Song Meaning

David Banner's "Traffic on Mars" isn't about escaping to outer space; it's a scathing commentary on the cyclical, suffocating realities of systemic oppression here on Earth. The recurring refrain, "Traffic on Mars, smokin' in the spaceship," acts as both escapist fantasy and ironic counterpoint to the grim realities painted by Banner and Kap G. The 'traffic' symbolizes the gridlock of social and economic immobility, particularly affecting marginalized communities. This isn't just earthly traffic; it's a cosmic pile-up of injustice. The spaceship offers a temporary high, a dissociative refuge from the problems, but it doesn't solve them. Kap G's verse grounds the song in the lived experiences of the streets, referencing the constant hustle, the ever-present threat of violence, and the struggles of immigration. His lyrics about being stuck in traffic, combined with the imagery of bullets and deportation, highlight the feeling of being trapped and targeted. Banner's verses are a raw, unfiltered stream of consciousness, wrestling with the contradictions of success and the weight of responsibility. He acknowledges the hypocrisy of preaching hope from a position of privilege ("While I'm smokin' on Sweets in the suites in the Hyatt"), suggesting a deep internal conflict. He name-drops Marvin Gaye and Mahalia Jackson, anchoring the song in a lineage of Black artists who used their platforms to address social issues. The references to violence, addiction, and the constant threat of death underscore the urgency of the situation. The line "There's murder for minerals in Ghana / So I'ma blow this marijuana in honor of all of the / Daughters and mamas that live under Boko Haram" expands the scope of the song beyond American borders, connecting local struggles to global systems of exploitation and violence. The song’s meaning crystallizes with the Tim Wise outro, a spoken-word segment highlighting the racial disparities in drug arrests. Wise's words expose the War on Drugs as a tool of racial profiling and social control, rather than a genuine effort to combat drug use. The 'traffic' isn't just a metaphor; it's a literal reality for Black and Latino individuals who are disproportionately targeted by law enforcement. The escapism of "smokin' in the spaceship" becomes even more poignant in this context, a desperate attempt to find solace in a world where the system is rigged against you. Ultimately, “Traffic on Mars” is a complex and unsettling portrait of a society choking on its own injustices, where the promise of escape is both alluring and ultimately insufficient.

David Banner & Kenya Jori & Tim Wise & WATCH THE DUCK & Kap G - Rap

Traffic on Mars

2 Plays

Duration: 5:03

[Intro] Traffic on Mars, Mars (David) Traffic on, on Traffic on, on (David Banner) Mars Traffic on Mars [Interlude: Kap G & Kenya Jori] Traffic on Mars Yeah, yeah, vato, vato, vato, vato See, yeah [Verse 1: Kap G] An amigo stuck in traffic (An amigo stuck in traffic) Just pull up my khakis (Just pull up my khakis) Amigos in the kitchen cookin' like Benihanas (Like Benihanas) No shrimp scampi Bullets hit him now he fallin' like Bambi 'Cause his radio blastin', what you gon' tell his family? (Damn) Call me Michael Jordan Davis (Call me Michael Jordan Davis) I do a little ballin' on the side, just like Cass Couldn't even get a green card on St. Patrick's Tragic, now he gotta go back to trappin' (Trappin') An animal marred Fuck the world with a USC Trojan, Mark Sanchez Walkin' in the White House with a mariachi suit (With a mariachi suit) Vicente Fernandez (Woo-ooh-ooh) R.I.P. to the soldiers (Vato, vato, vato, vato) No Reebok Classics (Yeah) [Chorus: Kenya Jori & WATCH THE DUCK] Traffic on Mars, traffic on Mars (Oh) Traffic on Mars, smokin' in the spaceship (Oh) Traffic on Mars (Mars) traffic on Mars (Spaceship) Traffic on Mars (Spaceship) smokin' in the spaceship Traffic on Mars, traffic on Mars (Oh) Traffic on Mars, smokin' in the spaceship (Oh) Traffic on Mars (Mars) traffic on Mars (Spaceship) Traffic on Mars (Spaceship) smokin' in the spaceship [Verse 2: David Banner] Yeah, as I roll up to Marvin Tell me what's going on now or be quiet My people, they startin' to diet My people are starvin', they startin' to riot It ain't black enough, I'ma dye it Screamin' 'bout hope, I say, "Nope, I don't buy it" Screamin' 'bout keepin' my promise and keepin' the hope in the streets While I'm smokin' on Sweets in the suites in the Hyatt I'm high, ain't no secret, they got to leak it Love big or small level, more like Monique it I need me a lighter, the heat, I'ma seek it Like missiles in drawers take some clothes and I peep it As deep as a bitch, deep as abyss Another one dead, gotta keep me a list Who got the change? Who got the change? I'm goin' for blasting the Range in this traffic [Chorus: Kenya Jori & WATCH THE DUCK] Traffic on Mars, traffic on Mars (Yeah) Traffic on Mars, smokin' in the spaceship (Oh) Traffic on Mars, traffic on Mars (Yeah) Traffic on Mars (Yeah) smokin' in the spaceship Traffic on Mars, traffic on Mars (Oh) Traffic on Mars, smokin' in the spaceship (Oh) Traffic on Mars (Mars) traffic on Mars (Spaceship) Traffic on Mars (Spaceship) smokin' in the spaceship [Post-Chorus: WATCH THE DUCK] I wanna be on top of the crop All this bullshit that's on the ground Got me (Smokin' in the spaceship) Ride 'round, smokin', admirin' In my mind, let me zone out 'Cause I be (Smokin' in the spaceship) Ah, yeah [Verse 3: David Banner] I roll up to Mahalia My squadron ride deep through regalia Right over these crackers, green grass and azaleas The Devil's alive, but see, God, he won't fail ya Inhale you a pound Then pray for who sell you a pound Went to Hell and I'll tell you I found, don't sell out your chrondo Get nailed to a cross and get nailed to the ground It's 'bout to go down There's more in your town than my town A whole lot of soldiers and just by the minute Gon' need more lieutenants and captains and generals There's murder for minerals in Ghana So I'ma blow this marijuana in honor of all of the Daughters and mamas that live under Boko Haram A dreamer, believer in magic, but stuck in this traffic Yeah [Chorus: Kenya Jori & WATCH THE DUCK] Traffic on Mars Traffic on Mars, smokin' in the spaceship (Oh) Traffic on Mars, traffic on Mars (Yeah) Traffic on Mars (Yeah) smokin' in the spaceship Traffic on Mars, traffic on Mars (Oh) Traffic on Mars, and we're smokin' in the spaceship (Oh) Traffic on Mars (Mars) traffic on Mars (Spaceship) Traffic on Mars (Spaceship) smokin' in the spaceship [Outro: Tim Wise] How is it not an issue that, according to the Department of Justice In a study released in 2004, black and latino males Are three times more likely than white males To have their cars stopped and searched for drugs? Even though white males are four and half times more likely To actually have drugs on us on the occasion when we are stopped Now think about that Because that suggests that racial profiling is not just racist We know that, that is redundant But it's also pretty stupid-ass law enforcement, or is it? Because I guess it's only stupid if you think the purpose Of the War on Drugs is actually to get drugs off the street

Credits

Producers: Daniel Watson (engineer)
David Banner

Traffic on Mars

Traffic on Mars

Lyrics

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Credits