One of the greatest albums ever.
@Chosen-hr6rt
Facts
@chandrastar5939
For those that know.
@Bird910
That Mortal Kombat
@statobrado909
"Too many rappers in the east wanna be gangstas, too many gangstas in the west wanna be rappers... bunch of actors"
@Bird910
Oughtta smack ya
@omalone1169
Tupac was offended there β@@Bird910
@Bird910
@@omalone1169 if the shoe fits