Jel became familia… Read Full Bio ↴themselves are doseone and jel, from California.
Jel became familiar with dose through his good friend and radio partner, Kevin Beacham. But it wasn't until early 1998 when some tapes were exchanged through mutual friend, Mr. Dibbs, that the two realized their potential together. Soon after a few phone conversations, jel started making frequent sojourns from Chicago to Cincinnati to record with dose. The duo's first couple of tracks ended up on dose's first, self-released record Hemispheres (1998). Then from April of 1998 to January of 1999 they solidified their chemistry, putting the tracks together that would end up on themselves' them. That same Spring dose and jel, along with Slug of Atmosphere and sole and alias of Live Poets began recording deep puddle dynamics's The Taste Of Rain... Why Kneel. Out of that record, the concept of anticon was somewhere born -- whose founding dose and jel would become an integral part of, later bringing them both to the Bay Area.
Since then, both artists have continued to push boundaries, producing and collaborating on a range of work far outside the constructs of traditional genre forms. They've expanded their use and understanding of their equipment, as well as perfected their live performances. Their record, the no music. (2002), involved the use of: an SP-1200, an MPC-2000, a Korg Poly 64 keyboard, some other shit, a Roland VS 880, Digital Performer, a Dr. Sample, various microphones, numerous household items and found objects and sounds. Recently the two of them have also expanded their roles in the group, both contributing vocals and production to the no music.. They also added Dax Pierson on keyboards, Dr. Sample, Theremin and back up vocals on many of their tracks, and to all of their live performances. Dax is essential in adding syncopation and a real time quality to the tracks.
After a six-year hiatus, Themselves return on a rampage of heady rap wrung from hardworking hands. Of course, the duo of Jeffrey “Jel” Logan and Adam “Doseone” Drucker are never too far from the frontlines of good art and honest music. Last year, their Subtle sextet released its third album, the critically acclaimed and wildly adventurous ExitingARM, and a 2005 collaboration with Germany’s the Notwist yielded the cult gem 13 & God. There have been solo offerings, guest appearances, and ceaseless touring, but not peep from the name behind 2002’s left-field classic The No Music. That blessed interim has seen Doseone and Jel become the fearless musicians and exacting artists they’d always meant to be. Now, hungrier than ever, Themselves are here to scrawl a bold new chapter across rap’s too-stale tome. Furthermore, they set out to accomplish this feat unadorned, returning to hip-hop’s most cardinal and carnal form, the number two: the DJ and the MC—neck-snapping beats and precision prose—accompanied by a little righteous indignation, of course.
Such things do have roots, naturally, and Themselves’ are as colorful as one would expect. Drucker was born in Napa, Idaho, to a hippie pair whose relationship wouldn’t outlast its ideals. Logan was raised in Chicago by Pentecostal parents. While the former spent his preteen years bouncing between Philadelphia and New Jersey, surviving by his mile-a-minute wit and ceaseless imagination, Logan nursed an early love for the decidedly safe sounds of Chuck Berry into raging crush on the unhinged backbone of rap music: beats. He’d pump gas in order to save up for the hallowed SP-1200 drum machine (of which he’s now a renowned master); Drucker would hone his unmatched rap styles in street battles before moving to Cincinnati in his late teens. In that city’s annual “Scribble Jam” competition, as “Doseone,” he famously battled Eminem in a final-round showdown—as well as one of his idols, Freestyle Fellowship’s P.E.A.C.E.—and the experience left him hollow. Meanwhile, Jel had forged a sound unto himself, but couldn’t find a voice able to keep pace. In 1998, tapes were exchanged through the venerable DJ Mr. Dibbs, and history came to be made.
