15 Songs on How Jay-Z Is A Spiritual Guru Part 3

03. Death Of Auto-Tune

Summary of Principles:

This song may seem less spiritual at first, but if you’re really listening, you may find it’s one massive call to creativity. It’s a call to everyone who’ve benefitted from the auto-tune trend to perhaps step up their creation and inspiration, and try something different. Interestingly, one of Jay-Z’s closest and most respected friends, rapper Kanye West, released an entire album based on Auto-Tune, but also interesting is it’s the only time he’s used it and he seemed to be almost making a point with it. We’ll see if it remains in his next creation.

[Hook]
(Na na na na, hey hey hey, good-bye…)
Only rapper to rewrite history without a pen
Re-writing history could be likened to Abraham-Hicks’ concept of telling a better story.
No I.D. on the track let the story begin, begin, begin

This is anti-auto-tune, death of the ringtone
This ain’t for iTunes, this ain’t for sing-alongs
This is Sinatra at the opera, bring a blonde
Preferably with a fat ass who can sing a song
Wrong, this ain't politically correct
This might offend my political connects
Demonstrating that he never acts out of fear, or offending a higher-authority.
My raps don’t have melodies
This should make jackers wanna go and commit felonies, ahh
Get your chain tooken
I may do it myself – I’m so Brooklyn!
I know we facing a recession
But the music y’all making going make it the Great Depression
Despite hard times, Jay-Z encourages artist’s not to slack in their creativity and passion. Continue pushing the limits of music.
All y’all lack aggressionn
Put your skirt back down, grow a set man
Embrace your yang drive and ambition, fear not and step up to the plate those you of relying on auto-tune excessively, you know who you are.
Nigga this shit violent
This is death of auto-tune, moment of silence

[Hook]

This ain’t a number one record
This is practically assault with a deadly weapon
I made this just for Flex and
Mister Cee I want people to feel threatened
Stop your bloodclot crying
The kid, the dog, everybody dying, no lying
You niggas’ jeans too tight
You colors too bright, your voice too light (too far nigga)
This is Jay-Z poking fun at people who’ve supposedly watered down their craft too much in his eyes. It’s also tongue-in-cheek where he doesn’t really dissrespect anybody’s art, because this line perfectly describes Kanye West’s personal artistic style, and they are close friends. In fact the line in brackets is Kanye chiming in his 2 cents on that song.
I might wear black for a year straight
I might bring back Versace shades
This ain’t for Z100
Ye told me to kill y’all to keep it 1 hundred
This is for Hot 9-7
This shit for Clue, for Khaled we the best’n
Awww, nigga this shit violent
This is death of auto-tune, moment of silence

[Hook]

Hold up, this might need a verse from Jeezy
I might send this to the mixtape Weezy
Get somebody from BMF to talk on this
Get this to a Blood, let a Crip walk on it
3 Thou’ to style on this
I just don’t need nobody to smile on this
Jay-Z creates art with the intention of making a hit record, but is truly unattached to anyone’s opinions of it, be they fans or haters.
You rappers singing too much
Get back to rap you T-Paining too much
T-Pain was a fore-runner of auto-tune based songs, and Jay-Z would prefer if not so many duplicated his well-accmplished technique. Listening to Jay in interviews makes it clear that he once again, encourages all artists, and simply prefers more variety in the Billboard Charts.
I’m a multi-millionaire
So how is it I’m still the hardest nigga here
He explains that despite manifesting physical and financial comfort, abundance, and freedom, contrary to making him complacent and stagnant, he has pursued his creativity and passion and art harder than ever, becoming an icon and an example others can follow.
I don’t be in the project hallway
Talking about how I be in the project all day
That sound stupid to me
Jay-Z explains that instead of focusing on and singing about the ghettos and ghetto circumstances, he put his energy and efforts towards bigger and better things, which became the subjects of his rhymes. A corollary to that is that people who do spin their wheels focusing on negative environments and bragging about their life-in-the-projects are not living up to their full potential.
If you a gangsta this is how you prove it to me
Yeah just get violent
Either the ’violence’ referred to here is a metaphor for drive, ambition and aggression, or Jay-Z is admonishing those who sing and brag about gangster life in their musical-art, suggesting that people get what they focus on and live what they express. They express violence and prove they’re a gangster and nothing more.
This is death of auto-tune, moment of silence

