At the tender ages of 18 and 19 respectively, Nick Lupi and Just Enuf do not share the characteristics typical of up and coming artists. Both rappers display skilful, intelligent rhymes, a strong work ethic and a high-energy, dynamic live show; constantly performing at a level well beyond their years.
Just Enuf first turned to rapping as a form of expression after years of involvement in the Sydney graffiti scene, a transition common amongst rappers. This is, however, where the comparisons stop. Justs penmanship places him in a class of lyricist virtually unparalleled in the local hip-hop community. With a complex style inspired by both local and overseas artists, his heartfelt lyrics reflect an MC with skills and something to say.
Nick Lupi established himself as a fierce battle MC by the age of 15, taking out countless battles including Shoreshocked 2003, DoubleBeef 2003, One Mic 2004 and ParkJam 05 sometimes against opponents nearly twice his age. However, not content with being limited to the typecast of a battle MC, Nick has consistently proved he is a fully-fledged performer; combining charismatic, thought-provoking rhymes with thunderous stage presence.
The past 12 months has seen the Spit Syndicate hit the live circuit in a major way, supporting for some of the nations top hip hop artists including Bliss N Eso, Lyrical Commission, Milkbar Stars, Urthboy & Ozi Batla, Hyjak & Torcha, 13th Son and Brethren. They recently completed a successful tour supporting the NSW leg of Bliss N Eso's Day of the Dog national tour. In addition to their live exploits, the SS have featured on FBIs Stolen Records Hip Hop Compilation, the PureBred Sampler, Swarmys acclaimed The Appetiser EP and have recently completed a collaboration with Hyjak & Torcha.
The Spit Syndicate are now turning their attention to their debut album, and will continue to perform live across Sydney and the rest of Australia. With an already formidable list of achievements under their belt, it seems definite that for this Sydney duo, the future is truly bright.
exile
Spit Syndicate Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said I gotta get away from it,
Dreams of an escape from it,
Won't let this city get another day from her,
Takes solace in the cloak of night, like grave robbers,
Scanning each face like an enemy of the state,
Watches the world around her in a steady decline
Detached from it all, yet her mind is heavy.
Of the place she's going, nah, they'll never find her,
Death styles of the young and the beautiful,
Nightclub cubicles, Cocaine cuticles,
But the glitter don't soothe her soul,
She feels lost like Rufio, Waiting on her cue to go,
She might've found it,
Plays it loud until it drowns it,
Out, and the neighbours come around,
This is something that you should know,
Projectiles for the dutiful, Exile: soon she'll go.
Verse Two – JB
He said I gotta break free from this head of mine,
To where the stars and the road up ahead align,
Food's good, weather's fine, there's no time like the present right,
And despite the many times he tried to pay it the never mind,
He's wearing thin like the set of tyres under him,
Stop signs he pass shine bright like his petrol light,
Cartographers couldn't sketch the lines of the place he's going nah they could never find him,
Demoted from heaven promoted from hell,
For thought crime, doing his time all alone in a cell,
He sees it all from his windowsill, lights up with the devil, n blows smoke halo's with the L,
He needs a one way flight to bring him back to life,
A pad and pencil, gather essentials pack light,
The irony of pitch black skies on a Sunday, I'ma get up outta here one day.
The song Exile by Spit Syndicate is a reflection on the desire to escape from the constraints of society and the feeling of being trapped. NL, in verse one, talks about a girl who wants to get away from the city and the negative influence it has on her. She takes comfort in the night, feeling like a grave robber scanning faces for potential danger. However, despite her detachment from the world, she is still weighed down by the heaviness of her mind. NL uses vivid language to describe the dangerous lifestyle that surrounds her, including "nightclub cubicles" and "cocaine cuticles." Despite these temptations, the girl feels lost and waiting for her cue to go. She may have found a way out through music, drowning out the world around her with sound. NL warns that this life is not fulfilling and she will soon seek exile from it.
