Vast Aire (b. February 5, 1978) is a rapper from New York City. He is half … Read Full Bio ↴Vast Aire (b. February 5, 1978) is a rapper from New York City. He is half of the New York hip-hop duo Cannibal Ox, which consists of himself and fellow rapper Vordul Mega. He is also a member of the rap group Atoms Family. He was born in Mount Vernon, New York, then lived in Jamaica, Queens before moving to Harlem, where he became acquainted with the underground hip-hop scene, performing in many clubs while still a teenager.

Vast Aire's fame increased significantly as part of Cannibal Ox. Together with record producer El-P, their 2001 debut titled The Cold Vein that was a critical success. Since then, Vast Aire has pursued solo interests. His first solo album "Look Mom... No Hands" was released in April 2004. This was followed by "The Best Damn Rap Show" with DJ Mighty Mi from the High and Mighty & Smut Peddlers in 2005. And collaboration project called Mighty Joseph with Karniege in 2007. In 2008 Vast was released his second solo-LP, "Dueces Wild". And "OX 2010 A Street Odyssey" in 2011.

Graveyard Shift
Vast Aire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Intro: Vast Aire]
Deuces wild, I'm callin the shots

[Verse 1: Vast Aire]
You don't wanna wake up
With a horse head at the end of your bed
That shits pathetic
I will bite your face you'll just stand there

Holding your nose crying for antiseptic
You better step quick the crew is LXG
And we are bout it
Kids your mic should be off
If she's feeling me her pants will be off
The cycle of sin is Sampsora
But it's hard to resist the Carmasutra
I treat MCs like Naomi
And hit em in the head with a Molla-Rolla
Just like I told ya
With a sword in my hand I'm like a soldier
But this ain't no game this ain't no scrimmage
Let us make man in our image

[Verse 2: Genesis]
I am what was and shall be again
Full name is Genesis now call me Gen
Foes called me enemy now call me friend
My flow got white supremacists tryna darken their skin
You couldn't call a better man veteran
Who thinks that they can hang with Letterman
But if your gonna bang with me nigga you better win
Caus I'm like predator I want like a competitive skeleton
Still you be hard-pressed like a star dress
To approach this heartless nigga in the darkness
Regardless of your boys and their bullet proof vests
My back was against the wall I fought best

Then I fought stress inside the fortress of solitude
Like Clark Kent in a dark bent
Spent nights like life can't be like this
Like Eddie Cane let it rain on nights like this
Nice pain is he vain
Nope I'm just rich obnoxious bitch
Mad caus I got this gift
My glock if swift
Just beggin it's loaded with clips
The glow from the wrist
It caught the sun the solar eclipse
In matter of respect, kids nice hand em a check
I get brains on the planes like Hannibal Lec
And I could shoot like Rashid Wilis hand me a tech
My gats too mechanical now watch an animal wreck

[Verse 3: Vast Aire]
This is real hip hop holmes you don't need Sherlock
You could keep your chicken noodle and your soda pop
I see you laughing now but it won't be funny when I spin your top
He tried to say I ain't fly
Come on dude look at the space I occupy
Now that's about six feet
And with my wings spread you better watch my leap
The angelic sorta like Michael
When we fight your gonna get an eyeful
That means we don't give slack
You better leave Gamura and don't look back
Look at your face white like talcum
Because you saw the Phoenix Millennium Flacon

I want peace like the king but my actions are more like Malcolm
And you're asking how come

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Vast Aire's song "Graveyard Shift" are full of references to violence, dominance, and power, both on an individual and collective level. The opening lyric "Deuces wild, I'm callin the shots" sets the tone for the rest of the verses as Vast Aire claims his dominance through a game of chance. He then continues to boast about his ability to instill fear and violence in those who oppose him, with lines such as "I will bite your face, you'll just stand there holding your nose crying for antiseptic." He also references his crew, LXG, and their readiness to engage in violence ("we are bout it").

The second verse, delivered by Genesis, further emphasizes the themes of power and combat. He introduces himself as "Genesis," a name that suggests the beginning of something new and powerful, and describes his flow as something that can make "white supremacists tryna darken their skin." He also describes himself as a predator, ready to take on any competition with ferocity and intensity. He references his "mechanical" guns and his ability to wreck his opponents.

