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.
Shadow Landz
Killah Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hopping over sand dunes of man's dooms
The grip'll tell where killer dwells
Hides out in Cancun, fucking Spanish women
Tanning in sands his hands is trembling
From rubbing lotion on her
On nude beach, two freaks, she's a goner
From street corners, with heat on us
He lures old women inside tents
Gets the knife in, slicing, it's trifling
Lighting, spells out letters as he streak across the skies
P-R-I-E-S-elec-Tricty!
Come snowboard with the Ghost Lord
This what I wrote for
This what the horoscope saw.
Soar, from out a celestial academy
Look at the tree of life diagram see Priest's anatomy
From the medieval family
Called the Maccabeez
I grew up, left the Abbotcy
Now they call me "Your Majesty"
Don't be mad at me; I'm just a deity
I took on an alias
Cause we can't pronounce the true name of the aliens
The African-Aborigine-Israelien
King Arthurian
Half-Nazarian
Half-celestrian barbarian
The Sefer Yetzirah cards said Priest is a God
Go ahead read them all
You'll still see me as Lord!
Father's Enoch
My Mother's the Sephirot
Blessed; born naked near a barn in a dessert
Placed in the arms of a shepherd
I let the truth loose, before I take exit
Laugh to myself, how ya'll calling me Walter?
Body never dies; it just turns to the white suds on top of ocean water…
The transformation of my lines
The transmigration of the mind
See what's in mine
A seed full of rhymes, magicking classics
Tablets go way past time
The moon is for season
The comets for signs
When I'm writing, I have actual sightings
Come bring the good tidings
My offerings is essential
Take a glimpse into my view of my mental
I'm washing in the lonely streams
The blood stain cloth, king on his horse
Only in my dreams he would talk
Telling me this is hell, just leave
He was compelling showing me the music industry;
My records not selling
My ruins and the end of me eventually…
Said if I don't go back, the road is black
The crows attack, I step back, spoke in a rap
Then formed into a Golden Axe
Blood and feathers
It seems like we fought forever
The skies turned terror
His eyes and flesh turned leper
Then I turn to this heifer
She told me "the skeletal figure rides a white horse slowly across the fields
This means end change
Accept that life is cyclical and that your lyrical,"
Immortality
Then I saw morgues around me
It got cloudy
She walked away, paused
She said "justice will be yours;
A fair decision will be made in your favor"
Then I transformed into a gangster Can't believe that I wrote this on paper
In “Shadow Landz,” Killah Priest showcases his lyrical prowess by creating vivid imagery of gritty, dark situations. The opening lines, "My pen's the goggle lens, rap is ATVs, Hopping over sand dunes of man's dooms" show that his pen is the vehicle for exploring the darker corners of life. He then goes on to describe a sadistic killer, a tyrant who loves violence and lures old women into his tent. Killah Priest also weaves in references to his own identity as a deity, a member of the medieval Maccabeez family, and a combination of African, Aborigine, Israelien, King Arthurian, Nazarian, and Celestrian. He also touches upon the music industry and the fleeting nature of success.
The chorus of the song mentions transformation and transmigration of the mind, indicating that the song is about the evolution of the self. The final lines, "Can't believe that I wrote this on paper," suggest that what he's writing is not just words, but a manifestation of his innermost thoughts and feelings that he can't even believe exists.
Overall, "Shadow Landz" is a dense and complex song that showcases Killah Priest's ability to conjure up vivid imagery through his lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
My pen's the goggle lens, rap is ATVs
The power of my words is like a magnifying glass, while rap is like riding all-terrain vehicles
Hopping over sand dunes of man's dooms
Navigating through the challenges and struggles of humanity
The grip'll tell where killer dwells
The firm hold reveals the location of a dangerous person
Hides out in Cancun, fucking Spanish women
Taking refuge in Cancun and engaging in casual relationships with women
Tanning in sands his hands is trembling
Enjoying the beach while feeling a slight sense of anxiety
From rubbing lotion on her
In the act of applying lotion on a woman's body
On nude beach, two freaks, she's a goner
In a sexually adventurous setting, she becomes overwhelmed with desire
From street corners, with heat on us
Dealing with the dangers of the streets, always armed
Come horseback riding, with a tyrant who loves whores, but acts violent
Join me on horseback, led by a ruthless ruler who indulges in promiscuity but shows aggression towards others
He lures old women inside tents
He manipulates elderly women, enticing them into private spaces
Gets the knife in, slicing, it's trifling
He stabs them with a knife, causing superficial wounds
Lighting, spells out letters as he streak across the skies
Using lightning as a means to write words across the sky
P-R-I-E-S-elec-Tricty!
