Curls
Madvillain (Daniel Dumile and Madlib) Lyrics
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They just tryin' to get a nut like squirrels in his mad world
Land of milk and honey with the swirls
Where reckless naked girls get necklaces of pearls
Compliments of the town jeweler
Left back now-schooler tryin' to sound cooler
On the microphone known as the crown ruler
Never lied to ma when we said we found the moolah
Huh, now let's try and get somethin' to eat
Then he turned four and started flowin' to the poor
That's about when he first started going raw
Kept the 'dro in the drawer
A rhymin' klepto who couldn't go up in the store no more
His life is like a folklore legend
Why you so stiff, you need to smoke more, bredrin
Insted of trying to riff with the broke war veteran
Spliff made him swore he saw heaven he was seven
Yup, you know it, growin' up too fast
Showin' up to class with Moet in a flask
He ask the teacher if he leave will he pass
His girl is home alone he tryin' to get the
If you want to sip get a paper water fountain glass
How I'm 'posed to know where your mouth been last
Hands so fast he can out-spin the Flash
Known to smoke a whole mountain of hash to the ash
Boom-bash leave the room with the stash
Assume it's in a smash, Doom get the cash
The opening lines of Madvillain/MF Doom's song "Curls" provide a succinct yet vivid metaphor for Doom's skill at acquiring wealth: "Villain get the money like curls / They just tryin' to get a nut like squirrels in his mad world." In this hyper-capitalistic world where people are simply trying to survive, Doom shines as a master of the hustle. He describes the "land of milk and honey with the swirls," a place where naked, reckless women can receive pearl necklaces from the town jeweler. However, Doom's wealth acquisition isn't always glamorous or easy β he recounts finding five hundred dollars just lying in the street, but then needing to use that money to buy food.
Doom's mastery of language and storytelling is impressive; he describes his journey from a "left back now-schooler tryin' to sound cooler" to a "rhyming klepto who couldn't go up in the store no more." His life is a "folklore legend," one filled with excess and recklessness. He raps about drinking Moet in the classroom and trying to leave to go see his girlfriend. However, while Doom's lyrics are laced with humor and bravado, there is an underlying sadness and emptiness to his words. He raps about trying to "get the" girl, but it's unclear if he ever truly does. He talks about smoking so much hash that it becomes "a whole mountain of ash." There is a sense of desperation and restlessness in his lyrics, a feeling that he is constantly on the move, trying to acquire more and more wealth even though it never fully satisfies him.
Overall, "Curls" is a fascinating look into the mind and life of MF Doom. His mastery of language and ability to create vivid, memorable images through his lyrics is unparalleled in the hip-hop world. At the same time, there is a sadness and desperation to his words that serves as a reminder that not everything is glamorous or easy in the pursuit of wealth.
Line by Line Meaning
Villain get the money like curls
MF Doom earns money effortlessly, like how curls come naturally to some people
They just tryin' to get a nut like squirrels in his mad world
People are just trying to survive in a difficult world, similar to how squirrels gather food
Land of milk and honey with the swirls
The world is full of opportunity and luxury
Where reckless naked girls get necklaces of pearls
In this world, people can indulge in lavish and reckless behavior, and still be rewarded with luxuries like pearls
Compliments of the town jeweler
The jeweler is responsible for providing these luxuries to people
Left back now-schooler tryin' to sound cooler
MF Doom, as a student that was held back, tried to fit in by sounding cooler than he actually was
On the microphone known as the crown ruler
But despite that, he became famous as a ruler of the rap game
Never lied to ma when we said we found the moolah
MF Doom never lied to his mother about how he got his money, even when it was from illegitimate sources
Five-hundred somethin' dollars layin' right there in the street
MF Doom found a significant amount of money lying on the street
Huh, now let's try and get somethin' to eat
He decides to use the money to buy food
Then he turned four and started flowin' to the poor
MF Doom started rapping for the less fortunate, trying to deliver a message to them
That's about when he first started going raw
This is when he began rapping without any filters or censorship
Kept the 'dro in the drawer
He kept his weed stash hidden away, to avoid getting caught
A rhymin' klepto who couldn't go up in the store no more
MF Doom was a rapper who liked to steal things from stores, but now he can't do it anymore without getting caught
His life is like a folklore legend
MF Doom's life is like a story that sounds like folklore or mythology
Why you so stiff, you need to smoke more, bredrin
MF Doom recommends that someone should smoke more weed, to loosen up
Insted of trying to riff with the broke war veteran
Instead of trying to rap with someone who is struggling to make ends meet
Spliff made him swore he saw heaven he was seven
MF Doom felt like he was in heaven after taking his first puff of a joint at the age of seven
Yup, you know it, growin' up too fast
MF Doom grew up too quickly, and was exposed to adult behavior at a young age
Showin' up to class with Moet in a flask
MF Doom used to bring a flask of Moet champagne to school
He ask the teacher if he leave will he pass
MF Doom asked his teacher if he could leave class and still pass, indicating his disinterest in school
His girl is home alone he tryin' to get the
MF Doom wants to be with his girlfriend who is home alone
If you want to sip get a paper water fountain glass
If you want to drink, MF Doom suggests drinking from a safe and disposable paper cup, rather than risking infection from using someone else's cup
How I'm 'posed to know where your mouth been last
MF Doom is hesitant to share a cup with someone, because he doesn't know where their mouth has been
Hands so fast he can out-spin the Flash
MF Doom's hands are so quick, he can out-spin the DC Comics superhero, The Flash
Known to smoke a whole mountain of hash to the ash
MF Doom is known for smoking a lot of hash
Boom-bash leave the room with the stash
MF Doom leaves the room after taking his stash of drugs
Assume it's in a smash, Doom get the cash
MF Doom assumes his stash has been destroyed, but he still manages to get money out of it
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