Song Breakdown #20: "Golden Salvation" by Wale

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oftentimes we see how the exploitation of rap influences some
of the artists involved, so we need hip hop to
call it's bluff. Numerous times on this show, you have
heard me give insight on the difference between rap and
hip hop, and truth be told, I can express it
differently every time. Thankfully, though, I am able to use
this platform to point to different examples of the ways

(00:23):
that difference comes to light, and today I'll be using
Willay's Golden Salvation off his twenty thirteen album That Gifted
as an example of hip hop calling rap's bluff, in
which the DMV star uses faith to confront the glitz
and glamour often promoted through rap, while A questions rappers
and even listeners to reflect on what's important true piece

(00:46):
that's found in one's faith, or the fickle form of
peace that can come through the latest fashion trend, or
who has the most blingage Being that he's one of
my favorite MC's, I've been wanting to showcase Wiley's brilliance
on H two d G since I started. I wasn't
sure if it should be an album review, and I
could never decide what song I should break down for

(01:07):
you yet whole time, especially knowing what I'm about right,
it was right in front of me, and so today
we're gonna analyze how Wiley did what hip hop does best,
remain authentic and challenge the status quo while inspiring a
generation in the process. Welcome to Hip to the Games,
the podcast for you, the basketball junkie and the hip

(01:28):
hop hit. I'm your host, Desmond and I too have
had hoop dreams and enjoy the beautiful genre of hip
hop and its history. Together we will enjoy some of
the greatest albums, songs, artists, players, moments, teams, and so
much more, while even mixing the two on occasion. All
in my hope that you remember why you lovet both
for either of these to begin with, You'll soon understand

(01:50):
that Hip to the Games.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Is more than just a podcast. It's a lifestyle.

Speaker 1 (01:53):
And if you were looking for a platform that combines
both basketball and hip hop, you've come to the right place.

(02:14):
Welcome to another episode of Hip to the Games. All right,
I am just about recovered from about with the flu,
so after an extra week off, I am happy to
be back with you today. I'm still inching towards one
hundred percent, so please bear with me. If you hear
me still sound like a hybrid of Lil Wayne and
Humpty Hump. Okay, I think more now these days I'm

(02:34):
sounding closer to Humpty. But either way, please bear with
me and as I have a great show for you today,
shout out to you if you are a loyal listener
and are indeed hip to the games, whether you are
listening on your favorite platform or watching on YouTube right now,
I sincerely thank you for all your support, and if
you do happen to be new to the HG DG family, welcome.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
I am happy to have you here.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
If throughout this episode you do like we're you're hearing,
be trire to hit that subscribe button or follow button
on whatever platform you're listening to or watching on to
stay tapped in with all things hip to the games.
And before we get into our episode today, you already
know the drill if you've been here before. I gotta
get my pregame shoutouts out the way. Okay, the first
one always goes to the creative director Jesus Christ for

(03:19):
another H two DG episode, as it's always a blessing
to get in front of this microphone and do what
he's placed in my heart to do and especially after
being sick, very thankful for health and all of those
things as well. And the second one goes to my
nineteen Media Group family for the opportunity to represent the
home team. You see that blue and white logo sitting
in the corner every episode, you see it on the

(03:41):
audio platforms. Next to the logo, that's the home team. Man.
So be tre to follow nineteen and Group on Twitter,
nineteen Media Group on Instagram and YouTube to follow everything
going on with the network, as we do have such
a great group of passionate independent podcasters with shows around sports, music, culture, education.
And I'm sure you can find another teammate of mine

(04:02):
to support, not just me, but I really do have
some talented teammates. Whether it's through likes, comments, reposts, listens
by and merch, any kind of support is seen and
appreciated and felt. And of course, given that this episode
is an H two DG breakdown, you should know that
I do keep it clean over here, all right. If
you've been here before, you know my values by now.

(04:24):
I really try to keep a clean show so you
will hear me sens or curse words and even reword
lines as I try my best to avoid those sexual innuendos, vulgarity,
just anything that ain't clean. But you better believe, you
better ask somebody. You will leave with a smile or
a laugh, or simply a reminder of why you love

(04:45):
this beautiful thing we call hip hop in.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
The first place.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Okay, h two DG is definitely gonna keep it hip
hop while I do that. So with all that out
the way, get ready to get into some personal and
artist's background of Golden Salvation DC slash Maryland's own willet.
But first, here's a reminder of how you can win
big thanks to hudg's latest sponsor, basketball season is heating

(05:10):
up and Prize Picks is the best place to get
real money action while watching your favorite sports. You can
now win up to one thousand times your money on
prize Picks. Sign up today and get fifty dollars instantly
when you play just five dollars. You don't even need
to win to receive the fifty dollars bonus. It's guaranteed
when you use the promo code CLNS. Prize Picks also

(05:33):
offers weekly promotions that can lead to big payouts and
is available in more than thirty states, including California, Texas, Georgia,
and Florida. Prize Picks is truly the best way to
win real money with all the various opportunities to play
and collect your winnings. Due to the enormous selection of
players and stat types available, we can mix and match

(05:54):
our plan strategies based on personal preferences. I might take
Nikola Jokic for more than eight assists and Donnavan Mitchell
for more than twenty five points. Do you think Steph
Curry will get more than five three pointers next week?

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Giannis?

Speaker 1 (06:06):
Maybe for more than thirty five points. Cook up hot
takes with your friends and win real money this basketball
season when you and your crew run your game.

