Canadian hip-hop heavyweights Sweatshop Union, one of the hardest working ensembles to ever emerge from British Columbia, have been making righteous, politically charged music for over a decade but on their newest album Infinite (summer 2013), they’re ready to really enjoy themselves.
The 6-member crew took their time with this album, spending a year to gather sounds and lyrics, whereas previous records have been completed in mere months. It bridges the gap between conscious music and fun party jams, exploring heavy themes but it’s also built for kicking back and vibing. The group believes that the record’s strength lies in this dichotomy.
Infinite (nominated 2014 WCMA) follows 2011’s Bill Murray EP, which won the Western Canadian Music Award for Hip-Hop Album of the Year, and raised their profile beyond their grassroots following, some time after pair of Juno nominations from their previous work together (Natural Progression & United We Fall | 2004 & 2006).
The new LP contains a range of sounds, combining old-school hip-hop with futuristic, electro headbangers, not to mention some ballads and spoken word interludes. It accomplishes the tricky task of reflecting the outfit’s individual tastes, as they inform SSU’s collective vision.
The group is prolific and moves quickly but as of this moment, Infinite stands as the most eclectic record in the Sweatshop Union catalogue. Listeners will find it tricky to categorize but it’s clear the collective had a lot of fun making this music and they hope it’s contagious. After all, despite its title, Infinite reflects a group of men who know that life is short and that they need to savor all the joyful moments that making music together provides.
Discography
* Sweatshop Union 2001
* Local 604 2002
* Natural Progression 2004
* United We Fall 2005
* Water Street 2008
* Bill Murray EP 2011
* Infinite 2013
OH MY
Sweatshop Union Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shit, More like the kid misfortune never missed
According to the landlord I’m poor as piss
Trying to get this porridge recording hits, to download
Only shows supporting this, but ya’ll really don’t know how the touring gets
And I didn’t just come here to moan and bitch, grown folks spittin’ for our own kid’s benefits
It’s the return of the poor man’s rap
For those who don’t own homes off coke-rap
It's mostly the poor that most emcees ignore
When most these emcees were born or grew up poor.
While we slave in the Ol’ work force, and pay for a government that don’t work for us.
Oh my.
Oh, just tryin’ to get by
Lord I’m so tired
Of fightin’ to get mine
Trying to get my
Dough right
And though it ain't for me lately,
It don’t faze me it's
All right
Cause I make money
Money don’t make me
Proportianately,
I believe that we can all agree
It is what it is not what we thought it’d be
And if what I lived ain’t what I'm called to be
I must’ve miss-trained my psychology
And it’s a mystery, ain’t it?
Exists among the miss-created
History just like a train without a destination
We need food clothes and shelter
So we hustle till we old and helpless
And if you do, only go for the gold and wealth
You still alone cause you don’t know yourself
At the end of the day
Still gotta eat
Still gotta feed the kids
Still gotta light and heat the crib
I undertand that
Nobody planned that
And single mothers askin’ where the fuck their man at
But life demand that we do it for love
From student to thug
From school to the clubs, it goes...
Oh my...
The lyrics to Sweatshop Union’s “OH MY” provide insight into the struggles faced by not only the rapper but also by the working class as a whole. The first stanza delves into the unfortunate circumstances faced by the rapper who cannot afford to be fortunate. He has been plagued by misfortune from a young age, and now as an adult, he is struggling to make ends meet. Although he is trying to pursue a music career, he faces difficulty as the industry is not always welcoming to those who come from poverty. The line “grown folks spittin’ for our own kid’s benefits” speaks to the significance of rap and hip-hop as a way for underprivileged individuals to share their stories with the world.
The second stanza looks at the larger picture of the socio-economic challenges faced by the working class. It critiques the government’s inability to cater to their needs, and the lack of empathy shown by certain rappers towards those who do not come from privilege. The line “It's mostly the poor that most emcees ignore” shows how even those who come from similar backgrounds may exclude those who are still struggling. The song ultimately ends on an optimistic note, with the rapper accepting his circumstances and recognizing that money isn’t everything.
