Gossip (2007)
Think it over
--
I'm tryina be po-lite
But you bitches in my hair
Like the fuckin po-lice
And my flow is rare
These other rappers nice
These other rappers bark
Some of em even bite
But I'm much more bright
I give the game sight
So before you dim the lights
You just might might wanna
Think it over
--
There's something about those first few lines that managed to give them permanent residence in my head. With one simple twist of a familiar word, Wayne makes it well-understood how he feels about those who bother him incessantly. It's kind of like the FedEx arrow; I can't unhear or unthink "po-lice" now. I think Tupac would be proud of him for this one.
The rest is where historical hindsight and my own bias turn Wayne into a genius without which rap would cease to exist. Sure, other rappers sound good and all, but his influence and dedication are what drives it to a place of vision and maybe even higher purpose. All he needs is for everyone else to stop interfering. He revisits this idea in Shoot Me Down on C3 with the line "this is history in the making, now shut the fuck up and let me make it." The longer you let him do his thing, the longer the lights will stay on.