Speaker 2 (06:14):
On Prize Picks.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
And for those who love a quick win, Prize Picks
is the way to go. You can make your picks
and submit your entry in less than sixty seconds.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
So what are you waiting for?

Speaker 1 (06:24):
Download the app today and use code clns to get
fifty dollars instantly after you play your first five dollars lineup. Remember,
with Prize Picks, it's as simple as picking more or
picking less. And again that's promo code CLNS to get
fifty dollars after you play your first five dollars lineup.
Hip to the games is rocking with prize picks, and

(06:44):
you should too. Prize picks run your game all right.
So I've been very vocal of my fandom and admiration
for Yla, often to the point where it bothers me
nowadays that every conversation around him seems to rever around
two opinions. One, I missed the old wa La what happened?

(07:05):
And number two, it's a shame how the industry did
while he's so underrated. And those things can be true,
but like if you think about what he's been doing
even before his recent Every Blue Moon tour, right where
he played an equal amount of hits and even took
the time to perform songs that, like his real fans
would know, you know, hidden gems. He was seemingly off

(07:27):
the grid before that, which if you are a fan
of Wila, that comes as no surprise, right as he
always expressed how he was an introvert at heart, and
and sure, you know, would it be nice to see
Wila as often as we see and hear from his
peers like Kendrick and j Cole, Absolutely, because we know
he possesses just as much skill, creativity and talent as

(07:51):
those guys. Yeah, it was unfortunate to see a guy
with that blend of skill and talent not be as
big as he could have been, you know, whether it
was the industry or even how he might have gotten
his own way in that regard. But I think it's
a lot like what we see and hear in the
NBA now right, Like we've been so fortunate to see
a Michael Jordan, a Kobe Bryant, a Lebron James. We

(08:13):
want and darn near expect everybody to be like that,
and that's just not realistic. The beauty of this life
is in our uniqueness, in our individuality, and this is
why some fans can't enjoy the game because they're always nitpicking.
As great as Lebron is, people are always gonna mention

(08:35):
that he didn't catch Jordan's six rings despite having more.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
Finals appearances to do so.

Speaker 1 (08:40):
As great as Kevin Durant is, right, people are always
gonna bring up July fourth, twenty sixteen and call his
rings fake.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
Right.

Speaker 1 (08:48):
People try to invalidate Chris Paul's entire career simply because
he was never a champion. And don't get me started
with even these modern day All Star players that we
have like Paul Joy, George and DeMar DeRozan, right, guys
who are getting older, but like they still themselves had
dream like careers, but they'll still receive hate because they

(09:09):
weren't carbon copies of their idol Kobe Bryant like this
whole You gotta be one a tier to be respected.
Just it makes my butt itch and and is really
why Hip to the Games exists.

Speaker 2 (09:23):
And I believe Wila has.

Speaker 1 (09:25):
Suffered from a lot of the same conversations. You know,
people get so caught up in the what ifs that
they let the what is the what is.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
Is passed them by.

Speaker 1 (09:37):
So I think that's why I chose to break down
Golden Salvation for today's episode. Because sure I could have
broke down his breakout Nike boots right with which nods
to Wallay's sneaker head personality. Right, we would have had
a great conversation about that. I could have picked another
favorite of mine in New Soul off his back to
the feature mixtape, right, real wille fans know about that

(09:59):
mis tape or even though beloved beautiful Bliss right which
features j Cole, but it wouldn't have gave while his
solo shines. So you know, I'm sitting and I'm thinking
what song would equally showcase Wileay's values, his songwriting skills,
his authenticity, and his lyrical gifts all in one. And
while I'm sure there are plenty of other songs that

(10:21):
would have fit great, right, there were a lot of
songs that I was thinking of. To me, Golden Salvation
was a no brainer as it checked all these boxes.
I mentioned earlier that Wilay was always more of an introvert,
and it shows itself when you realize how introspective his projects,
especially his studio albums, tend to be. Right for examples,

(10:45):
in Ambition, we hear Wilay's approach as he chases his
dreams for the album About Nothing, you know, while expressed
numerous times how personal that album was to him, and
even in the twenty nineteen While That's Crazy album, we
hear him detail how he felt it was hard for
him to find and keep a genuine love life right,

(11:05):
and especially you know, I think he even had some
songs where he kind of touched on maybe not fully,
but kind of touched on fatherhood. And you know, even
in interviews he was open about how he felt like
he couldn't be the father to his daughter that he
always wanted to be because of the stuff that he
has to work on in his own life. So while

(11:26):
has been so incredibly personal, you know, with his fans.
So as I think back to where he was in
twenty thirteen when he dropped The Gifted, it was clear
that there was one main idea in mind for Wilele
What does it mean to be gifted? Right?

Speaker 2 (11:44):
What does that come with?

Speaker 1 (11:46):
Comes with a lot of things, And one reason I
love that album is because he tackles that question in
all of those ways, right, big and small. You know,
there's the self explanatory curse of the Gifted, Right, you
have eighty eight where Wiley says, you know, I cop threes.
You know, I cop Jordan threes for the whole team.
You know, as if you use your gift well enough,

(12:09):
you know you may very well amass that kind of
money to cop Jordan's for your whole squad. Right.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
You know, there's even.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
Black Heroes where wile A wrestles with how especially in rap,
it's easy to shed light on a negative way to
make it essentially pointing out how he aims to be
an actual kind of hero for the black youth. So
when you hear Golden Salvation, you'll quickly notice how Wilee

(12:35):
plays on the value of a Jesus Peace chain, right,
which especially at that time, was something that became very
popular among rappers, to the point where he noticed, right like,
everybody gets famous and they cop this chain because it's
the cool thing to do, but do they really know
and care about what it represents. Obviously, we'll get deeper

(12:59):
into this lake, but I bring it up now to
show just how Wilee looked into the idea of being
gifted and really the kind of thought and detail he
puts into his artistry. Now, there were a lot of
producers featured on The Gifted, but for Golden Salvation, it
was produced by Lee Major, who did a lot with
the MMG guys, obviously Rick Ross, wile A Meek, but

(13:21):
also worked with guys like Fat Joe, Gez, Ace Hood, Lil.

