This month on Genius Magazine 04
“This Is America” Lyrics Explained......................
XXXTENTACION Has Passed Away At 20..........
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The Carters’ “APESHIT” Explained........................
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Stream Drake’s New Album ‘Scorpion’..............
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Album Reviews..........................................................
#257. JUNE 2018 Editor in Chief Lemael Corrêa Molkenthin Art Editor Nicholas A. Butler Writers Todd L. Wiley Clyde E. Frye Willis C. Everton Contributors Jason S. Stevenson, Chris A. Leslie, Ronald S. Harden, Lucas Pereira Silva, Celio Fiorentino, Oskar Lankila Contact www.genius.com magazine@genius.com +55 47 9999-9999
“This Lyrics 4
Three Annotations That Help Decode The Symbolism Of Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” From Kodak Black to the Charleston church shooting.
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hildish Gambino’s new single “This is America” has taken Genius by storm, becoming the fastest song to reach one million pageviews in the history of the site. The songpage traffic has been driven by the track’s symbolism-heavy lyrics and accompanying music video, with visitors looking to decode the messages Gambino weaved into the song. For fans who are still trying to grasp the message behind some of Gambino’s lyrics, Genius picked out three of the best annotations that help explain the song and its themes:
s Is America” s Explained 5
1. Homage to Charleston Victims
musical and cultural American society.
contributions
to
2. A Deadly Crossroads
Genius contributor CrispyBaHRbeque explains Gambino’s reference to the deadly Charleston church shooting in 2015, committed by a white supremacist:
The crux of Gambino’s “This is America” video lies on the juxtaposition between the typically jubilant events in the foreground and the tragic ones in the background. Contributor Emptysaturn and staffer Colby Handy decode how this interplay sets up the basis of the song:
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, go, go away
The guitarist and gospel choir featured at the opening of the song place it within a long tradition of black music and art—as has been the case throughout history, particularly American history, art itself becomes both a response to and balm for pain. A choir can also represent a group coming together and performing as a single body— Bino emphasizes that black people live together and die together in their fight against injustice. In the music video, the guitarist is portrayed with a bag over his head just prior to the switch-up in the chorus, and then Gambino executes him. Later in the video, Gambino guns down the choir as well. That imagery may allude to the 2015 Charleston church shooting, a terrorist attack in which white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine African Americans at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Through these killings, Gambino demonstrates America’s ruthless history of silencing African-Americans and their
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We just wanna party Party just for you We just want the money Money just for you (yeah) I know you wanna party Party just for free Girl, you got me dancin’ (girl, you got me dancin’) Dance and shake the frame (yeah) We just wanna party (yeah) Party just for you (yeah) We just want the money (yeah) Money just for you (you) I know you wanna party (yeah) Party just for free (yeah) Girl, you got me dancin’ (girl, you got me dancin’, yeah) Dance and shake the frame (ooh)
These lyrics, and the video as a whole, explore the relationship between the dancing and partying and violence that combine to make up so much of both entertainment and black life in America.
In the music video, Donald and a group of school children perform popular dances like the “shoot” and the “Roy Purdy dance,” while other people scatter in the background. Donald and the children remain the focal point, representing how social media blinds people from the true problems in America by feeding them entertainment and pointless trends. As Doreen St. Felix writes.
In the music video, multiple teenagers appear on a ledge with their phones out while Bino raps this couplet, alluding to the many instances cell phones have been used as tools to broadcast police shooting, rioting, or violence against black people in America. Donald’s shouting out Florida rapper Kodak Black, but he’s also playing on the Kodak brand which produces cameras.
The burning and explosion of a police car in the background is likely in reference to the uprisings that took place in American cities like Baltimore, Maryland and Ferguson, Missouri after police killed black men and some protesters set police cars on fire.
Glover used Kodak’s 2015 song “SKRT” on his television series Atlanta in the episode “Go for Broke,” and his 2017 track “Patty Cake” in the episode “North of the Border.”
The “girl” in these lines may be America—Gambino is pointing out how some people are willing to sell themselves just to get ahead, becoming numb to the physical and mental suffering around them.
3. Kodak & Clark Although Gambino directly name-checks Kodak Black on the song’s second verse, he also embeds what seems to be a reference to a recent police shooting of Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man. Genius contributor AshBash90 breaks it down:
This a celly (ha) That’s a tool (yeah) On my Kodak (woo, Black)
This line may be referencing the March 18, 2018 shooting of Stephon Clark, a black man who was shot eight times in the back and killed in the backyard of his home in Sacramento, California. The police officers who shot him presumed that he was responsible for local area robberies and was armed with a gun (“tool”). He was found with only his iPhone (“celly”). As of March 30, 2018, the case is still under investigation.
