Hate, Pt. 1

Song Meaning

The narrator wakes up with a singular, almost ritualistic purpose: to find someone to hate. This isn't a reasoned dislike, but a morning routine, a search for a target on a celebrity blog. The immediate focus lands on E.M.E., specifically Banky W and Wizkid, questioning their new album and musical output with a dismissive "Wetin, wetin they wan sing now?" The tone is aggressively dismissive, bordering on performative outrage. The core tension arises from the narrator's seemingly arbitrary and intense animosity. They acknowledge the artists have "lyrics" and "beat," but immediately invalidate these qualities, asking "But so what? Na only lyrics?" This suggests the hate isn't about artistic merit but a deeper, unarticulated frustration. The narrator even resorts to personal insults, fixating on Banky W's "skin" and Wizkid's height, revealing the hate to be shallow and personal rather than critical. The most striking aspect is the sheer, unadulterated spite. The narrator vows to "carry all my whole crew go put them for there" wherever the artists perform, a vague but menacing threat. The repetition of "Wetin dem dey sing?" acts as a rhetorical hammer, driving home the narrator's contempt and refusal to engage with the music on its own terms. The comparison of Skales to "Idris" (presumably Idris Elba, known for his rapping) further highlights the arbitrary nature of the critique. Ultimately, these lyrics are effective because they capture a raw, almost absurd level of negativity. It’s the sound of someone determined to be angry, finding validation in tearing others down. The narrator’s final retreat to sleep, to "wake up again find something else I go do," suggests this cycle of manufactured hate is a constant, exhausting, but apparently necessary, part of their day.