Speaker 2 (13:25):
Wayne, and even jay Z.

Speaker 1 (13:27):
And what Lee Major did on this song was simple,
He created hip hop gospel. The instrumental features a choir
and a piano that are very reminiscent of Sunday morning service, right,
and this powerful drum that echoes off the walls of
the church, ultimately giving while Ah the perfect canvas to
point rappers and fans like us to who, Capitol w

(13:52):
who really matters in this thing called life, no matter
how glamorous theirs might be. And if you've been here
long enough, you know that there's nothing like a hip
hop song that has an underlying message or call to
action that goes much beyond the music itself. So without
further ado, I think that is some solid background info
now and we can get into the breakdown of Golden Salvation,

(14:15):
the reflective yet challenging song by Wilay. I mean, if
you take those lyrics and you pull them away from
the music and you put them up on the wall
and someone had to look at them, they would say,
this is genius.

Speaker 2 (14:28):
This is genius work.

Speaker 1 (14:30):
So as the beat starts, we hear audio from whom
we can presume is a preacher, which actually becomes more
evident when you watch the music video, as Wile uses
this to reveal off rip again, Capitol w who this
song is really about and what the intentions are. And additionally,
I thought it was a nice touch that this preacher

(14:50):
has an accent, right, which I think nods to Wiet's
Nigerian roots.

Speaker 2 (14:54):
But we hear them.

Speaker 1 (14:55):
Say pray, praises, give thanks to the Father, Holy water.

Speaker 2 (15:02):
Right.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
And then just before Wilay's first of two verses, he
utters the phrase that eventually serves as the hook throughout
the song and is really the central theme of the
entire song, Jesus Peace, but don't nobody want to know
Jesus Peace? No, listen, man, I've heard a lot of

(15:23):
Wilay bars. There are a few in this very song,
plenty in this song, but few hit me the way
this one hits me. Jesus Peace, but don'tbody want to
know Jesus Peace?

Speaker 2 (15:38):
Right?

Speaker 1 (15:38):
Remember what we went over in the intro, the idea
of having a Jesus Peace chain, while they addresses it
straight up calling a lot of rapper's bluff. Oh you
want to rock the Jesus Peace Okay, Yet you don't
even bother to know the peace of Jesus.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
Right.

Speaker 1 (15:58):
He's playing with homonyms there, great example of wordplay. And then,
and I think it was funny even that alone ties
into church right, a lot of church verbiage because Jesus
spoken parables throughout the Bible, and so it gave birth
to generations of pastors and preachers who do the same. Right,
you'll hear me joke all the time, hip hop and rap.

(16:20):
The art of rap exists because Jesus was doing it
in his day, a lot of parables and on tandras. Right,
And you know, like I said, we hear a lot
of pastors do that same thing. We hear phrases like
pitts of the platform. Shoot, there was even the preacher
that used Kendrick's not like us to express the difference

(16:41):
between the righteous and the non righteous path. Right, they
not like us, you know while they does that thing here? Right,
And can't you just imagine a pastor with the organ
behind him, Like you say, you want to know Jesus
peace dinner, but you don't know Jesus is peace there,

(17:02):
you know what I mean? Like you could just envision
that kind of moment. So I thought this line was
genius in various ways. But now that this has been established.
While A elaborates on the theme as he starts his
first verse, speaking from the perspective of Jesus himself, brothers,
use me to shine. I've been helping you stunt. Look

(17:23):
why these rapping dudes ain't hit me in months? I
don't ask for too much covered in vvs's women gonna
play You're closer and them hungry jokers gonna try to
test you, so out the gate. This is incredible penmanship
from Wale because that first line might even be a
double chendre. I could be reaching again. We I do
this time to time on these breakdowns just to get

(17:44):
our minds thinking.

Speaker 2 (17:47):
But that could even be.

Speaker 1 (17:48):
A double chendre because I feel like as Jesus, he
is saying, dudes essentially use me right this chain as
a way to draw attention to themselves. My chain is
hell and you stunt. You're using my image to stunt.
But I think it even details like the come up right,
like you use me on your climb to the top,

(18:11):
but once you get there, you stop talking to me,
which kind of reveals itself in that next line. Again,
could be a reach, but it's just something I thought
about as I was following along with the lyrics. Additionally,
I love the human element while they brings to Jesus
by simply saying, why you ain't talk to me in months?
I don't ask for much, and keep in mind why

(18:32):
you using me the wrong? Women are gonna be drawn
to you, and the jealous dudes will emerge as well,
And I think even that's a deeper lesson. Again, it's
not just the chain. You can even use Christianity.

