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.
The Devil's Eulogy
Killah Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They all attend, his demons, evil spirits, lord of the wind
Fallen angels, black abyss, bought most of his friends
His coffins full of abortions
Outside the black temple, dragons were swarmin'
Enormous, abomination came with the children of Cain
Damnation and hell join hands
Black rain that anoints to his blood clan
Comin' in multitude of demons, lost souls
Followed by a mass of heathens
Complainin', crows were screamin'
Then somethin' parted the rain
The stars changed
Ultimate light entered the room as God came
His face had my face and half of the entire human race
He walked in God dimensions and God thought
God on looks, God talks, the quiet sung dark musically
Sung dark musically, they read the devil's eulogy
From the end of heaven and Earth, came one walkin'
A thousand year curse, talkin'
From the direful of abyss
His wife leans over kisses his hard dead lips
The room smells like burnt sofa
Above his body, a tall gothic sculpture
Scriptures were written by Hitler
Stalin, Darwin and Idi Amin
The ET's arrive on the scene
I stood in the back, it was new to me
The devil's eulogy, they read it
They read the devil's eulogy
I read the devil's eulogy
No foolery, we hung up his jewelry
This is it, the description of hit-list
The lyrics to Killah Priest's song, The Devil's Eulogy, describe the scene of the devil's funeral. The mourners include demons, evil spirits, fallen angels and black abyss, along with the friends of the devil who were bought with his wealth. The devil's coffins are full of aborted souls and outside his black temple, the dragons gather. The atmosphere is heavy with condemnation and damnation, and the black rain anoints the devil's blood clan. The scene is filled with blasphemous weeping and crows screaming, as a multitude of demons and lost souls follow in the procession of the devil's heathen followers.
Suddenly, something parts the rain, and the stars change. The ultimate light enters the room, and God appears. God's face has half of the human race, and he walks in God dimensions, thought, and talks. The music sung in the moment turns into a dark musical sung by the quiet as they read the devil's eulogy.
In the second verse, the lyrics describe the devil's wife, who leans over to kiss his hard, dead lips. The gothic sculpture above his body represents the scene, and the scriptures are written by infamous figures such as Hitler, Stalin, Darwin, and Idi Amin. Furthermore, the ET's arrive on the scene, while the singer stands in the back, watching. Finally, as they read the devil's eulogy, his jewelry is hung up, and the hit-list is described.
Overall, Killah Priest's lyrics to The Devil's Eulogy use metaphorical images and religious symbols to describe a haunting and dark scene. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the devil's funeral and the atmospheres that surround the mourners, including a profound sense of condemnation, damnation, and blasphemy, while also including a twist with the appearance of God.
Line by Line Meaning
They all attend, his demons, evil spirits, lord of the wind
A gathering of evil spirits, including demons and the devil, who is considered the lord of the wind.
Fallen angels, black abyss, bought most of his friends
The devil's closest associates were largely fallen angels, and his realm was a black abyss.
His coffins full of abortions
The devil is associated with death and darkness, so it is fitting that his coffins would be filled with aborted fetuses.
Outside the black temple, dragons were swarmin'
A scene of chaos and darkness is painted, with dragons swarming around the devil's temple.
Enormous, abomination came with the children of Cain
The devil's arrival is described as an enormous abomination accompanied by the descendants of Cain, known for their evil tendencies.
Damnation and hell join hands
Hell and damnation are inextricably linked to the devil and his realm.
Black rain that anoints to his blood clan
The devil's followers are anointed with black rain, further emphasizing their association with darkness and evil.
Blasphemous near his casket weepin'
Even in death, people are still weeping in the presence of the devil due to his blasphemous nature.
Comin' in multitude of demons, lost souls
An army of demons and lost souls are described as descending upon the devil's funeral.
Followed by a mass of heathens
The devil's followers, considered heathens, are also present in droves.
Complainin', crows were screamin'
The scene is painted as chaotic and miserable, with cries of complaint and screams from crows filling the air.
Then somethin' parted the rain
A sudden break in the chaos occurs, with a higher power intervening in the scene.
The stars changed
A mystical event occurs, with the stars themselves undergoing a transformation.
Ultimate light entered the room as God came
God himself makes an appearance, bringing with him a powerful light.
His face had my face and half of the entire human race
God's face is described as being similar to the artist's, and also like that of half of the human population.
He walked in God dimensions and God thought
God is endowed with divine power and thought, allowing him to move and act beyond mortal comprehension.
God on looks, God talks, the quiet sung dark musically
God is shown to be all-encompassing, with the power to shape reality and even control the very fabric of music.
Sung dark musically, they read the devil's eulogy
The devil's eulogy is read, perhaps hinting at the idea that even the devil deserves some level of recognition in the grand scheme of things.
From the end of heaven and Earth, came one walkin'
A being of great power and significance arrives from a place that seems beyond the limits of human understanding.
A thousand year curse, talkin'
This powerful entity appears to speak of a great curse, one that has been in place for countless generations.
From the direful of abyss
This being is associated with a dark and terrible abyss, hinting at the potential for evil or destruction.
His wife leans over kisses his hard dead lips
This powerful entity is shown receiving a kiss from his wife, perhaps hinting at a reversal of the traditional idea of a malevolent being having no capacity for love or emotional connection.
The room smells like burnt sofa
The scene is described in vivid, sensory terms, adding to the unsettling nature of the overall story.
Above his body, a tall gothic sculpture
A gothic sculpture is described as looming over the figure, adding to the ominous tone of the scene.
Scriptures were written by Hitler
Even religious texts are not free from association with evil, as they are described as having been written by figures known for their atrocities.
Stalin, Darwin and Idi Amin
This list of names further reinforces the idea that great figures of power and influence are often connected to darkness and evil in some way, perhaps pointing to the idea that power corrupts.
The ET's arrive on the scene
The arrival of extraterrestrial beings adds another layer of intrigue and mystery to the already complex scene.
I stood in the back, it was new to me
The artist appears to be a mere observer in this scene, existing on the outskirts of the chaos and taking it all in without necessarily having a direct role in what is happening.
The devil's eulogy, they read it
The focus returns to the devil's eulogy, which seems to be central to the overall story.
No foolery, we hung up his jewelry
This line suggests that the devil's possessions, including his jewelry, are being removed or otherwise disposed of in a definitive way.
This is it, the description of hit-list
The overall narrative of the song is a description of a 'hit-list' of figures associated with darkness and evil, culminating in the story of the devil's eulogy.
Contributed by Nora N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Poetics
Killah Priest's poetical psalms are so intuitive and just simply food for the most chiseled of minds. Priest is more than Hip-Hop... one of the few MCs who speaks God's very words. Much respect to the High Priest.
Sensaye25
One of the dopest songs I've ever heard. I love the pictures he paints. I love it. The beats are perfect for him too. Priest...don't ever stop makin' this stuff fam, it's timeless.
Jason Raider
A true poet!
beefan brocoli
"...Then something parted the rain, the stars changed, ultimate light entered the room as God came, His face had, my face , and half of the entire human race..."
Asanda Bikani
Yeah, let's laugh at the devil. I love at the last part more. It was real feeling
E. R.
ILLwords on a ILL ass beat with a epic bassline-------------------------------- this shit is a masterpiece
Man Like Bango
Sum Real deep insightful shit ! that shit that makes you feel shit !
eastgoast
too deep for the sheeple