The white self of Del Naja against the black one, I Against I. Year 2002: Roberto decides to cut everything off, he wants to go to extremes, he wants to do something else.
He wants to say enough to the black soul of Massive Attack, to the groove, to the powerful TTunzah, to the dry 4/4.
But he can't leave everyone high and dry; it wouldn't be fair to those who have always supported the Massives. One last kiss, a sweet farewell, is the best for everyone.
One last time he wants to bring together, without merging, the two chromatic-sound extremes, a well-defined stracciatella, black and white together clearly outlined, not a gray that doesn't taste like anything but two flavors in the same cup. Black against white, I Against I.
Mos is also tired of the usual things, he too is against himself, I Against I. They want to let the world know, and they offer it for free, a two-month free download on massiveattack.com (later included on the Blade 2 Soundtrack, but don't buy it even if you're dead, if they give it to me for free, I'll take it)
We debasers are also against ourselves; is our nickname stronger or our person? Are we really as we would like to be virtually? Are we the ones making ourselves, or are others making us? Who is stronger between the two, the image we project or the one that is projected against us and we project in reflection? Are we really convinced we know what image we project?
I Against I, and as far as I'm concerned, we're like Inter, perpetually tied. But Roberto understood it instead, white definitely won, I say in hindsight. But at the time of its release, it was a shock, it was unclear what was happening in Roberto's head, does he leave Tricky for Mos Def? Leaving a Panda for a Marbella? It was helpful to know I'm not the only one passionate about Batman... better him or Bruce Wayne?
Not me, not myself, but I... against I.
I-ya,
I against I,
Flesh of my flesh,
And mind of my mind,
Two of a kind but one won't survive,
My images reflect in the enemies' eye,
And his images reflect in mine the same time,
I-ya, I-ya,
I against I,
Flesh of my flesh,
And mind of my mind,
Two of a kind but one won't survive,
Right here is where the end gon' start at,
Conflict, contact 'n' combat,
Fighters stand where the land is marked at,
Settle the dispute about who the livest,
3 word answer,
Whoever survive this,
Only one of us can ride forever,
So you and I can't ride together,
Can't live or can't die together,
All we can do is collide together,
So I skillfully apply the pressure,
Won't stop until I'm forever... One!
A doorstep where death never comes,
Spread across time til my time never done,
And I'm never done,
Walk tall, why ever run?
When they move if I ever come?
Bad man never fret the war, tell 'em come
General we have the stock, the mad fire burn
I-ya,
I against I,
Flesh of my flesh,
And mind of my mind,
Two of a kind but one won't survive,
My images reflect in the enemies' eye,
And his images reflect in mine the same time,
I-ya, I-ya,
I against I,
Flesh of my flesh,
And mind of my mind,
Two of a kind but one won't survive,
Survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive...
Reign supreme in your U-N-I,
V-E-R-S-E with the sharpness,
Narrow row building no space for partners,
No space for drivers, no space for walkers,
No space regardless,
You're on my path then get off it,
Hardheaded and unresponsive,
Get their lives put on target with harshness,
Come with the canons sparkin' they darken,
Who am I? One man squadron,
Ma stir the fire this time that'd snatch your tomorrow,
The thousand-yard spear that'll pierce through your armor,
You can get it on right now if you want to,
But when ya front 9 get marched through,
I warned you,
You know who forever belong to,
I-ya, I-ya
I against I,
Flesh of my flesh,
And mind of my mind,
Two of a kind but one won't survive,
My images reflect in the enemies' eye,
And his images reflect in mine the same time,
I-ya, I-ya,
I against I,
Flesh of my flesh,
And mind of my mind,
Two of a kind but one won't survive,
My images reflect in the enemies' eye,
And his images reflect in mine, survive
Survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive... survive...
Loading comments slowly