Speaker 2 (18:45):
In itself to get women right you.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
I'm sure there are many dudes out there and even
probably even women out there who are making it cool
as if they follow God because they're impressed with a
particular person trying to impress them right the lines. There's
so many layers to this song. It's not even just
the surface level stuff. You can take it deeper. And
I thought while did a great job embodying Jesus's character,

(19:14):
Because Jesus he cares for us, right, He cares for
our well being, and that means he doesn't mind checking
our motives behind our actions, right, so he's not afraid
to ask, hey, like why ainn't you Why an't you
hit me up in mus You know it's been a
minute since you read your Bible, it's been a minute
since you sat in quiet time with me, some minutes
since you genuinely prayed, Like what's up? You know he's

(19:34):
not He's not checking you to be like mean, but
he's checking you as somebody that cares for you, like yo,
I want to spend time with you, like what's up.
I thought that was brilliant from while Again, if you're
gonna speak, it's similar to what I said about DMX
when we went when we reviewed his album way back when.
When you wrap from the perspective of Jesus, it's very

(19:56):
imperative that you recognize his character because if you can
put his character into the form of your music, you're
gonna impact even more people than you would even imagine.
So it's you can never just rap as Jesus like you.
It's a credit to artists like Whiley in DMX who
know Jesus, who know his character, that they're able to

(20:19):
rap this way from his perspective and genuine fashion. That
is something I'll always appreciate. And like I said, and
I think even this general idea goes beyond just rappers, right.
We do this often even if we don't have a
Jesus piece chain, right, And even for me again, I'm
gonna be one hundred with you.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
I know.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
I sit up here and I try to give God
the thanks every chance I get but I have my
moments where my faith is low, my discipline is low.
I ain't been in my Bible in weeks.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
My prayers get shorter, shorter.

Speaker 1 (20:53):
Yeah, like I ain't gonna be fake with you. You know,
I'm sure Jesus wants to know why I ain't been
talking much to him either. So while a while while
they establishes the theme and target audience for his song,
he simultaneously brings that universal element as well. Right, the
best artists know how to talk to their target audience
while keeping that door open for listeners who don't fit it.

(21:17):
And while A does that here, uh, he then continues
rapping from the perspective of Jesus. Now they bumping your record,
your confidence through the roof. Still you show no respect, kid.
The Good Books said, praise, but you so stuck in
your ways? You got my image appraised? Man, if this
ain't facts, how many times do we see rappers get

(21:39):
their big break right, start to feel themselves and as
a result, forget capitol w who is in charge? Here?
The Bible said, praise, but you so stuck in your ways?

Speaker 2 (21:50):
You got my image appraised?

Speaker 1 (21:52):
Now this is great word choice by bye Whila, because
Obviously there's the root word of praise.

Speaker 2 (21:59):
Right, the word of praise.

Speaker 1 (22:01):
Is existent without making the bar sound dull or redundant. Right,
You always gotta be careful when you're writing and when
you're rapping and you're performing when you use similar words
like that, or you even use the same word in
two lines consecutive lines, because it can dull your your

(22:21):
overall performance. But see, while because it carries so much
meaning behind it, he can get away with that, right
Because additionally, the meaning of a praise is often used
when determining the value of jewelry. So it's even greater
word choice, not just on some rapper songwriting, but on

(22:44):
some storytelling. Right. If I'm gonna talk about Jesus in
the form of a Jesus Jesus peace necklace, I'm gonna
use words that have to do with jewelry, brilliant stuff,
brilliant stuff. Right, And so wile is saying here the
Good Book, write the Bible, it.

Speaker 2 (23:03):
Says praise, it does.

Speaker 1 (23:05):
But you're so stuck in your ways, You're so stuck
in your patterns, You're so stuck in this limelight. You
got my image or this chain devalued if you will
but again, I think even that can be a double
entendre in a sense, because while that is a direct
reference to the jewelry, it can also be a reference
to the character of the rapper or the person with it. Right,

(23:28):
you have the opportunity to represent me in a way
that goes way beyond the chain, and you choose not to. Again,
a lot of layers to this song. If you're really
paying attention, hopefully I'm here to help with that. While
A continues, while you sinning, I wait, fornicating with women.
I sat right there on your table. Don't bow your

(23:49):
head for grace though I'm keeping you graceful, brothers was
born to cheat, though I question who faithful? Uh So
some interesting yet truthful lines from Wilay here, because in
this small section there is an underlying theme of Jesus' grace.

Speaker 2 (24:06):
Right.

Speaker 1 (24:06):
For example, while A references Jesus's patience with us in
the middle of sin, right, even in the middle of sin.
He's a patient, loving God. He's a patient loving father,
you know, And how he's present even when we don't
make good choices, and how our flesh has been weak
since the fall of Adam and Eve. I think that

(24:28):
specifically is what he means when he says brothers was
born in a cheat, though I question who's faithful?

Speaker 2 (24:33):
Right?

Speaker 1 (24:34):
Obviously we weren't born to be unfaithful, but from the
moment Adam and Eve weren't faithful to God's commands, we
inherited that sinful nature. And I think that is the
deeper element of Wilai's lyrics here. But in a nutshell
from Jesus's perspective, Wileah questions the loyalty of those who
may claim to know Jesus. And then this idea continues

(24:57):
as we get closer to the end of verse one,
where wile slash Jesus, that challenge seems to get more
and more intense. Fast for me, no blast for me,
no rap to it, so it racks up to match
up with me froze. This is another elite example of
Wiley's pen Fast for me, no blast for me though,

(25:21):
Wait a minute, Fast for me, no blasphemy though, Oh
wait a minute, wae see. I always love that line.
But get this, even after all these years of listening
to this song, I didn't even catch that he was
also saying fast for me, no blast for me though.

