Chitin

Run back to my old woes
Ion think so, buddy, that's a no no
I'm all night working on promos
And I'm still nice
Work it, work it out
[This doesn't mean much, but I liked the cadence Kamaiyah uses on that song Do Not Disturb with YG and G-Eazy. Originally I said 'Run back to my old ho, That's a no-no.' But then I played it for my mom and got self-conscious about it lol. So I changed literally just that, but it's the same feeling. I ain't goin back to where I've been, I'm focused on growth and expansion. So, check this out]

Outta sight, outta mind
That's the way you tell it, huh
Cocaine white fresh, love it when you smell it, huh
That's my nice dress
Johnny Depp coat tail
Hand me my cocktail
Run me my gin juice
[This Was my way to start the action, a storytelling opening. Think of a fancy cocktail party. I'm dressed up, maybe I have on all white, and I'm smelling good, I'm fresh. And idk I associate Johnny Depp with good style and ease lol, so he gets a shout out here. My outfit so advanced I have a jacket with coattails.]

Act like you fin' to act like you know sum
Who knows you? Literally no one
When the clock strike, and it's midnight
And you don't change
Who you gon blame?
[So, switch to talking about someone else, maybe a date, maybe I'm observing someone else at the party. This is an invite only celebration of status, and yet here you are acting like you've never been let out the house... Act right! I reference Cinderella and the idea of having one night of opulence. But I challenge this person to think about what they will do when the magic or the luck runs out--who are they once the night is over. I'll still be IFCKane, I know that much]

At some point, gang, you jus lost in the world
I tiptoed around, let me dive in
I'm in crafts where I click for the climate
Drips from the vents condense on the chitin
[Lost in the world is a Kanye reference, I do lots of those. I'm saying if you made it this far in life without learning how to navigate certain domains, perhaps there is simply no hope for you. I have been skirting the issue,  but let me be direct: I ride around in climate-controlled vehicles. This is only a flex because of the way that I phrase it, it conveys a sense of ease and control. Just a click to suit my preference. And chitin is a material that forms the strength of the exoskeletons of certain animals, think crustaceans. So we get this imagery of water, coolness, and the chitin is a reference to the outer layer of the vehicle, the exoskeleton.]

Part the partition and pass me my trident
I hadn't had it before, so I tried it
Pleasantly slimy--I paired it with Dijon
Begone, for I cannot sup with no peons
[Shout out Prime Bar out in Chicago's West Loop, I went there for the steak and I ordered oysters. It wasn't my first time with oysters, but it was my first time ordering them intentionally to have the oyster experience. So in the song, imagine I'm in my climate-controlled limo. Obviously, I have a driver. I'm not meant to lift a finger. I see they've left me some eats, some drinks. I signal my driver to part the partition and pass me my trident. Now, remember there's lots of aquatic vibes so far, and a trident has three prongs. Here, I'm comparing myself to mythical king of the seas, Poseidon, whose symbolic weapon is the three-pointed trident. I'm also referencing the three tined fork often associated with eating certain seafoods. When I went to Prime Bar, they gave me the oysters with a side of some aioli, but aioli didn't fit the rhyme scheme lol so I paired it with Dijon. I cannot be caught cavorting with unrefined busters]
 
I cannot suffer no sucka nor goofy
Skip to my loo, boy these oysters run through me
Shawty like my accent
Yeah, baby, groovy
[Skip to my loo, where loo is like a bathroom. I had to go because of the oysters, just a lil something silly in there. But then loo is British English for bathroom, and I bring in the idea of accents and tie it to how Austin Powers says stuff like groovy. Austin Powers is the type to click for the climate and have coat tails. IYKYK. But also, on the real, I'm from Chicago, and there are certain Chicago accents people find attractive. So that's me flexing more of my appeal.]

Fly her to the islands
All it take is one dance
One kiss, I Dua
[One kiss is all it takes, like that song One Kiss by Dua Lipa. But I'm using Dua's name to say "do her", like we gettin nekkid together. Like I'm so fly that she's sold, so we're on the same page]

I like the finer things in life, so I pursue her
And what is meant for me is mine, so I persist
I like the diamonds, what's the damage on my wrist
[Yeah, at my best that's how my dating life goes. I try to appreciate people in real time, go tell them they're captivating and see if they seem interested. In general one of my strengths is persistence. That goes beyond dating. I set goals for myself and even though I can be self-critical about failures, I keep going. I have decided to go for it to the best of my ability, and I have learned the value of earning what I work for. Then I throw in this line about diamonds to flex, but I have no diamonds, I'm just browsing. How much will this diamond-ed watch cost?]

