An official Red Bull 2012 Opinion Leader, the Boston Based trio continue to crush colleges with their high energy and exciting full band shows, performing alongside the likes of Wiz Khalifa, Tinie Tempah, BoB, The White Panda, Wale and a host of others. On April 3rd, 2012 The Dean’s List released their highly anticipated followup to “The Drive In,” “Generation X.” The album debuted at #2 on the iTunes Hip Hop Chart behind Nicki Minaj, was the #2 heat seeker in the nation and the #21 digital artist in the nation according to Billboard. The Dean’s List and their band will be heavily touring colleges and universities across the country this Fall, releasing new music and video’s consistently throughout.
Mainstream
The Dean's List Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I need a drink tell a bitch to bring it over
I'm so gone boy, now I'm talking nonsense
You ain't bout money man, that's nonsense
No coins I need a dime please
I need a Williams and a Reeder, who do I see?
This is Mrs. Marry Jane, she really chill yo!
She's really up there, you know first class
If you've ever get a shot you probably wanna work that
Is she a bad chick? College life, drinking Con
Above average, Vuitton - Luboton -
She needs a good Header, better yet good head
Someone like now, without using the tool shed
I'm Tryna Screw You, And Your Friends Too
That's what the labels say, and then they sign you
Before they find you, they tryna guide you
Like this is mainstream nigga fuck the soul whom tied you
Ok then Rock! Here you go!
Mainstream till your video stereo
So typical, how you even like that?
Lookin back now, why you even write that...
Why you even write that...
I put my jealous in the air like a viking!
Heart so cold that my chest started icing
When I get the ice in the cards, will you like me?
I talk about the cries and my boys wanna fight me
Just because your hungry man that don't mean you can bite me
Make your own lane man do not try to Might me
Cause everybody's Jordan nobody's ever Michael
If anybody's scoring and no body's an idol
And we don't need the points motherfucker just the ring
Drink a little more Gin for that tied extinct
'Fore I write another verse I think about my message
Think about my life and how I should address it
How tha fuck am I supposed to be a real Kid
When they never even givin hell what real really is
I could never change me to see me blow
Can't be real if I ain't fake that's Pinocchio
If it ain't about the money then it's the cars
If it ain't about the Whips then it's prolly for the broads
Well I wanna make a toast to the Beast
For selling his Soul to Me
If it ain't about the money then it's the cars
If it ain't about the Whips then it's prolly for the broads
Well I wanna make a toast to the Beast
For selling his Soul to Me
When the moon Shine, wolfs cry I don't ever sleep man
They be keeping me up, early to the A.M
Rep for the Lions, food for the youngsters
I write a verse feed it to a far from them Monsters
I don't never get close, maybe I should change that
My Dark side is killin them they wish we never came back
Dark is so evil that's cause you don't even know me
To me they so Heavenly, to you they so phony
Club won't even play me, they say I'm not a Famie
Famous for the Rich I just don't think people change me
But you just got of stage, wha?
Baby can you really blame me?
It's Bitter Sweet success and this clime is so tangy
Suppose that I could taste it so much that I could face it
If Jordan never four-fived he probably be amazing
Legends never leave they just start aging
And money never stays, it just starts changing
In the song Mainstream, The Dean’s List discusses the ups and downs of fame and the music industry. The chorus highlights a common theme throughout the song, which is the obsession with money, cars, and women in the mainstream music industry. The artist ponders about how anyone can stay sober while performing, jokingly saying he needs a drink to get through the show. He then refers to marijuana, a commonly used drug in the music industry, saying he needs a “dime” and name-dropping Mrs. Mary Jane, a personification of the drug.
As the song continues, the artist expresses his desire to be authentic and stay true to himself. He notes that the industry tries to “guide” artists to be mainstream and make more money, but he doesn’t want to conform. The artist also recognizes the pressure to “sell his soul” to make it big in the industry. The song ends with the artist acknowledging that fame is not permanent, money doesn’t last forever, and legends can age, but true talent and authenticity will never expire.
This song sheds light on the music industry’s pressure and the difficult choice that musicians must make during their career path. They must decide whether to remain authentic or to mold themselves to suit the mainstream music industry to make more money, become more famous, and have a more significant impact. Ultimately, they must remember to stay true to themselves while still providing what their supporters need to hear.
Line by Line Meaning
How the fuck am I supposed to rock the show sober?
I need to drink to perform well, how can I do this sober?
I need a drink tell a bitch to bring it over
Can someone get me a drink and bring it to me please?
I'm so gone boy, now I'm talking nonsense
I'm drunk and now I'm just talking nonsense
You ain't bout money man, that's nonsense
If you don't care about money, you don't know what you are talking about
No coins I need a dime please
I don't have any change, can someone please give me a dime?