(25:46):
I always caught the blasphemy part of how that sounds right,
fast for me, no blasphem thoh, but to break it
down and it's actually blast for me like bruh, the
genius work of while a man double m genius indeed
to essentially turn a phrase into a homonym. Come all, man,

(26:07):
that's different and so there's so many layers to this
now because of that right again from Jesus's perspective, while
they questions the motives of these rappers who typically rock
a Jesus piece for shouw oh, okay, you won't fast
for me, right and traditionally you know, fasting is giving
up things to get closer to God essentially right, So

(26:29):
you won't give up some things to get closer to me,
but you will blast for me. You will kill somebody,
You will do something that will keep you distant from me.
Over this chain Jesus peace chain over me. You'll blast
for me right with my image on it, gotcha?

Speaker 2 (26:47):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (26:48):
Okay, and even this idea right while while they didn't
say it explicitly, but in terms of referencing blasphemy, some
of y'all rappers will blaspheme my name and still get
on stage with said Jesus, peace chain, and even proceed
to fake me at these award shows, rapping about stuff

(27:09):
that if you knew me for real, if you knew
my character for real, you wouldn't even partake in those things.

Speaker 2 (27:15):
But because you think you.

Speaker 1 (27:16):
Got the hit and the money and the fame, it's
me the one that's blessing you.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
Aha.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
You could just see God chuckling at that, right, And
that's essentially what that next line means, right, rap foolishness,
make the money, get the chain, yet don't represent anything
that the chain should truly represent, Very unfortunate stuff. And
that's why Jesus told us we will know them by
their fruit. Not that he didn't say we will know

(27:45):
them by their golden calf. He didn't say we will
know them by their idolatry. He didn't say we will
know them by their fakeness. He said we will know
them by the fruits that they carry. If the fruit
that they carry matches the fruit that I carried and
the fruit that I described in this word and that
so many of my disciples described in this word, then

(28:06):
it's real. If it doesn't match that fruit, simple math,
it ain't me. Right, And even on a deeper level. Right,
we will know them by their fruit, not their chain. So,
like I said, while ends this first verse by continuing
to hit the target audience of ignorant rappers with more

(28:26):
hard hitting truths, how can a diamond supersede my wisdom?
I seen a reverend with five of me as he
read his scripture. This is Bible readings to people with
malice intentions. You silly get with sena Aki with a
crucifix penditt with a cuban attached on a secular scene,
I died for you all. Now brothers die over me.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
Whoo whiley.

Speaker 1 (28:52):
Many rappers have expressed the truth in that last line, Right,
I died for you all. Now brothers die over me.
And immediately think of the story that j Cole told
on punching the Clock.

Speaker 2 (29:04):
I believe it was off the off season.

Speaker 1 (29:06):
Right told him to come off his chain for trying
to flaws died over across just like the start of Christianity. Right,
that story was about somebody that got killed because of
their chain. Right, while they mentioned the same idea years
prior to that song in Golden Salvation, Jesus died for

(29:27):
all of us, and now dudes die over him, but
not in the way he described in the Bible. Right,
Jesus made it known before his crucifixion, like yo, in
the last days, they're gonna hate you because you love me.
For whoever loses his life for me shall gain it. Right,
because there's normal ward like the kingdom of Heaven. Right,
I'm paraphrasing, but you can see where Jesus's heart is.

Speaker 2 (29:49):
Right, If you're.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
Gonna die for me, let it be with honor and loyalty,
not merely over some chain, which is no different than
a golden calf. So additionally continues to speak from Jesus's perspective.
You know, how can a Jesus peace? How can a
diamond mean more than my wisdom than actual wisdom? From
my word?

Speaker 2 (30:11):
Some of these.

Speaker 1 (30:12):
Reverends who claim that their hearts are in the right
place are rocking the same chains, probably for the same reasons.
And then he even poses a question, do you think
aki's right or that's the Middle Eastern word for brothers? Right?
Do you think they're wearing chains even though it's disrespectful
to their religion?

Speaker 2 (30:32):
Exactly?

Speaker 1 (30:32):
So? Why are we doing it? Why can't we carry
that same reverence you know, it's just a deep, deep
first verse from Wila, and I think you can already
start to see why this song is a longtime favorite
of mine. And truly, when I tell you, this was
a song that it took years for me to uncover
these layers. Right, I'm twenty six now. This song came

(30:53):
out when I was what fourteen, maybe like and even
and I always was gravitated towards the song, but it
was literally as twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen, twenty sixteen, I
just uncovered all the layers one by one. So it's
dope in that guard in terms of evolution. And like
I said, I'm really happy to bring it on this platform.

(31:17):
And you know, the breakdown ain't even over yet, so
definitely a hard hitting verse from Wyla and then the
hook right, which again is a repeat of the phrase
that started the song. Right, Jesus Peace, Uh, Jesus peace,
Jesus peace. But don't nobody want to know Jesus's peace?

Speaker 2 (31:38):
Right? We get to hear.

