Lupe is an ALIEN. He's one of the greatest of all time. He's a fellow Chicagoan. I'm proud to be from Chicago. We got ill lyricsts and spitters here, including Lupe, Twista, Saba, Common, Herbo, Bibby, and Mick Jenkins. I've been bumping Lupe's music for like 15 years. Dude's vocabulary is mad extensive and commendable. His wordplay is wild sublime. His internal rhyming and multi rhyming are incredible. Check out Hurt Me Soul by Lupe and Mass Appeal Freestyle. I have replayed Mural many times before. It's a phenomenal song. Y'all didn't touch on the orange juice reference. He said concentration then he said OJ as in orange juice. He mentioned a Mortal Kombat reference. Sub-Zero and Raiden both were shouted out. Dodging rain(reign as in control or rule over him) and catching hail(hell) for not succumbing to submission. The bird scheme is nasty. The reign/rain/rein meanings are fire. His bars be having mad entendres. They be mad deep. They don't be surface b. Lupe is a younger MF DOOM. They both rhyme entire lines with each other.
The "Bach" reference goes back to "bock" which is the sound the chickens make. Talking about the rappers/cowards. Cherries/berries/lemom .. pack feeding as in pac man who eats berries. Also back to feeding the pack of chickens. Rubber girls (plastic surgery) Hot dogs/ tear drips Pantomime/clear bricks Salt They salty that im going hard. The part/party playing pool to throwing darts refers to how back and forth and all over the place his whole album is. Man there are so many layers to this song.
The power cowards to get them to the top line, could be referring back to the weather vane (chicken on the barn), as well as bad people continuing on their paths of advacing themselves.. Lupe is ridiculous, it's scary how good he is on drogas waves
Bach.... Is a reference to the classical musician in the same "vein," or lineage of Motzart. It's been studied that classical music helps you concentrate or can be used to induce sleep. Being that the prior bar reference was about tying up your arm to shoot drugs, he's saying that people are so wired up on nonsense that it's hard to rest and they have to now reach for things to help sedate themselves.
📚To understand the song "Mural".... You have to understand what a mural painting is. It's a collage of thoughts being painted and blended together. Each piece tells Part of a total story, but also represents a story in itself. The person who sees it is trying to decipher the specifics of the picture, despite the artist purposely drawing it to look abstract. The entire song is an ode to who he is as a person and artist. Wshaat are his inspirations and interests? He tells you that he's inspired by actual art, karate, anime, jazz music, religious studies, geo politics, video games and cartoons. The references are telling you that this is what he grew up on, and therefore it's what you you'll find when you break down his music catalogs songs individually. Again.... Multiple parts, being drawn together, to create an abstract mural. We are all murals. We all have multiple experiences, ideologies, travels and relationships that make us who we are as a whole person. He essentially wrote a song explaining the ingredients that made him who he is. #Mural
This stuff inspires me to write even more than the amount I write currently (which is a lot . Cats like Lupe are timeless artists and exemplify abovepar art. Straight up and down.
Great reaction, finally Lupe. Konami is the company that made saga games, contra an old shooting game. Hot dog and piss and and represent salt. He see the world through his oil painting, if you look at his album cover, you see mural painting and a skull on it with empty eyes. Last thing related to queen hey and rain, he is telling us everything that he doesnt meant so we guess what he means, eminem do it the opposite way, he tells us what he means in 100 way. Now for love of god do wav files by Lupe
In the original Nintendo video game "Contra" there is an assortment of guns one can earn. Lupe references the "spray gun" and the jungle missions. The video game plot is about 2 mercenaries who's mission is to defeat the evil regime in a rainforest/jungle. In the early 80's (era Lupe was born, and same era the Contra video game came out) there was a war in South America between the Sandinistas and the Contras (Contra means opposing force or against, such as contraband, contradict, contraceptive etc). The US Military subsidized this war unofficially by funding the opposing forces to the Nicaragua government in order to topple the leader and replace their president/dictator with someone more favorable to US politics. The video game is loosely based on the actual war.
