Against Us (Remix)

## Single by Dee-1 featuring Lupe Fiasco and Big K.R.I.T.

"**Against Us (Remix)**" is a remix song by Dee-1, featuring guest vocals from Lupe Fiasco and Big K.R.I.T. The official music video was uploaded to YouTube on May 3, 2016, filmed in New Orleans by Karltin Bankz, Marquis Daisy, Gee-Lock, Famous Phil, and Fatima Aarabi, with editing done by Colin Pierce. The visual also premiered exclusively to WORLDSTARHIPHOP's official YouTube channel on May 5, 2016.

Dee-1 told *Billboard*, "Lupe is a legend, K.R.I.T. is a superstar and I'm the new guy making noise. Time to put some 'respek' on my name" and said in another press statement, "I only collab with people I'm friends with, the rest of that stuff is fake if there's no real relationship with the artists. I'm thankful my homies Krit and Lupe could come together with me for this one. Compared to what's out right now, this is hard. I hope everyone loves it like I do." It was added to his mixtape, *Slingshot David* (2016) and later on the album, *Finding Balance* (2022).

## Background

In an interview with *STASHED*, Dee-1 revealed, "When I asked Lupe Fiasco to hop on my song, he was totally cool with it. I'm in the studio with him and as he's recording he's freestyling, he's not writing. He's doing his thing in the booth. He knows that I don't curse and that I don't have profanity in my music. On the last bar, he said 'My kind and they logic is like 99 of their problems with no B–.' He said that and came out of the booth." He continued, "I've struggled in the past with existing in this industry. I wanted to be different. I feel it in my heart to be different. I'm still of this, but I want to show that I can come from this and be different. It's a struggle sometimes when you collaborate with people who might not adhere to what my vision is or they curse in their music so they're just like whatever. So I've had trouble speaking up in the past about that because I don't want to tarnish my relationships with people. I actually tried to speak up about certain collabs that I was on the verge of doing and it's always led to tension or friction with the artist and me. With Lupe, I'm like 'Oh boy, here we go [laughs]. Do I speak up and create this awkward moment in the studio or do I let it ride?' I decided to speak up and we had a little conversation about it and he was cool with removing it. That Instagram post came from real live footage of us kicking it, of us seeing each other after a few months. We talked about the collaboration. He was telling someone else at the time, 'He don't know it, but I cursed on his record on purpose just to see what he would do.' I think he was testing me to see how strong are my convictions, and what I believe in, even when it's not convenient. Even when it's not the convenient thing for me to speak up, and speak what's on my heart, and about what my true mission is, will I do it? And I did it with one of the most difficult people to do it with. He's a man I look up to in a lot of ways."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

Hello, this is the music of Dee-1

Who just so happens to be my grandson

Along with Lupe Fiasco and Big KRIT, let's go

[Verse 1: Dee-1]

They say I keep it too real

Oh well, I ain't got no chill

I ain't in this game to prostitute my soul for dollar bills

In the streets is going down, Titanic

God got me though, why panic?

Who cares if you die rich if you ain't dynamic

Black vs white, black vs Black

Rich vs poor, heroin vs crack

Pistol vs knife, fear vs faith

Satan vs God, love vs hate!

Got hustlin' in my genes

I fell asleep bumpin' Chris Wallace, I got big dreams

Man what it do? got Lupe, got KRIT, everybody know we trill

What you rappin' about, killing folks?

You don't see the times we in? You ain't real

And yeah I'm Christian, but Muslims, Hindus

And every religion all know one thing that boy spittin'

Huh, Real rap though

I battle demons everyday like where they at though

I'm Dee-1, top five is where I normally rank up

You got money in the bank but you morally bankrupt, boy

[Hook: Dee-1]

Our father, who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive those who trespass against us

What you tell em now?

Against us, against us

Man tryna go

Against us, against us

They don't wanna know

Against us, against us

They don't wanna know

Against us, against us

Who's against us?

[Verse 2: Big KRIT]

Lord

Forgive us for our flexin' and our selfish ways

And overlook the days that we ain't pray after gettin' paid

A product of our environment

They gave us crack, we sold it back

For golden rims and Gucci

Told us how to whip and move it

And like junkies just ain't human

Somebody mama, somebody father that was on they way to AA

'Til they heard us holler ba-ase for the cheap

The value of black life has decreased

Police killin' us for a bonus and paid vacay to the beach

The Devil been busy I'm tellin' you

Beware what they sellin' you

Put God first and let 'em work when everything gets failin' you

We been in the club way too long my brother

Please don't teach em more than rappin', slug peeling

And drug dealin' but how to love each other

Raise the struggle, build from rubble

And do more than just tweet

Mad about it, emoji sad, instagram, hashtag about it

I don't mean to nag about it

But we got to fight the evil, raise the flag about it

I'm sayin'

[Hook: Dee-1]

Our father, who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive those who trespass against us

What you tell em now?

Against us, against us

Man tryna go

Against us, against us

They don't wanna know

Against us, against us

They don't wanna know

Against us, against us

Who's against us?

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

DROGAS

Operation opposition

I can't stand my conditions

That complicated competition

In that ghetto started operation pot to piss in

At 17 had a set of wings

Now I'm sellin' dreams like I'm sellin' lean

I be sellin' dreams like I'm 7 kings

Actions speak, never said a thing

That's asleep, never met a bed

Better yet, I never slept, I never met a Fred

But it's nightmares where I came from

And my dream is just to bring 'em where it ain't nothin'

My mind is my stylist

One day here is like five times they college

It's high time they acknowledge

That my kind and they logic is like '99 Impalas

[Hook: Dee-1]

Our father, who art in heaven

Hallowed be thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive those who trespass against us

What you tell 'em now?

Against us, against us

Man tryna go

Against us, against us

They don't wanna know

Against us, against us

They don't wanna know

Against us, against us

Who's against us?

## References

1. ↑ "Dee-1 "Against Us (Remix)" Feat. Lupe Fiasco & Big K.R.I.T. (WSHH Exclusive - Official Music Video)". *YouTube*. May 5, 2016.
2. ↑ Platon, Adelle (May 3, 2016). "Watch Dee-1, Lupe Fiasco & Big K.R.I.T. Squad Up In the ‘Against Us' Remix Video: Premiere". *Billboard*.
3. ↑ "Dee-1 Brings Along Lupe Fiasco & Big K.R.I.T. For Hard Hitting "Against Us" Remix". *OkayPlayer*. April 7, 2016.
4. ↑ Lilah, Rose (July 7, 2016). "Slingshot David". *HotNewHipHop*.
5. ↑ Jones, Danitha (May 4, 2016). "Stashed Chats: Dee-1 on Being Tested by Lupe Fiasco, Industry Politics, and New Orleans". *Stashed*. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016.