Speaker 1 (31:39):
Similar themes from Wyla as he continues to wrap from
the perspective of Jesus. But before we get into that
second verse, if you are enjoying the breakdown so far.
Here's how you can show some love and extra support
to Hip to the Games. As a fan of Hip
to the Games, not only should you show your love
for the podcast, but you gotta express your love for
basketball and hip hop with a wide variety of clothing

(32:01):
and accessories. There is always a way to show how
much the game of basketball and the game of rap
means to you. Let everybody know what it means to
be Hip to the Games by clicking the link in
the episode's description to cop some merch and represent the
H two DG lifestyle. Welcome back to Hip to the Games,
and we're gonna pick right back up with wile A's
second and final verse on Golden Salvation, where he continues

(32:23):
to wrap from the perspective of Jesus, challenging rappers motives
and hypocrisy for rocking their jewelry with his image displayed,
but also pointing out the ways the gospel of Jesus
has gotten commercialized in general. Sierra Leone Diamonds and later
in New York got him. If nobody stores have me,
some probably would know about me. Now I pause right

(32:43):
here because I really appreciate this line from Wila. I
think it's facts. The way I interpreted it was if
people didn't have access to these fickle, materialistic versions of Jesus,
they would be forced to find and value him in
the real way he was intended to be found and valued.

(33:04):
And again I think there's a bigger picture there of
just life in general too. If we didn't have all
these distractions and all these interests that we tend to overvalue,
we would all probably have much more genuine and intimate
relationships with Jesus in the way he intended us to write.
Even think about it, imagine if there was no such

(33:25):
thing as hip hop, there was no such thing as basketball.
You know, I couldn't you know, play NBA two K. Like,
if I didn't have all these other interests, how much
more I would be tapped in with Jesus? Right, And
not that it's a bad thing to have interests, obviously,
you know, Jesus gave us our personalities and the things
were interested in. But it's like you would think, like

(33:47):
while they said if nobody stores, if there were no
such thing as Jesus piece necklaces, how many people would
actually seek to pursue Jesus in an authentic way? You know,
in a more authentic, genuine way. So definitely something to
think about for sure. But moving forward, all over paparazzi
shout out to Murakami. See they commercialize me. I'm sure

(34:08):
there'll be more robberies. Were new chain swag, get your
crew laid fast or laid down or not a ticket
next to dad? Now this is really interesting because obviously,
while is saying how the commercialization of the Jesus Peace
the popularity of the Jesus Peace necklace has made it
a highly sought after item, right, it's in high demand,

(34:30):
so of course that's gonna lead to more people doing
anything to get one for themselves, especially in the streets.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
Oh he got a Jesus piece, I gotta get that.

Speaker 1 (34:39):
And I don't mean getting my own. I gotta get
that one right. But you know, I really thought that
last line was interesting, as if we listen from the
perspective of Jesus, he says new chain swag, get your
crew laid fast or laid down, you know, essentially laid
down yourself or not a ticket next to dad, And

(35:01):
it made me wonder when he says that, is while
they is he playing on death still, because you know
it just brings the point home further with the continued
connections to Jesus right or laid down or not a
ticket next to Dad? If he's rapping from Jesus perspective,
why did he say the word dad? Like, if you

(35:22):
keep playing, you're gonna have a ticket right next.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
To Dad or God the Father? Right.

Speaker 1 (35:28):
I couldn't help, but notice that as I process the
lyrics as always, definitely let me know if that's something
you picked up on as well, or if you've heard
something different. I would love to hear it, but I
think it certainly fits with that overall rhythm and theme
of the song. And then while A continues his verse
with more dope wordplay and biblical connections. And the Bible

(35:48):
told you wait on my arrival, but patience was your problem.
So get Jacob to confine me and religion is a style?
If not, then why this is a quarter mil no fougazy?
See Jacob tell you that is real? Okay, So see
this is really dope right here a few things. I
think the main idea is still the chase for the chain, right.

(36:11):
These people can't even wait.

Speaker 2 (36:12):
For the arrival of Jesus.

Speaker 1 (36:14):
They just had to have a Jesus Peace chain, which
is a direct connection to the Israelites who formed the
Golden Calf to worship in the midst of their impatience
of the coming of the Messiah in Jesus Christ. Despite
different circumstances, the heart postures are the same, whether a
chain or a golden.

Speaker 2 (36:35):
Calf, still golden.

Speaker 1 (36:37):
Right, the rappers are no different from the Israelites at
their core, and us as human beings. If you really
read the Bible, you will see how we are just
like the Israelites, you know, And even the mention of Jacob,
who in the Bible is seen as in my words
at least the epitome of how we are connected to

(36:58):
God as human beings. While they connects this by mentioning
Jacob the jewelry the jewelry, right, So a guy who
is widely known for making a lot of jewelry for
rappers selling that jewelry. So again there's that double entendre
from while as he continues to connect the Bible with
the present day and connect these biblical circumstances and stories

(37:21):
to literally the jewelry industry. Right, get Jacob to confine
me not just Jacob and the Bible, but Jacob the
jeweler because we're talking about a Jesus peace necklace, right,
really fascinating stuff. So, like I said, there's that double
entendre and I think it's such an important element. Again,
as he's telling this story, it should be a reminder

(37:42):
that there's a lot that goes into storytelling and lyricism
beyond punchlines. When you do it the right way, right,
this way is the more fun way. Right, any rapper
can make a hit, but very few can execute this
the way while they did in this song. And additionally,
while they challenges the business around religion and ends this

(38:02):
section with a firebar, once again connecting Jacob and the
word Israel. Right, no foogazee, Jacob tell you that is real, incredible,
and that's exactly that's actually what Jacob was renamed in
the Bible. His name was changed to Israel, So lots
of connections there. But then, as while they starts to
end his second verse, he really makes it a point

