@ItsPriddyUgly SOIL Lyric Breakdown

I just wanted to take a bit of a look at the lyrics on Priddy Ugly's SOIL album. I didn't break down every single lyric, but I chose sections of each song I felt best represented what Priddy Ugly was trying to say.

SOIL

"It's the same crown if you black or a shade brown

See, murder is the case now

Bullets on our back, in the soil where our face found

Lay down, mama's cry is not a safe sound

The motherland is now the colonisers' playground, mh

I know some dudes from New York that wanna move to Jozi

Or Pitori, sibonginkosi, namadlozi"

In the interview with Slikour, he explained how he doesn't appreciate how black people portray or view each other, referencing the Movie Coming To America as an example. He feels that as black people, wherever you are, we should understand that we're from royalty. 

"Askies I'm sorry, lose your life for a Courtleigh

Opikopi, the other side of the story

Befriend a tsotsi, that's advice from my toppie

Protect your koppie

If you toffee or coffee I'll tell you for free

There's no bosses of all streets"

His verse touches on the fact that irrespective of your race or social status, you can, for lack of a better term, 'get caught lacking'. I like how he uses something as small as a cigarette as an example because it kinda paints a picture of the state of the common man. The have nots are struggling as a whole. 

Let Me Out

"Let me out, let me out, let me out

Let me out, let me out, let me out

Let me out

They're killing us, they killing us, they're killing us

I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe

I can't breathe no more

I can't breathe no more"

This chorus gave me Kendrick Lamar untitled unmastered vibes. Here Priddy Ugly wanted to shine a light on the Black Lives Matter movement and how black people are being murdered in other countries.

"Is it God and thе people or the church that you service

Don't leave by the Bible but rehearse all the verses?

If money bought pain, how much hurt would you purchase?

Not enough people are in search of their purpose

You're not a clown if you birthed at a circus

Are birds on the earth when they perched on the surface?

The curse is, even nurses see a hearse kid"

Here Priddy Ugly was preaching on the hypocrisy that comes with people in the church. Priddy referenced his own life saying that the people he knew from his church would judge him for having things like tattoos yet they do not actually live the true life of a Christian.

"Please, bro, we don't as much as the trees know

Remember that you always hear less when you speak more

In the cracks of the concrete where the weeds grow

If you don't plant them you won't know where your seed flow

And in the reeds to the crocs you just meat yo

Be weary of the snakes where your knees go, please" 

This verse speaks to the general arrogance of human beings. The natural world is like a system that operates on its own. If we as humans could learn to live with the Earth, our lives would be simpler. When Mecca says "The world is programmed to give you no damns

Before I go mad, before they know that, before they go at

My black bones, black skin

Flat nose, fat lips

Not for my soul and my

Black bones, black skin

Flat nose, fat lips, yeah

Mecca, uh",  he really drives home the point that we have always been people of the Earth and that the current system we are under is built for us to fail. I love how he mentions black features that are mocked after he says "the world is programmed to give you no damns" because it amplifies what Priddy Ugly was saying in his verse

Reset

"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I put a spotlight on life so all I shadow is death" 

These lines speak to how Priddy Ugly sees life as a duality. He recognises life and death as one.  

"I want success but that don't mean I'm lavish obsessed

Do you free, or sell the fish you catch in the net?

You can think with your heart but cannot plan with your chest"

I think this fisherman reference is pretty clever. The fisherman who catches and releases only takes what he needs to survive, whereas the fisherman who doesn't release is overfishing. This speaks to humanities general obsession with excess and consumerism. 

Woah, Woah

"Yeah, my bitch love Coco

B - 'cause you're black and you're beautiful, a cutie from your booty to your cuticles

I - intellectual, intelligent, intrigued by my angel cause she’s heaven sent

T - you are totally talented, your body is the temple I've inhabited, thanks

C - girl you're a character, credit to your mama 'cause she carried ya, facts

H - hectic, hectic, head on your shoulders what you blessed with, blessed with

My ex a little older and she's less impressive

I told her it was over, had to text a message

I hate calling the women 'bitches', but the bitches love it

If you put 'bad' before the 'bitch', then the sister covered

My bitch love, cocoa, butter

Oh so, smothered

I won't hold no other

Woah, woah"

Priddy Ugly is big on duality. I mean he's name is kind of a paradox. So this speaks to the duality of women in general. The term 'bit*ch' can be used as a way to degrade a woman, but if you put bad in front of it, its seen as a term of endearment. It's women's way of taking the power back by using it in this way. 

Poltergeist Interlude

"Flow so cool you think you're holding ice

It don't go with hypе

Niggas think it happened overnight

Rather be underrated than fucking overpriced

The focused type, recorded these vocals over Focusrite

If my ill flows don't kill you then COVID might

Treating instrumentals like an open mic

I stole the mic, I hold it tight

Flow too wavy like the ocean tides

I wrote these lines so that niggas got some quotes for life"

This verse, more than any other verse on the album, sees him talk about how underrated he is as a rapper. The only other thing that can kill you outside of covid, is Priddy's raps. 

Loose Change

"Got a gold grill for my toothache

How you floss with no bills for your toothpaste?

When you hungry you will kill for the food taste, yeah

Really we the new slaves

Sign a deal for a whip and a few chains

But can't afford a trip, it's a true shame

Now you buyin' fake drip and the suit stained

Now you buyin' fake drip and the suit stained, skew frames"

I really like this verse because it's a common narrative but it's rarely ever expressed well. Priddy Ugly thinks that rappers can be seen as the new slaves because they are never compensated (fairly) for the work they do. I mean a few luxury items for your work sounds cool but owning your masters is really where it's at. 