Overall, these lyrics depict a world where power and domination are highly valued, and where violence is often seen as a necessary means to achieve and maintain that power. The language is aggressive and hyperbolic, containing numerous references to weapons, fighting, and intimidation. The song presents a dark and intense view of the world, where those who are weaker or less ruthless are destined to fail.

Line by Line Meaning

Deuces wild, I'm callin the shots
I have control over the situation, and I'll do what I want.

You don't wanna wake up With a horse head at the end of your bed That shits pathetic
You don't want to be on my bad side, or you might suffer the same fate as in The Godfather movie.

I will bite your face you'll just stand there Holding your nose crying for antiseptic You better step quick the crew is LXG And we are bout it
If you mess with me, I won't hesitate to harm you physically, and my crew will back me up.

Kids your mic should be off If she's feeling me her pants will be off The cycle of sin is Sampsora But it's hard to resist the Carmasutra
If you are not on my level, you should not even attempt to rap. Samsara is the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Hinduism, while the Kama Sutra is an ancient Indian book about sexual positions.

I treat MCs like Naomi And hit em in the head with a Molla-Rolla Just like I told ya With a sword in my hand I'm like a soldier But this ain't no game this ain't no scrimmage Let us make man in our image
I defeat other rappers with ease and grace, and with my sword, I am like a warrior. But rapping is not just a game or sport, it is a reflection of ourselves.

I am what was and shall be again Full name is Genesis now call me Gen Foes called me enemy now call me friend My flow got white supremacists tryna darken their skin
I represent a rebirth and a new beginning. I am now going by the name Gen, and even people who used to hate me are now my friends. My rapping is so good that it even makes racist people uncomfortable.

You couldn't call a better man veteran Who thinks that they can hang with Letterman But if your gonna bang with me nigga you better win Caus I'm like predator I want like a competitive skeleton
I have a lot of experience and skill in rapping, and I challenge anyone who thinks they're on my level. But if you're going to compete with me, you better be prepared to win, because I am like a predator who only wants the best.

Still you be hard-pressed like a star dress To approach this heartless nigga in the darkness Regardless of your boys and their bullet proof vests My back was against the wall I fought best
Even if you are dressed to impress, you will still find it difficult to face me, because I am ruthless and unfeeling. And even if you have backup and protection, I will still fight with all my might and come out on top.

Then I fought stress inside the fortress of solitude Like Clark Kent in a dark bent Spent nights like life can't be like this Like Eddie Cane let it rain on nights like this
I have had to deal with a lot of internal and external pressure in my life, like Superman in his Fortress of Solitude. Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I keep going like Eddie Cane in The Five Heartbeats movie.

Nice pain is he vain Nope I'm just rich obnoxious bitch Mad caus I got this gift My glock if swift Just beggin it's loaded with clips The glow from the wrist It caught the sun the solar eclipse
People might think that I enjoy having pain, but really I am just wealthy and arrogant. I am proud of my rapping talent, and I carry a loaded gun with me. My watch is so shiny that it looks like a solar eclipse.

In matter of respect, kids nice hand em a check I get brains on the planes like Hannibal Lec And I could shoot like Rashid Wilis hand me a tech My gats too mechanical now watch an animal wreck
If you want to show me respect, you should pay me a lot of money. I have sex on planes like Hannibal Lecter in the movie, and I can shoot like Rashid Wallace in basketball. My gun is so powerful that it can destroy anything in its path.

This is real hip hop holmes you don't need Sherlock You could keep your chicken noodle and your soda pop I see you laughing now but it won't be funny when I spin your top He tried to say I ain't fly
I am a true rapper, and you don't need anyone to explain it to you. You can keep your simple and basic music, while I take it to the next level. You might think I'm a joke, but when I start rapping, you'll realize how powerful I am.

Come on dude look at the space I occupy Now that's about six feet And with my wings spread you better watch my leap The angelic sorta like Michael When we fight your gonna get an eyeful That means we don't give slack You better leave Gamura and don't look back Look at your face white like talcum Because you saw the Phoenix Millennium Falcon I want peace like the king but my actions are more like Malcolm And you're asking how come
I am a big and imposing figure, and my wingspan is huge. When I fight, it is like watching angels or Michael Jordan in his prime. I don't hold back, and I am dangerous to those who dare to challenge me. You might be scared and shocked by my power like you're seeing a spaceship or the mythical phoenix. I want peace and respect, but sometimes I have to be aggressive and forceful like Malcolm X.

Contributed by Sadie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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