(38:25):
to have Jesus call out the hypocrisy we tend to
see in regards to Christianity.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
Hallelujah.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
The things you do to be the manure you never
thank me as shows, but you keep me on tour
Sunday services. Pastor is the wealthy ones working it, preaching
armageddon while collection plate's been circling the room. Fears but
a tool and gospel, going commercial, pray to purpose isn't cruel.
So it's about the motives, right, the things people will

(38:53):
do to be considered the ish right or manure right.
Pay an arm and a leg for the Jesus, peace,
kill for it, etc. And even another aspect of what
I mentioned earlier. People get on these stages and these
platforms and they don't think thank Jesus, but they make
sure to keep them around their neck and on the
red carpet. They're sure to draw attention to that Jesus

(39:14):
on their neck. But they won't do anything. They don't
want nothing to do with Jesus in their everyday lives.
You know, there are churches out here where the pastor
is making all the money and the tithes and such.
Those aren't going towards the church. They're going to him.
That's how he got that Jesus peace. And then while
they's words, you know, they preach about armageddon, which is
the final battle between good and evil before the day

(39:38):
of judgment. Yet they're the ones really doing evil by
making sure they get everything from the collection plates. Right.
They move in shisty, they move in shady, you know.
And at this point with gospel being more commercialized than ever,
you know, with megachurches and infomercials. And this was twenty thirteen,

(39:58):
so think about how even now, how this would be
in twenty twenty five, you know, with the with the
continued rise of social media and more megachurches and whatnot. Like,
all we can do is pray that the purpose behind
the commercialization isn't cruel, because best believe it is still
a gift. Commercialization can still be a gift. God can

(40:18):
certainly use it for good, But that doesn't mean everybody's
intentions are good. And that's the that's the tough line
that that you know, you follow these ideas continue as
while they uses his last lines of this verse to
let Jesus, I think, really lay the hammer down, so
to speak. And the workers in the poolpit want their
blessings to improve, and they stone me on the cross,

(40:41):
and brothers stone me for the ooze, and the ohs foolish?

Speaker 2 (40:44):
What am I? Who are y'all?

Speaker 1 (40:47):
I'm coming down from the sky because brothers keep praying
to shine. Look a man, ooh boy, that last line
is so cold. So same idea though right. The pastors
want to be blessed. Some ain't going about it the
right way though, you know. And then, like I said,
that fire line of they stone me on the cross,

(41:07):
and brothers stone me for the ooze and the ohs.

Speaker 2 (41:10):
Man, what they stone me.

Speaker 1 (41:15):
On the cross? But they stone me for the ooze
and the ohs they turned me into a diamond stone,
a Jesus peace chain, right, just for some approval of man.
And then the haymaker. I'm coming down from the sky
because brothers keep praying to shine. Yo. While they gets it, man,

(41:38):
he gets it. Oh okay, y'all want to shine? Bet
let me come back and change this world in ways
y'all ain't even bothered to read about yet. Uh you
want to shine?

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Bet?

Speaker 1 (41:52):
You about to see the brightest shine there ever was.
Literally the Bible says, the Lord is so bright we
can't even look at him directly. That is such a
cold way to end these verses. Man, for real, I
come from the sky because brothers keep praying to shine.
You want shine? That bad?

Speaker 2 (42:08):
Okay?

Speaker 1 (42:09):
What if I come down but see me coming down
means the rapture happens, and if the rapture happens, all
this is changed straight up. So that is such a
cold line. I mean, while they really did that justice
man like speaking from the perspective of Jesus, Like I said,
when you know his character and you know his story,
you can execute songs like this. But again, we're not

(42:32):
done just yet, because even then after that haymaker as
if we needed a bigger exclamation point, while they uses
this outro of the song to give listeners I think,
time to reflect on the deep message they just heard.
So as the instrumental fades out, we hear while they
eventually say, for the price of fame, what would you
do to have him say your name?

Speaker 2 (42:53):
See?

Speaker 1 (42:53):
I promised I would never cop another chain, but the
arms spent on these vvs's got me in that complex
page for the price of fame. When that Bugatti dropped,
my accountant stopped me for a second and said, not today,
not today, for the price of fame. For the price
of fame, what would you do to have him say
your name? It is such a shame. So if you

(43:16):
think about it, this is really the first time we
hear ya as himself all song because even in the
music video, right, the music video is even shot brilliantly.

Speaker 2 (43:26):
Because it's from the POV of the Jesus.

Speaker 1 (43:28):
Chain, Like they even put like the kind of diamond
glare filter over the video, and you literally get the
experience of somebody like you see life through the Jesus
Peace chain. So we don't even see ya towards the
end of the music video, and and and when it's
this part of the song, and I think he's pointing

(43:50):
to the exact idea he shared in this song, right,
like he used to be that rapper that needed the
fly's chain and the dopest car. So he asks for
the price of fame, what are you willing to pay?
And that ain't just monetary. He reveals that the amount
he's spent on his chain got him something he always wanted, right,

(44:11):
a feature in Complex magazine. Because if he wasn't wearing
his diamonds, would they have bothered to feature him. But
because he looks like he got money, and he looks
like the stereotypical rapper, like he's successful, it probably looked
a little better, right, just more esthetically pleasing to have
him included. Again, this is what you gotta think about

(44:33):
as an artist.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
Are you just.