In verse two, JB talks about a man who needs to break free from his own thoughts. He wants to align himself with the stars and the road ahead, feeling like the present is the best time to start. Despite his attempts to ignore his problems, they are wearing him down like a set of tires. He sees the stop signs as a sign of his own limitations and wants to escape to a place where he can find freedom. JB uses religious imagery to describe the man's struggle, including his demotion from heaven and promotion from hell, and his smoke halo with the devil. The man wants to start over with just a pad and pencil, gathering only essential belongings. Despite the darkness of his current situation, he still has hope that he will escape one day.
Overall, Exile is a powerful song about the desire to break free from society's limitations and find one's own path in life. The vivid language used by NL and JB creates a picture of the struggles faced by young people in today's world.
Line by Line Meaning
She said I gotta get away from it,
She expresses her desire to liberate herself from a certain place or situation.
Dreams of an escape from it,
She has a strong aspiration to escape from the current situation.
Won't let this city get another day from her,
She refuses to spend more time in the city that is causing her distress.
Takes solace in the cloak of night, like grave robbers,
She feels comforted by the darkness of the night, similar to how grave robbers work under the cover of darkness.
Scanning each face like an enemy of the state,
She is distrustful of everyone, similar to how an enemy of the state views others with suspicion.
Watches the world around her in a steady decline
She observes the world around her deteriorating slowly and steadily.
Detached from it all, yet her mind is heavy.
She feels emotionally disconnected from everything around her, yet her mind is filled with thoughts and emotions that weigh her down.
Cartographers couldn't sketch the lines,
The place she is going to is indescribable and cannot be mapped by cartographers.
Of the place she's going, nah, they'll never find her,
No one will be able to locate or follow her to the place she is headed.
Death styles of the young and the beautiful,
She is surrounded by a lifestyle that is enticing but ultimately destructive.
Nightclub cubicles, Cocaine cuticles,
She frequents nightclubs and partakes in drug use.
But the glitter don't soothe her soul,
Despite the glamorous lifestyle, it does nothing to comfort her troubled soul.
She feels lost like Rufio, Waiting on her cue to go,
She feels lost and directionless, waiting for the right opportunity to leave.
She might've found it,
She may have finally found the opportunity she's been waiting for.
Plays it loud until it drowns it,
She listens to music so loudly that it drowns out any negative thoughts or emotions.
Out, and the neighbours come around,
Her loud music attracts the attention of her neighbors.
This is something that you should know,
She wants others to be aware that she plans on leaving.
Projectiles for the dutiful, Exile: soon she'll go.
She is taking action towards her goal of leaving, and soon she will be in exile.
He said I gotta break free from this head of mine,
He expresses a desire to escape from his own thoughts and emotions.
To where the stars and the road up ahead align,
He longs for a place where his life path and the universe align.
Food's good, weather's fine, there's no time like the present right,
The conditions are favorable for him to take action towards his dream.
And despite the many times he tried to pay it the never mind,
Despite his attempts to ignore it, his desire to leave kept resurfacing.
He's wearing thin like the set of tyres under him,
He is deteriorating and becoming exhausted, like a worn-out set of tires.
Stop signs he pass shine bright like his petrol light,
He perceives everything that is meant to slow him down as glaring like his low fuel light in the car.
Demoted from heaven promoted from hell,
He has fallen from a good place in his life and found solace in a bad one.
For thought crime, doing his time all alone in a cell,
He has been punished for his thoughts and is serving time alone in a figurative prison.
He sees it all from his windowsill, lights up with the devil, n blows smoke halo's with the L,
He spends time reflecting on his life from his windowsill and smokes cigarettes, which are associated with the devil.
He needs a one way flight to bring him back to life,
He believes leaving will revitalize him and restore his zest for life.
A pad and pencil, gather essentials pack light,
He only needs to bring the essentials with him when he leaves, like a notepad and pen, and to travel lightly.
The irony of pitch black skies on a Sunday, I'ma get up outta here one day.
Despite the irony of leaving on a seemingly peaceful day with dark skies, he is determined to leave one day.
Contributed by Austin M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.