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.
The Cool
Lupe Fiasco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Similar to the one his grandfather was married in
Yes, he was still fresh to death
Bling, two earrings, a chain laying on his chest
He still had it 'cause they couldn't find it
And the bullets from his enemies sat like two inches behind it
Smell the Hennessey from where his niggas got reminded
And poured out liquor in his memory, he didn't mind it
So the liquor was just filling the casket up
Floating down by his feet was the letter from his sister
Second-grade handwriting, simply read, I miss you
Suit-jacket pocket held his baby daughter's picture
Right next to it, one of his men stuck a swisha
He had a notion as he lay there soaking
He saw that the latch was broken, he kicked his casket open and he
This life goes passing you by
It might go fast if you lie
You're born, you live, then you die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If life goes passing you by
Don't cry
If you're breaking the rules
Making your moves
Paying your dues
Chasing the cool
Not at all nervous as he dug to the surface
Tarnished gold chain is what he loosened up the earth with
He used his mouth as a shovel to try and hollow it
And when he couldn't dirt-spit, he swallowed it, working like a
Hmmm reverse archaeologist
Except, his buried treasure was sunshine
So when some shined through a hole that he had drove
It reflected off the gold and almost made son blind
He grabbed onto some grass and climbed
Pulled himself up out of his own grave, and looked at the time
On the watch that had stopped six months after the shots
That had got him in the box, ringing Henney out his socks
He figured it was hours, because he wasn't older
Used some flowers to brush the dirt up off his shoulder, so
With a right hand that was all bones
And no reason to stay, he decided to walk home, so he?
This life goes passing you by
It might go fast if you lie
You're born, you live, then you die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If life goes passing you by
Don't cry
If you're breaking the rules
Making your moves
Paying your dues
Chasing the cool
He begged for some change, to get him on the train
Damn that nigga stank, is what they complained
Tried to light the blunt but it burst into flames
Caught the reflection in the window of what he became
A long look, was he shook, was it the shame?
Matter of fact, the only thing on his brain was brains
Yeah, and getting back in his lane, doing his thing
First he had to find something to sling
Next stop was his block, it had the same cops
He walked right past the same spot where he was shot
Shocked, and some little niggas tried to sell him rocks
It just felt weird, being on the opposite
They figured that he wasn't from there so they pulled out
And robbed him with the same gun they shot him with
They put it to his head and said, you're scared, ain't cha?
He said, "hustler for death, no heaven for a gangsta", and
This life goes passing you by
It might go fast if you lie
You're born, you live, then you die
Oh, oh, oh, oh
If life goes passing you by
Don't cry
If you're breaking the rules
Making your moves
Paying your dues
Chasing the cool
Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool" tells the story of a man who comes back to life after being buried in a casket. The song is divided into three parts: the man's awakening, his return to his old life, and his ultimate decision to leave his old life behind. The lyrics depict the man's feelings of betrayal by those closest to him, as seen through his interactions with his sister and his former acquaintances.
The first verse illustrates the man waking up in his casket after being shot and buried. The lyrics reference the fact that he was buried in the same suit that he was shot in, and that he was still wearing his jewelry even though they had tried to take it from him. The verse also reveals that the man was able to hear his friends pouring liquor on his casket and smell the Hennessey from where he lay. The lyrics capture the man's frustration as he watches his loved ones from beyond the grave, unable to interact with them.
In the second verse, Lupe Fiasco describes the man's escape from his own grave and his journey home. The man uses his own teeth as a shovel to dig himself out of the ground, and climbs out of his grave covered in dirt. He then walks through the city, taking in the sights and sounds of the place where he used to live. The lyrics reveal that the man is a gangster, having been shot by his former associates, and that he is now trying to reassert himself as part of the gang.
The final verse of "The Cool" portrays the man's final decision to leave his old life behind. The lyrics reveal that the man is tired of the violence and betrayal that marked his old life. The man is robbed at gunpoint by a group of young gangsters, including one who recognizes him as the man they had shot and left for dead. The man realizes that he is no longer interested in perpetuating the cycle of violence that has consumed his life. He tells the young gangsters that he is a "hustler for death, no heaven for a gangsta," and walks away, leaving his old life behind for good.
Line by Line Meaning
He came back in the same suit that he was buried in
The person returned from the dead wearing the same clothes he was buried in.
Similar to the one his grandfather was married in
The suit was reminiscent of what the person's grandfather wore when he got married.
Yes, he was still fresh to death
The person looked stylish and fashionable even after coming back from the dead.
Bling, two earrings, a chain laying on his chest
The person was wearing jewelry which included two earrings and a chain on his chest.
He still had it 'cause they couldn't find it
The person still had the jewelry on because no one could find it or remove it.
And the bullets from his enemies sat like two inches behind it
The jewelry was protecting him from the bullets of his enemies, which were only two inches away from hitting him.
Smell the Hennessey from where his niggas got reminded
The scent of Hennessey reminded his friends of him.