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He was shot and killed in Deerfield, Florida earlier today.
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lorida rapper XXXTENTACION (real name Jahseh Onfroy) has died, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. According to a report from TMZ, the 20-year-old rapper was shot while out shopping for motorcycles in Deerfield, Florida. He was rushed to the hospital shortly afterwards, where he was pronounced dead. One day after his death, his team released an official statement: “On June 18, 2018, Jahseh Onfroy— known worldwide as XXXTentacion— tragically passed away from a gunshot wound in Deerfield, Florida. It is with great sadness that the news is confirmed in this official statement by his team— manager Solomon Sobande, EMPIRE, Bob Celestin, Esq. and AKW PR. In deference to his family, friends, and loved ones and in light of further investigation, we ask that their privacy be respected at this time. XXXTentacion touched the lives of millions around the globe and will forever reside in the hearts of countless fans who listened to his music, attended his concerts, and felt the glow of his uncontainable, undeniable, and unique spirit. News about memorial services to be issued forthcoming.” The young MC rose to prominence in late 2016 with his breakout hit “Look At Me!.” He dropped his debut album 17 in August 2017, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. His 2018 follow-up ? (Question Mark) debuted at No. 1 and spawned the hit
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single “SAD!,” which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2017, he was the single most popular new artist on Genius, earning over 20 million pageviews across all hissongs. His popularity was met with significant controversy, as he was awaiting trial on multiple felony charges, including battery and aggravated assault of a pregnant victim, battery by strangulation, and false imprisonment. Spotify sparked industry-wide debate earlier this year after it announced that it was removing his music from editorially curated playlists due to the charges. The move was quietly reversed shortly afterwards. Despite his disturbing personal conduct, XXX has been viewed as the most prominent voice in the emergent South Florida SoundCloud rap scene, which also includes rappers like Ski Mask The Slump God, Lil Pump, Smokepurpp, and wifisfuneral. He’s collaborated with artists like Joey Bada$$, Kodak Black, Trippie Redd, Denzel Curry, and Noah Cyrus, and has been praised for his musical diversity and genre-bending work.
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Beyoncé & JAY-Z Give New Context To Classic European Art In Their “APESH*T” Video The clip was shot at the Louvre in Paris.
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eyoncé and JAY-Z shocked fans with their surprise album Everything is Love over the weekend. The second track “APESHIT” features Beyoncé channeling the signature Migos flow as Quavo and Offset handle ad-libs. Meanwhile, Jay confirms turning down an offer to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this year and throws shots at the Grammys. It’s co-produced by Pharrell Williams alongside Beyoncé and JAY-Z.
to celebrate the Carter’s success as a powerful black couple. A good portion of the clip shows Beyoncé and Jay near Leonardo da Vinci’s famed Mona Lisa painting, seeming to imply that their status is comparable to one of the most iconic and recognizable images in the world. JAY-Z previously referenced Da Vinci alongside other well-known artists such as Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat on his 2013 song “Picasso Baby.”
The video gives new con- On the first verse of text to classic European art “APESHIT,” Beyoncé opens through an Afrocentric lens with a reference to Bird-
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man’s infamous 2016 appearance on The Breakfast Club while also pushing for wage equality: Gimme my check, put some respeck on my check Or pay me in equity, pay me in equity Watch me reverse out a deck (skrrt) Meanwhile, Jay kicks off his verse by directly interpolating lines from Chief Keef’s 2014 song “Faneto.” Genius contributor tootsieshark breaks it down in an annotation:
I’m a gorilla in the fuckin’ coupe Finna pull up in the zoo
“Coupe” or “Coop” are interchangeable. The latter continues Jay’s animalistic theme, saying he is a Gorilla Jay directly quotes Chica- among chickens. go rapper Chief Keef’s 2014 song “Faneto,” the first of Furthermore, Keef coincimany animal references he dentally has a song titled makes throughout this ver- “Ape Shit” that released in se. 2013.
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I’m a gorilla in a fuckin’ coupe, finna pull up to the zoo, nigga
“Gorilla” is a racial slur directed towards black people who are perceived by some to be primitive or ape-like. Jay embraces this word proudly and uses it as a sense of empowerment.
He follows up by taking shots the Grammys: Tell the Grammy’s fuck that 0 for 8 shit Have you ever seen the crowd goin’ apeshit?
Beyoncé and Jay followed up with another new song titled “SALUD!” on Monday, A few lines later, Jay calls less than two days after reout the NFL: leasing Everything is Love. On the celebratory song, I said no to the Superbowl: Jay takes time to address you need me, I don’t need Donald Trump. you Every night we in the enCheck out the video above dzone, tell the NFL we in for a more detailed breakstadiums too down and read all the lyrics to Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s “APESHIT” on Genius now.
