Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois), better … Read Full Bio ↴Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is a Grammy Award-winning American hip-hop artist and producer. He first became known to the mainstream hip-hop community in 2005 when he appeared on Kanye West's album Late Registration on the track "Touch the Sky." In 2006 Lupe released his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor on Atlantic Records, and in December 2007 he released his second full length album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool . His next studio album, entitled Lasers, was released on March 8th 2011 after a protest against Atlantic's decision not to release it.

The Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free) Songfacts reports that Fiasco’s first single off his fourth studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 debuted on May 21, 2012. On "Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)," he spits rhymes about aspects of modern American life he doesn’t like such as "Suicide bombers and prosperity gospels, emaciated models, with cocaine and blood pouring out their nostrils” as well as socio-political problems in Ghana and the invasion of Iraq.

Lupe released his fifth studio album Tetsuo & Youth on January 20, 2015.

Lupe's 8th Studio Album DRILL MUSIC IN ZION was released on June 23rd 2022

Lupe has previously been on label Epic with his group Da Pak and then signed a solo deal with Arista. His years at Arista only led to the 2003 promo single "Pop Pop" as well as guest appearances on singles from Tha' Rayne (2002's "Kiss Me" and 2003's "Didn't You Know") and K Fox (2003's "This Life"), then Arista folded in 2004 and Lupe was signed to Atlantic Records.

A Bathing Harry
Lupe Fiasco Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[To the beat of Gorillaz' "Dirty Harry"]

Catch me I'm balling, catch me I'm balling
Catch me like Spalding, catch me like Rawlings
If he indeed the MC
Invite him in/vitamin like GNC
Can't see me like BIG on CMT
Did a little bit of time on BMG

But this right here homie, this all me
Can you be down? Nah, nigga C.M.B.
That's cold, that ain't nice G
So what though? Little homie remind me of Ice-T
By the way we share the same birthday
The word play is work but pimping is easy
So catch me I'm balling
I'm sick too if you ain't catch me like coughing
Back when I said you should catch me like Rawlings
It's cool, cause most cats that I bump into can't catch me that often
Most times they just end up falling
Ball for a few then end up walking
Catch me in the ball with a Cinderella waltzing
And I do it until it's no longer exclusive
Might go once, might go twice
But never three times like an auction to it

See I, walk into it, I do my thang
And tell a homie that it's cool to let y'all into it

Overall Meaning

Lupe Fiasco's song "A Bathing Harry" features the rapper using his rhyming skills to boast about his success and skill in the music industry. The opening lines, "Catch me I'm balling, catch me I'm balling, Catch me like Spalding, catch me like Rawlings," can be interpreted as Lupe saying he is successful and valuable, using the metaphor of a ball that must be caught. He continues to flex his skills, saying he can't be seen like BIG on CMT, but he did have a bit of time on BMG, referring to his time on a major label.

Lupe uses wordplay throughout the song, playing with sounds and meanings to create layers in his lyrics. He mentions his birthday being shared with Ice-T and how work might be difficult, but pimping is easy. Overall, the song's tone is confident and braggadocious, with Lupe asserting his place in the industry and his ability to do what he wants.

Interestingly, the song is a reference to the Gorillaz song "Dirty Harry," with Lupe rapping over the beat. Lupe has said that the Gorillaz are one of his favorite bands and has sampled their music before.

Additionally, Lupe has stated that the song was originally supposed to be on his album "Lasers" but was ultimately left off. It was later released as a promotional single for his mixtape "Friend of the People."

Line by Line Meaning

Catch me I'm balling, catch me I'm balling
You can find me living luxuriously and succeeding in life

Catch me like Spalding, catch me like Rawlings
I’m elusive and difficult to catch, like a ball in a game of basketball or baseball

If he indeed the MC
If he’s really a skilled rapper

Invite him in/vitamin like GNC
Bring him into the studio and let him share his lyrical prowess, which is like a nutritional supplement to the rap world

Can't see me like BIG on CMT
I’m not mainstream like The Notorious B.I.G., so you won't find me on a channel like Country Music Television (CMT)

Did a little bit of time on BMG
I’ve had some success on the music label BMG in the past

But this right here homie, this all me
However, this song is a true reflection of me and my skills as an individual artist

Can you be down? Nah, nigga C.M.B.
Can you support me and my vision? No? Then you won't be a part of my Cash Money Brothers (C.M.B.)

That's cold, that ain't nice G
That may seem harsh or unfriendly, but that’s just the way it is, man

So what though? Little homie remind me of Ice-T
I don't really care about that, but you do remind me of Ice-T, a fellow rapper and artist

By the way we share the same birthday
By the way, Ice-T and I were born on the same day

The word play is work but pimping is easy
Playing with language and using clever puns in my raps is hard work, but being a pimp is effortless

So catch me I'm balling
I’m living the high life, so come try to catch me

I'm sick too if you ain't catch me like coughing
I’m also really talented, but you might not have noticed that yet

Back when I said you should catch me like Rawlings
Earlier, I mentioned that I’m elusive like a ball in a game of baseball, and you should try to catch me like you would try to catch a ball made by the Rawlings company

It's cool, cause most cats that I bump into can't catch me that often
But it's no big deal - most people I encounter can't keep up with me anyway

Most times they just end up falling
They end up stumbling and failing to keep pace with me

Ball for a few then end up walking
Sometimes people start off strong, but then they give up when they can't handle the pressure

Catch me in the ball with a Cinderella waltzing
Catch me at an event, mingling with people and dancing gracefully like Cinderella at a ball

And I do it until it's no longer exclusive
I keep doing what I’m doing until it’s no longer extraordinary or special

Might go once, might go twice
I may only do something once or twice, like performing at a particular venue

But never three times like an auction to it
But I won’t do it a third time, because then it starts to feel like I'm selling myself like an auction item

See I, walk into it, I do my thang
I confidently walk into situations and do what I do best

And tell a homie that it's cool to let y'all into it
And I'm telling my friend that it's okay to let other people experience what we’re doing

Contributed by Landon R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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