Cordae just dropped his most anticipated second studio album ‘From a Birds Eye View’ and everybody is, of course, talking about the new joint with Eminem. The new song is titled “Parables (Remix)” and talks about each rapper’s life so far, the mistakes, and the ups.
Cordae has been open about his love for Eminem and his music and his interest to work with Em. This landed him on a previous remix by Eminem on “Killer” with Jack Harlow. So, the new collaboration is nothing of a surprise, but more of a welcomed gift.
According to online dictionaries, a parable means “a short, simple story that teaches or explains an idea, especially a moral or religious idea.” So, it’s clear what Cordae and Eminem were going at in this remix–a three-verse, and five-minute reflection on their lives so far.
Listen to “Parables (Remix)” by Cordae & Eminem
Buy ‘From a Birds Eye View’ Album on Apple Music & Amazon
Cordae “Parables (Remix)” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Verse 1
Cordae talks about his upbringing from the trenches to the shining star he is today. He admits his past mistakes and wonders if people let bygones be bygones. On second thought, he does not care what others think. If people are going to hold his past over him now, let them carry that weight. He is busting forward and on.
My first mistake was doin’ robberies on Niken bikes
Watch my movеs and I’ma show you what a icon like
Cordae also hints about how society was designed for the downfall of people like him. It was a war between the trenches and the suburbs–he should not have stood a chance. But he made it. He might not be early to the party, but he is definitely going to crash the party for the bigger piece.
N*gga, f*ck the early bird, nigga
I’ma get this motherf*ckin’ chicken
The well-known idiom states that early bird catches the best worms, meaning that one has to be diligent in his ways to win. However, people like Cordae were dealt a bad hand from the start. So, they are late for the party. But, nonetheless, they will reap a better result in the end. IRL, Cordae has been able to make a mark in the history of music as one of the best newcomers in the rap game.
Verse 2
In the second verse, Cordae changes his tone. He talks about his life growing up. He came from poverty and hunger is more powerful than laws and morals. He admits the things he has done in the past and he is very happy to have left that life behind.
A dead end, or prison time, where we was headin’
Instead, when I got bread, broke it with brethren
Cordae knows his life was headed to a full-stop at a young age. So he is glad that he was able to change lanes.
But Cordae also says that he has been able to maintain some of the friendships he had on the streets to date. This shows that he is still grounded and has not forgotten where he came from.
Cordae also shouts out to the iconic rap duo Rae Sremmurd at the end of his verse on “Parables (Remix).”
Verse 3
Eminem jumps on the track to tell us his story–a story that he has told countless times before in his own discography. However, each time he tells a story, it has a different tone to it.
Eminem kicks start his verse by mentioning The Source magazine, with which he has had beef since the early days. The Source magazine rated Eminem at their lowest possible for ‘unknown’ reasons. The magazine also rates music with figures of mics out of five. So, much like any young rapper back in the day, all Eminem wanted was a five-mic rating from one of the biggest hip hop magazines at the time. Eminem has talked about his beef with Benzino, who co-owned The Source magazine in its early days.
Next, Eminem spits on Tekashi 6ix9ine, a beef that dates back to just 2018. Tekashi took several online jabs at Eminem for being old and irrelevant in the rap game. Eminem never took the time to respond to clout chasing. However, Tekashi will likely be dragged through the mud forever in Em’s lyrics.
I’m relapsing, I think I can’t seem to stop eating Beat Pills
And Doctor D-R-E he still keeps on giving me refills
‘Relapse’ is one notorious album by Eminem from 2009 and produced by Dr. Dre. While Eminem gives a nod to this album, he also says that Dr. Dre. is still looking over him to this day. Their friendship has been one for the books. These lyrics also spark the rumors that Eminem’s next album could be Relapse-themed–a horrorcore album by nature with incredible flows. The ‘Relapse’ album was later re-released as ‘Relapse: Refill’ with seven bonus tracks included.
These lines are also a double that shouts out the Beats By Dr. Dre speakers. It becomes a triple when we consider that Dr. Dre literally gives musical beats to Eminem to spit on.
I was painfully shy, now I’m proud of myself
Like Obama’s kids, I came outta my shell (Michelle)
It is pretty rare and nice to hear that Eminem say he is proud of himself. Eminem seems to get canceled every other day on social media for no reason other than he is reaching 50-years of age. He is still a point of controversy and he is still discarded as the white boy in hip hop! However, Eminem had to overcome so many obstacles from the beginning to be the legend that he is today.
Building on the title of the album, Eminem also says he sits at a position where he can see everything from a birds-eye view. Eminem has been playing with the idea that he is a rap god rather than a rap mortal at this point. “Zeus” is also a track from Em’s last album ‘Music to Be Murdered By.’
In the last part of Eminem’s verse, he reflects on the times when he had nothing. It was his mother, his brother, and himself against the world. He recalls being kicked out of his house in the freezing weather with no food in his stomach. He recalls the times when he had no money to buy a Christmas present for his kids.
Today, Eminem is one of the best-selling artists of all time and the best-selling rapper of all time. He still outsells your favorite artist and matched Taylor Swift for the most number of albums with over 100 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.–with seven albums. And Taylor Swift is mainstream!
Let us hear your thoughts on these parables by Cordae and Eminem in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.