Help translate

[tzina772000]

I have to translate the following song but there are some parts that I don't understand. Can someone explain this in normal English (of the type a foreigner would know and understand ), the dark parts are the ones I completely don't understand. And something else rap music doesn't follow at all grammatical rules???


Hehehe Yeah b,
Talk yo **** heheh (partner let me upgrade you)
How you gon' upgrade me
What's higher than number 1
you know I used to beat that block
Now I be's the block (partner let me upgrade you)

[verse 1:]
I hear you be the block
But I'm the lights that keep the streets on
Notice you the type that like to keep them on a (???????you are the type????)
Leash though
I'm known to walk alone
But I'm alone for a reason
Sending me a drink ain't appeasing
Believe me
Come harder this wont be easy
Don't doubt yourself trust me you need me
This ain't a shoulder with a chip or an ego
But what you think they all mad at me for

[bridge:]
You need a real woman in your life
That's a good look
Taking care, home is still fly
That's a good look
Imma help you build up your account
Thats a good look
Better yet a hood look,
Ladies thats a good look
When you're in them big meetings for the mills
Thats a good look
It take me just to compliment the deal
Thats a good look
Anything you cop I'll split the bill (cop==buy????)
Thats a good look
Better yet a hood look
Believe me
Ladies thats a good look

[chorus:]
Partner Let me upgrade you
Audemars Piguet you
Switch your neck ties to purple labels
Upgrade you
I can (up), can I (up)
Lemme upgrade you
Partner let me upgrade you
Partner let me upgrade you
Flip a new page
Introduce you to some new things &
Upgrade you
I can (up),
Can I (up), let me
Upgrade you
(partner let me upgrade you)

[verse 2:]
I can do for you what Martin did for the people
Ran by the men but the women keep the tempo
It's very seldom that you're blessed to find your equal
Still play my part and let you take the lead role
Believe me
I'll follow this could be easy
I'll be the help whenever you need me
I see you hustle wit my hustle I
Can keep you
Focused on yo focus I can feed you

[bridge:]
You need a real woman in your life
That's a good look
Taking care
Home is still fly
Thats a good look
Ima help you build up your account
Thats a good look
Better yet a hood look
Ladies thats a good look

When you're in the big meetings for the mills
That's a good look
It take me just to compliment the deal
That's a good look
Anything you cop I'll split the bill
That's a good look
Better yet a hood look
Ladies that's a good look

[chorus:]
Partner let me upgrade you
Audemars Piguet you
Switch your neck tie to purple labels
(Have you rocking purple labels!)
Upgrade you
I can (up), can I (up), let me
Upgrade you (partner let me upgrade you)
Let me upgrade you
Flip a new page
Introduce you to some new things
Upgrade you
I can (up), can I (up), let me
Upgrade you (partner let me upgrade you)

[Jay-Z:]
(Uh HOV, Uh, HOV, uh huh huh!)
I B the d-boy who infiltrated all the corporate dudes
They call shots, I call audibles
Jacob the jeweler, baubles, Lauraine Schwartz sorta dude
It's big balling baby when I'm courting you
I'm talking spy bags and fly pads and rooms at the Bloomberg
And rumors you on the verge of a new merge
'Cause that rock on ya finger is like a tumor
You can't put ya hand in ya new purse
It's humorous to me they watching
We just yachting off the island hopping off
Amalfi coast
Mafioso, oh baby you ever seen Saturn
No, not the car but everywhere we are
You sure to see stars.
This is high level not eye level,
My bezzle courtesy of Audemars
I order yours tomorrow now look how much I saved you
Mama let me upgrade you

[hook:]
Just when you think we had it all
Big ends, condos, collecting cars
Picture your life elevating with me
You my project celebrity
I keep your name hot in them streets
That little glimpse of light
Makes that diamond really shine
And you already is a star
Unless your flawless
Then ya dynasty ain't complete without a chief like me
Partner let me upgrade you
Audemars Piguet you
You switch your neckties to purple labels
Upgrade you
I can up
Can I up
Lemme upgrade you
Partner let me upgrade you
Partner let me upgrade you
Flip a new page
Introduce you to some new things
And upgrade you
I can up
Can I up?
Lemme upgrade you
Partner lemme upgrade you

[Outro:]
Audemars Piguet watch
Dimples in ya necktie
Hermes briefcase
Cartier top clips
Silk lined blazers
Diamond creamed facials
VVS cuff links
6 star pent suites (pent is short for???)

Partna let me upgrade ya grade ya
Partna partna let me upgrade ya grade ya
Let me let me let me upgrade ya grade ya
Partna partna partna let me upgrade ya (huh...)

[F A B Scott]

You are right - Rap music doesn't bother with grammar at all I reckon.....or spelling.

To upgrade someone is to make them a better person.[supposedly!] [I think there was a song by Beyonce called Upgrade You]
So: How you gon' upgrade me would mean: how are you going to make me a better person or improve my life.

number one = yourself
beat the block
beat can mean rob & the block can mean the place drugs are sold illegally.

now I be's the block ~ now I am the drug dealer...

imma = I am or I will.

Anything you cop I'll split the bill
cop = get possession of [could be buy or steal or be given]
split the bill = share the cost of.

6 star pent suites (pent is short for???) Penthouse

I think the above is right but I could be wrong I guess.
The rest of it is somewhat of a mystery to me too and I speak only English.

I hope that has helped even if only slightrly....


ps;I hate rap.

