Body of Work

## Song by Lupe Fiasco featuring Troi Irons and Terrace Martin

"**Body of Work**" is a song by Lupe Fiasco, released as the seventh track from his fifth studio album, *Tetsuo & Youth* (2015). It features guest vocals from Troi Irons and Terrace Martin. Over Twitter, Fiasco explained that the track was based on the 1992 action thriller film *Deep Cover*. He continued months later, "The entire song "Body Of Work" is a rapped rework of the film "Deep Cover" starring Laurence Fishburne directed by a dear dear friend and mentor or mine BLACK FILMMAKER Bill Duke. "DEEP COVER" is one of the most impressive and elegant films in the cannon of black film, ever." The movie centers on DEA Agent Russell Stevens Jr. who goes undercover to bring down a West Coast drug cartel.

## Personnel

* Charles "Chilly" Patton – executive producer
* Chris Gehringer – masterer
* Javohn "VohnBeatz" Griffin – writer, producer
* Jean-Marie Horvat – mixer
* Larry "S1" Griffin Jr. – writer, producer
* Marisol – additional vocals
* Nigel Rivers – bass
* Peter Lee Johnson – violin
* Terrace Martin – saxophone
* Troi Irons – vocals
* Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – vocals, writer, executive producer

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Pre-Chorus: Troi]

Closet full of bones, just don't try to put 'em back together

(Try to put 'em back together)

They know just by my tone so wear it like a scarlet letter

(Wear it like a scarlet letter)

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

(I've always loved you)

Uhh, quiet in the court for the courtship

Marriage of the dork and the gorgeous

Took her from the king of the corpses

He revolved, jumped the wall of the fort with the horses

This was foretold, Bojangles was tappin' in Morse code

At least to the mad man genius, tap top secrets and more gold

(All of you)

From the guts of the mother

Campbell should move her undercover

With a $3,000 son she just want a lover

And somebody else to come and try and drug her

Take her off the grill, she done

(They will never love you)

Pills celebrating, "We won"

In the system of the women, never knew he had it in him

This condition when the world that they make him become

(None of you)

Cocaine and new high tech ways, smuggle whole things

(I've always loved you)

From the control range that make radio heads with gold brains

(All of you)

To park 84' Jags on gold chains

Developing nicks from a whole name

God is great, but it's snakes on my soul plane

[Pre-Chorus]

Closet full of bones, just don't try to put 'em back together

(Try to put 'em back together)

They know just by my tone so wear it like a scarlet letter

(Wear it like a scarlet letter)

[Chorus: Troi]

Anatomy (skin) will be the death of me

Anatomy (skin) that's just my anatomy

Anatomy (skin) will be the death of me

Anatomy (skin)

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

(Tell me what to do)

Limo to the limit, fill it 'til the brim get in it

You can't get it, if you gotta ask

(Make me pretty) In that case I want two masks

Bottom class, dollar cast, poppin' tags, droppin' trash

In shopping bags 'til Akeem take our pocket cash

(Am I beautiful?)

Write it in lights, molly in the body of Christ

Drop me to the lobby from heights (trust me)

Then over the threshold to redeem the doorway

Fourteen broads like the king of Norway

Fourteen broads having dreams of foreplay

Fourteen arm Shiva, viva la coup!

(Love you) If the government get it, I'm a fool

[Pre-Chorus]

Closet full of bones, just don't try to put 'em back together

(Try to put 'em back together)

They know just by my tone so wear it like a scarlet letter

(Wear it like a scarlet letter)

[Chorus]

Anatomy (skin) will be the death of me

Anatomy (skin) that's just my anatomy

Anatomy (skin) will be the death of me

Anatomy (skin)

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

Sanskrit dance on the page of the dead book

Don't leave the restroom with the left foot

Flags of Tibet, to bet, to bed, to death, flesh

Release the leash on a fast car

Feed on the keys, fall asleep in a Jaguar

The tip of thy sword is white

Am I night, am I black, am I light?

Have I been this?

Realize my begin when I find where my end this

Oedipus wrecks, motherfucker this better than sex

Material potion the love of my martyr

Currency soaked in the blood of my father

(Will you cry for me?)

Sky burial, let the wind carry you, farther

Than I could (live forever)

An anatomy, not of me, knotting me to it, nodding me to it

Eyes of the I and others, watching me do it

Adapt in each rubric

Kubrick in plot and tone

Lots of bones, skulls to the top of tone

Skim through it is just skin to it

You're so thin you see the sins through it

[Pre-Chorus]

Closet full of bones, just don't try to put 'em back together

(Try to put 'em back together)

They know just by my tone so wear it like a scarlet letter

(Wear it like a scarlet letter)

[Chorus]

Anatomy (skin) will be the death of me

Anatomy (skin) that's just my anatomy

Anatomy (skin) will be the death of me

Anatomy (skin)

[Saxophone Solo: Terrace Martin]

## References

1. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". *Twitter*. January 20, 2022.
2. ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". *Twitter*. August 8, 2022.