Loving the video, didn't even realise it was 30 mins until I finished it. I don't want to divulge a lot of what you missed because listening to this song again and again while still catching new bars is one of the things that makes this song so amazing. Here's a few things from the beginning though. 'Top cat chat, let's begin another yarn' Top cat refers to both the cartoon of the same name (tieing in with the cartoon scheme) as well as an early messaging board on the Internet. A string of messages was called a yarn, similar to what is more commonly known now as a thread. Yarn is also a word that can describe a long rambling story. This is Lupe letting us know we about to enter a big discussion. Finally chat is a French word for a male cat. 'Cherry picking every lemon from your berry system. Then proceed with the pack feeding' to cherry pick lemons from berries would be to pick out the sour from the sweet. Pack feeding simplified is the feeding of a large group (farm animals being the obvious tie in with the start of the song).This can be applied to a wide variety of ideas but the main two I've heard of are governments being selective in what they release to the public as well as radio stations selecting popular music for the masses. In the previous line he mentions buried living. This can be applied to a government hiding the truth from it citizens and radio burying music that doesn't fit their mold. Finally pack feeding is also a reference to Pac man and the fruits he eats, which ties in with the gaming theme (Activision, and Contra which is a video/arcade game released by Konomai) A few last thoughts... you kept mentioning that Lupe was painting a picture. This is spot on which is why the song is called mural. The whole piece is set up with this metaphor in mind. The musically simple track with no generic verse/chorus structure gives lupe a blank slate to allow his incredible artistry the opportunity to paint the mural using his words. Something new I caught this listen was the line 'bury the hatchet, like how a bird born' a bird born has to brake out of its shell which can be referenced back to the idea of a coffin with a scratched ceiling, a motif also found in the last lupe song you listened to where the protagonist (my cool young history) digs himself out of his coffin/grave. Well I hope you guys do some more lupe because his mastery of lyricism is utterly insane. Much love and respect
You guys did a great job with that break down being that it was your first time listening. Though you guys missed like 40 references only bc you guys didn"t have a frame of reference concerning definitions of some words it was still impressive. Big shout out to ya"ll. It"s gonna be dope when you guys have the opportunity to break down some of my lyrics in the future.
The berry system that ends with the pack/feeding line is a Pacman reference because all the fruits and berries Pacman eats in the game. Contra is game made by Konami the video game company. OJ the line is he said OJ the Juice man. Not only was OJ the football player call the Juice but OJ Da Juice Man is a actual rapper. Lupe is crazy! There are many more if you would like to know.
Lmao love that one, heres just a few i caught: ”Roosters dont fly, like boosters dont buy” going with the whole chicken scheme of the start, boosters are people who steal clothes and either use them or sell them for cheap on the street (eg. Lo Lifes, Lupe has mentioned them and boosters on other songs), and they are known for getting ”fly”, so hes also saying chickens cant ”fly” like the boosters that dont buy their clothes, because they always have new clothes on and wardrobes full of it aka they stay ”fly”, also people who would buy their clothes in these boosting neighborhoods would be looked as cowards or ”chickens” and because they dont steal clothes, they cant and dont get ”fly” like the boosters do, so much knowledge and connections man ”Spitting it for the golden lock thots” besides just colorful haired ratchet hoes and that goldielock of a bitch who kept fucking with the porridge lol, theres also a connection with the goldielocks zone, (=the earth and our location in space which allows life to exist, the earth is not too cold or hot just like the porridge that goldielocks liked), so hes spitting his verse for the the earths ”THOughTS”, or hes spitting for the thots of the earth, which connects with the empowering feminist bars before that
@@BakeryMusic Lupe, Daylyt, King Los ... reacting to their music when its even hard to catch the bars after 10 listens is BRAVE! I like it though. Yall doing a good job.
"Bury the hatchet like how a bird born" is so fucking crazy.... The simple part is just the play on words... mother birds *bury* their egg in the nest to *hatch* (hatchet). Burying the hatchet was sign of peace (which a dove... a bird is the sign of) that the native Americans used to welcome settlers. These settlers happened to massacre and enslave the natives (which is a subliminal call back to the war/Activision scheme)... and I'm reaching here but lupe too good to not reach, this land then became the U.S.... The symbol of the U.S is an eagle. The reason it prolly isn't a reach is cus of the reoccurring theme of birds. That one line has so much substance it's crazy. And the maddest part is that he has a lot these kind of lines lol
I feel like y'all jumped off the deep end first... This is on off Lupes toughest songs to understand IMO. I've been jamming this song fo rd years and STILL don't know what the hell he's talkin about. Lupe said it best... "Its hard being a Lupe fan, Gotta go to Harvard to be a Lupe Stan."
I asked in another comment for Lupe Fiasco-The Cool It's a great showing of his story telling.. and I think it's off the 1st album. Thanks for the reactions guys, and the reply ! Lol
Lupe paints pictures with words that are so beautiful. They will be talking about this masterpiece hundreds of years from now. So lucky to have experienced this.
