Homeboy Sandman has recently released a new album titled First of A Living Breed, and the lyrics of his appropriately named single, ‘Illuminati,’ shed light on a handful of conspiracy theories that exist today. From the effects of belonging to a certain ‘class’ within today’s society to the existence of authority figures associated with secret societies, the song touches upon a wide range of subjects. Along with an abstract presentation of visuals, the lyrics and music video for ‘Illuminati’ is much more than a bunch of accusations, but a reminder of some of life’s inconsistencies that will get the mind thinking.
In the following lyrics, Sandman speaks of Big Brother by referring to the government tapping of the public’s Internet connections and online activity. He mentions how easy it is for the government to track and control people by using both legal (by passing new bills and acts in Congress) and illegal means.
“Think they tapping your computer/your computer is a tap
Human traffickers wanna track you/ your computer is a map
Forget whoever fingerprints they got a match they got a Mac
Every app that’s on your jack’s for getting jacked
Every act on every bill and every law and every bill and every act
This game is run so they can run up where you at”
Later on in the first verse, Sandman highlights the government’s habit of keeping track of certain Americans according to their ethnicities. He pays special attention to the African American population ”“ stating that the government keeps track of the most gifted (and young) from this group, who they see as becoming more of a potential threat. The media plays a role in this, as they send out statistics to portray these groups in a way that pleases the government. These ‘facts’ are also supposed to convince people that what they receive is good when it really isn’t beneficial.
“They keep statistics on the gifted young and black
They put out statistics people read em, act like they been given fact
That they’ve been given lean when they been giving fat”
Sandman touches upon the environmental and health conspiracies that plague Americans. He refers to chemtrails (the trail of clouds that linger behind airplanes), which are at the center of a conspiracy theory involving the possibility of the government dumping harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. There are also fears that these chemtrails add to the global warming issue. The rapper mentions the consequences that come from eating GMOs (genetically modified organisms). GMOs are seen as a food contaminant with links to cancer ”“ caused by organisms that have had their genetic material altered through genetic engineering techniques.
“Chem trails D’amore arrest and raise the rent in jails
GMO’s to monkey wrench in your entrails”
Sandman includes references to the lies and underlying destruction related to money and big business, such as the misappropriation of charity donations.
“All you see is shop and save sales
Where’s the dough you sent to try and save whales
Well….that was took and added to the money from the breast cancer walk
Who knows what’s the answer to what it bought
The grief of what you have been wrought was all for naught”
In the last verse of ‘Illuminati,’ Sandman continues to mention the ways that the government and powerful groups aim to control the public, such as the monopoly of drug companies, the U.S. war efforts abroad, and how religion is sometimes seen as a pawn in the entire game. He ends the song by stating that using religion as a distraction is one of the ways that powerful organizations persuade people not to look for God in their lives.
“Provide the drugs to medicate then cut the Medicaid
And institute a military state
And provide Israel with military aid just to rub it in their face
They’ll be afraid because they don’t have any faith
They’ll claim that they believe but that is not how they behave
As money comes to power over power that’s divine
They will all turn into cowards cause they’re all afraid to die
They’ll never form alliance
They’ll be content to live a lie as long as they’re alive
The sirs and madams will surmise
That it’s on us which they rely they’ll never realize
That we rely on them
Any moment they decide they can make it end
Instead just make some ends cause life is hopeless times is hard
And keep em focused on religion so they never look for God”