Their commercially successful sophomore album E&A (released 2004) became a staple of the Twin Cities hip hop community, although following hectic touring the release of Eyedea & Abilities next album By The Throat would take several years, with Eyedea and DJ Abilities touring separately.
After a productive hiatus they returned with the critically acclaimed By The Throat (released 2009). Sonically divergent from their earlier work, By The Throat would showcase the their individual development along with the talents of Jeremy Ylvisaker, J.T. Bates & Graham O'Brien.
Eyedea (Born Micheal Larsen on November 9, 1981 – October 16, 2010) who also performed under the name Oliver Hart became widely known because of his battle and freestyle skills. The Many Faces of Oliver Hart prominently features the obliterating lyrical speed of a young Carnage the Executioner aka Terrell Woods along with Slug (of Atmosphere). Eyedea was best known for his victory at the Blaze Battle, which was aired on HBO, showing some of the best underground battlers in action. Eyedea largely toured with Slug aka Sean Daley during his early career, and would continue to collaborate with his mentor.
Numerous posthumous releases regularly appear since his passing, including Face Candy Waste-Age Teen Land and Eyenine Afraid to Dream on Crushkill Recordings, along with dedications from Kristoff Krane aka Christoffer Keller, Sadistik aka Cody Foster, No Bird Sing, Sage Francis, Brother Ali, Carnage XXXL, Murs among others. His mother Kathy Averill maintains an official dedication site www.micheallarsen.com.
DJ Abilities aka Maxx Keltgen is known for winning three DMC awards and for his work on his mixtapes and 1200 Hobos. He continues to tour, and is currently signed to Rhymesayers Entertainment.
E
eyedea & abilities Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is a big "Fuck You" to anyone out there that hates us
It ain't my fault you fail to recognize what great is
If you weren't so caught up in who you dick ride
You'd see the flaws in your so called generals(?) and crawl to this side
You misinterpret the purpose of what we do
Plus you probably mad that we get our props and no one's feelin you
But don't tell me how to rip this microphone bitch
The truth is I can do what you can't
Sellin' twenty thousand units hand to hand to the true fans
On top of that, freestyle and you'll get served
On top of that, all your friends know my words
I accomplished more than you will in your whole life by the time I was eighteen
Never workin' a 9 to 5, that's the E&A theme
And it's a must we constantly keep elevatin'(?) the hustle
The music, the ethic, muscle the movements the methods
Huh, what's wrong, you still don't get it? Still feel you're so gifted
Still think your sky has no limits?
It takes a minute to get rid of the cynics
But now each piece in it's place, so you can't fuck with us
*And it's suicide to battle this UMM*
The genius supreme team is the E&A
Believe that this year we receivin' MC and DJ kingship
Perceived as the most deviously seen in the media
Remedial critics don't give us love but we don't need 'em to
It ain't your weak reviews that keep people in shrink(?) with us
They leave our shows thinkin' what these kids do is unachieveable, and they right
You never in your life could do as much as we do with just two techs and a mic
I leave kids like Raymond O'Neill pissed
Cause he knows without me ain't no way he'll make it in this record biz'
How d'you advertise some shit I want or not, mention me
Fuck you and that ugly co(?), we goin' ghetto gold this spring
And anyone that begs to differ wait until this hits ya
The illest scriptures killin' listeners with the real elixir
For these Top 40 blowjobs packagin' a hit single
Ya'll flaunt pussy so hard it gives the average kids dick tingles
But who can keep your sick(?) with cuts to clot your ego trip
Beats that hit and speech that spits, raise a fist, throw a fit
It's E&A day, 2003 until forever
Ya'll should've never let to motherfuckers like us get together
It's on..it's on..it's on..it's on
*I came to claim shit this year*
*I ain't playin' cause I'm here to reign supreme*
*That so?*
*Bitch*
*Competition*
*Better recognize*
*Competition*
*Shut yo mouth*
*And on that note, let's get back to the program*
The song "E and A day" by Eyedea & Abilities is a powerful statement directed towards those who hate and criticize them. The song's main message is that the artists are true to themselves, and their music speaks for itself. They feel that their success is a result of their own hard work, and anyone who thinks otherwise is simply wrong. The lyricist attacks those who believe that the music scene is limited and that they cannot make their mark. The artists show they are different and that they are not afraid to push boundaries, even if that means going against the grain.
The song also celebrates the duo's achievements over the years. They remind listeners of their past wins and how they managed to be successful without taking on a conventional 9 to 5 job. They promote a message of hustle, hard work and ethics, and that it's essential to keep elevating oneself to stay relevant.
Overall, this track is a celebration of rap music and the artists' contribution to the genre. They acknowledge the importance of staying true to oneself while also pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and they passionately believe in their music's power to inspire change.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a big "Fuck You" to anyone out there that hates us
We're not here to please people who don't like us
It ain't my fault you fail to recognize what great is
You don't appreciate our greatness because you're at fault
If you weren't so caught up in who you dick ride
You're so obsessed with your idols that you can't see our potential
You'd see the flaws in your so called generals(?) and crawl to this side
If you weren't blinded by your own biases, you'd realize that our side is better than yours
You misinterpret the purpose of what we do
You don't fully understand the reason behind our music
Plus you probably mad that we get our props and no one's feelin you
You're probably jealous that we're getting recognition and you're not
But don't tell me how to rip this microphone bitch
Stop trying to tell me how to be a good artist
If your advice was so nice, w'on't you apply it to your own shit?
If you think your advice is so great, why don't you use it for your own work?
