Shabazz the Disciple (born David Collins) is an emcee from the Red Hook Hou… Read Full Bio ↴Shabazz the Disciple (born David Collins) is an emcee from the Red Hook Houses of Red Hook, Brooklyn. He is mostly associated with the Wu-Tang Clan. He was discovered by the RZA prior to the release of the Wu's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang as he was a founding member of the Sunz of Man, back then they were known as Da Last Future and entirely produced by Supreme. He even gets a shout out on the intro to "Clan In Da Front".

After hooking up with the Wu-Tang, Shabazz made two guest appearances on the first Gravediggaz album 6 Feet Deep in 1994, and then he signed to the GZA Entertainment management agency. He remained an official member of Sunz Of Man until just before the group released its debut LP The Last Shall Be First; his best-known solo track "Death be the Penalty" was originally intended to be a Sunz of Man track on the B-side to their single "Soldiers of Darkness," but the other members were so impressed with his contribution he was given the track for himself. This track was met with mixed emotions mainly because many felt it was extremely self righteous and incredibly hypocritical.

In the mid-90s Shabazz released a handful of singles, such as "Death be the Penalty", "Crime Saga", "The Lamb's Blood" and "Street Parables", in anticipation of his planned 1998 debut LP which was scrapped after GZA/Genius' GZA Entertainment label folded. Due to that deal folding, Shabazz's Wu affiliation (along with the affiliation of his close friend Killah Priest, also a GZA Entertainment refugee) began to wane. Around this 1996/1997 period, Priest and Shabazz both began to clash with RZA, and both had since all but cut their Wu-Tang ties. After unsuccessful attempts by the pair to create new post-Wu Tang crews (Priest proposed a crew called the Maccabeez which would include himself, Shabazz and Timbo King among others, while Shabazz proposed a group including himself and Priest called the Sunz Of Thunder) they both effectively went their separate ways, recording solo projects and in Shabazz's case recording as Celestial Souljaz with his cousin Freestyle (of non-Wu Tang crew The Arsonists). Shabazz is also known for being an influence on the late Big Pun.

In recent years, Shabazz has began to rediscover his Wu-Tang roots and performed on a Killa Beez tour as well as doing shows in Europe with Killah Priest (who has also recently been repairing his links with the Wu-Tang). After the death of Poetic, he has been rumored to be part of a new incarnation of Gravediggaz though Prince Paul has stated that a revival of the group is unlikely. He also announced in early 2003 that he has returned to Sunz Of Man as an official member.

In 2003, Shabazz finally released his solo debut "The Book of Shabazz (Hidden Scrollz)", the album featured his past singles "The Lamb's Blood," "Crime Saga," "Street Parables," and "Organized Rime Part 2," as well as the single "Red Hook Day" b/w "Thieves in da Nite (Heist)." Two years later he returned with The Passion of the Hood Christ in mid-2006.

In 2008, Shabazz formed the group T.H.U.G. Angels with fellow Sunz of Man member Hell Razah and producer Ayatollah. The group's debut, Welcome to Red Hook Houses, was released July 8, 2008, on Babygrande Records.

Ghetto Apostles
Shabazz the Disciple Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

featuring Bless Freestyle Poetic

[Intro: Shabazz The Disciple]

Yeah yeah the revenge of the saga

Ghetto apostles

General Grym Sargeant Shabazz

Lieutenant Bless Captain Freestyle

Repport to your post

Baby J C12

The industry... give up the ghost

[Chorus: Shabazz The Disciple]

We win the war 'cause we bomb first

It's like grenade converse

Snatch it with the Vietnam verse

Ghetto apostles doin Godz Work

Boostin camouflaged shirts

Marchin through your bitches and your concerts

[Shabazz The Disciple]

I'm that gorilla in the mist

Stalkin with an army of insalents

I got your organization under surveillence

You move your pawn 2 squares as the King unveils

Hired military agents, soldiers marchin in for the kill

This is a war, join ranks, play your position

Put the industry in checkmate, force 'em under submission

Your whole perimeter is surrounded by my legion

You're trapped inside the center of an isolated region

Chk-chk-bloaw! Bloaw! Glass shatters, bullets scatter

No evidence or fingerprints of C12 matter

Black bishop movin in, attack the queen

Sabotage frontlines, the industry's in quarentine

[Bless]

This is a violent course, forget all violent thoughts

No silent war, massive survival course

Mount your ridin horse and rapid thoughts

Survive the holocaust, grab your holy cross

and crush 'em like star

Witness your empire fall like Sodom and Gamorra

Convert your bibles, cut rhymes of Tora

Bless'll be the high exhaltor

Divine curer, whose mind is purer

Starrin in my rivals eyes, I analyze

Causin examinin, paralyze

Although they choose to itemize lives

[Chorus x2]

[Freestyle of Arsonists]

Continue infiltration by firebomb detonation

Phasers and lasers, scopin, token from smoke inhalation

Secret service agents are comin at me, I gotta hit 'em

Eye strain, threw a grenade, settin off the sprinkler system

[Poetic/Grym Reaper of Gravediggaz]