And poured out liquor in his memory, he didn't mind it
His friends poured out liquor as a tribute to him and he appreciates it.
But, he couldn't sip it fast enough
The person wanted to enjoy the liquor being poured out in his memory but he couldn't do it fast enough.
So the liquor was just filling the casket up
The liquor was just spilling into the casket since he couldn't consume it fast enough.
Floating down by his feet was the letter from his sister
A letter from his sister was found floating by his feet.
Second-grade handwriting, simply read, I miss you
The letter, written in a second-grade handwriting, simply said, 'I miss you'.
Suit-jacket pocket held his baby daughter's picture
The person kept a picture of his baby daughter in his suit pocket.
Right next to it, one of his men stuck a swisha
One of his friends placed a cigar in his pocket next to his daughter's picture.
He had a notion as he lay there soaking
While lying in the casket, the person had an idea.
He saw that the latch was broken, he kicked his casket open and he
He realized the casket latch was broken and he kicked it open, escaping from the grave.
This life goes passing you by
Life passes by quickly.
It might go fast if you lie
Life might go by quickly if you spend it lying and not being true to yourself.
You're born, you live, then you die
Life follows a cycle of being born, living, and ultimately dying.
If life goes passing you by
If life passes you by quickly.
Don't cry
Don't be upset or sad about the passing of life.
If you're breaking the rules
If you're living life outside of society's expectations or norms.
Making your moves
Making decisions and taking actions that will shape your life.
Paying your dues
Paying the price or suffering consequences for your choices and actions.
Chasing the cool
Trying to fit in with current trends and be considered cool or fashionable.
Not at all nervous as he dug to the surface
The person wasn't nervous while digging himself out of the grave.
Tarnished gold chain is what he loosened up the earth with
The person used his tarnished gold chain to remove the dirt and escape from the grave.
He used his mouth as a shovel to try and hollow it
The person used his mouth to try and dig the soil around him and make the hole bigger.
And when he couldn't dirt-spit, he swallowed it, working like a hmm reverse archeologist
When he couldn't spit out the dirt, he swallowed it and worked his way out using his mouth.
Except, his buried treasure was sunshine
The only treasure the person found after escaping from the grave was the sunlight.
So when some shined through a hole that he had drove
When light shone through a hole he created, it was like a beacon of hope.
It reflected off the gold and almost made son blind
The light reflected off the person's gold jewelry and was so strong it almost blinded him.
He grabbed onto some grass and climbed
The person had to pull himself out of the grave using the grass.
Pulled himself up out of his own grave, and looked at the time
After escaping, the person looked at the time.
On the watch that had stopped six months after the shots
The watch on his wrist had stopped six months after he was shot.
That had got him in the box, ringing Henney out his socks
The person was shot and the memory of the incident drained the life out of him.
He figured it was hours, because he wasn't older
The person realized only a few hours had passed since he was shot and put in the grave.
Used some flowers to brush the dirt up off his shoulder, so
The person used some flowers to clean the dirt off his shoulder.
With a right hand that was all bones
The person's hand had become skeletal after being buried and escaping the grave.
And no reason to stay, he decided to walk home, so he?
With no reason to stay, the person walked home.
He begged for some change, to get him on the train
The person asked for some coins to get on the train.
Damn that nigga stank, is what they complained
People around him commented on how bad he smelled.
Tried to light the blunt but it burst into flames
The person tried to light a cigar, but it caught on fire.
Caught the reflection in the window of what he became
He saw his own reflection in the window and saw how he had changed after coming back from the dead.
A long look, was he shook, was it the shame?
After looking at himself, the person wondered if he should be ashamed of himself.
Matter of fact, the only thing on his brain was brains
The only thing the person could think about was getting his life back on track and finding a way to survive.
Yeah, and getting back in his lane, doing his thing
The person wanted to get back to living his life and doing what he does best.
First he had to find something to sling
Before getting back into his old routine, he had to find a way to make some money.
Next stop was his block, it had the same cops
The person went to his old neighborhood and noticed that the same police officers were still there.
He walked right past the same spot where he was shot
The person walked past the exact location where he had been shot and left for dead.
Shocked, and some little niggas tried to sell him rocks
The person was surprised to see young boys trying to sell him drugs.
It just felt weird, being on the opposite
The person felt strange being on the other side of the situation.
They figured that he wasn't from there so they pulled out
The boys assumed he wasn't from around there, so they drew their weapons.
And robbed him with the same gun they shot him with
The boys robbed him with the same gun that was used to shoot him.
They put it to his head and said, you're scared, ain't cha?
The boys threatened him by pointing the gun at his head and asked if he was scared.
He said, 'hustler for death, no heaven for a gangsta'
The person responded by saying that he was a gangster and that death doesn't scare him.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LUPE FIASCO, DEXTER G WANSEL, KANYE WEST, KANYE OMARI WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind