Head Rush
Pete Rock Lyrics
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[Intro: RZA]
Yo... before the Greeks and the creeks..
It's an old Pete Rock classic, nigga, yo
[RZA]
Before the Greeks and the creeks, before you can stand
We would stand on the street, with our hands on our heat
Twelve grams, twelve feet away, balled up in a sheet
Of Reynold's wrap, one smack, leave's your dentals back
Your voice get quiet like the voice in the instrumental track
Slick from the lip lisp, son, sip the citrus
My voice unfolds, with the soul of The Whispers
On the block, we rock loud like The Pistols
Up in the crib, my wiz drinkin' a Harvey's Bristol
Natural flavor, yours be artificial
I blow holes in skin, like big nose through snotty tissue
They go berserk, when the dollar dollar bill is on
The thrill is gone... upgrade to the silicone
That's birth of four billion, eight hundred milli-on
It's not official until I smack the W, silly on
From the valleys of Ohio, to the sounds of Cairo
Still hit, like the whirlwind kick of Ryu
Zig-Zag-Zig Allah, still puzzled like the jigsaw
You renig', you get jinxed, pa, Pete Rock exclusive..
[GZA]
We boat guard the road, like trucks on the turnpike
Smoke by the load, just to see what it burns like
Architectural design, intellectual rhyme
Official stripe, movin' on a diagonal line
With thugs trapped, scholars they want the books back
The piece, they turn us off, the moment they look back
The castling position, made weak by a wind calm
Knights lose armor from the pressure, we bring on
And fire all these shots in the rhymes with mad flames
Kept the cramp game, and he posted on bad squares
The king's the kick, the queen's the snare
The bass are minor pieces that move in a pair
Quick to break through, an un-parallel opponent
I do it on the regular, at any given moment
Check the venue, those to make the saga continue
Before you check the credits, the swords is all in you
It's real... it's real... it's real... it's real...
The lyrics to Pete Rock's "Head Rush" featuring RZA and GZA delve into the harsh reality of street life, as well as incorporating chess metaphors into their rap. The song opens with RZA commenting on the deeper history of music and human rhythm that predates language and civilization itself. He raps about the violence and dangers that come with gang life and drug dealing, referencing Reynold's wrap to describe the means by which drugs were sold. GZA continues this theme, comparing the tactics of gang life to the strategies of chess. He describes a world where scholars want to break free from the violence but are held back by those who uphold it. The repetitious use of the phrase "it's real" throughout the song emphasizes the grim reality of this genre of music.
The overall message of the song is that life on the streets is brutal and unforgiving, with the only way out being to either survive or embrace a different path altogether. The inclusion of chess metaphors underlines the intelligence required to navigate through the violence, as well as the strategic thinking that comes with excelling in the rap world. This song serves as a reminder of the harsh realities of street life and the mindset needed to survive in such an environment.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo... before the Greeks and the creeks..
RZA introduces the song as an old classic from Pete Rock, that predates ancient Greek and Creek civilizations.
Before the Greeks and the creeks, before you can stand
Before even standing, and before the existence of ancient Greek and Creek civilizations.
Before your hands and your feet, from a band or a beat
Before developing the ability to use your hands and feet, before music bands and beats existed.
We would stand on the street, with our hands on our heat
People would stand on the streets with guns in their hands, ready to fight.
Twelve grams, twelve feet away, balled up in a sheet
Refers to storing drugs in a ball, wrapped in Reynold's wrap, that could be thrown twelve feet away to exchange with customers.
Of Reynold's wrap, one smack, leave's your dentals back
One hit with a ball wrapped in Reynold's wrap is strong enough to knock out teeth.
Your voice get quiet like the voice in the instrumental track
After being hit, your voice becomes quiet, like the instrumental part of a song.
Slick from the lip lisp, son, sip the citrus
Refers to having a lisp and sipping citrus drinks.
My voice unfolds, with the soul of The Whispers
Refers to having a unique style and voice, like the soul group The Whispers.
On the block, we rock loud like The Pistols
Refers to being loud and powerful, like the punk band The Sex Pistols.
Up in the crib, my wiz drinkin' a Harvey's Bristol
Refers to his wife drinking a type of soda called Harvey's Bristol Cream.
Natural flavor, yours be artificial
Refers to his drink being natural, while others may have artificial flavors.
I blow holes in skin, like big nose through snotty tissue
Refers to being able to harm people like a strong wind blowing through tissue paper.
They go berserk, when the dollar dollar bill is on
People go crazy when money is involved.
The thrill is gone... upgrade to the silicone
People get bored easily and switch to new, more exciting things.
