Hard - Intellectual

Rikers Island is New York City’s main jail complex, where Lil Wayne famously served his one year sentence in 2010. LA’s bars are as hard as the prison’s.

Continuing the jail subject, this is also reference to the HBO tv show — The Oz, which ran from 1997 to 2003. The series followed inmates incarcerated at a maximum security prison.

Tying in with the previous lines, Paul Cain again alludes to a Kanye featured track, Jay Z’s “Run This Town”.

A reference to two Kanye West songs — Put On and Amazing.

A reference to the “9/11” incident. The attacks killed almost 3,000 people and caused at least $10 billion in property and infrastructure damage. Two of those planes were crashed into the “twin towers”, of the World Trade Center complex in New York City. That’s the damage Loso wants to do to your girl.

Also, the “luggy” part refers to luggage, as the planes were hijacked by terrorists.

A common line through the TINC mixtape series. The tapes are literally a funeral to all the weak rappers who can’t match Loso skills, but he and Drama are still kind enough to send flowers and cards.

Thoughtful huh?

“Tuna roll” is a type of Sushi (Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice, combined with other ingredients , seafood, vegetables and sometimes tropical fruits).

John Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, he was part of an American blues and rhythm and blues revivalist band “The Blues Brothers”, he and his partner always wore shades through their performances. The band later starred in a movie with the same name.

Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback. During his career at the NFL he set numerous records, including most career touchdown passes, most career passing yards, most career pass completions etc.

One of his nicknames is “The Gunslinger” due to his throwing ability. LA has the same aim and power of Brett with this gun, so he’ll shoot you and still won’t go to jail.

Further, the beat the charge line can also be connected to football, since it’s a very violent sport.

Like the beat, this hook is taken from the Jeezy assisted Rihanna track “Hard”, although slightly appropriated and reworked to better suit the song.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=Xcwd_Nz6Zog#t=64

This song like Rihanna’s, is all about strength, power and dominance over the competition, making it known that when you go hard you’re the best at what you do.

A reference to the Medellín Carter which smuggled originating in the city of Medellín, Colombia. The drug cartel operated in a lot of countries and was founded by a few key people, the most famous being of course Pablo Escobar.

During its “golden years”, the Cartel brought in at least $420,000,000 in a week and supplied at least 84%-90% of the United States and 80% of the World wide cocaine market.

In relation to the previous line, L.A made it out of the hood by selling drugs and has a organization as successful as the Cartel.

The ever unlimited black card.

Continuing the previous lines with sports references, odds are used in sports to predict which teams have the best chance at winning games/championships.

It’s very unlikely to see afro-american men coming of poor environments and succeed at something, so he’s going against those odds and to celebrate it he wears all black clothes and drives all black cars, which he bought with his American Express Centurion Card a.k.a the Black Card.

More wordplay from Loso, his chick is badder (fine as hell) than his then 2 year-old son is bad (referring to child behavior).