Dead Jungle

"Dead jungle

Where cocky niggas get humbled

Gorillas, they fight bare knuckle

And killers don't scare my uncles, yah

Dead jungle

Gorillas, they fight bare knuckle

Tear muscle, get your head crumbled

If you black then we all share a struggle" 

The chorus speaks on how he feels Jozi is a jungle. It's the type of place where whoever you are, whatever status you have, it's really not safe outchea. I mean "Who'd you call?

When you can't trust the police or the law".

Let's take a look at Blxckie's verse.

"Grade 7 had a goney in my back like a pencil case or sumn

I don't know another (Hol' up)

I don't need another life

I swear there's demons in the heights

Faded and I ain't shining twice

[?] left that nigga fightin' for his life, ye

Stick to the street code

I can't walk in that bitch with my eyes closed

I still got a very dark soul

[?] like he got a runny nose"

Blxckie Somnyama came thru for this. This drills down on the fact that the country is a jungle, with Blxckie and Priddy being from two different places but still experiencing hardship. As for the goney in Grade 7... pray for the kids. 

Now let's check out H-D's verse

"I'm in a, dead jungle where the feds buckle

Waist lives, yellow tape cuddles

The body's suffocate in broad puddles

Get stepped in, that's leaded blood sunroof pill"

I'm sorry, I made a mistake. It's not Jozi, or South Africa that is a jungle but the whole world is a jungle. This part of the album is where I started to understand SOIL. If we had stayed people of the SOIL, the world would be different. Focusing on taking what you need and working with the Earth instead of exploiting it.

Rap Relay

"It's a marathon but if you tryna race just know that I’m tuned better

I never stayed in my lane, I learnt to move clever

Never lose, ever

Few eras fused together

Like if Satan had a twin, I am two hella

You lose feathers

I got the stripes to herd a few zebras" 

Okay, this shit is crazy, Priddy means he is in this thing for the long haul. He has been in the game for a long time now. He has learnt a lot in his years in the game. He also highlights that you should be able to learn from people who aren't in your lane, not just those you aspire to be. I agree with this statement. It's like people only want to learn from watching Ted Talks but fail to learn anything from the people right under your nose.

"Politicians the new Jesters, they loot tenders

These lieutenants abuse tenants, yeah

These goons move too reckless

Remove your spoof necklace

Spooned sheep starve soon as they lose shepherds"

According to the oxford dictionary, a jester is "a professional joker or ‘fool’ at a medieval court, typically wearing a cap with bells on it and carrying a mock sceptre." It priddy simple, see what I did there, our leadership is a joke. A nice play on words with lieutenants and loot tenders. I wouldn't have been mad if he spelt it 'lootendants'. In general, this album highlights that our leadership is poor. The people who are supposed to be looking out for us are the ones stealing from us. I respect him for this verse. It was incredible and as I said, I won't be breaking down every single lyric. As for the Magelra verse.... should I even say anything? You heard it right? he raps 

"Fetsa ho fofa out of Makazana

Majita ba bolayana ba di yana like Stone Cold or Brock Lesnar

Memoirs of the ntariana

The mpahla Italiana" 

From what I can gather Maglera is basically saying that he's dope, you know, the Italiana, the swag and all. The "Majita ba bolayana ba di yana like Stone Cold or Brock Lesnar" line really touched me because if you grew up in the WWE days you know about Stone Cold Steve Austin. On a serious note, the fact that MDB knows people that are cold to murder shows the state of the people.

"My hue's Nubian

Just left the dunes, my platoon ba bitsa maak en doen

Tutankhamun out the tomb

Black Ras Agul"

Referring to Egypt was pretty cool because Priddy Ugly has Egypt as an album title, hence the Nubian hue. The rest is a play on words on the Egyptian theme. I don't think Ras Agul was Egyptian but it sounds cool. Aye... and the rest of this verse is literally a rap relay, MDB went off. 

Handful Of Dust

"Rappers in a cocky place, I'm not the one to turn into hibachi steak

Lost his taste, now your favourite rapper probably dropping plates

Copy, paste, I'm Haile Selassie in Versace shades"

I know it, you know it so do I need to say it?! He called him out again! I feel like A-Reece should respond. It's really that simple. It's rap so like "A re repeng befwethu"

"Aries demon, if you scheming, know I'm the GOAT

I watched The Lion King, ain't seen Mufasa eat an antelope

I'd probably build a school before I buy a Bentley"

I think I know one rapper that likes to flex their Bentley... I mean Bentley's. He also likes to call himself Mufasa, like the character from The Lion King. These are not subliminals, these are intentional. These jabs are for one Cassper Nyovest. Or am I reaching?

Por Favor

"Why le re batla mo di kolotong?

Re batla zaka mo di pokotong, fokol mosokolong

Dinero got the keys to Mia corazon

Por favor

Hustled for di choko when magogo sold her skorokoro

Ke hlantsa mao, hlantsa bana bao, ba rata mgobolo

She wants me now

Wants me mo lerao

Bang batla mokokotlong"

Listen I got you here because this verse is crazy. In English so everyone can get it. Why you do want us in debt, when we want zaka(money) in our pockets. Hustled for a choko(R20) when magogo sold her skorokoro(old run down car). The rest of the verse speaks on how he drives everyone crazy... including your mother... and her children(you).

This is perhaps my favourite verse for personal reasons, that I won't get into, when he says

 "She wants me now

Wants me mo lerao

Bang batla mokokotlong". 

*mic drop*