ISIS by JOYNER LUCAS Lyrics Meaning – Decoding Rap’s Complex Commentary on Society and Self
Lyrics
Is a mental disorder that affects an individual’s ability to focus
Causing them to move around more frequently
They may also have trouble controlling their impulsive behaviors
One time for them prayin’ on my downfall (Yeah)
Two times for the homies in the chow hall (Whoa)
Three times for them hoes on the internet
Shittin’ on niggas when they really should get out more
Four times for the days I would hold back (Woo!)
Five times for the bitches who ain’t called back (Yeah)
Six times for the kids like me who got ADHD just to (Brap, brap, brap)
Kidnap a nigga like ISIS (Whoa)
Turn a whole world to a crisis (Whoa)
Walk around the city with a ice pick
I been paranoid, usually, I ain’t like this (Boop, boop)
Ain’t no tellin’ how crazy I might get, uh (Woo!)
Beat the police with a nightstick (Boop)
And my whole life, I been lifeless
Now I’m so fly, I’m a motherfuckin’ flight risk (Woo! Whoa)
Fuck a couple hoes ’til I pass out (Whoa)
Niggas throwin’ stones at my glass house (Whoa)
I remember sleepin’ on my dad’s couch (Whoa)
Now I got the Bentley, and it’s blacked out (Whoa)
Family lookin’ at me like a cash cow (Whoa)
Errybody dissin’ just to have clout (Whoa)
Thought you had a chance, now you assed out
Nigga, I’m the motherfuckin’ man, where you at now? (Whoa)
Fuck it, I’ma hit ’em ’til they jumpin’
I ain’t trippin’, this is nothin’ (Brap, brap, brap)
I been livin’ in the dungeon
I done held a couple grudges
Went to hell and got abducted, meet the devil
I’m his cousin, I ain’t settlin’ for nothin’ (Brap, brap, brap)
Got a metal in the truck, I keep a semi when I’m bussin’
Niggas duckin’ (Bop)
Even Stevie Wonder couldn’t see it comin’ (Brrrap, brap, bop)
I ain’t judgin’, I just want the money, I don’t need a budget
I been hungry, I ain’t got no oven (Bop, bop, brrrap, brap)
But I got the munchies, nigga
How you gon’ move on the front line? (Woo!)
If I don’t fuck with you, I just cut ties (Whoa)
My high school teacher said I’d never be shit
Tell that bitch that I turned out just fine (Joyner)
And no, I don’t know you for the twelfth time (Woo!)
We do not share the same bloodline (No)
You love to run your mouth like a tough guy
Hope you keep the same energy when it’s crunch time (Woo!)
According to the American Psychiatric Association
It affects roughly eight percent of children
And two percent of adults
Commonly believed to only affect boys
Because they are perceived as rowdy and rambunctious
One time for them prayin’ on my downfall (Yeah)
Two times for them bitches in the South Shore (Whoa)
Three times for them days on the block
Gettin’ chased by the cops like a motherfuckin’ outlaw
Four times for them days that were all bad (Woo!)
Five times for the bitches who ain’t called back (Yeah)
Six times for the kids like me who got ADHD just to (Brap, brap, brap)
Me and Joyner need a couple hearses (Woo!)
Double homicide, kill the beat and the verses
Everybody livin’ on the surface
But we came from the underground, yeah, we deserve it
What’s beef?
Beef is when you murder motherfuckers on a beat, kill ’em all, kill ’em all
Nah, nah, what’s beef?
Beef is brothers dyin’ over shit that never mattered in the first place, lyin’ in the street
What’s peace?
Peace is when you leave it in the past, let it heal like a cast
When enough time pass, and you blast
Kinda like John Wick, bars like a convict
Fuck around and you don’t wanna start shit, woo
Comin’ with the hot shit, all they do is talk shit
You could never top it, boy, just stop, stop it
High and drunk, call that HD vision
All these other motherfuckers full of indecision
And I murder with precision all over your television
I’m numero uno, number one and you is just a subdivision
Never listen, we gon’ leave them missin’
That’s the mission like ISIS (ISIS)
Ain’t no time to bicker over who the nicest
It’s Logic, it’s obvious, just ask the audience
I’ve come to body this shit (Body this shit)
Yes, it’s egregious, I’m Regis
You Kelly, you pussy, you pussy
Don’t push me, I’m Louis Vuitton
You at Target with your mom
On the internet still hatin’ on my last post (I hate this nigga)
I just sent a steak back at Mastro’s, my god
Me and Joyner need a couple hearses (Woo!)
