Joaquin Phoenix

## Song by Lupe Fiasco featuring Lil Ronnie and Travis Barker

"**Joaquin Phoenix**" is a song by American rapper Lupe Fiasco, released as the fifth track from his mixtape, *Friend of the People: I Fight Evil* (2011). It features Lil Ronnie on the hook and Travis Barker of Blink-182 as the producer.

## Critical reception

Writing for *XXL*, Adam Fleischer expressed admiration, highlighting the lyric of the Michaels: 'Flow is in the microwave, call it Michael Tyson flow / Killing is a dirty job: Michael Myers, Michael Rowe / Bring it back like Michael Fox, see how far them Michaels go / I feel like I'm Michael Crichton writin' with a microphone'. *Consequence*'s Adam Young called the same line "head-spinning" and added, "Now, that's the kind of mind-boggling, smart rhymes we want and expect from Fiasco". Jayson Greene of *Pitchfork* also gave high praise, penning, "full of head-turning lines, both self-deprecating [...] and silly". He continued, "On the page, when he's engaged, Lupe is invincible. Even his quasi-philosophical nonsense comes with a poetic touch—'Atheism's cheaper and accepts Visa' might not mean anything, but it's a sharply turned, gnomic phrase".

## Cultural references

* Tilt-A-Whirls are amusement rides, in which passengers spin around an undulating track.
* Robert Paulson was a former bodybuilder in the *Fight Club* franchise. With his misuse of steroids, he got testicular cancer. Due to hormone imbalance from treatment, he developed gynecomastia, otherwise colloquially known as "bitch tits".
* Michael Tyson is an American former professional boxer, regarded as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.
* Michael Myers is a serial killer in the film series *Halloween*.
* Michael Rowe is the host of Discovery Channel's *Dirty Jobs*.
* Michael Fox is an American activist and retired actor. He is known for his role as Marty McFly in the *Back to the Future* trilogy.
* Michael Crichton (October 23, 1942 – November 4, 2008) was an American writer and filmmaker.
* The line, 'Life is like a box of chocolates', is from the 1994 film *Forrest Gump*.
* Joaquin Phoenix is an American actor. One of his roles was Commodus in the 2000 film, *Gladiator*.
* Superman is a DC superhero, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
* Fiasco interpolates the line 'let 'em recognize from Long Beach to Rosecrans' from 2Pac's song, "California Love".
* Riddick Bowe is an American retired professional boxer and former heavyweight world champion.
* *Beauty and the Beast* is a French fairy tale, narrating a maiden who falls in love with the Beast, seeing beyond his ugliness.
* *Braveheart* is a 1995 historical drama film directed by Mel Gibson. It centers on Scottish warrior William Wallace, who leads his countrymen into rebellion against their tyrannic ruler King Edward I of England.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Welcome to my whirlwind, turn like Tilt-A-Whirls

I be throwing up my set, yes, hurlin' up the world and

Going out, we goin in', say "hello" to my girlfriend

Vomiting and conquering, that C-Class is a "girl Benz"

My class is overseas, I be on "all around the world" rims

Women's international, my will is like my girl then

Goin' in is goin' wild, goin' in is goin' strong

Going for the gold, some world-class goin' in is goin' on

I can do this all day, I ain't got it all, 'kay

They all say I'm one wall short of a whole hallway

One Halls short to keep from coughing all in y'all face

Man, I'm so appalled, I can keep them all safe

I can really ball and put titties all in y'all face

That was Robert Paulson, and that deserves a pausin'

So that's Blart, Pierce, and all that's missing is a bearer

For the coffin that is needed for this beat when I'm done talkin'

Balling in the morning, this feel like my callin'

