Mathematics

Mos Def

About Mathematics

"Mathematics" is a b-side single from Mos Def's solo debut album, Black on Both Sides. It contains lyrics about various social issues and asks the listener to add them up and come to conclusions about them. Many references to numbers are found in this song and at times, Mos Def rhymes statistics in numerical order.


Year:
1999
4:06
178 

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[Mos Def]
Booka-booka-booka-booka-booka-booka
Ha hah
You know the deal
It's just me yo
Beats by Su-Primo for all of my peoples, negroes and latinos
And even the gringos

Yo, check it one for Charlie Hustle, two for Steady Rock
Three for the fourth comin live, future shock
It's five dimensions, six senses
Seven firmaments of heaven to hell, 8 Million Stories to tell

Nine planets faithfully keep in orbit
With the probable tenth, the universe expands length
The body of my text possess extra strength
Power-liftin powerless up, out of this, towerin inferno

My ink so hot it burn through the journal
I'm blacker than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle
Hip-Hop past all your tall social hurdles
Like the nationwide projects, prison-industry complex

Broken glass wall better keep your alarm set
Streets too loud to ever hear freedom sing
Say evacuate your sleep, it's dangerous to dream
But you chain cats get they CHA-POW, who dead now

Killin fields need blood to graze the cash cow
It's a number game, but shit don't add up somehow
Like I got, sixteen to thirty-two bars to rock it
But only 15% of profits, ever see my pockets like

Sixty-nine billion in the last twenty years
Spent on national defense but folks still live in fear like
Nearly half of America's largest cities is one-quarter black
That's why they gave Ricky Ross all the crack

Sixteen ounces to a pound, twenty more to a ki
A five minute sentence hearing and you no longer free
40% of Americans own a cell phone
So they can hear, everything that you say when you ain't home

I guess, Michael Jackson was right, "You Are Not Alone"
Rock your hardhat black cause you in the Terrordome
Full of hard niggaz, large niggaz, dice tumblers
Young teens and prison greens facin life numbers

Crack mothers, crack babies and AIDS patients
Young bloods can't spell but they could rock you in PlayStation
This new math is whippin motherfuckers ass
You wanna know how to rhyme you better learn how to add

It's mathematics

[Chorus: x2]
"The Mighty Mos Def.."
"It's simple mathematics" -> Fat Joe
"Check it out!"
"I revolve around science.."
"What are we talking about here?"

... "Do your math" -> Erykah Badu [Repeat: x2] ...
... "One.. t-t-two.. three, four" -> James Brown...
... "What are we talking about here?"...

[Mos Def]
Yo, it's one universal law but two sides to every story
Three strikes and you be in for life, manditory
Four MC's murdered in the last four years
I ain't tryin to be the fifth one, the millennium is here

Yo it's 6 Million Ways to Die, from the seven deadly thrills
Eight-year olds gettin found with 9 mill's
It's 10 P.M., where your seeds at? What's the deal
He on the hill puffin krill to keep they belly filled

Light in the ass with heavy steel, sights on the pretty shit in life
Young soldiers tryin to earn they next stripe
When the average minimum wage is $5.15
You best believe you gotta find a new ground to get cream

The white unemployment rate, is nearly more than triple for black
So frontliners got they gun in your back
Bubblin crack, jewel theft and robbery to combat poverty
And end up in the global jail economy

Stiffer stipulations attached to each sentence
Budget cutbacks but increased police presence
And even if you get out of prison still livin
Join the other five million under state supervision

This is business, no faces just lines and statistics
From your phone, your zip code, to S-S-I digits
The system break man child and women into figures
Two columns for who is, and who ain't niggaz

Numbers is hardly real and they never have feelings
But you push too hard, even numbers got limits
Why did one straw break the camel's back? Here's the secret:
The million other straws underneath it - it's all mathematics

[Chorus]

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Mos Def

Yasiin Bey, better known by his former stage name Mos Def, is an American hip hop recording artist, actor, comedian, and activist from Brooklyn, New York City, New York. more »

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Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Genre
"Mathematics" is a rap song that combines elements of hip-hop, spoken word, and progressive rap.
Artist
The song was performed by Mos Def, an acclaimed African-American rapper known for his thought-provoking lyrics and poignant social commentary.
Album
"Mathematics" is one of the songs from Mos Def's influential album "Black on Both Sides," released in 1999. The album is certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Lyrics
Known for its socially conscious lyrics, "Mathematics" discusses a myriad of topics such as socioeconomic inequality, drug trafficking, education, and police brutality.
Production
The song was produced by DJ Premier, a well-respected figure in the hip-hop industry who's known for his signature sampling technique and gruff beats.
Success
Despite its thought-provoking content, "Mathematics" was not a chart-topping hit but became a prominent piece of Mos Def's discography due to its social relevance.
Praise
The song garnered praise for its hard-hitting and thought-provoking lyrics, making it a cult classic among fans and critics alike.
Message
Through a unique approach of presenting statistical facts in its lyrics, the song seeks to make listeners aware of various issues affecting urban communities, making "Mathematics" a form of musical activism.
Sampling
Unlike traditional hip-hop tracks of its time, "Mathematics" does not heavily rely on hooks or samples, but instead, most of the melody is constructed around a repeating piano riff.
Influence
Mos Def's "Mathematics" remains a defining track of its era, influencing contemporary hip-hop artists' approach to dealing with vital social issues in their music.
Awards
Although "Mathematics" didn't win any awards, Mos Def received Best Rap Solo Performance Grammy nominations for other songs from the "Black on Both Sides" album, which speaks volumes about the quality of the entire record.
Pop Culture Reference
The song has been referenced and played in various films and TV series, such as "Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap," testifying to its enduring impact and relevance.

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