I need a Williams and a Reeder, who do I see?
Does anyone know who I can find to get me what I need?
This is Mrs. Marry Jane, she really chill yo!
This is my friend Mary Jane, she's really cool
You may have seen her in ya favorite rappers video
She's so cool, she's even been in some famous rapper's videos
She's really up there, you know first class
She's living the good life, always in first class
If you've ever get a shot you probably wanna work that
If you get the opportunity to be with her, you'll want to take it
Is she a bad chick? College life, drinking Con
Is she cool? She parties and drinks like a college student
Above average, Vuitton - Luboton -
She's not just average, she's high class with expensive clothing and accessories
She needs a good Header, better yet good head
She wants someone who is good in bed
Someone like now, without using the tool shed
She wants someone now, without needing any extra help
I'm Tryna Screw You, And Your Friends Too
I want to have sex with you, and your friends as well
That's what the labels say, and then they sign you
That's what the record labels want, and if you go along with it, they'll sign you
Before they find you, they tryna guide you
The labels try to lead you in a certain direction before they even sign you
Like this is mainstream nigga fuck the soul whom tied you
The labels only care about mainstream music, they don't care about your soul or who you are
Ok then Rock! Here you go!
Alright then, let's do this!
Mainstream till your video stereo
Make your music mainstream so it'll be played on the radio and TV
So typical, how you even like that?
That's so cliche, how can you even enjoy that?
Lookin back now, why you even write that...
Looking back, why did you even create that?
I put my jealous in the air like a viking!
I express my jealousy like a fierce warrior
Heart so cold that my chest started icing
My heart is numb and I'm emotionally closed off
When I get the ice in the cards, will you like me?
When I become successful, will you like me then?
I talk about the cries and my boys wanna fight me
When I mention my emotions, my friends want to argue with me
Just because your hungry man that don't mean you can bite me
Just because you're struggling, it doesn't mean you can take it out on me
Make your own lane man do not try to Might me
Create your own unique path, don't try to copy me
Cause everybody's Jordan nobody's ever Michael
Everyone wants to be the best, but very few actually achieve it
If anybody's scoring and no body's an idol
Just because someone is successful, it doesn't mean they're a role model
And we don't need the points motherfucker just the ring
It's not about the individual accomplishments, it's about the ultimate success
Drink a little more Gin for that tied extinct
Have another drink to forget about the stressful day
'Fore I write another verse I think about my message
Before I create more music, I consider the meaning behind it
Think about my life and how I should address it
I reflect on my life and how I should talk about it in my music
How tha fuck am I supposed to be a real Kid
How am I supposed to be true to myself and my upbringing?
When they never even givin hell what real really is
When society doesn't even know what reality truly is
I could never change me to see me blow
I wouldn't sacrifice who I am to become successful
Can't be real if I ain't fake that's Pinocchio
If I'm not authentic, then I'm fake like Pinocchio
Well I wanna make a toast to the Beast
I want to celebrate those who have given in to the pressures of the industry
For selling his Soul to Me
For sacrificing their true self to become successful, even if it goes against their values
When the moon Shine, wolfs cry I don't ever sleep man
I stay up late even when everyone else is asleep
They be keeping me up, early to the A.M
My thoughts and worries keep me up late into the early morning
Rep for the Lions, food for the youngsters
I represent those who are strong and powerful, and provide inspiration for the youth
I write a verse feed it to a far from them Monsters
I write music to share with people who I feel disconnected from
I don't never get close, maybe I should change that
I rarely connect with people, perhaps I should try harder to do that
My Dark side is killin them they wish we never came back
My negative traits are hurting others and they don't want me around
Dark is so evil that's cause you don't even know me
My negative side is so bad because you don't truly know me
To me they so Heavenly, to you they so phony
My inner demons are familiar and comforting to me, but others see them as fake and dishonest
Club won't even play me, they say I'm not a Famie
The clubs won't play my music because I'm not famous
Famous for the Rich I just don't think people change me
Being rich and famous wouldn't change who I am as a person
But you just got of stage, wha?
But you just finished performing on stage, wow!
Baby can you really blame me?
Can you really fault me for wanting to be successful?
It's Bitter Sweet success and this clime is so tangy
Success is bittersweet and the journey can be tough
Suppose that I could taste it so much that I could face it
I can take the hardships because the success is so worth it
If Jordan never four-fived he probably be amazing
If Michael Jordan didn't leave basketball for a while, he would be even more impressive
Legends never leave they just start aging
Even though they are getting older, true legends always remain memorable
And money never stays, it just starts changing
Money doesn't last forever, as it can often lead to changes and complications
Contributed by Tyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.