(Na na na na, hey hey hey, good-bye…)

04. Run This Town

Summary of Principles:

The theme of this track is a life of abundance. It’s to inspire success and abundance as Jay-Z + Kanye share in no uncertain terms that they love and value their success and actively encourage and support others towards their own success in life, playfully prodding people who settle for less than their own personal success.

[Rihanna]
Feel it coming in the air
Hear the screams from everywhere
I’m addicted to the thrill
It’s a dangerous love affair
Can’t be scared when it goes down
Got a problem tell me now
Only thing that’s on my mind is who’s gonna run this town tonight
Is who’s gonna run this town tonight
We gonna run this town!

[Verse 1 - Jay-Z]
We are
Yeah, I said it: we are
This is Roc Nation
Pledge your allegiance
Get your fatigues on
All black everything
Black cards, black cars
All black everything
And our girls are blackbirds riding with they Dillingers
Wear all black and join Jay-Z’s RocNation and support his vision of a more creative and spiritual hip-hop scene.
I get more in depth
If you boys really real enough
Jay will explain more about his overall vision if people are truly passionate and dedicated to their own growth as well as hip-hop’s and humanity’s. This is also a double-entendre as Johnny Depp(th) played Dillinger in Public Enemies.
This is la Familia, I’ll explain later
Another double-meaning, Jay-Z is giving respect to a sub-label Rocafella records, Roc La Familia - as well his vision relates to a global family, and he’ll expand on this another time.
But for now let me get back to this paper
I’m a couple bands down
And I'm tryin' get back
Even the oh-so-abundant Jay-Z is in tune with the flow of his money, and he explains that as he bought out of his contract with Def Jam for 5 million, he’s now focused on ’getting back.’
I gave Doug a grip and lost a flip for five stacks
Yeah, I’m talking 5 comma, 6 zeroes, dot zero, jigga
It’s reported that Jay-Z made the ballsy move of losing 5 million based on a coin toss. This may seem wasteful to many but the truly abundant personalities of our world see no difference in the scale or amount of funds that comes and goes through their lives. Settling a dispute with a coin toss is respected by most when it’s for a small amount, what would change this when dealing with a million-dollar dispute¿
Back to running circles round niggas
Now we squared up, hold upThe implication here is that as usual, Jay-Z reclaimed his financial status quickly and easily and is now doing better than ever. He uses beautiful shape word play while making this point.

[Hook - Rihanna]
Life’s a game and but it’s not fair
I break the rules so I don’t care
So I keep doing my own thing
Walking tall against the rain
Victory’s within the mile
Almost there don’t give up now
Only thing that’s on my mind is who’s gonna run this town tonight
Hey (etc.)
Who’s gonna run this town tonight