This the new bitches brew, fall off in my cauldron

Lupe's going crazy! Flow is going almonds

We going back to goin' in, you gonna need a Garmin

Then go and get a car to put your Garmin and my broad in

Destination everywhere, reputation everywhere

Music drop, music stop, one man take up every chair

I know that that ain't very fair how one man take up everywhere

But it ain't for long though, it'll be some closure

Or maybe I'll be everywhere after I'm all over

Say goodbye then start the show, fall on off then start to blow

Acting like I'm rapping, it's that Joaquin Phoenix Facebook flow

Flow is in the microwave, call it Michael Tyson flow

Killing is a dirty job: Michael Myers, Michael Rowe

Bring it back like Michael Fox, see how far them Michaels go

I feel like I'm Michael Crichton writin' with a microphone

I ain't saying you should die but you should leave your life alone

Maybe borrow one of mine, fast life, life at home

Life is like a box of chocolates, pockets full of Toblerones

Pocket full of wallets so what continent we shopping on?

[Hook: Lil Ronnie]

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat (Yeah)

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat (Yeah)

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat (Yeah)

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat (Yeah)

Don't you hear it screamin'?

This that Joaquin Phoenix, n\*\*\*a, this that Joaquin Phoenix

This that Joaquin Phoenix, n\*\*\*a, this that Joaquin Phoenix

(Don't you hear it screamin'?)

On that Joaquin Phoenix, n\*\*\*a, this that Joaquin Phoenix

On that Joaquin Phoenix, n\*\*\*a, on that Joaquin Phoenix

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

Excuse me, Lupe, "Huh?" This here is your conscience

Supplier of your fire and provider of your content

They really don't want none of you, let's put them in a convent

You are such a handful, you can call us palm prints

They can't get a handle, try to run around my track

And you might get a ham pulled, swag I got a van-full

Plus a motorcycle and a tow truck my sedan pull

I am like a Superman, just without the damn "Youuuu!"

Flow is tied around the track, something like a damsel

Flow is really manly, though, see, that was an example

Remember that for later, though, because I might exam you

Get ready for your tests-s-s, his excellence commands you

See, that's how I get it done: effortless and ample

Means I got a lot of that, no camel toe or Monistat

No pussy in my program...

Worldwide, let 'em recognize from Long Beach to Rosecrans

Put in my work and punch the clock like Riddick Bowe's hands

See, my pot is overflowing, can I put some work in your pan?

Yeah, yeah, I am such a dope man

Kitchen's really happy, you should come and see my stove dance

Movie of the week, I call it Beauty and the Beast

And that there's just the kitchen, you should see just where I sleep

Crib is on some other shit, mind is on the mothership

Brain is on my sister boat, thoughts is in my brother whip

Fitted hat is Reynolds Wrap cause I don't trust the government

See, I'm not just touching it, I'm clutching it with oven mitts

Shit get hot, this wristwatch, looks like its a club in it

Like the way I emcee, man, they just be lovin' it

Used to be a pushover, now I'm into shovin' shit

You be on your glory hole, you don't know who you fuckin' with

Stay off in that story mode, I never like a quick game

Came in with a big blast, go out with a big bang

You might catch some whiplash every time I switch lanes

See, I drive a bit fast, n\*\*\*a kinda insane

Career on stilts, Braveheart: no kilt

You can hear it screaming "freedom" as the beat get killed

[Hook: Lil Ronnie]

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat

I'm killin', I'm killin', I'm killin' this beat (Uh-huh)

Don't you hear it screamin'?

This that Joaquin Phoenix, n\*\*\*a, this that Joaquin Phoenix

This that Joaquin Phoenix, n\*\*\*a, this that Joaquin Phoenix

(Don't you hear it screamin'?)

On that Joaquin Phoenix, n\*\*\*a, this that Joaquin Phoenix

Chyea, Chyea, motherfucking genius

## References

1. ↑ Fleischer, Adam (November 29, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco, *Friend of the People*". *XXL*.
2. ↑ Young, Alex (December 8, 2011). "Album Review: Lupe Fiasco – Friend of the People Mixtape'. *Consequence*.
3. ↑ Greene, Jayson (January 18, 2012). "*Friend of the People* by Lupe Fiasco". *Pitchfork*.