With the always spirited ‘Print on the mic and RJ deftly manning the boards, this pair caught the underground by storm with their 6-song EP Unlimited in 2002. Only a year later they got heads listening a lot more closely with 2003’s pensive full-length debut, Eight Million Stories.
As Blueprint expresses through Soul Position’s new material, it was a long, sometimes uncertain road from when they recorded Eight Million Stories until now. But with the duo back in action, as their new album’s title says, Things Go Better With RJ and Al. On this well-balanced release, ‘Print delves into a greater variety of subject matter than ever, as he speaks on reshaping the Black identity in hip-hop and, on the lighter side, warns people not to waste his precious cell phone minutes. And as usual, RJ mines an abundance of funky samples for his partner in rhyme to enthusiastically rhyme over. On their new album, Soul Position dodges the dreaded sophomore jinx and delivers yet another gimmick-free release that’s sure to be one of the most talked about records of 2006.
Unlimited
Soul Position Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo, yo, yo... hold up man
Lets take it back to fundamentals, back to basics
Too many cats out there just rapping, running your trap
You lack the fundamentals, man
You trying to go all the way to Z
Forgot about A through X and why, you know what I'm saying?
The why is very important. We're gonna splash y'all like this
[Chorus: repeat 2X]
We got beats... unlimited
Rhymes... unlimited
Styles... unlimited
Now that we got yaw listening'
Soul Position in the place to
Just two turntables and one emcee
People like my music, but say I talk too much
They used to say the same thing about Flag and Chuck
Every revolution starts with somebody loud
Somebody got to throw the first brick from the crowd
My momma used to tell me to speak my mind
So why would I change over beats and rhymes?
But some of ya'll change very LP
Now you gangster, you used to emcee
Or maybe you the art fag nose in the air
Or maybe you the double-time down-south player
I can't forget my abstract star track naggers
And fake battle rappers that only use written
Ill what you see when you watch it from a distance
And how many people out there are really hypocrites?
Anything different they dis it, but Soul Position
(Pause) still be keeping it exquisite
[Chorus]
I throw water on the crowd if the show ain't hot
Stage dive and don't care if you catch me or not
And make it look like I really meant to hit the floor
But when I'm laying on the ground I start spittin the raw
Even with a broken leg and a fractured collarbone
I won't let no other rapper touch my microphone
What ya'll motherfuckers laughin at
I'm trying to make sure my show stays action packed
Five dollars at the door get splashed with raps
Women pay two-fifty if that ass is fat
I ain't trippin', I'm trying to provide (?) some incentive
Decrease the hard (?), let's increase the women
Sometimes I write rhymes just to get girls naked
The only MC keeping it real enough to say it
So while you looking for the next jockstrap to play with
Me and RJ gon(na) be leaving with the girls that you came with
[Chorus]
The song "Unlimited" by Soul Position is a critique of the contemporary rap scene, which the artist believes has begun to forget its roots and lack the "fundamentals." The song begins with a call to return to basics and focus on the "why" of hip hop. The chorus repeats that beats, rhymes, and styles are unlimited, seemingly meant to contrast with the narrow focus of many contemporary rappers. The first verse critiques those who reject talkative or political rappers, as well as those who change their personas often to fit in with new trends. The second verse sees the artist describing himself as willing to do whatever it takes to put on a great show, even if that means stage-diving with a broken leg, but emphasizing that he will never let another rapper touch his microphone. He also discusses using rhymes to get women to undress. The song concludes with another chorus, emphasizing the freedom and potential of hip hop.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, yo, yo... hold up man
Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute
Lets take it back to fundamentals, back to basics
Let's go back to the basics and start from the beginning
Too many cats out there just rapping, running your trap
Many people are just talking and not understanding the basics of music
You lack the fundamentals, man
You do not have a good understanding of the basics
You trying to go all the way to Z
You are trying to advance too fast
Forgot about A through X and why, you know what I'm saying?
You have forgotten about all the basics
The why is very important. We're gonna splash y'all like this
The reason why something is done is more important than how it is done. We will show you
We got beats... unlimited
We have unlimited beats
Rhymes... unlimited
We have unlimited rhymes
Styles... unlimited
We have unlimited styles
Now that we got yaw listening'
Now that we have your attention
Soul Position in the place to
Soul Position is here
Just two turntables and one emcee
We only need two turntables and one emcee to make good music
People like my music, but say I talk too much
People appreciate my music, but feel I talk too much
They used to say the same thing about Flag and Chuck
This is a common criticism in the music industry
Every revolution starts with somebody loud
Every revolution starts with someone who is outspoken
Somebody got to throw the first brick from the crowd
Someone has to be the first to take action
My momma used to tell me to speak my mind
My mother told me to always speak my mind
So why would I change over beats and rhymes?
So why would I change who I am over music?
But some of ya'll change very LP
Some of you have changed greatly over time
Now you gangster, you used to emcee
Now you are more aggressive, but you used to be a simple emcee
Or maybe you the art fag nose in the air
Or maybe you are the stereotypical 'artsy' person with a snobby attitude
Or maybe you the double-time down-south player
Or maybe you are a fast rapper from the South
I can't forget my abstract star track naggers
I can't forget my people who make abstract, space-themed music
And fake battle rappers that only use written
And the fake battle rappers that only use pre-written verses
Ill what you see when you watch it from a distance
Things can look amazing from a distance
And how many people out there are really hypocrites?
How many people are really hypocrites?
Anything different they dis it, but Soul Position
People often criticize those who are different, but Soul Position
Still be keeping it exquisite
Still continues to produce high quality music
I throw water on the crowd if the show ain't hot
If the show is not going well, I try to pump up the crowd with water
Stage dive and don't care if you catch me or not
I will jump into the crowd and not care if they catch me or not
And make it look like I really meant to hit the floor
I make it seem like I purposely fell to the ground
But when I'm laying on the ground I start spittin the raw
But when I am on the ground, I continue to rap with passion
Even with a broken leg and a fractured collarbone
Even when I am injured
I won't let no other rapper touch my microphone
No other rapper can have my microphone
What ya'll motherfuckers laughin at
What are you all laughing at?
I'm trying to make sure my show stays action packed
I am trying to make sure my show is exciting
Five dollars at the door get splashed with raps
By purchasing a five dollar ticket, you will get to experience some great raps
Women pay two-fifty if that ass is fat
Women with large buttocks only have to pay two dollars and fifty cents
I ain't trippin', I'm trying to provide (?) some incentive
I am not worried, I just want to motivate people
Decrease the hard (?), let's increase the women
Let's make things easier so more women can attend
Sometimes I write rhymes just to get girls naked
Sometimes, I use my music to attract women
The only MC keeping it real enough to say it
I am the only emcee who is real enough to admit it
So while you looking for the next jockstrap to play with
While you are looking for the next big thing
Me and RJ gon(na) be leaving with the girls that you came with
RJ and I will leave with the women who came with you
We got beats... unlimited
We have unlimited beats
Rhymes... unlimited
We have unlimited rhymes
Styles... unlimited
We have unlimited styles
Now that we got yaw listening'
Now that we have your attention
Soul Position in the place to
Soul Position is here
Just two turntables and one emcee
We only need two turntables and one emcee to make good music
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: RAMBLE JOHN KROHN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind