Decoded: Jay Z's Five Percenter Lyrics
Decipher the Gods and Earths teachings in Hov’s music.
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Decoded: Jay Z's Five Percenter Lyrics - Jay Z has had the world in a frenzy over the past few weeks after being spotted wearing different chains representing the Nation of Gods and Earths, also referred to as Five Percenters. The organization's teachings were a major part of educating Black youth on their culture in the '60s, '70s and '80s and their principals have been a part of hip hop culture. Many MCs including Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Brand Nubian were just a handful of those kicking knowledge during hip hop's golden era. Jay Z has incorporated the teachings into his rhymes for over 20 years, but the knowledge and jewels went over the heads of many. Even his alias Jay Hova is a derivation from the teachings as Jehovah is the Hebrew name for God. Check out the list of a few of Hova's God Body rhymes. (Photo: Andrew Benge/Redferns via Getty Images)
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Jay Z – "Can I Live" - Lyric: “My subliminal flows create criminal O’s/ Sing along if you with me, till the end of the road/I’m cynical when in the view of the public/ And this is because I’m defensive when I’m in interviews/ The percentage who don’t understand is higher than the percentage who do/ Check yourself, what percentage is you?”Jay Z dropped a lot of jewels on his classic debut Reasonable Doubt and the 5 Percent teachings can be heard throughout. Here Jay is breaking down some of the basic principles of Five Percenters, which is that the world’s population is divided into three groups. Eighty-five percent of the people are blind to the knowledge of themselves and God, while 10 percent of the people know the truth. The 10 percent however choose to teach a lie for personal gain and have fabricated a mystery God. The remaining 5 percent are the Poor Righ...
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Jay-Z – "Jigga My Ni**a" - Lyric:“The God, send you back to The Earth from which you came/ I’m baking soda, water, fire, merged with Caine”Hov is known for having double meanings in his rhyme scheme and here he references himself as God once again while sending a nemesis back to where they came from; the Earth being the dirt as well as back to your mother before you existed. He also references “cain,” meaning cocaine but the lyrics can also be interpreted to mean Caine who killed his brother, Abel, and sent him back to the earth.(Photo: Roc-A-Fella Records)
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Jay Z and Big L – "7 Minute Freestyle" - Lyric: “Come on and ride the rhythm I produce like jizm/ Just like the Gods I start with knowledge and follow with wisdom/ For greater understanding I’m landing blows and knocking sense into those that oppose me./ Enticing when slicing through tracks/ You screaming, Jesus Christ he’s back/ And God knows he can rap”Back in 1995, Jay Z stopped by The Stretch and Bobbito Show and kicked a few rhymes with the late Big L, which turned out to be one of best classic freestyle sessions of all time. On the track commonly referred to as the "7-Minute Freestyle," Jay Z spits the Nation of Gods and Earths principal that knowledge, wisdom and understanding are the first of the 12 jewels. Jay says that the people are screaming "Jesus Christ he’s back" and is referring to himself as God and that God is now rapping....
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Jay Z Featuring Kanye West and Rihanna – "We Run This Town" - Lyric: “Back to running circles round Ni**as/ Now we squared up”/“So Eric B we are/ Microphone fiend/ This the return of the God/ Peace, God”Standing on your square is a position and stance that many in the organization practice. That rhyme appears to have a double interpretation as well, as Jay Z gets back into position. He also refers to himself as God in this rhyme too.(Photo: Roc Nation)
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Jay Z and Kanye West – "H.A.M." - Lyric: “Bow down brother, pay homage/ Don’t spill hate all on my garments/ Comme des Garcons, F**k your fresh/ Headshots Ni**a, f**k your vest/ F**K the pigs, no pork on my fork/ Peace God, cause you know a Ni**a just went H.A.M.”Jay Z refers to himself as God once again and excuses himself for going H.A.M. The reference is a play on the fact that Muslims and Five Percenters don’t eat pork, so he’s excusing himself though the swine never touches his fork. (Photo: Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Jay Z and R. Kelly – "It Ain't Personal" - Lyric: “A-Alike (uh-huh) be alike (that’s right)/ We don’t vibe no more because we don’t C/ see alike like that”Back in 2002 when Jay Z and R. Kelly collaborated on The Best of Both Worlds, Hov slid in a few God Body teachings. Many followers of the 5 Percent refer to each other as “A-Alikes” because they are similar and on the same page with each other. (Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)
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Jay Z and Jay Electronica – "We Made It (Freestyle)" - Lyric: “So when my arms and feet shackled I still get paid/ All praise due/ I’m ready to chase the Yakub back into caves/ These are the last days but do I seem fazed/ Showed up to the Last Supper in some brand new J’s/ I’m the true and living, book of Hov”Just last month, Jay Z and Jay Electronica hopped on Drake's "We Made It" beat and murdered the track, all while dropping a few teachings from the Nation of Gods and Earths. According to the teachings of the Nation of Islam, which the Nations of Gods and Earths broke away from, Yakub was the creator of the race of devils, also believed to be the white race. As the story goes, after being banished from Mecca, the white race then lived in caves and ate raw meat for centuries before escaping and through trickery, enslaved Black people. As far as "the las...
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Jaz-O feat. Jay Z — "The Originators" - Lyric: “Wrecking and wrecking in seconds less than speeds of light/ so the miggeda more that come, the miggeda merrier, right, right/ Exciting the mic much to the delight of millions of Nubians/ And Amorites just can’t understand the groove we’re in.”In this rhyme, Jay explains that he’s rocking the mic for Black people (Nubians) and white people (Amorites) might not understand his groove. According to lessons interpreted by the Nubian Islamic Hebrew Mission, the Amorites were part of the tribe of Canaa, who are believed to be the decedents of the Caucasian race. (Photo: EMI Records)