Dumb It Down

"Dumb It Down"Single by Lupe Fiasco featuring GemStones and Graham Burris
from the album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool
Released	December 4, 2007
Recorded	2007
Genre	Hip hop
Length	4:03
Label	1st & 15th Atlantic
Songwriter(s)	Wasalu Jaco Graham Burris Rudolph Lopez
Producer(s)	Soundtrakk
Lupe Fiasco's The Cool chronology
‹ Previous	"Gotta Eat"
	"Dumb It Down"
Next ›	"Hello/Goodbye (Uncool)"
Media

"Dumb It Down" (originally titled "Space Traveling") is a song by Lupe Fiasco featuring GemStones and Graham Burris, released through 1st & 15th Entertainment and Atlantic Records on December 4, 2007. It is the second single and fourteenth track off his 2007 album Lupe Fiasco's The Cool. The accompanying music video was directed by Gil Green, uploaded to YouTube on September 27, 2007.

Background

Fiasco explained to Entertainment Weekly, "My peoples that frequent clubs and go in the streets and things of that nature, they'll be like, 'Yo man, this is what they're saying in the hood: 'I'm not really feeling Lupe.' Those are real conversations that I get the gist of. And then the second hook is more Big Brother-influenced, which is that unspoken—and in some cases spoken behind closed doors—mentality and agenda of a lot of different [record] companies. To actually be like, 'Let's push some bulls— today.' That song touches on one of the base themes for The Cool: I went to go see Cornel West speak, and he said, ”If you really want to affect social change in the world, you have to make those things which are cool and destructive, uncool. You have to make it hip to be square.' "Dumb it Down" was showing that. Like, the verses are super-duper complex, but the hook itself is telling the verses, like, 'Damn, yo, dumb it down! This is why we're saying you need to dumb it down. Nobody just got that verse you just said, and that's why you're really not going to sell too many records.' It's showing that: 'They're starting to think that smart is cool, Lu / Dumb it down / They're starting to get up out the hood, Lu / Dumb it down.' It's like, 'We need to keep them there so we can constantly sell them things.'"

Fiasco revealed in 2017 that the song was initially "meant to be a stream of consciousness bar fest," and his A&R disliked the hook. He continued, "So we changed the hook to "Dumb It Down" to balance out how deep the verses were. It was a huge impact on rap at the time. No regrets." Soundtrakk was also featured on the chorus of the demo version.

Lyrics

"Dumb It Down"

[Intro: Lupe Fiasco]
Carrera (Dumb it down!)
Coolest n***a, what? (Dumb it down!)
F-N-F, up! (Dumb it down!)
(Dumb it down!)

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]
I'm fearless, now hear this, I'm earless
And I'm peerless, that means I'm eyeless
Which means I'm tearless, which means my iris
Resides where my ears is, which means I'm blinded
But I'ma find it, I can feel its nearness
But I'ma veer, so I don't come near
Like a chicken or a deer, but I remember
I'm not a listener or a seer so my windshield smear
Here you steer, I really shouldn't be behind this
Clearly cause my blindness
The windshield is menstrual, the whole grill is roadkill
So trill and so sincere, yeah, I'm both them there
Took both pills when the bloke in the trench coat
And the locs in the chair had approached him here
Made it clear as a ghost or a biter of the throats in the mirror
The writer of the quotes for the ghosts
Who supplier of the notes to the living
Riveting as Rosie, pockets full of posies
Given to the mother of the deceased
Awake and at war 'til I'm resting in peace

[Hook 1: Gemini]
You going over n***as heads, Lu (Dumb it down!)
They telling me that they don't feel you (Dumb it down!)
We ain't graduate from school, n***a (Dumb it down!)
Them big words ain't cool, n***a (Dumb it down!)
Yeah I heard "Mean and Vicious," n***a (Dumb it down!)
Make a song for the bitches, n***a! (Dumb it down!)
We don't care about the weather n***a (Dumb it down!)
You'll sell more records if you (Dumb it down!)

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]
And I'm mouthless, which means I'm soundless
Now as far as the hearing, I've found it
It was as far as the distance from the earring to the ground is
But the doorknockers on the ear
Of a stewardess in a Lear, she's fine and she's flying
I feel I'm flying by 'em, cause my mind's on cloud nine
And in a mine at the same time
Pimps see the wings on the Underground King
Who's also Klingon, to infinity and beyond
Something really stinks, but I Sphinx like Leon
Or lion in the desert
I'm flying on Pegasus, you're flying on a pheasant
Writer of the white powder, picker of the fire flowers
Spit, "hot fiya" like Dylan on Chappelle's skit
Yeah, smell it on my unicorn
Don't snort the white horse, but toot my own horn
Sleep?

[Hook 2: Graham Burris]
You've been shedding too much light, Lu (Dumb it down!)
You're makin 'em wanna do right, Lu (Dumb it down!)
They're gettin' self-esteem, Lu (Dumb it down!)
These girls are trying to be queens, Lu (Dumb it down!)
They're trying to graduate from school, Lu (Dumb it down!)
They're startin' to think that smart is cool, Lu (Dumb it down!)
They're trying to get up out the hood, Lu (Dumb it down!)
I'll tell you what you should do (Dumb it down!)

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]
And I'm brainless, which means I'm headless
Like Ichabod Crane is
Or foreplay-less sex is, which makes me saneless
With no neck left to hang the chain with
Which makes me necklace-less, like a necklace theft
And I ain't used my headrest yet
They said they need proof like a vestless chest
About the best-fed F-F jet in the nest
Who exudes confidence and excess depth
Even Scuba Steve would find it hard to breathe
Around these leagues; my snorkel is a tuba
Lu the ruler around these seas
Westside Poseidon, Westside beside 'em
Chest-high and rising, almost touching the knees
Of stewardess and the pilot, lucky they make ya fly with
Personal floating devices, tricks falling out of my sleeves
David Blaine, make it rain
You make a boat, I make a plane
Then, I pull the plug and I make it drain
Until I feel like flowing and filling it up again
Westside!

[Hook 3: Gemini]
You putting me to sleep, n***a (Dumb it down!)
'S'why you ain't popping in the streets, n***a! (Dumb it down!)
You ain't winning no awards n***a! (Dumb it down!)
Robots and skateboards, n***a?! (Dumb it down!)
GQ Man of the Year, G? (Dumb it down!)
Shit ain't rocking over here, B (Dumb it down!)
Won't you talk about your cars n***a? (Dumb it down!)
And what the fuck is Goyard n***a (Dumb it down!)
Make it rain for the chicks (Dumb it down!)
Po' CHAMPAGNE on a bitch! (Dumb it down!)
What the fuck is WRONG WITH YOU?! (Dumb it down!)
...How can I get on a song with you? (Dumb it down!)

[Outro: Gemini]
Look B, here's my main, my two-way
Uh, what should I, ah, here take this
That right there, fuck what my boys'll talk about me, n***a
N***a, you hot to me! I like you! (Dumb it down!)

[Outro 2: Lupe Fiasco]
Bishop G, they told me I should come down, cousin
But I flatly refuse: I ain't dumb down nothing!