They are known for their sometimes confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice, and also positivity. The duo maintains an ethical stance against corporate control over the media, especially hip-hop record labels.
Twenty
dead prez Lyrics
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What you smokin′ on nigga?
The twenty
What kinda rims you ridin' on?
The twenty
Light up the glass bong
I′d like to pass along a little story I call it
The twenty
I know you like it what you talkin' bout
I know you got one in your house
Somewhere prolly in your sock
Yo is it skunk or is it choc
Wait, before you roll it homey stop
Did you ever think about how did it get into the cellophane bag
From the hand of the dreadlock man up on Nostrand Avenue slid him a
Twenty
Wait up selector
Start it up again hey yo yo
In the Caribbean imagine you some ganja
Growin' in the sun here come the marijuana farmer
Chop you right, chop you right, chop you right down
Turn you upside down and hang you ′til you′re brown
Packed tight, midnight, they ship it to the coast
Some take the plane, but you, you on the boat
Right beside the money which is right beside the coke
Passin' by the coast guard, right under they nose
To the U.S.
Hey! Where anyone can get me
M.I.A.
All the way to New York City
You a twenty now
Get lifted now
Let me hear it now
Herbs for me wine and honey for me strong drink
Nah sniff no coke take that and you can′t cope nor think straight
Them lose faith, after one taste
Them get misplaced
But hold it why them so backward
Make them a fight down the herb
Got a that they see no a dread
But none of that them prefer
Gimme the green thing
Cause a it me prefer
Anything else totally absurd (yes mon)
What you smokin' on nigga?
The twenty
What kinda rims you ridin′ on?
The twenty
The song "Twenty" by Dead Prez is a commentary on the consumption of cannabis, also known as "the twenty." The opening lines establish the theme of the song as a discussion of the drug culture: "What you smokin' on, nigga?/ The twenty/ What kind of rims you riding on?/ The twenty." The lyrics go on to explore the history and production of marijuana, from the street corner in Brooklyn where it is sold, to the Caribbean where it is grown, to the coast of the US where it is smuggled in. The song's message is pro-legalization, as the singer argues that cannabis is a natural medicine that can be enjoyed responsibly.
The opening lines of the song are intended to create an image of the urban drug culture. The references to "the twenty" and "the kind of rims you riding on" are slang that is commonly used in connection to drug culture. By referencing these things, the song builds up an image of the culture that is being critiqued. The lyrics continue to explore the drug culture in a more philosophical sense, with lines like "Herbs for me wine and honey for me strong drink/ Nah sniff no coke take that and you can′t cope nor think straight." This suggests that cannabis is a natural substance that can be used in moderation, while other drugs can lead to more harmful behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Got-damn!
An exclamation expressing surprise or shock
What you smokin' on nigga?
Asking what kind of cannabis the person is smoking
The twenty
Referring to the $20 worth of weed
What kinda rims you ridin' on?
Asking about the type of car rims the person is using
The twenty
Referring to the $20 worth of weed
Light up the glass bong
Asking to light up the glass water pipe used for smoking marijuana
I'd like to pass along a little story I call it
Introducing a story about how marijuana is obtained and distributed
You know a dub sack
Referring to a small bag of marijuana worth $20
I know you like it what you talkin' bout
Stating that the person enjoys smoking marijuana
I know you got one in your house
Assuming that the person has marijuana in their possession
Somewhere prolly in your sock
Imagining that the person has hidden the marijuana in their sock
Yo is it skunk or is it choc
Asking if the type of marijuana is Skunk or Chocolate
Wait, before you roll it homey stop
Asking the person to pause before rolling up the marijuana
Did you ever think about how did it get into the cellophane bag
Asking about the journey the marijuana took before being packaged in a cellophane bag
From the hand of the dreadlock man up on Nostrand Avenue slid him a
Describing how the marijuana was obtained from a Rastafarian man on Nostrand Avenue
Twenty
Referring to the $20 worth of weed
Wait up selector
Asking the DJ to pause the music
Start it up again hey yo yo
Asking the DJ to restart the music
In the Caribbean imagine you some ganja
Imagining the experience of smoking marijuana on a Caribbean island
Growin' in the sun here come the marijuana farmer
Describing the farmer who cultivates and harvests the marijuana plants
Chop you right, chop you right, chop you right down
Describing the process of cutting and collecting marijuana plants
Turn you upside down and hang you 'til you're brown
Describing the process of drying and curing the marijuana plants
Packed tight, midnight, they ship it to the coast
Describing the process of moving the marijuana from the Caribbean to the United States
Some take the plane, but you, you on the boat
Describing the different modes of transportation used to smuggle marijuana to the US
Right beside the money which is right beside the coke
Describing how marijuana is often smuggled alongside money and cocaine
Passin' by the coast guard, right under they nose
Describing how smugglers evade the US Coast Guard while smuggling marijuana into the US
To the US
Referring to smuggling marijuana into the United States
Hey! Where anyone can get me
Expressing how easy it is to obtain marijuana in the US
MIA
Referring to an organization that fights against drug smuggling
All the way to New York City
Describing the journey of marijuana from the Caribbean to New York City
You a twenty now
Referring to the $20 worth of weed
Get lifted now
Encouraging the person to get high on marijuana
Let me hear it now
Asking the person to confirm that they are high on marijuana
Herbs for me wine and honey for me strong drink
Stating a preference for marijuana over other substances
Nah sniff no coke take that and you can′t cope nor think straight
Rejecting the use of cocaine and its effects
Them lose faith, after one taste
Expressing how quickly people can develop a reliance on marijuana
Them get misplaced
Describing how people can lose control of their lives due to addiction to marijuana
But hold it why them so backward
Critiquing those who stigmatize marijuana use
Make them a fight down the herb
Describing those who are against the use of marijuana
Got a that they see no a dread
Stating that people who oppose marijuana can't understand the culture behind it
But none of that them prefer
Stating that people who oppose marijuana don't prefer it
Gimme the green thing
Asking for marijuana
Cause a it me prefer
Stating a preference for marijuana over other substances
Anything else totally absurd (yes mon)
Rejecting other substances besides marijuana as absurd
What you smokin' on nigga?
Asking what kind of cannabis the person is smoking
The twenty
Referring to the $20 worth of weed
What kinda rims you ridin′ on?
Asking about the type of car rims the person is using
The twenty
Referring to the $20 worth of weed
Writer(s): Clayton Angelo Gavin, Lavonne Alford
Contributed by Matthew G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.