I got distracted by the Cartiers; it had me cavalier
You don't know what that means; I ain't talkin' LeBron James
I remember backadays stressin when the bill came
Had me fightin' tears
[So this is me returning from my digression about flexing to remind myself and everyone else where I came from. Cartier is a luxury jeweler, hence the diamond watch from before. But that's just a distraction. That's why I was cavalier, a word that here means careless or prideful. I think it's also used to describe some type of knight, but here it means kinda cocky. I'm setting myself apart further by saying you don't know what that means, I'm not referring to the basketball team Cleveland Cavaliers which LeBron James played for. I was just distracted for a second by the opulence, but really I used to be stressed about my finances and all that. I've come a long way,]

And if I struggle just to find a way, then I'm a pioneer
And if I get in on the ground floor, in time I'm buying tiers
I'm tryna find some ways to smile more, and I'm all ears
[I am trying to build the life I dream about. It is no easy task, but I am persistent. Some people (including myself) can think struggle is unattractive, but it's a necessary part of doing something novel and exploring the unexplored. I'm thinking about real estate, investments, and growth and expansion. I'm also considering my spiritual well-being looking for ways to smile more, and I am genuinely open to listening to good advice.]

And if I wouldn't take advice from you
Who you think you criticizing?
You cannot afford to pay the tab
And so you minimize it
[There's a catch though. Why am I taking your investing advice if you're broke? Why would I take your relationship advice if your partnership is toxic? To a certain extent, your criticism of me is a reflection of you and not me, so I try not to take it to heart. There's a balance between being discerning and being stubborn, though. The next line is about paying the tab like a bill, but also a tab on a web browser. When you go out, you have to look at the price and count pennies. You have to keep that price small, just like minimizing a tab to make it smaller or invisible on the computer.]

I cannot afford to let your energy infect me
She invited me for crepes because she think I'm sexy
[Hahah shout-out to shorty, she was feelin me and fed me crepes! True story! I bring that idea of not being able to afford something into this bar, but here I mean the path I'm on requires so much from me that I have to be careful about what I let influence me.]

I make this shit look easy, but I'm telling you
I grind for it
All the pocket watches
I ain't even got the time for it
[I do work hard. Sometimes I feel bad about how hard I have to work for things I fell should be simpler. I'm pretty capable, so I'm using to things coming to me easily. I'm just learning the importance of consistency and growth mindset. I do grind. I wanna be better. And then I'm back talking about those Cartiers from before, and pocket watches kinda sounds like pocket watchers the people who will monitor your progress and comment on it instead of building something for themselves. Watching the wrong pockets, they are. I got alllll theeesseeee watches but still no time for the BS.]

I can't wear my Tom Ford
Ferragamo want a feature
I can't mix my brands
That's like polyester-Polynesian
[Ferragamo indeed does not want a feature (yet), but I had just been by the Ferragamo store on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, so I was thinking about more luxury brands. It's not really where I'm at or what I do, but it fits the picture I'm painting on Chitin. The idea is the world I inhabit has rules and regulations. Certain tastes and style conventions. One is not mixing brands. I like the polyester polynesian line because it feels unique. Polynesian hair is supposed to be high quality, while polyester is a relatively mundane material. Putting them together is against Tha Rules.]

Let me stop this flexing bands--
Remember what they did to X?
Remember what they did to Take?
Remember they said Kane is next?
[They killed XXXTentacion and Takeoff from Migos. Senseless deaths, all because of covetousness. So, I really need to be careful about showing off my wealth because people are envious, and I will inadvertently turn myself into a target. So when I say Kane is next, I mean it two ways. I am destined for a level of stardom that sets me apart, but also next on the hit list because of all the success.]

Let me breathe
Mind you, I'm recording this overseas
I'm heated in the booth
They don't even speak my language
[I actually did not record this overseas lol, but I am writing this breakdown overseas ;) For my overseas joints, check out Dirty Bunny, Serenity, ballerinaxboogeyman, Overly Stuntin, and La Fantasma. And I'm playing when I say I'm heated they don't speak my language. Heated in the booth is a way for me to say I'm on fire, like I'm producing something incredible. Well actually, I was heated in the booth last time, but I was hangry, so forgive me.]

Pardon my pursuits
Pardon all this passionate
I'm venting, this ain't really anger
I can't wear my Tom Ford, I got Louis on me
[There is some aggressive delivery in here and a sense of separation that I'm trying to create, but it's not out of hate or malice. I need to set myself apart because that's what it will take to accomplish my goals. This is passion and dedication, not anger. Then I end with another flex. I can't wear this luxury brand because I'm already wearing a different one.]