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.
gun 4 gun
Killah Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nasdaq Dow Jones ha ha
Guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
Eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
Blood for blood coming to a theater near you
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
I'll make Mussolini wear a Kufi
I talk like Dr ben but look
Like Malcolm holding his Uzi
Peering through curtains who would I murder?
Pearl silencer screw on my
Burner four four caliber
The new Nat Turner I'll make
Hitler wear a yarmulke kKK celebrate Kwanzaa
Should I pursue further?
I'm like Tutankhamen with the
Tools in my garment
Put a few in my cartridge
The moon and stars lit
Light up the hood it looks like a techno club
We slam dance to this music
When the Tek blow slugs it's ghetto thugs
Welfare and poor education and gang love
Sitting in the Federal waiting
Guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
Eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
Blood for blood coming to a theater near you
It's all love guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
What did Malcolm think split second
Before he was shot?
Did he think to hit the deck
On the floor before he dropped?
Or did he just say "Fuck it"
I'm ah die for my brothers?
Cause by killing him just made
His words teach others
Like Martin Luther King he preached peace
Like the West East beef finally
That shit is rotten
Place yourself in the shoes
Of a people's leader
From drug kingpin to President either
Is off the meter
Your best man can turn it or squeeze
Ya burn you and leave ya
Beside a lonely road or inside a meat freezer
That's the way it goes on the
3rd rock from the sun (earth)
Alone circling the light were we
Begun where we become
Guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
Eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
Blood for blood coming to a theater near you
It's all love guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
A follower to a general with soldiers to run
They move off every word of your tongue
Fearless and ruthless when you was
Young pulling your gun
Not scared to shoot shit remember it
Was all in the fun
If it's power you wanted can you
Control over a hundred minds?
And these are grown men who've
Killed over a hundred times
Every champ team has an arch rival
And it takes one time to mess
Up and niggas don't like you
You start to want peace
Niggas want you deceased
Your money low, niggas want you to go
Who else but I can bring
The most haunting flow? (Nas)
You soon to see the best of me
From a boy man to a king hear out my destiny
Guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
Eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
Blood for blood coming to a theater near you
It's all love guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
When my fam is at stake
I think of how much slander I take
Then I sit back and watch
Tapes on Alexander the Great
I start studying how he bloodied men
I think of rappers I'm a massacre
Metal armor cover my skin
Take me to war, fuck y'all
Priest is Ivan the Terrible
Stare at my eyes, they're unbearable
You collide with the generals
Surround me like the most high
Surrounded by Cherubim
Who'd imagine the illest collabo
Priest and Nas are incredible
He's spit's ether, I spit urancha
Describe how you devils move
Scream on MC's as I recline on my pedestal
Guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
Eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
Blood for blood coming to a theater near you
It's all love guns for gun streets filled
With rivers of blood
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
The I to the L to the L to the
W the I to the L to the L
To the W the I to the L to the L
To bring trouble to all ya niggas
"priest" "nasdaq dow jones"
The lyrics of Killah Priest's "Gun4Gun" discuss the vicious cycle of violence and revenge that plagues the streets, specifically those of the PJ's (project apartments) where the artist grew up alongside "real niggas and thugs". The lines "Eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood" illustrates the mentality of retaliation and the belief that violence must be repaid with violence. This attitude is also reflected in the chorus "Guns for gun streets filled with rivers of blood." The verses highlight Priest's intense anger towards oppressors and powerful figures such as Mussolini and Hitler, who he wants to see humbled by wearing a kufi or yarmulke respectively. The rapper sees himself as a new Nat Turner, willing to fight for justice and confront racism head-on.
The lyrics also reference influential figures in the civil rights movement such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Priest contemplates Malcolm's final moments before being shot in the line "What did Malcolm think split second before he was shot? Did he think to hit the deck on the floor before he dropped?" The artist seems to suggest that the message these figures left behind was more powerful than the violence that took their lives.
Overall, "Gun4Gun" is a brutal commentary on the reality of urban violence and the toll it takes on individuals and communities. The cycle of vengeance and brutality is portrayed as a stain on society that cannot be washed away easily.
Line by Line Meaning
Ill Will ill Will's alive yea Killah Priest
The spirit of Ill Will is still living on through Killah Priest
Nasdaq Dow Jones ha ha
Laughing at the financial institutions and their control
Guns for gun streets filled
The streets are filled with guns and violence
With rivers of blood
Resulting in a constant flow of bloodshed
Raised in the PJ's with real niggas and thugs
Grew up in the projects surrounded by authentic and dangerous individuals
Eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth
Seeking revenge in equal measure
Blood for blood coming to a theater near you
Expect more violence and retribution in the near future
It's all love guns for gun streets filled
Despite the violence, it's still love for the streets
I'll make Mussolini wear a Kufi
I will humiliate powerful figures like Mussolini
I talk like Dr ben but look
I may speak wise like Dr. Ben, but my appearance is reminiscent of Malcolm X
Like Malcolm holding his Uzi
Just like Malcolm X, I am armed and ready for self-defense
Peering through curtains who would I murder?
Contemplating who might be my next victim
Pearl silencer screw on my
I have a silencer attached to my gun
Burner four four caliber
My gun is a .44 caliber
The new Nat Turner I'll make
I am the modern-day Nat Turner
Hitler wear a yarmulke kKK celebrate Kwanzaa
Forcing symbols of hate and prejudice to embrace cultural diversity
Should I pursue further?