[tzina772000]

If you cannot understand it, how can we poor things????

And I can see why you hate it

Thanks

[psiquis]

How you gon' upgrade me--How are u going to make me better
What's higher than number 1-- Meaning he's number 1, so who can be higher than him.
you know I used to beat that block--He used to get always stand in the corner of his neighborhood trying to get money because he was a drug dealer.
Now I be's the block (partner let me upgrade you)--Basically he's trying to say he owns the neighborhood, he has so much money he can buy it if he wants to



That's a good look-- Having her next to him will make him look good
Taking care, home is still fly--Even though they got money she would still fix up her house herself
That's a good look
Imma help you build up your account---SHe's going to help him put alot of money into his bank account




Anything you cop I'll split the bill -- Anything he buys they will go half and half on the bill




Audemars Piguet you-- Audemars Piguet is a very exclusive designer of clothing and Jewelry, so she will dress him up in all of Audemar Piguet clothing





Focused on yo focus I can feed you--- She's really into what his plans and goals are, so she will motivate him in whatever he does





I B the d-boy who infiltrated all the corporate dudes---Basically he took over all the corporate, business peoples jobs
They call shots, I call audibles--the business people used to tell him what to do but he now tells others what to do
Jacob the jeweler, baubles, Lauraine Schwartz sorta dude--Those are fashion designers, so he like them now
It's big balling baby when I'm courting you-- when he takes his girlfriend out he takes he to the most exclsive places
I'm talking spy bags and fly pads and rooms at the Bloomberg---they have the nicest houses and go to the best hotels
And rumors you on the verge of a new merge--i really don't know what this means
My bezzle courtesy of Audemars-- The watch and jewelery he has on is from Audemar Piguet
6 star pent suites---they own 6star penhouses.





I hope this helped i think this is about right. Rappers talk in slang so it's hard to understand unless you came from the same state they're from

[tzina772000]

psiquis, yes it was really helpful. I knew that about rappers, that's why I asked. We learn normally British English, so you can immagine what we do understand and what we don't

[Lothwen]

I understand what you mean tzina772000!! I am American, but those lyrics didn't even look like English to me...I know absolutely no slang...at least American slang I don't.

"And rumors you on the verge of a new merge"--I don't know what this means either. Although a merge is combining...and verge means to be on the edge of...Maybe it has something to do with starting to date someone?

"And something else rap music doesn't follow at all grammatical rules???"

Apparently not...haha

-Letty

[blackmage72]

ok well as I am from New York, and this song is my all time favorite. imma have 2 school ya'll on some street slang. That means that I am breakin it down for ya'll. If you dont understand the last sentence then u need to read this.

How you gon' upgrade me
What's higher than number 1
you know I used to beat that block
Now I be's the block (partner let me upgrade you)=

Jay-Z is speaking of his success as a rapper, and entrepeneur. He states that he cannot be upgraded (as in with fancy clothes, cars, and a good looking girlfriend (Beyonce)). "I used to beat the block" means that he used to have to work very hard (wheher or not it was an illicit duty is up to the listener)

I hear you be the block

This is referring to verse before saying that she knows that Jay Z beleives that he is at perfection, but then she goes on to sing that she can do some more work.

That's a good look
Taking care, home is still fly
That's a good look
Imma help you build up your account
Thats a good look

Thats a good look is simply a line meaning that he looks good with the treatment she is giving him. Taking care etc. means that he has to work to look that good. Imma build up your account means that she will buy him whatever he needs to gain the desired social and pphysical status

Anything you cop I'll split the bill

Yes in much of the U.S. cop does mean buy. Its simple just replace the word buy and introduce the correct conjugation of cop (as if it were a regular verb).
e.g. I bought those sneakers last week = Yo I copped them kicks last week. It takes practice to decipher, lol.

Audemars Piguet you

A refference to the high-end Audemars fashion line

Focused on yo focus I can feed you

As long as your focused and keep up your performance, I can provide you with all u need.

I B the d-boy who infiltrated all the corporate dudes
They call shots, I call audibles
Jacob the jeweler, baubles, Lauraine Schwartz sorta dude

The first lone refers to Jay-z's succesful integration from rap into industry (with creating a fashion line, running a record label, and other assets) The second line refers to him once being a peon, but now is a boss himself. The third line refers to his fancies for high end jewelry and fashion (from those desigerns, tho i am sure there are many more)

I'm talking spy bags and fly pads and rooms at the Bloomberg
And rumors you on the verge of a new merge

This is a line to explain his wealth. however the rumors line refers that Beyonce is about to merge herself with Jay-Z (i.e. marriage. the two have been dating for a while)

My bezzle courtesy of Audemars

replace "bezzle" with the word jewelry and the sentece shouldmake sens on its own.

6 star pent suites

These are incredibly rare and luxurious penthouses, and there are only a handful in the world. The Crown Macau in China is among them.

Well i hope this translation helped you all a bit. Rap differs from State to State in the U.S. So ur lucky i stumbled upon some rap from New York City, since Rap from the Southern Staes utilize an entirely different lexicon. anyways Peac3!

[Lothwen]

Thanks!

-Letty

[tzina772000]

Thanks blackmage72. I already knew that rap words change from state to state. Thanks a lot

[roby]

wow,congrats!
I agree with you all, slang changes from state to state and from country to country all over the world, and I agree with tzina too,I am Italian, I do speak English too but some lyrics are too hard to understand!

thanks for all your explanations English native speakers!!! :-)