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We’re still hours from Drake’s Scorpion being available in all its 25 track glory, but some producers who are apparently involved in the project are taking to social media and showing their support. Drake himself also shared the full tracklist, revealing features from JAY-Z, Michael Jackson, Static Major, and Ty Dolla $ign:
Travis Scott, DJ Premier & More Hint At Involvement On Drake’s ‘Scorpion’ However, he has yet to reveal any production credits. Travis Scott who has previously worked with Drake on “Company” tweeted about “Mob Ties,” which is the eighth track on the album’s A Side. He shared a picture of Drake and wrote “Mob ties. Soon What they not?” DJ Premier also posted the album’s tracklist, while his manager Ian Schwartzman wrote, “This one is special to me. DJ Premier x Drake.” Hitmaka wrote that he’s “glad to be a part [sic] of this greatness.” Formerly known as Yung Berg, the producer has worked with Gucci Mane, Ty Dolla $ign, and Wiz Khalifa.
ver. French Montana who has worked with Drake on tracks like “No Shopping” and “Stay Schemin’,” also posted Scorpion’s track list, as did singer-producer James Fauntleroy.
and Corey Litwin. Boi-1da, Cardo, and Yung Exclusive are credited on “God’s Plan.” Oogie Mane, best known for producing viral sensation MATT OX, helmed “I’m Upset.”
Miami rap duo City Girls who are signed to Quality Control Music alongside Drake collaborators [[Migos] and Lil Baby, changed their Instagram avatar to the album co-
Producers previously known to be on the project include Drake’s longtime collaborator Noah “40” Shebib, who worked on “Nice For What” with Murda Beatz, Blaqnmild,
Get ready for Scorpion by reading the lyrics to Drake’s discography on Genius.
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Album Reviews
ye is Kanye West’s eighth solo studio album. The seven-song album was premiered on June 1, 2018, at an exclusive listening party hosted in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the album was primarily created. This listening party was also live-streamed on WAV Media. At the listening party, comedian Chris Rock announced that the album was simply titled ye, although the title had initially been teased as LOVE EVERYONE. Unbeknownst to fans, Kim Kardashian, Kanye’s wife, had teased the title hours prior to the announcement. In an interview with Big Boy conducted during the Wyoming festivities, Kanye explained his decision to name the album ye:
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I believe ‘ye’ is the most commonly used word in the Bible, and, in the Bible, it means ‘you,’ so it’s [saying] “I’m you, I’m us, it’s us.” It went from being Kanye, which means the only one, to just ye – just being a reflection of our good, our bad, our confused, everything, that I’m just more of a reflection of who we are, just as beings.
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beerbongs & bentleys is Post Malone’s second studio album and first #1 album on the Billboard 200. Post first began teasing the project on December 29, 2016, when he changed his Twitter alias to “Beerbongs & Bentleys”. Fans immediately began to speculate that a new song was on its way. Later, he went to clarify that beerbongs & bentleys was indeed the name for his next project. Shortly after, a self-shot video of Post in the studio was uploaded to his Twitter, seemingly confirming that the project was in the works. This recording turned out to be “rockstar,” which was released in September 2017. It was announced during his Bud Light Dive Bar show that his album would be released on April 27th, 2018.
Released on June 16, 2018, EVERYTHING IS LOVE is the debut collaborative album by The Carters, which consists of power couple Beyoncé and JAY-Z. Like much of the Carters’ discography, the album was periodically exclusively available on the streaming service TIDAL, which is primarily owned by JAY-Z and Beyoncé (among other notable artists). It was later added to all streaming services on June 18, 2018. The album completes the trilogy of Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s relationship as told through their albums. LEMONADE revealed JAY-Z’s infidelity, 4:44 was JAY-Z’s apology, and EVERYTHING IS LOVE is their reconciliation.
Released on March 16th, 2018, ? is XXXTENTACION’s second studio album. On January 28th, the cover art was revealed on X’s Instagram story with the caption, “coming soon”. X went to his Instagram story again on January 28th to explain what the album will sound like,
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This albums not about the words, it’s about the feeling…it’ll be very hard to understand, but very easy to listen to… it’s not what you’re expecting, even if you feel like you understand my music, be prepared to not understand this music. On January 31st, a picture surfaced on John Cunningham’s Twitter, producer of “Ayala (Outro)”, off of X’s debut album, 17. The picture showed that “?” had been privately uploaded to Soundcloud.
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