Considering if I should continue on this path
I'm like Tutankhamen with the
I possess the power and authority like Tutankhamen
Tools in my garment
Referring to weapons concealed in my clothing
Put a few in my cartridge
Loading ammunition into my gun
The moon and stars lit
The night sky illuminated by celestial bodies
Light up the hood it looks like a techno club
Violence and chaos illuminate the neighborhood like a nightclub
We slam dance to this music
Engaging in violent acts while listening to this song
When the Tek blow slugs it's ghetto thugs
When the gunshot sounds, it's the criminals who thrive
Welfare and poor education and gang love
The issues of poverty, lack of education, and gang affiliation prevail
Sitting in the Federal waiting
Awaiting trial in a federal case
What did Malcolm think split second
Wondering about Malcolm X's thoughts in his final moments
Before he was shot?
Before he was assassinated
Did he think to hit the deck
Did he consider diving to the ground for cover
On the floor before he dropped?
Before he fell to the ground
Or did he just say 'Fuck it'
Or did he simply accept his fate
I'm ah die for my brothers?
Willing to sacrifice his life for his people
Cause by killing him just made
As his assassination only made his teachings more influential
His words teach others
His message continues to educate and inspire others
Like Martin Luther King he preached peace
Similar to Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X advocated for peace
Like the West East beef finally
Referring to the conflict between the East and West coast rap scenes
That shit is rotten
That situation is full of corruption and decay
Place yourself in the shoes
Imagine yourself in the position
Of a people's leader
As a leader of the people
From drug kingpin to President either
Transitioning from a drug lord to a position of power
Is off the meter
Is an extraordinary accomplishment
Your best man can turn it or squeeze
Your most trusted ally can betray you or kill you
Ya burn you and leave ya
They will harm you and abandon you
Beside a lonely road or inside a meat freezer
Either left abandoned in a desolate area or locked in a freezing room
That's the way it goes on the
This is the harsh reality
3rd rock from the sun (earth)
Referring to Earth as the third planet from the sun
Alone circling the light were we
Humanity navigating its existence in a vast universe
Begun where we become
The place where we begin to shape our identity
A follower to a general with soldiers to run
Being a subordinate to a leader with control over an army of followers
They move off every word of your tongue
They take action based on your every command
Fearless and ruthless
Showing no fear and being merciless
When you was Young pulling your gun
Back when you were young, you were eager to use your gun
Not scared to shoot shit remember it
Having no fear and remembering the thrill of shooting
Was all in the fun
It was all seen as enjoyable and exciting
If it's power you wanted
If power is what you desired
Can you Control over a hundred minds?
Can you influence and manipulate the thoughts of numerous individuals?
And these are grown men
These are adults
Who've killed over a hundred times
They have taken countless lives
Every champ team has an arch rival
Every successful team has a formidable opponent
And it takes one time to mess
It only takes one mistake
Up and niggas don't like you
For people to turn against you
You start to want peace
You long for peace
Niggas want you deceased
But others wish for your death
Your money low, niggas want you to go
When you're financially struggling, people want you to disappear
Who else but I can bring
Who else but me has the ability
The most haunting flow? (Nas)
To deliver the most impactful and chilling rap verses? (referring to Nas)
You soon to see the best of me
You will witness my true greatness
From a boy man to a king hear out my destiny
Witness my journey from a young boy to a powerful ruler and listen to my destined path
When my fam is at stake
When my family is in danger
I think of how much slander I take
I reflect on the amount of criticism I endure
Then I sit back and watch
Then I observe
Tapes on Alexander the Great
Recordings about the strategies and conquests of Alexander the Great
I start studying how he bloodied men
I begin learning about how he inflicted violence on his enemies
I think of rappers I'm a massacre
I consider myself a threat to other rappers
Metal armor cover my skin
Metaphorically referring to being protected by rap skills and confidence
Take me to war, fuck y'all
Bring me into battle, I don't care about any of you
Priest is Ivan the Terrible
Comparing himself to the ruthless leader Ivan the Terrible
Stare at my eyes, they're unbearable
Look into my eyes, they are intense and unsettling
You collide with the generals
You will face the consequences of opposing the leaders
Surround me like the most high
I am revered and protected like a divine figure
Surrounded by Cherubim
Metaphorically surrounded by angelic beings
Who'd imagine the illest collabo
Who could have predicted the incredible collaboration
Priest and Nas are incredible
Killah Priest and Nas are extraordinary
He's spit's ether, I spit urancha
Nas delivers potent verses, while I bring a universal message
Describe how you devils move
Expose the wicked actions of evil individuals
Scream on MC's as I recline on my pedestal
I dominate other rappers while confidently asserting my superiority
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Reborn Tha Rebizzle
Man, I ain't hear this joint in a minute and it's still 🔥🔥🔥👊🏿👊🏿👊🏿 Killah Priest and Nas should do an album together.
Audi
This is a golden joint yo what's good killa priest, nas
Carlos Cong
Killah Priest in the house! Wit Nas!
Tim Davis
Light up the hood it looks like a techno club/we slam dance to the music when the tech blow slugs
David Munoz
Killa Priest is my god. Even Nas respected him.
Mike T
I'm like Tutikamen with the tools of my garment
Anthony Bergonzi
Crime cardinals 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Pasquiat stcyr
I don't remember this best being the original.🤔
Chris Ballesteros
The other one is with kurupt sounds more west coast
Kevin Ramirez
Beat is Killah like Priest,not the biggest nas fan .....