Immortal by J. Cole Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Veil of Street Eternity
Lyrics
Now I was barely seventeen with a pocket full of hope
Screamin’, dollar and a dream with my closet lookin’ broke
And my nigga’s lookin’ clean, gettin’ caught up with that dope
Have you ever served a fiend with a pocket full of soap?
Nigga I can tell you things that you probably shouldn’t know
Have you ever heard the screams when the body hit the floor?
Flashbacks to the pain, wakin’ up, cold sweats
Six o’clock in the mornin’, gotta hit the BoFlex
Get my weight up on the block, keep watch for the cops
God they love to serve a nigga three hots and a cot
Nowadays crime pays like a part time job
And the drought got me prayin’ for a car time vibe
Summer Rain come again
Numb the pain ’cause it’s hard for a felon
In my mind I been cryin’, know it’s wrong but I’m sellin’
Eyes wellin’ up with tears
Thinkin’ ’bout my niggas dead in the dirt
Immortalized on this shirt
Real niggas don’t die
Form with the plot
One-Seven-Forty-Five
Form at the plot
Real niggas don’t die
Form on the plot
Hood niggas don’t lie
Form on the plot
My niggas don’t die
Form on the plot
Real niggas don’t die
Form on the plot
Real niggas don’t die
Real niggas don’t die
Have you ever seen a fiend cook crack on the spoon?
Have you ever seen a nigga that was black on the moon?
Have you ever seen your brother go to prison as you cried?
Have you ever seen a motherfuckin’ ribbon in the sky?
Nope, all I see is that C.R.E.A.M nigga, that green
I’m a black king, black jeans on my black queen
And her ass fat, too fat for a flat screen
I’m the type of nigga make the whole fuckin’ trap lean
Kingpin nigga, put wings on a crack fiend
If they want a nigga, they gon’ have to send a SWAT team
And I’m goin’ out like Scarface in his last scene
A legend, what that mean?
Real niggas don’t die
Form with the plot
One-Seven-Forty-Five
Form at the plot
Real niggas don’t die
Form on the plot
Hood niggas don’t lie
Form on the plot
My niggas don’t die
Form on the plot
Real niggas don’t die
Form on the plot
Real niggas don’t die
Real niggas don’t die
To die a young legend or live a long life unfulfilled
‘Cause you wanna change the world
But while alive you never will
‘Cause they only feel you after you gone, or I’ve been told
And now I’m caught between bein’ heard and gettin’ old
Damn, death creepin’ in my thoughts lately
My one wish in this bitch make it quick if the Lord take me
I know nobody meant to live forever anyway
And so I hustle like my niggas in Virgini-A
They tellin’ niggas sell dope, rap or go to NBA, in that order
It’s that sort of thinkin’ that been keepin’ niggas chained
At the bottom and hanged
The strangest fruit that you ever seen, ripe with pain
Listen
J. Cole’s ‘Immortal’ is a lyrical labyrinth, a significant contribution to the lexicon of hip-hop storytelling that ventures deep into the heart of urban survival, systemic oppression, and the daunting quest for legacy. Belonging to his critically acclaimed album ‘4 Your Eyez Only,’ ‘Immortal’ manifests as a solemn narration laced with Cole’s visceral introspection on life and an unyielding glimpse into the cyclical nature of poverty-induced crime.
But this is not just another rap ballad preaching from the mountaintops of commercial beats; this is a raw, poignant, and powerful narrative that echoes with the voices of many who have walked the tightrope between life and crime, confronted by the specter of mortality. As we dissect Cole’s verses, there is a burgeoning sense of grim reality, and yet a flicker of hope, revealing the duality of a life on the streets, where resilience emerges as an unforeseen form of immortality.
Struggle Embodied in Verse: The Prelude of Poverty
Opening with a candid retrospection, ‘Immortal’ pitches us into the adolescence of a hopeful dreamer, pockets lined with little more than aspiration. J. Cole’s narrative dexterity blooms as he paints a scene where ambitions are juxtaposed with the starkness of an impoverished life — a narrative thread common in the rap genre, but unraveled with Cole’s unique poetic clarity.
This reality is contrasted with the elegance of his companions, seemingly unscathed by economic hardship, possibly due to their dealings with ‘dope.’ The gritty, visceral imagery of dealing drugs is not just a recount of past actions; it becomes a gateway for listeners to feel the tangible weight of choices made in the desperation that poverty often demands.
The Cycle of Pain: Street Life and Suffering
In the whirlwind of survival, Cole introduces us to the vicious cycle of street life: the perpetual motion machine that grinds flesh and spirit, where serving a ‘fiend’ is less a choice than a lifeline thrown into tumultuous seas. The violent images of ‘screams when the body hit the floor’ and the ‘wakin’ up, cold sweats,’ unveil the psychological toll exacted by a lifestyle marred by violence and fear.
J. Cole uses his art to give us a passenger’s view of this relentless journey — the strain of keeping watch, the weariness in every hustle, and the inevitability of the system’s grip, rendered through the metaphor of ‘three hots and a cot,’ reflecting a life in bondage whether on the streets or behind bars.
An Elusive Serenity: The Haunting Refrain of ‘Real Niggas Don’t Die’
The chorus’ repetition, ‘Real niggas don’t die,’ serves as a haunting refrain, etching into our psyche an understanding of a different kind of immortality — not the glorified, eternal life of legends, but an immortality grounded in the persistence of the human spirit, of stories and struggles that live on despite physical demise.
‘Form on the plot’ underlines the solidarity of those left behind, gathering where the fallen once stood, and becomes a call of defiance against the narrative that inner-city lives are disposable. In a society that often turns a blind eye to their plight, these ‘immortal’ figures defy oblivion through memory and collective survival.
The Hidden Meaning: Legacy, Longevity, and the Harsh Reality
As ‘Immortal’ unfolds, Cole explores a deeply embedded societal paradox: the desire to change the world versus the stark choice offered to many — sell drugs, rap, or aim for the NBA. He exposes the clichéd life-scripts handed down to the black youth, channeling a systemic critique that baits the trap of poverty and prevents true escape.
In this tightly woven narrative, the audience encounters a philosophical depth where our own confrontation with mortality is concerned. J. Cole cleverly weaves the hunger for legacy with the dread of becoming inconsequential, a dread magnified by the specter of an early, violent death that looms over many who share his background.
Memorable Lyrical Landmarks: ‘The Strangest Fruit’
Amongst the song’s most striking lyrical moments is the evocative image of ‘The strangest fruit that you ever seen, ripe with pain.’ Here, Cole draws a historical parallel with Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit,’ a powerful anthem protesting American racism, particularly the lynching of African Americans. It is a sobering reminder of historical struggles for identity and recognition that are still relevant today.
Such lines resonate long after the track ends, as they are designed not merely to recollect a past narrative, but to stir the expectations of a future in which the narrative must change. Through his music, J. Cole becomes both historian and prophet, cataloging the pains of his predecessors and detailing hopes for a new, more just chapter.