Spelling out 'Priest' using the electrical power of lightning
Come snowboard with the Ghost Lord
Join me in a thrilling snowboarding adventure with the supernatural ruler
This what I wrote for
This is what I have written for
This what the horoscope saw
This is what was predicted by the horoscope
Soar, from out a celestial academy
Rise above, emerging from a divine institution of learning
Look at the tree of life diagram see Priest's anatomy
When examining the diagram of the tree of life, one can see the essence of Priest
From the medieval family
Originating from a family rooted in medieval times
Called the Maccabeez
Known as the Maccabeez
I grew up, left the Abbotcy
I matured and departed from the religious order
Now they call me 'Your Majesty'
I am now addressed as 'Your Majesty'
Don't be mad at me; I'm just a deity
Do not be angered by me; I am simply a god-like being
I took on an alias
I assumed a different name
Cause we can't pronounce the true name of the aliens
Because we humans are unable to correctly pronounce the real name of extraterrestrial beings
The African-Aborigine-Israelien
A combination of African, Aborigine, and Israeli origins
King Arthurian
Resembling or reminiscent of King Arthur
Half-Nazarian
Partly associated with the Nazarenes
Half-celestrian barbarian
Part celestial and part barbarian
The Sefer Yetzirah cards said Priest is a God
The Sefer Yetzirah cards indicate that Priest possesses god-like qualities
Go ahead read them all
Feel free to read and explore them all
You'll still see me as Lord!
Even after reading them, you will still perceive me as a divine ruler
Father's Enoch
My paternal figure is associated with the biblical character Enoch
My Mother's the Sephirot
My maternal figure is connected to the Kabbalistic concept of the Sephirot
Blessed; born naked near a barn in a dessert
Fortunate to be born in a humble setting near a desert
Placed in the arms of a shepherd
Cared for and protected by a shepherd
I let the truth loose, before I take exit
I speak candidly and share the truth before departing
Laugh to myself, how ya'll calling me Walter?
Amused by the fact that some refer to me as Walter
Body never dies; it just turns to the white suds on top of ocean water…
The physical body may perish, but it transforms into the foamy white substance atop the ocean's surface
The transformation of my lines
The evolution and change of my lyrics
The transmigration of the mind
The journey of the soul from one body to another
See what's in mine
Discover the thoughts and ideas within my mind
A seed full of rhymes, magicking classics
A creative seed containing an abundance of poetic verses, enchanting listeners
Tablets go way past time
The written tablets transcend time itself
The moon is for season
The moon symbolizes the passing of seasons
The comets for signs
Comets represent symbolic omens and messages
When I'm writing, I have actual sightings
While writing, I possess genuine visions and experiences
Come bring the good tidings
Join me in delivering positive news
My offerings is essential
My contributions are vital
Take a glimpse into my view of my mental
Catch a glimpse of my perception and understanding
I'm washing in the lonely streams
I cleanse myself in isolated streams of thought
The blood stain cloth, king on his horse
A cloth stained with blood, representing a king on his horse
Only in my dreams he would talk
The king would only communicate with me in my dreams
Telling me this is hell, just leave
Informing me that the current situation is anguish, advising me to depart
He was compelling showing me the music industry;
He captivated me by revealing the realities of the music industry
My records not selling
My musical releases are not generating sales
My ruins and the end of me eventually…
The decline and ultimate demise of my career
Said if I don't go back, the road is black
Warned that continuing on the same path will lead to darkness and failure
The crows attack, I step back, spoke in a rap
Crows assail me, causing me to retreat, but I respond by rapping
Then formed into a Golden Axe
Transformed into a powerful weapon known as the Golden Axe
Blood and feathers
A combination of blood and feathers
It seems like we fought forever
It feels as though we have been in an eternal battle
The skies turned terror
The skies became filled with fear and chaos
His eyes and flesh turned leper
His eyes and skin deteriorated like that of a person afflicted with leprosy
Then I turn to this heifer
Then I confront this woman
She told me 'the skeletal figure rides a white horse slowly across the fields
She informed me that a skeletal figure on a white horse moves slowly across the fields
This means end change
This signifies a transition or transformation
Accept that life is cyclical and that your lyrical,
Acknowledge that life follows a circular pattern, including your poetic expression
Immortality
The state of being eternal and unending
Then I saw morgues around me
I witnessed morgues surrounding me
It got cloudy
The sky became overcast
She walked away, paused
She walked away and briefly stopped
She said 'justice will be yours;
She assured me that justice will prevail on my behalf
A fair decision will be made in your favor'
A just ruling will be made in my favor
Then I transformed into a gangster
I underwent a change and became a gangster-like figure
Can't believe that I wrote this on paper
In awe of the fact that I have expressed all of this on paper
Contributed by Alice S. 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.