That's birth of four billion, eight hundred milli-on
Refers to the population of the world, which is almost 5 billion.
It's not official until I smack the W, silly on
Refers to being an important figure, and only considering things official after he approves them.
From the valleys of Ohio, to the sounds of Cairo
Refers to being respected and known in different places.
Still hit, like the whirlwind kick of Ryu
Refers to being powerful and impactful, like the video game character Ryu's whirlwind kick.
Zig-Zag-Zig Allah, still puzzled like the jigsaw
Refers to being elusive and mysterious, with a sense of confusion and surprise for others.
You renig', you get jinxed, pa, Pete Rock exclusive..
Refers to being unique and exclusive, and consequences if you go back on a deal or agreement.
We boat guard the road, like trucks on the turnpike
Refers to controlling and protecting a road, like trucks on a highway.
Smoke by the load, just to see what it burns like
Refers to smoking large amounts of drugs out of curiosity.
Architectural design, intellectual rhyme
Refers to a clever and well thought-out style of rap.
Official stripe, movin' on a diagonal line
Refers to being recognized and respected, and moving in a strategic and efficient way.
With thugs trapped, scholars they want the books back
Refers to being stuck in difficult situations, with people who are knowledgeable and educated trying to regain power.
The piece, they turn us off, the moment they look back
Refers to those in power turning off or ignoring the people who can overthrow them if given the chance.
The castling position, made weak by a wind calm
Refers to being in a strategic position, but being weakened when things become calm and inactive.
Knights lose armor from the pressure, we bring on
Refers to people being exposed and vulnerable when pressure is applied, and bringing that pressure.
And fire all these shots in the rhymes with mad flames
Refers to using powerful and impactful lyrics.
Kept the cramp game, and he posted on bad squares
Refers to being skilled and successful in a risky and dangerous game, and doing it in tough neighborhoods.
The king's the kick, the queen's the snare
Refers to the different components and roles of a beat in music production.
The bass are minor pieces that move in a pair
Refers to the background components of a beat that work together.
Quick to break through, an un-parallel opponent
Refers to being skilled and able to break through challenges, and being unmatched.
I do it on the regular, at any given moment
Refers to being consistent and always ready to perform.
Check the venue, those to make the saga continue
Refers to checking the situation and people involved to determine how to continue moving forward.
Before you check the credits, the swords is all in you
Refers to not worrying about the recognition, because the real power and skill is within oneself.
It's real... it's real... it's real... it's real...
Affirmation that everything mentioned in the song is true and real.
Contributed by Micah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Salman Alajmi
[GZA]
We bogard the road, like trucks on the turnpike
Smoke by the load, just to see what it burns like
Architectural design, intellectual rhyme
The bishop strike, movin' on a diagonal line
The rook's trapped, scholars they want the books back
The piece, they turn us off, the moment they look back
The castling position, made weak by a wind pawn
Knights lose armor from the pressure we bring on
They fired all these shots in the rhymes with mad flares
Kept a cramp game, many posted on bad squares
The king's the kick, the queen's the snare
The bass are minor pieces that move in a pair
Quick to break through, an un-parallel opponent
I do it on the regular, at any given moment
Check the venue, those to make the saga continue
Before you check the credits, the swords is all in you
It's real... it's real... it's real... it's real...
Abdallah El Ibrahimi
Only Pete Rock can masterfully imitate a RZA beat
Salman Alajmi
[GZA]
We bogard the road, like trucks on the turnpike
Smoke by the load, just to see what it burns like
Architectural design, intellectual rhyme
The bishop strike, movin' on a diagonal line
The rook's trapped, scholars they want the books back
The piece, they turn us off, the moment they look back
The castling position, made weak by a wind pawn
Knights lose armor from the pressure we bring on
They fired all these shots in the rhymes with mad flares
Kept a cramp game, many posted on bad squares
The king's the kick, the queen's the snare
The bass are minor pieces that move in a pair
Quick to break through, an un-parallel opponent
I do it on the regular, at any given moment
Check the venue, those to make the saga continue
Before you check the credits, the swords is all in you
It's real... it's real... it's real... it's real...
Haskel45
Nasty
Coimbra Law
Pete makes these songs sound utterly flawless.
HSR
Remember when this came out, it was the BOMB! It still is! This was RZA's time to shine... the beat is classic!
Clive Gameinn Mg
The GZA, respect. Sick verse
AbbottSupreme
!!!Pure unadulterated DOPE!!!!
Peace!!!!!!!
CM H
AND UNDERRATED-HOT TRACK
Trent Yates
The Genius and the soul brotha! What else do you want?
Marcus Parks
DOPE beat!