Speaker 1 (44:35):
Trying to fit in with rap and satisfy the corporation
or are you trying to represent hip hop and reflect
and say, you know what, I don't need the chain.
My purpose and my gifts will make room for where
I'm supposed to be. Will you lose yourself for them
to say your name or will you maintain integrity and

(44:57):
they'll learn to say your name? That is the difference
between rap and hip hop. When when you hear me
speak so passionately about that, that is what I mean.
I that is why I just can't stand when people
get these platforms and they say, oh, so so and so,
how are you so impactful of.

Speaker 2 (45:18):
For hip hop?

Speaker 1 (45:20):
Are they really hip hop though? Because they got a
few hit records, because they can rock at Jesus peace, chain,
don't get it twisted and and and and that's why again,
I'm so like passionate about this platform to to really
display that difference. Like if if a lot of these
folks can walk around acting like there's no difference between

(45:42):
rap and hip hop, but that's cool. If you hip
to the games, you'll you'll get to understand that difference
if you tapped in and and and obviously, right, there's
people that's been tapped in long before I was even born, Right,
I'm just carry in their torch. So again, that's the
difference between hip hop and rap. Are are you doing
this to satisfy the corporation? And those guys in the
suits and ties that took hip hop and found a

(46:05):
way to that they could make money off it. That's
what the genre of rap is. But it's always been
don't ever get it twisted. It's always been about hip hop.
Don't ever blame rap. Don't ever blame what those guys
in the suits and ties do with rap. Don't ever
blame the outcome of that on hip hop, the negativity

(46:28):
that comes with rap that wasn't even supposed to be
what we was about. I'm getting off course here a
little bit. I got a little passionate, but that, to me,
that is the difference. And while they establishes that, just
like I said in the intro, he challenged the status
quo and is really making rappers at the especially in
twenty thirteen. And this is a timeless song, so we

(46:50):
can still reach rappers in a way that challenges them
and helps them see the difference between rap and hip
hop and really aide, if you gonna pick the rap side, cool,
you know, get your money. It's fair, but it ain't.
It ain't integral, it ain't honest, it ain't you know,
I don't respect that as much. That's the difference between

(47:14):
hip hop and rap. And after that outro that brings
us to the end of the breakdown of Golden Salvation
by Whilah. This song has many layers to it. There's
the obvious one, you know, why rock at Jesus peace
if you don't care.

Speaker 2 (47:29):
To know Jesus' peace?

Speaker 1 (47:31):
But then there are even more right like evaluate your values,
you know, Like I was just saying.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
What do you make music for? Who do you make
music for?

Speaker 1 (47:41):
Do you express your love for God genuinely?

Speaker 2 (47:43):
Or is it all for show?

Speaker 1 (47:45):
Are you in this for impact or you in this
for the money, whether that's music preaching whatever it is, Like,
I love how this song has a main idea at
its core, but as you listen to it, it makes
you ponder the answers to other questions as well. And
then obviously there's the nerdy stuff that we like. Right.
Wilee has so many ntendres and punchlines and displays of

(48:08):
elite wordplay that I certainly hope reminded you or introduced
you to his genius as an MC. Even the title
of this song makes so much sense now, right, Golden
Salvation instead of the golden calf Right rappers turned it
into a gold chain. They look for salvation in everything,

(48:29):
but the actual source of salvation due to impatience, so
it ain't just a chain. It's quite literally golden salvation.
I look for this to be my savior.

Speaker 2 (48:41):
Wow.

Speaker 1 (48:41):
Man, that that's that's that's deep to think about. As always,
I hope this breakdown educated you and and challenged you
all at the same time. I hope it was fun,
you know, whether it challenged you as a human being
or an inspiring artist, I hope it reminded.

Speaker 2 (48:59):
You to check your mo check your values.

Speaker 1 (49:01):
Maybe you're like me and it even just checked you
as if to say, yeah, you should probably get back
in your Bible.

Speaker 2 (49:07):
Kid.

Speaker 1 (49:08):
You know, if you're watching on YouTube, please do me
a favor and comment what you learned or what stood
out to you about this song or even while himself,
I would love to hear it, and as always, I
hope you give this song a listen, whether it's the
first time or the a million time. I appreciate you
giving me of all people that listen and taking the
time out your day to hear some of my thoughts

(49:29):
on hip hop's finest work. Once again, I appreciate you
bearing with me as I'm recovering from my illness. You know,
like I said, sounding a lot more like Lil Wayne
slash Humpty hup, but I think we made it through.
I encourage you to share any thoughts with me as
I'm always around for further discussion on Twitter or ig
at Desmon Power Underscore. If you want to talk some more,

(49:51):
always leave that door open. Here's to another reflection of
the god gifted brilliance of hip hop's past slash present.
Shout out to the amazing, amazing Willet for challenging the
status quo and not being afraid to stand up to
rap in the effort to represent hip hop the way
it's supposed.

Speaker 2 (50:11):
To be represented.

Speaker 1 (50:12):
And of course, here's a huge shout out to you
for being hip to the games, and I thank you
so much for sticking around for another episode. All for
the love of the best combo there is peace out
and God bless hope you enjoyed this episode of Hip
to the Games and if you enjoyed this episode, be
sure to hit up the socials at Desmond Power, Underscore

(50:33):
and at Hip to the Games on Instagram, Twitter, and
TikTok so you don't miss out on the fund and
please follow or subscribe to the show and leave a
review on the podcast platform. You're all right now as
your support, it's greatly to appreciated.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Song Breakdown #20: "Golden Salvation" by Wale

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Stuff You Should Know

Dateline NBC

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

All Episodes

Song Breakdown #20: "Golden Salvation" by Wale

Stuff You Should Know