Overall, the lyrics of “OH MY” are a poignant commentary on the struggles faced by those in poverty and the way they are often neglected by society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
Unfortunate for me, I couldn’t afford to be fortunate
I wish I could be more fortunate, but I can't afford to. Misfortune seems to always find me.
Shit, More like the kid misfortune never missed
It's like I was born with bad luck. Misfortune has always been a constant in my life.
According to the landlord I’m poor as piss
The landlord thinks I'm incredibly poor and can't afford much.
Trying to get this porridge recording hits, to download
I'm trying to make music that people will buy and download, but it's not easy.
Only shows supporting this, but ya’ll really don’t know how the touring gets
I only get support for my music during shows, but people don't understand the hard work and struggles that come with touring.
And I didn’t just come here to moan and bitch, grown folks spittin’ for our own kid’s benefits
I'm not just complaining, I'm making music for the benefit of children and to address societal issues.
It’s the return of the poor man’s rap
My music is a return to the roots of rap from the perspective of someone who is poor and struggling.
For those who don’t own homes off coke-rap
My music is for those who don't profit from drug dealing, and who struggle to afford a home.
There ain't enough love so we showin’ that, so them old school cats now broke from rap
The music industry isn't giving us enough support, so we're showing our own love and appreciation. Those old school rappers who didn't make enough money are now struggling financially.
It's mostly the poor that most emcees ignore
Most rappers ignore the poor or don't address their issues in their music.
When most these emcees were born or grew up poor.
Ironically, most rappers grew up poor, yet they don't address those issues in their music today.
While we slave in the Ol’ work force, and pay for a government that don’t work for us.
We work hard at our jobs, yet the government isn't doing much to help us out.
Oh my.
An expression of surprise or exasperation.
Oh, just tryin’ to get by
I'm just trying to make ends meet, to get by financially.
Lord I’m so tired
I'm really exhausted.
Of fightin’ to get mine
I'm tired of having to fight hard to get what I need.
Trying to get my
I'm working hard to earn
Dough right
money.
And though it ain't for me lately,
Although I'm not making much money recently,
It don’t faze me it's
It doesn't bother me, it is what it is.
All right
I'm okay with it.
Cause I make money
I'm able to make some money.
Money don’t make me
Money doesn't define me.
Proportianately,
Relatively speaking,
I believe that we can all agree
I think everyone can agree
It is what it is not what we thought it’d be
Things are the way they are, not the way we wanted them to be.
And if what I lived ain’t what I'm called to be
If my current situation isn't what I'm meant to be doing in life,
I must’ve miss-trained my psychology
I must have messed up my mindset along the way.
And it’s a mystery, ain’t it?
It's a mystery why things turned out this way.
Exists among the miss-created
It's a problem that exists among people who didn't have the same opportunities in life.
History just like a train without a destination
Our history is like a train that's going nowhere, with no clear direction or purpose.
We need food clothes and shelter
We need basic necessities like food, clothing, and a place to live.
So we hustle till we old and helpless
We have to work hard until we're old and unable to work anymore.
And if you do, only go for the gold and wealth
If you only pursue money and wealth,
You still alone cause you don’t know yourself
You'll still be alone and unhappy because you don't know yourself well enough to find true happiness.
At the end of the day
Ultimately,
Still gotta eat
We still have to eat to survive.
Still gotta feed the kids
We still have to feed our children.
Still gotta light and heat the crib
We still have to pay for utilities like electricity and heat for our homes.
I undertand that
I recognize that this is the reality.
Nobody planned that
Nobody planned for things to be this way.
And single mothers askin’ where the fuck their man at
Single mothers are struggling and wondering where their partner/father of their children is.
But life demand that we do it for love
Life requires us to do it out of love for ourselves and our families.
From student to thug
From being a student to resorting to criminal activity to survive.
From school to the clubs, it goes...
From going to school to partying in clubs, the struggle and hustle continue.
Contributed by Cole R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.