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[Boss Man]

Here's the second most popular explanation of the song on Rap Genius:

Kanye said, “Make a stripe like a zebra” as in white lines on zebras are stripes and the black is their skin color. Meaning zebras are in actuality black with white stripes. He goes on to say “You” will not control the threesome. 1) being her 2) being him and 3) being the (evil) ‘white’ cocaine which is usually in power…Weed being a stereotypically black thing is rolled by the ‘white coke’ who is not smoking the weed but only rolling it.
Cocaine is permitted here tho, because Kanye says this is a new religion/ disregarding “Adultery” and how it would’ve been a sin except for the consent given. Also that sinning wouldn’t be possible except for if ‘she’ deceived ‘him’.
Going on to say…‘he’ is God in his and her eyes because sinning is judged by god and if ‘he’ is telling her not to, “fuck nobody without telling me” he would be the judge of her wrong doings as he is the one who made the ‘law'
The next line about “Sunglasses and Advil” I would assume to symbolize blocking the light and using drugs to relieve the pain it is issuing. Then he goes on to refer to last “NIGHT” night would resemble 'darkness’ here. The cabs representing ‘a getaway’ at least from where he is now
Now he’s thinking about the other girl? Perhaps the ‘white girl’ or cocaine…There seems to be another girl because this one isn’t a zebra but a leopard. Her body/temple is filled with this new ‘law’ their religions created.
“Love being cursed by monogamy” would seem to mean that more love could be expressed if it weren’t confined to one person…but pastors don’t preach this, and teaches aren’t allowed to teach this because it isn’t “morally” right, but this song is about asking what is and isn’t moral or amoral? As Jay said earlier what is pious if an act that someone does for God or the same act done for selfish motives such as a person wanting God’s blessings for their act…
It’s true money can’t buy everything nor can we keep it after death, but in this life we’ll more than likely use it all because instead of believing in ourselves/God/Religion or getting some sort of spiritual cleansing or closure we look further away in what ‘seems’ to make us feel good, but in reality is far more temporary…

...Wow. Can't possibly be that they wanted to extend a simple message, and used creative language to express it because...they're rappers. No way. Jay-Z and Kanye West are way too deep for something like that. Gotta read between the lines, man.

 

[Imm0rt4l]

does nothing for me.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Here's the second most popular explanation of the song on Rap Genius:



...Wow. Can't possibly be that they wanted to extend a simple message, and used creative language to express it because...they're rappers. No way. Jay-Z and Kanye West are way too deep for something like that. Gotta read between the lines, man.

I was confused, as I was like, "I didn't read that in the lyrics tooltips..." then I saw you were talking about a blog comment on the bottom with 9 up-votes. lol.

 

[Boss Man]

I was confused, as I was like, "I didn't read that in the lyrics tooltips..." then I saw you were talking about a blog comment on the bottom with 9 up-votes. lol.

lol, no the tooltips are actually pretty good. Accurate if not a little heavy-handed (I think they extract quite a bit more out of a lot of these songs than was intended). It's really fun to read.

 

[kittens]

Just heard this. So good.

 

[Jimothy]

One of the worst songs on the album. Cool video tho.

 

[MWS Natural]

Great song, decent video. I wonder how much they spent on it though.

 

[Lasthope106]

Just discovered this song a few days again, after watching a movie with Denzel Washington. That first verse really caught my attention, and the beats are pretty good too.