Of that initial meeting, much would be born: Doseone’s ambitious, self-released debut Hemispheres (1998); Themselves’ seminal unveiling, Them (1999); the landmark collaborative project, Deep Puddle Dynamics (also featuring Sole, Alias and Atmosphere’s Slug); and the Anticon label itself. Soon, Dose and Jel moved to Oakland in order to spark a movement with Anticon’s other co-founders, two of which (Odd Nosdam, and Yoni Wolf of WHY?) were in yet another celebrated group with Drucker, the eternally lauded cLOUDDEAD. Since, Doseone and Jel have continued to challenge rap—and our conception of music itself—every step of the way. Through their joint projects and an impressive body of solo work (see 2006’s Soft Money, by Jel, or Doseone’s self-released spoken-word album, Soft Skulls), these two have been nurturing the kind of legacy that only gets better with age. In 2009, Themselves return to a core that’s been warming, strengthening, and expanding all the while.
Hat in the Wind
Themselves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eyes open, I want to masturbate in a locked...
Your lover is at yoga, breaking a sweat,
While you shoot mid-morning coffee nerved on the front steps.
Pouring its slave labor likelihood all over
Your wounded lung. everyone's allowed to have these thoughts.
After all, this is the song where you sing i am a drug addict for 8 bars.
One is lucky to go deaf over the course of one's life.
I love these legs.
In the speaking up and claiming of my projector,
It's a dancing fool moment happy taking the blame
For all my hammer marks and... dropped gavels... and eyes
Open, i want to masturbate in a locked planetarium.
I am a drug addict, i am a drug addict, i am a drug addict...
Iamadrugaddictiamadrugaddictiamadrugaddict...
I am a drug addict...
Sometimes you can still see dead-end signs in my eyes.
I'm still burning the bones of my strong arm over my mother.
Never unclenching to the spoiled little stone in my skull to a sober.
I feel as though I thaw all day, everyday.
Someone from second grade well into his last set of teeth,
Waiting for help...
Will you, will you stay if i promise you eggs and glue
And guns and birds and bread?
Will you stay if i promise you eggs and things and yes and yes and yes...
I met a beggar who says he was famous,
And nowadays he only tells two jokes.
One about eagles, weasels, and jet engines,
The other a terrible one about a left-handed match.
Says the only thing you need on the skids is a hat,
Says he'd also pissed away a million dollars in his day.
Nowadays when i want to feel like a millionaire,
I just walk into a bank...
So i stood in the bank, and started thinking...
While exact clocks spilled over into numbers of people,
Comfortably naming all 900 bones in their yesterday rhine.
Laughing in the face of so many black bags,
Luggage a natural melody to the fear poet.
I can admire the of an arrow all day,
But by no means am i one with smoking dust
In a Roxborough graveyard or painting wasp nests shut
For my slumlord in Cincinnati.
I'd rather run with piano open in my head,
Laughing with your hat in the wind...
Not at you...
I'm not laughing at you but with you
The song "Hat in the Wind" by Themselves is a complex piece of lyrics that portrays different themes and emotions. The song starts with a bizarre and explicit line that sets the tone for the entire song. The line "Eyes open, I want to masturbate in a locked..." is repeated twice, creating an uncomfortable and awkward sensation for the listeners. The song immediately follows with a reference to a lover who is at a yoga class, while the singer is drinking coffee on the steps, feeling the weight of the capitalist system on their lungs. The lyrics explore the singer's thoughts about being a drug addict, having a strong arm, and their frozen state.
The song contains a multitude of references to various themes, from drug addiction, capitalism, mental health, and the human condition to the power of words and laughter. The lyrics are poetic and metaphorical, inviting the listener to interpret them in different ways. All throughout the song, the singer is searching for connection and understanding, both within themselves and with others. The line "I'm not laughing at you but with you" shows a desire for camaraderie and shared experience, even in difficult or uncomfortable situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Eyes open, I want to masturbate in a locked...
I have a desire to masturbate in a secluded, private space.
Your lover is at yoga, breaking a sweat,
Your partner is focused on self-care and exercise.
While you shoot mid-morning coffee nerved on the front steps.
I am anxious after consuming coffee on the porch.
Pouring its slave labor likelihood all over
Coffee production often relies on exploited labor.
Your wounded lung. everyone's allowed to have these thoughts.
It's normal to have conflicting thoughts and experiences.
After all, this is the song where you sing i am a drug addict for 8 bars.
The song acknowledges personal struggles with addiction.
It is a blessing to have rifle eyes in times of war.
Being vigilant in adverse situations is beneficial.
