Clear - Intellectual

In his position, the world is for the taking. He can purchase almost anything he wants, he doesn’t need to make reservations. Similarly, if he isn’t given the opportunity, he will take it.

This is a sample from A New Life by Jim James
sampled part at 0:35
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=RvyB-kAfIt4&feature=kp

By O’s he means Zeros. His bank account is blowing up and he’s making a lot more money than before. People with a lot of money spend a lot. To buy a vowel is a reference to a U.S game show Wheel of Fortune A vowel cost $250 each which is a lot of money to an average American. But he doesn’t care, Dumbfoundead is ballin'. He’s adding vowels/zeros to his bank account and is spending just as much.

His music is first class material, and he is supposedly climbing up the Hip-Hop ladder with it. He promises little, but delivers a lot.

First class is more comfortable, with seats that stretch backwards. Meals and champagne constitute the “extra shit” that DFD didn’t know they had

Refers to No Limits Records, a label started by Master P that operated from 1990 to 2003.

No Limits Records had a well known lineup of rappers, including:

To him, school doesn’t get one ready for life. He believes that instead of giving students unnecessary skills, schools should teach students how to get a healthy career and earn a healthy pay.

He’s saying he used to wear fake “brand named” clothing. They were bootlegged, bought from Chinatown a place with lots of imitations, swap-meets or simply clothes he got from friends. But it has all changed.

People will hate you when you have a high status, and many will try to knock you down in any way possible.

Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist who has written various books. One was called ‘The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference’.
In this case, the tipping point is Dumbfoundead.

GPA = Grade Point Average.

Dumb plays down the importance of making good grades in school don’t matter when you’re making money out of arts like music.

DOUBLE ENTENDRE:

While others lack the tenacity to write their own future, he’s writing lyrics that’ll earn him enough money to buy himself diamonds.
“Set in stone” is an expression for when things are a certainty. Since he is inscribing his future on a diamond, (which is the hardest thing on the Mohs Scale) it’s even more certain that he will achieve his goals.

This sets up the second verse, as he describes the future that he wants as if he has already achieved it all.

Many places and items and graded out of 5 stars, like restaurants, 5 stars is the best you can do and dumbfounded has all the critics talking about him because of how good he is

Word play. A firehouse/fire department would have a lot of hoses used to put out fires and such. But Dumbfoundead has much more, WAY MORE and he’s talking about the human kind.

DFD is lost within his fantasy, zoning out. This is a reference to another one of his tracks: Zonin'

DFD wants to set the record straight. This goes along with the fact that an intro track sets the mood for the rest of the album.

Johnny Manziel was the first freshman to win the Heisman trophy, signifying that he is outstanding in the field.
Dumbfoundead’s name is Johnathon, so the comparison comes naturally. They are both relatively new to their respective games, but are very skilled at them.

He’s not looking back anymore. He has a New and improved life. He’s storing everything from the past that brought him down. “old shit” is up for interpretation. Can be anything he doesn’t need anymore.

In pursuit of his dream DFD is very dedicated to music, which involves massive amounts of touring to promote & gain fans, as well as to make a living.

Most musicians make a majority of their money by touring and selling merchandise. Often most of the money they gain in signing deals goes back into recording costs, video shoots and promotion.

You should stop talking and start doing. Macallan is a luxury whiskey brand founded in 1824 and only sells aged whiskey.

Wordplay again.
He is wearing 24 karat necklaces/chains and watches.
On the other hand, a rabbit that had 24 carrots would be quite happy.

He had dreams of being famous and starring on the talk show, Conan.

He dreamt of this life in his sleep, but he had also aspired to be famous in reality.

To look dapper is to look clean, neat, fly, etc. He’s reached such status that he can now buy good expensive clothes that he likes. No more dickies, plain shirts, or anything that might get him patted down by the cops. He doesn’t look burnt anymore. He made it, and he has a New Life. Get it Clear. Hence the song title.

He believes that people care more about what you are going to achieve in the future, and how you are going to achieve it in the present. What you did in the past is somewhat irrelevant.

Life is too good when you have money to get what you always wanted. Dfd used to be like this.

Now he is like this.

Everyone at one stage at their lives had to fiddle around with the antenna to get the TV to get a good signal. Dfd doesn’t have to do that anymore.

Dumbdoundead’s lifestyle is changing towards that of a movie star; entire streets watch him as he moves – as if he featured in a film at a drive-in theatre.

He has recently been disturbing his neighbors, having crazy naked sex with his new girl from the last line. Now the neighbors know his name.
http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=E98IYokujSY