The truth is I can do what you can't
I have more talent and skill than you do
Sellin' twenty thousand units hand to hand to the true fans
I can sell my music to real fans without relying on big corporations
On top of that, freestyle and you'll get served
I'm a better freestyler than you and will prove it
On top of that, all your friends know my words
Even your friends know my music is better than yours
I accomplished more than you will in your whole life by the time I was eighteen
I've achieved more success before the age of 18 than you will in your entire life
Never workin' a 9 to 5, that's the E&A theme
We believe in pursuing our passion instead of working a regular job
And it's a must we constantly keep elevatin'(?) the hustle
We must constantly improve and work hard to achieve our goals
The music, the ethic, muscle the movements the methods
We focus on our music, work ethic, movements, and methods to achieve success
Huh, what's wrong, you still don't get it? Still feel you're so gifted
You still don't understand our message and think you're better than us
Still think your sky has no limits?
You still believe that you can't be surpassed or defeated
It takes a minute to get rid of the cynics
It takes time to get rid of the doubters and haters
But now each piece in its place, so you can't fuck with us
We've established ourselves and reached our potential, so you can't compete with us
*And it's suicide to battle this UMM*
It's a bad idea to compete with the Unified MCs and DJs
The genius supreme team is the E&A
Our talented group is the best
Believe that this year we receivin' MC and DJ kingship
We will be recognized as the best MC and DJ this year
Perceived as the most deviously seen in the media
We're known to be devious and cunning in the media
Remedial critics don't give us love but we don't need 'em to
Critics who don't appreciate our work aren't important to us
It ain't your weak reviews that keep people in shrink(?) with us
Our fans stay with us because of our great music, not because of critics
They leave our shows thinkin' what these kids do is unachieveable, and they right
Our fans leave our shows thinking that our music is amazing and impossible to duplicate
You never in your life could do as much as we do with just two techs and a mic
You could never achieve the same level of success as us with just two people and basic equipment
I leave kids like Raymond O'Neill pissed
I make competitors like Raymond O'Neill angry and jealous
Cause he knows without me ain't no way he'll make it in this record biz'
He knows he needs me to succeed in the music industry
How d'you advertise some shit I want or not, mention me
Don't advertise anything without my approval or mention
Fuck you and that ugly co(?), we goin' ghetto gold this spring
I don't care about you or your company, we're succeeding on our own
And anyone that begs to differ wait until this hits ya
Anyone who disagrees with us will see the truth when we succeed
The illest scriptures killin' listeners with the real elixir
Our powerful lyrics and music are enlightening and impactful
For these Top 40 blowjobs packaging a hit single
Music that caters to the mainstream Top 40 audience is uninspired and basic
Ya'll flaunt pussy so hard it gives the average kids dick tingles
You rely on sex appeal rather than real talent to attract young fans
But who can keep your sick(?) with cuts to clot your ego trip
Our music can keep your pride in check and humble you
Beats that hit and speech that spits, raise a fist, throw a fit
Our music is powerful, uplifting, and inspiring
It's E&A day, 2003 until forever
We will always celebrate our music and success from 2003 on
Ya'll should've never let to motherfuckers like us get together
You should have never allowed us to form a group because now we're unstoppable
I came to claim shit this year
I'm here to make a big impact this year
I ain't playin' cause I'm here to reign supreme
I'm not just messing around, I'm here to be the best
That so?
Is that a problem for you?
Bitch
I'm addressing someone who is being disrespectful
Competition
I'm ready to face and defeat my competitors
Better recognize
You need to acknowledge my talent and potential
Shut yo mouth
Stop talking and start listening to me
And on that note, let's get back to the program
Let's continue the music and focus on our goals
Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JACOB DUTTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zack A
EYEDEA'S NEVER DIE
LISTEN TO THESE SONGS IN ORDER:
Powdered water - grand sixth sense (NOT POWDERED WATER TOO/PT2),
1 - CD-R,
4 - CD-R,
Man Vs. Ape - E&A,
Star Destroyer - E&A
The World Has No Eyedea
Nathaniel Esquivel
Its a shame our society is so saturated with artists that we rarely give the many beautiful artists out there the analysis and respect they deserve for their art, thank you for the art my friend Mr. Larsen
hipsonsogbo
It's a shame society is so detached from feeling, people need to stop breeding, they won't
Popeye Doyle
@hipsonsogbo well you dont have to worry about that just keep takin your truvidia
Jekyl Whispy
I feel you but I don't think that's it. Hm here's a thing I've come to thinking. This world is goddamn brimful overflowing mighty God's ejaculation of color and passion. Not everybody by any stretch has the tech but where I live it's not so hard to get and hey a lot of places you got the library. With the internet we got access to hundreds of years of music, just about anything recorded to an extent. If people want it, they will look for it. And if they look for it, they will find it. I did af. I can recommend almost nothing higher. One thing I think very important is a person must follow their own interests. No one can do it for you. You either dig it or you don't but to find it you always gotta dig a little bit. I also gd adore this shit. Bless you. And bless Micheal. I got this on now. I'm living in St. Paul. I wonder how many people know and care sometimes.. but there's a sticker on a telephone pole near my apartments reads EYEDEA IS STILL ALIVE. peace, friend.
Emily Clibourn
RIP Eyedea, he was the best friend I never knew. His music was a light in the night.
Dogged Idea
I think this guy is the only rapper ever to have defeated Immortal Technique in a rap battle.
Thomas Adams
They’re actually buddies. R.Eye.P they definitely bettered themselves in eap
John Suave
Oh I'm sure Tech has lost at least once, we all humans... but ya, Eyedea was a fuggin beast
crextor
100% makes it better when you think about how one is called immortal technique and the other one sometimes goes by slug
Fat J
@crextor eyedea and slug are completely different people…thats like saying preemo goes by guru or something, makes no sense at all in the context of immortal tech battles or otherwise…