[Verse 2 - Jay-Z]
We are
Yeah, I said it: we are
You can call me Caesar
In a dark Czar
The message here is that Jay-Z confidently and truly feels like an emperor. In spiritual circles it is recommended to have deep faith in something, believe it almost delusionally, and it will manifest. Jay-Z’s ability to access this feeling passionately has in turn made it a reality ­ he is the emperor of hip-hop, a beautiful use of Law Of Attraction. He sometimes wears a ’dark ceaser’, a type of haircut.
Please follow the leader
So Eric B we are
Eric B. & Rakim had an album in 1988 called Follow the Leader.
Microphone fiendAnother Erik B reference, he had a song called Microphone Fiend., this the return of the GodJay-Z refers to himself as "Hova," which is short for "Jay-Hova," which is a play on "Jehovah," which is the Hebrew name for God - Credit RapGenius.com - Declaring oneself as God was once considered very blasphemous but recent interpretations have focused on all humanity, nature, and everything truly being a beautiful and perfect expression of the divine, and all of us are God’s children. Jay-Z seems very comfortable with this interpretation.
Peace God
Ah ah
It ain’t no nobody fresher
I'm in Maison
Ah, Martin MargielaMaison Martin Margiela is a high-end fashion boutique. - Credit RapGenius.com
On the table screaming, "fuck the other side, they're jealous!"
We got a banquette full of broads
They got a table full of fellas
Yeah, and they ain't spending no cake
They should throw their hand in 'cause they ain't got no spades
Yeah, my whole team got dough
So my banquette is looking like millionaires' rowA common theme throughout the album, Jay-Z explains that he and his circle exemplify success and that overcoming odds and winning big in life is something that comes from God and the divine clearly supports them in a loud, obvious way. Others however, who choose to take competing positionalities against Jay-Z, do not reap the same miraculous success. This is truly a spiritual principle, life supports life. Follow your passion and success comes. If you feel miserable and unsuccessful, it is a strong indication you are not following your passion.

[Hook]

[Verse 3 - Kanye West]
It’s crazy how you can go from being Joe Blow
To everybody on your dick...no homo
Another spiritual concept, if one continually pursues pleasure, passion and doing what one loves, eventually it becomes the dominant habit and having faith and trust in life is easy and success is an upward spiral that is mind-blowing. You go from someone people saw as average, to someone in extremely high demand with everyone trying to get so close to you they’re literally ’on your dick’.
I bought my whole family whips; no Volvos
Kanye is happy to spread his wealth, purchasing cars as gifts for whoever he feels inspired towards. Beautiful generosity, whether people wish to criticize it or not, I am sure the receiver’s feel genuinely touched.
Next time I’m in church, please: no photos
Police escorts, everybody passports
This the life that everybody ask for
This the fast life, we are on a crash course
What you think I rap for to push a fuckin' Rav 4?¡
Kanye explains that there is nothing wrong at all with increasing one’s standard of living or succeeding in life. Do people think that he strived and overcome and succeeded in order to give it all away and reset him back to driving a Rav4 car that doesn’t bring him extreme joy?
But I know that if I stay stunting
All these girls only gonna want one thing
I can spend my whole life goodwill hunting
Only good gonna come is it’s good when I’m cumming
Continuing the theme, the message is that of course Kanye could spend every shred of energy, time, and money by giving it away bringing him back to the life of the poor, but instead he’d much rather be partly philanthropic and the rest of the time enjoy the sensual pleasures of life.
She got an ass that’ll swallow up a G-string
And up top, ah, 2 bee stings
Kanye’s girlfriend has a beautiful derriere which he clearly appreciates, and at the same time she has the not-over-the-top breast-size that is generally the domain of thin model-type women.
And I’m beasting off the Riesling
And my nigga just made it out the precinct
We give a damn about the drama that your dude bring
I’m just trying to change the color on your mood ring
Kanye’s whole purpose in life and the reason he raps is that hopefully his personal emotional expression and art will uplift people’s moods or allow them to connect somehow.
Reebok baby...you need to try some new things
Have you ever had shoes without shoe strings?
"What's that Ye?" "Baby these heels"
Pushing the ’expressing abundance’ theme even further, Kanye is happy to introduce a woman who’s only ever worn sneakers to high-heels, or one who has traditionally had a scarcity mindset, scrimping and saving, to an attitude of investing in the pleasures of life.
"Is that a MayA Maybach is a very expensive sub-brand of Mercedes that is popular among rappers. Credit RapGenius.com-what?" "Baby these wheels"
You trippin’ when you ain’t sippin’...have a refill
You feeling like you running, huh? Now you know how we feelThe idea is the girl he is singing to only feels as abundant as Kanye when she is drinking, so he tells her to take another drink and get a taste of how Kanye, Jay-Z, and Rihanna feel regularly.