[HILLARY] We’re just days into a new decade and it’s a great time to look back at the
top lyrics for the last 10 years. Genius style.
We begin in 2009 with JAY Z & Alicia Keys’ hometown hit, “Empire State of Mind,”
where he flexes the discount he enjoyed while hustling out of 560 State Street in Brooklyn.
Here, Hov flips Jeezy’s hook from the Snowman’s 2009 hit, ‘24-23.’
In an exclusive annotation, Dwayne Wade wrote.
“For someone to sit down and write a classic that is going to be a hit, and think about
putting you in there as a punchline, that’s pretty special.”
For 2010, we have Lil Wayne’s “6 Foot 7 Foot.”
In what was more or less a spiritual successor to “A Milli,” the lyrically dense “6
Foot 7 Foot” was one of Wayne’s first songs after his 2010 incarceration on Rikers
Island for a gun charge.
For 2011, we have Frank Ocean, Kanye West and JAY Z on “No Church In The Wild.
Here Frank Ocean interrogates God’s status and seems to reject traditional religion on
the opening of the opulent album, “Watch The Throne.”
Next we head to Compton for Kendrick Lamar’s “m.A.A.d City” in 2012.
In an exclusive annotation for Genius, Kendrick explained why he bleeped out the name saying
quote.
These stories are serious and in-depth, I’m not going to go out here and really, really
slander and put my real ones out there that have been in some real situations.
Those close to me know what I’m talking about.
The following year, there were the bars heard round the world, thanks to Kendrick Lamar
on Big Sean’s “Control” in 2013.
KENDRICK: These is cats that I feel inspire the game.
// If they’re competitives and they respect the culture of hip hop I don’t feel like
it should be any type of feel ill feel they should have towards me.
[HILLARY] These lyrics prompted responses from all over the rap game - and some may
still be a little touchy about it.
[BIG SEAN] How long ago was that?
What year is this? You right, you right.
And I still don’t feel like I got washed anyway, nigga.
[HILLARY] For 2014 we head to Forest Hills Drive where J. Cole references the 90s sitcom
‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.’
[HILLARY] In one of the show’s most powerful scenes Uncle Phil, played by the late James
Avery, consoles Will Smith after his estranged father walks out on him for the second time.
[WILL]: How come he don't want me man?
[HILLARY] Up next, your favorite WHAT DID HE SAY?
lyric from 2015, Desiigner’s “Panda.”
A breakaway single for the Brooklyn rapper, “Panda,” hit the top of the Billboard
Hot 100 in April 2016.
[DESIIGNER] Y’all was acting like you ain’t know what I was saying, so I’m a tell you
what I’m saying, real slow and real simple.
[HILLARY] Up next for 2016, we head to Barbados.
[HILLARY] Here Rihanna gets sultry in patois, a regional dialect from the Caribbean, which
made her lyrics fly over the heads of many but the groove was undeniable.
A Philadelphia rapper ruled 2017 with an anthem that was two-fold.
“XO Tour Llif3” catapulted Lil Uzi Vert into the mainstream.
The song is about Vert’s turbulent relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Brittany Byrd.
The chorus confused many but the song’s producer, TM88 broke down its meaning.
TM88: Everybody else say it make em feel like they friends are dead but I know the concept
//cut to// Then it was like nah bro I think he talking
about dead presidents, know what i’m saying?
[HILLARY] For 2018, we have Drake’s omnipresent “In My Feelings.”
Buoyed by a viral dance challenge and an infectious New Orleans Bounce beat, Drake’s “In My
Feelings” reigned atop the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks, and together with his other
number one’s “God’s Plan” and “Nice For What,” he eclipsed Usher for most time
spent at number 1 by any artist in history.
As for Kiki, Genius identified her as model K’yanna Barber in July 2018.
And for 2019 we have Billie Eilish’s “bury a friend.”
“bury a friend” was written by Billie and her brother Finneas.
The song is from the perspective of a monster underneath her bed, a nod to her struggles
with sleep paralysis and night terrors.
BILLIE: Since I was little I always have dreams every single night // a lot of times what’s
happened is like I’ll have a dream about whatever and it’ll happen the next day.
[HILLARY] What did we miss?
Let us know in the comments.
I’m Hillary with Genius News, bringing you the meaning and the knowledge behind the music.