Bawk like a chicken OJ da Juiceman is a rapper from down south. He's saying he's a rapper meets killer. Contra is the GOAT Nintendo game from the 80's. Konami is a videogame company. The last part is heavily influenced by videogames especially ones with ninjas The Goldilocks lines I think was a metaphor for Iggy Azalea culture vulturing
BREAKDOWN OF OPENING BARS: Lupe masterfully mixes a series of metaphors, similies personification and entendres all the while binding them together with 1 all encompassing metaphor describing the differences in how these 2 types of people make their money: Real Gangsters and Studio Gangsters We're all chemicals, vitamins and minerals Vicodin(meaning in essence we are all the same) with inner tubes, wrapped around the arm To see the vein (we're drugged up/adrenaline fueled)(To get to/see the top) like a chicken(Studio Gangster/coward) on a barn (weather vane) (With that said let's get into).... Top Cat(Real Gangster) chat.... let's begin another yarn (next string of thought) That's flying saucer cheese (How "fly ass" Top Cats make money. Cats drink out of saucers), or is it chicken parm'?(How "lame ass" studio gangsters/cowards make money) But roosters don't fly like boosters don't buy (These chickens(cowards) aren't really "fly" but they look the part such as how boosters can't afford Gucci but they got Gucci) So what powers cowards to get them to the top (How does a Drake become a Drake?) Just to fall asleep listening to Bach? [(The sound of their own music(Bach) and the music of their peers, also fellow chickens(bawk bawk bawk bawk bawk bawk baaaaaawk)] The ribbon in the sky (the sun/time) is the ribbon that I drop (a timepiece) Dribbling the eye across the prism of a clock (Hypnotism. "Eyes looking like, MKUltra". Imagine a cukoo clock's pendulum swing or a timepiece on a chain) That lacks meaning,( Shhh...I've said too much. Moving on to the real gangstas/the trap)..... but racks up stacks of fat reading They catch Chief and wrapped up plants(drogas) from trap dealings. Now what's a coffin with a scratched ceiling? (Someone left for dead, trying to get out of a/the trap) And what's the talking without the match feeling (No one left to oppose you) That's buried living... And cherry picking Every lemon from your berry system Then proceed with the pack feeding (Pac-Man does this. First by eating the fruit then by finishing off the pack of remaining ghost. He also appears to be talking yet moving in silence) Using the lemons that life threw you to make lemonade, flipping that lemonade, then eliminating the competition to maximize profitability until you beat the game or the game beats you.
epic reaction if you guys think you missed everything then damn.... you really caught most of this shit.... it is not even close to what other reactors caught.
Don't know if it was said but the Contra, Konami, lines were all video game references from 8 bit Nintendo. Contra, Shinobi, Double Dragon, Then it merged into amine with Fist of the North Star, Street Fighter, and ended with Naruto
Someone said it, and then we also watched that video that shows all his schemes in its someone linked it in the comments. Lupe is wild. He's on our goat wall!
Bro Just relistening to it right now there is so much shit we missed like the road runner, painting the tumnel on the cliff or mountain he's fucking insane
Yo guys! I was wondering if u listened to Street Light -Be Carefull or Street Light - Forbidden Jutsu. If not a reaction to that would be so fireeeee. Love Love Love
"....coming down gorgeously, just like a Stacey Dash waterfall (literal waterfalls come down gorgeously (beautifully and Stacey Dash is beautiful)" is a BAR. Lupe might be referring to Stacey Dash being wet downstairs. The missionary (sex position/religion) double is fire too. The OJ Simpson bar was spat too.
"Or maybe just a metal pail you hit with steel tools to announce you've had enough and dropping out of SEAL school." When BUDs training becomes too difficult for a SEAL candidate, they lay their helmet on the deck, and ring a bell, to officially quit training. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-z8JPWrWnYP0.html
@@BakeryMusic All 3 are INCREDIBLE with the pen... especially King Los. Hell, even Lupe has acknowledged that. But Lupe is a whole different animal. I've said it before and I'll say it again, his intellect is ASTOUNDING. Way beyond just music. I honestly feel it's slightly disrespectful to put his pen up against just rappers. His writing should be placed in the same breath as Homer, Hemmingway, Tolstoy, Morrison, etc. As a rapper, he's definitely an alltime great.. no question. But as a lyricist/writer... his pen is monstrous. Toooo many times have I sat back listening to his verses and said: "Oh my God!" smh. Sometimes certain people just reach a level in their craft that's almost inhuman. I can say without question that would be Lupe with writing. Oh yeah, if you're looking for a little more visual understanding to some of the bars in this song, look up TimesNuRoman: Lupe Mural breakdown... as well as Lyricology 101 Lupe Mural Bar for bar breakdown. Lupe has actually cosigned and retweeted the Lyricology 101 breakdown.
Thank you! We'll try and get to it in the near future, we have had a ton of requests as of late. But we do lives a couple times a week and take requests there as well!!!
"nerd game make Mandelbrot sets when we hand shake" It's a mathematical pattern involving a set of points plugged into a certain equation until infinity and makes a really awesome pattern that gets more intricate as you zoom in. They refer to it as the "thumbprint of god". Lupe is saying that coming into contact with him stimulates your mind, body and soul.
Konami made the video game Contra, which was like the first adventure fighting game, like the rest of this video game scheme. Sub-Zero riding in the pack as well... Shinobi
Lupe deserves to be on your wall in the background here is other good songs bmf (buildmindfaster) go to sleep the die the cool the coolest ital cold war beautiful lasers
Ayy I forgot to mention the underachievers to you guys you wont believe me but these guys are insanely good check out play that way or gold soul theory or leopard shepherd almost any video but herb shuttles is probably one of their highest viewed video much love and respect guys