Edulution [Track 16]

Edulution: 16 Edulution by Lyceum Recordz

The “Edulution” track is the “capstone” track which seriously explores and criticizes American culture. It encapsulates and associates our humanity to the various topics by making us more humble in self-reflection. The words are so potent that it feels “toxic, noxious.”

“We need Apollo not Dionysus. Cause a ruckus, wake the public, get pissed and riot; I’m non-violent unless you wanna fight, bitch.” These lyrics represent the Apollonian vs. Dionysian dicotomy. Apollo is non-violent but Dionysus (more like E$) is ready to provoke a fight.

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The first verse is a tribute to the legendary hip-hop group “Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five,” who is known for their song “The Message.” This song is seen as the quintessential representation of what hip-hop should be... a genre of music that explores and illuminates life and culture, and sends a positive message. Sending a message that is conscious and culturally relevant is seemingly unheard in hip-hop these days. “Grand Master Flash, just a thing of the past, but I came to make sure that the legacy lasts” is me saying that I will continue the true legacy of hip-hop.

This is why I start the second verse with “don’t console me (un)less you wanna know the truth;” because that is what you are going to get from Apollo whether you like it or not. So, if you don’t like the truth, don’t listen! (Good thing there’s Dionysus and E$ for the parties though!)

Bonobo Monkey (Source) 

“You’re a bipedal tetra-pod, obsessed with demigods, impressed by any god that give you answer all’s.” This lyrical sentence represents the following philosophical sentiment: You are a multi-cellular organism that has four ligaments (tetra-pod) and propels itself forward with two legs (bipedal). And, you believe in gods that give you the function to supply all your own answers (and that function is faith). It’s the classic dialog of: How did the world begin? The big bang. Well, who started that? God! ...It’s just an answer with no validity without faith. Faith’s (lack of) validity is a whole other discussion.  

“You’re obsessed with yourself, this species need help” is another way of saying that we have reckless disregard for life other than humans. The truth is that every ecological system is in decline and the biosphere as a whole is horrendous thanks to human malfeasance.  The human form is anthropomorphized everywhere in our society, especially in commercials. (Actually look at how many things acquire human characteristics.) Part of this is because we are wired to see faces and human figures due to evolutionary purposes, but I think a lot of it comes from an over-worshiping of humans as being divinely created. To be frank, we, as a species, are not “that” great (especially considering what we have done to the world) and we need to get over ourselves because the “self reflected portrait” is only “wishful(ly) perfect.”   

“You still eat, sleep, shit, fuck, like a bonobo” is inciting the similarities between yourself and a bonobo. Bonobos are a type of monkey that is so similar to humans, especially in their sexual escapades and sound, that most zoos refuse to house them because it makes the visitors “uncomfortable.” The reality is if you take bonobos out of that sentence and replace it with any animal the sentence would still hold true.

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I then continue to explain the similarities between humans and monkeys (which is due to a common ancestor). The vivid imagery that is then created paints a picture of a more primitive version of human warfare. The point of this is to knock humans down a peg and force us to realize we are no better than monkeys in the jungle if all we do is war, rape, and kill.

“98 percent genetically aligned, so I represent my cousins on the vine; arboreal insignia, orangutan, simian.” You share 98 percent of the same genetic material with a chimpanzee. You have more in common with a chimpanzee, genetically, then a chimpanzee does with an ape!. Arboreal locomotion means the movement of animals (swinging) through trees. And, Insignia means a symbol.

“1984 is a vision coming forth.” In the book 1984 by Georgy Orwell the ministry of plenty is in control over the planed economy. “Don’t you find it interesting, that truth is an obscenity? The untold misery of the corporate impunity” is due largely to a failure of the news media to illuminate inequality in America.

The main idea of Marx is that there is an inherent class struggle between those who sell their labor (the proletariat) and those who sell the capital that labor provides (the bourgeoisie). This is what I am referring to when I say “Right, Economy don’t have class...” There is a super-rich class in America which has consolidated vast amounts of wealth and successfully infiltrated every branch of the government with monied influences.


“One percent top, got this shit rigged.” I don’t hide my association with the Occupy Wall Street Movement and this lyric explains why I went to New York in November and made a documentary illuminating the movement. I was clairvoyant here in naming the opposition, or problem in America, poignantly as the top one percent. “They bought the courts, congress and the pigs” is my way of saying that every branch of government--judicial, legislative, and executive (respectively)--are bought and paid for, in one way or another, by the wealthy plutocrats.

The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it comes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any controlling private power. - Franklin D. Roosevelt

The EDULUTION ALBUM is available on BandCamp, iTunes. and Amazon mp3!

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Visit my other blogs: Lyceum Recordz, Occupy Hip-Hop and The Psychosocial Philosopher