I specialize in inferior terrorizin your airwaves

Like droppin off thermal-nuclear bombs in subways

I'm here to stress your life, paintin pictures of death

Ancient scriptures with your silhouette

I'm coldest winter, bringin the Earth tremors

Inverse your innersanctum, my sagmental warden

Haha, I laugh at how I bang them

Hoes coppin a plea should've took the oppurtunity to flee

I bring terror to ears like the Phantom

My foes reveal a Navy Seal approachin ghetto walls

Enemies forfeit, jackets stained from open sores

Non-negociable term for your surrender

I beat your weak arsenal and burn it in the center

[Chorus x2]

[Freestyle of Arsonists]

Rhyme angle, special operation, sub-team Arsonist

Switch the disc and get out of there fast, we don't want to take no risk

Code name, Freestyle, alias the asthmatic

Full metal jacket status with the diplomatic

Burocratic tactics, we got the area secure now

Triple the see-4 and get rid of the whole floor, yo

Copy, I copy that, we got the whole music business wired

When the shit blow, your whole empire despise is

[Bless]

We could take it and live lavish and still build on the mathematics

More precise, cut karets, rock ice and still civilize the savage

[Shabazz The Disciple]

Dancin in the garden of eden, gotta take a long breathin

Glancin back at days I used to be behind the bars with heathin

[Poetic/Grym Reaper of Gravediggaz]

Last like the Aztecs, cash checks, blast techs

Collect all of my assets from sales from the cats sets

[Freestyle of Arsonists]

Iceless but priceless, top of the price list

Probably the first on your heist list

You might miss, so knowledge this

[Outro]

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! What?! What!?

No commercials, baby! What!?

Overall Meaning

The song "Ghetto Apostles" by Shabazz the Disciple featuring Bless, Freestyle, and Poetic is a hardcore hip-hop track with lyrics discussing the war against the industry and the need to take control of one's destiny. The opening lines reference the group as the "revenge of the saga" and locates them as "ghetto apostles" with military rank titles. The song then goes onto describe their tactics against the industry, involving a covert operation, military agents, and the need to force submission. The chorus asserts their potential victory in the war, with lyrics like "We win the war 'cause we bomb first" and "Ghetto apostles doin Godz Work.”

Through the lyrics of this song, the artists display their dissatisfaction with the mainstream music industry and their desire to take control of their artistic expression. They view themselves as an underground movement who operate with military precision to counteract the industry's control over music production and profits. The song portrays the artists as a revolutionary force against a corrupt establishment, filled with metaphors of war, military tactics, and rebellion.

Line by Line Meaning

We win the war 'cause we bomb first
Our strategy is to strike first and take control. We will win the war.

It's like grenade converse
Our words are powerful and explosive, like grenades.

Snatch it with the Vietnam verse
We take control with our powerful and aggressive rhymes.

Ghetto apostles doin Godz Work
We are the messengers of God, and our work is to fight against injustice in the ghetto.

Boostin camouflaged shirts
We represent the unseen, and our camouflaged shirts help us blend in and take control.

Marchin through your bitches and your concerts
We are marching through the corrupt music industry, taking control and standing up for ourselves.

I'm that gorilla in the mist
I am a powerful force to be reckoned with, always watching and ready to strike.

Stalkin with an army of insalents
I am surrounded by a group of powerful soldiers, always ready to fight against injustice.

You move your pawn 2 squares as the King unveils
Your actions are predictable, and I am ready to take control.

Hired military agents, soldiers marchin in for the kill
We are a powerful force, made up of trained soldiers who are ready to take control and defeat our enemies.

This is a war, join ranks, play your position
We are at war with the corrupt industry, and we all have a role to play in the fight against injustice.

Put the industry in checkmate, force 'em under submission
We will use our power and influence to force the corrupt industry to submit to our will.

Your whole perimeter is surrounded by my legion
We have taken control of the entire industry, and our army surrounds and protects us from enemies.

This is a violent course, forget all violent thoughts
We are fighting a violent war, but we must focus on our mission and not let violent thoughts cloud our judgement.

No silent war, massive survival course
We cannot fight this war silently. We must be loud and forceful in our fight for justice.

Mount your ridin horse and rapid thoughts
We must be ready to act quickly and decisively in order to succeed.

Survive the holocaust, grab your holy cross
We must survive the chaos and destruction around us, and hold on to our faith and beliefs.

Witness your empire fall like Sodom and Gamorra
We are watching and waiting for the corrupt industry to fall, like the cities of Sodom and Gamorra.

Convert your bibles, cut rhymes of Tora
We will use our words to fight against injustice, and inspire others to join us in the fight.

Divine curer, whose mind is purer
I am a healer, fighting against the corruption in the industry with my pure heart and mind.

Iceless but priceless, top of the price list
Our worth is not measured by monetary value. We are priceless and cannot be bought.

Probably the first on your heist list
Our power and influence makes us a target, but we will not be easily taken down.

Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: A. BERKELEY, DAVID COLLINS, JOHNATHAN HEWITT, R. HILL, R. WALLACE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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