Double homicide, kill the beat and the verses
Everybody livin’ on the surface
But we came from the underground, yeah, we deserve it
Yeah, uh, far from the minimum, killin’ ’em with no Ritalin
And 5’9″ was the middleman to get ’em in the same room
Now we on the same tune, and we still the gang-dum
The illest of lyricists on the same shit
Rattpack, clap back on the gang shit
Do it for the love of rap, not for the fame shit, woo
One time for the Grammy that I never got
Two times for the Garden that I sold out
Three times for the street crimes that I committed
Yeah, I did it, but thank God that I made it out
Four times ’cause I’m a fuckin’ bastard
Five times Platinum with my last shit
Six times for the beats and the rhymes
Fuck the heat and the crime
Keep the peace like a waistline, woo
ISIS, ISIS, ISIS, ISIS, ISIS
ISIS, ISIS, ISIS, ISIS, ISIS
ISIS, ISIS, ISIS, ISIS, ISIS
ISIS, ISIS, ISIS
In a genre where grit meets lyrical gymnastics, Joyner Lucas’s song ‘ISIS’ presents itself as a convoluted narrative packed with hard-hitting dictions and tempo-tight beats. At its veneer, the track may seem like an amalgamation of bravado and rhythmic aggression, but a closer dissection reveals an intricate play of themes ranging from mental disorders to societal critiques.
Through the clever weaving of autobiographical strands and broader reflections on success and struggle, Joyner Lucas alongside featured artist Logic, broach the topic of ADHD and beyond, serving not just bars but a platter of food for thought to a voracious audience hungry for more than a catchy hook.
The ADHD Metaphor – More Than a Buzzword
The introductory lines of ‘ISIS’ resonate as Joyner Lucas voices an acknowledgment of ADHD, a mental health condition often misunderstood and stigmatized. Far from using it as a throwaway term, Lucas embraces it, deftly using the hyperactivity and impulsiveness associated with the disorder to symbolize his unbridled energy in the rap game.
In a broader sense, the opening verse stabilizes ADHD as a metaphor for the hustles of life, where constant motion and distractions are akin to the hustle flow of survival and success. The song’s very title, ‘ISIS’, a term fraught with violence and upheaval, ironically juxtaposes the internal and external battles individuals face, mirroring a society in crisis paralleled with personal demons.
Critique of Internet Culture and the Price of Fame
Joyner Lucas does not hold back in his scrutiny of the superficiality that pervades internet culture and how it applies pressure on individuals. Lines like ‘Three times for them hoes on the internet / Shittin’ on niggas when they really should get out more’ explicitly call out the ironic detachment within the digital sphere where judgments and insults are lobbed blithely behind screens.
The ascent to fame is depicted with a stark lens in ‘ISIS’, as Lucas transitions from memories of a stifling reality—sleeping on a couch, living in a figurative dungeon—to his contemporary trappings of success symbolized by “the Bentley”. However, this fame is a double-edged sword, transforming him into a ‘cash cow’ in the eyes of others and exposing him to a different set of challenges.
The Hidden Meanings – Unraveling the Veil of Complexity
Beneath the surface of fast flows and charged delivery, ‘ISIS’ harbors deep contemplations on life’s philosophies. Joyner’s ‘ISIS’ alludes not just to a politically charged entity but to internal and societal chaos. The song becomes a canvas where he paints a picture of the human psyche grappling with inner conflict, external perceptions, and the pursuit of self-affirmation.
Logic’s verse further augments this theme by rejecting superficial beefs that plague the hip hop community and endorsing peace through maturity and time. Both artists, through this collaborative effort, dismantle the ‘gangster’ motif often misrepresented by media and used as a brandish tool to define rap culture.
Memorable Lines and Lyrical Fire
The tenacity with which Joyner delivers ‘One time for them prayin’ on my downfall’ stands out as a testament to his endurance against adversity, while ‘I’ve come to body this shit’ rapped by Logic in a succinct finish line, captures the essence of their determination to excel against all odds.
The wordplay and metaphors are as unyielding as they are varied, making every bar a potential caption for life’s relentless duel with expectations and self-identity. In this way, ‘ISIS’ becomes an anthem of resilience and confronts the traditional narratives associated with achievement and reputation.
A Reflection of Modern Anxiety and Aspiration
Throughout ‘ISIS’, the rappers offer a mirror unto society, one that reflects the anxieties of modern life wrought by fame, history, and digital overexposure. The omnipresent nature of social media, the haunting of past misdemeanors, and the journey from rags to riches all lead to a convoluted sense of self presented in the track.
As Joyner and Logic trade verses, these complex dimensions form an intricate web of issues relevant to contemporary discourse — mental health, authenticity in artistry, and the pursuit of individualism in a collective world. ‘ISIS’ hence stands as a microcosm of modern-day perceptions, both celebrated and indicted in its honesty and raw approach to storytelling.