One is lucky to go deaf over the course of one's life.
Hearing loss can be preferable to certain sounds and noise pollution.
I love these legs.
I admire and appreciate my own physical features.
In the speaking up and claiming of my projector,
Asserting oneself in creative expression is empowering.
It's a dancing fool moment happy taking the blame
This is an opportunity to be carefree and take responsibility.
For all my hammer marks and... dropped gavels... and eyes
These are symbolic references to past mistakes and decisions.
Open, i want to masturbate in a locked planetarium.
The desire for privacy during sexual activity persists.
I am a drug addict, i am a drug addict, i am a drug addict...
Repeating this phrase acknowledges the reality of this struggle.
Sometimes you can still see dead-end signs in my eyes.
I often feel defeated and hopeless.
I'm still burning the bones of my strong arm over my mother.
The past continues to affect and burden me emotionally.
Never unclenching to the spoiled little stone in my skull to a sober.
I struggle with addictive tendencies and cannot fully relax.
I feel as though I thaw all day, everyday.
I feel constantly drained and emotionally thawed out.
Someone from second grade well into his last set of teeth,
A former classmate is aging and struggling with dental health.
Waiting for help...
They may be in need of physical or emotional assistance.
Will you, will you stay if i promise you eggs and glue
I am willing to make promises and offers in order to maintain relationships.
And guns and birds and bread?
These items may symbolize different emotions or experiences.
Will you stay if i promise you eggs and things and yes and yes and yes...
I am desperate to keep someone in my life and will offer whatever I can.
I met a beggar who says he was famous,
I encountered someone with a unique and unexpected history.
And nowadays he only tells two jokes.
They have fallen on hard times and now rely on humor for survival.
One about eagles, weasels, and jet engines,
The jokes they tell are often nonsensical and lighthearted.
The other a terrible one about a left-handed match.
The other joke is not funny and rather dark.
Says the only thing you need on the skids is a hat,
They believe that simple possessions are all that matter in hard times.
Says he'd also pissed away a million dollars in his day.
They have experienced great wealth and loss in their life.
Nowadays when i want to feel like a millionaire,
I seek to emulate a feeling of luxury and wealth.
I just walk into a bank...
The illusion of wealth is all I require to feel better.
So i stood in the bank, and started thinking...
Being in this environment prompts introspection and contemplation.
While exact clocks spilled over into numbers of people,
The clocks represent time management and busy schedules.
Comfortably naming all 900 bones in their yesterday rhine.
Others are able to focus on obscure details and facts with ease.
Laughing in the face of so many black bags,
Death and loss are commonplace and often joked about.
Luggage a natural melody to the fear poet.
Baggage and fear are persistent issues for the poet.
I can admire the of an arrow all day,
The poet is capable of appreciating a variety of things.
But by no means am i one with smoking dust
Despite this, they do not feel at home in some situations.
In a Roxborough graveyard or painting wasp nests shut
These are examples of situations in which they feel out of place.
For my slumlord in Cincinnati.
They may feel taken advantage of or powerless in certain circumstances.
I'd rather run with piano open in my head,
They prefer creative expression and mental freedom to feeling trapped.
Laughing with your hat in the wind...
Sharing joy and humor with others is freeing and enjoyable.
Not at you...
This laugh is not meant to be spiteful or mocking.
Contributed by Bailey V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@GOM420
Someone in South Gate, California has been bumping this for about two decades now.
FOREVER MONKEY:.
@dragonheart81vids
as much as I love the lyrical finesse of Themselves, I believe that the instrumentation is where this song truly shines.
I think the instruments just accentuate their voices so well, and that both sound beautiful.
@zoned7609
this song is my teens, through and through
silently screaming at the absurdity of it all, laughing with my hat in the wind
@chingeyxxxnelly
COOL!
@ultrasunk
favourite song right now :)
@shawnofthadead492
Such a good tune! ❤️
@evangrunwald9877
i bleed tears through every pore of my body screaming silently the lyrics of this song till my very last breath
@NicoEss
this song is fucking brilliant
@PyritedGoodes
phenomenal
@sunnygrewal8824
love anticon