Huey Knew Then

## Single by Ab-Soul featuring Da$H

"**Huey Knew Then**" (or known simply as "**Huey Knew**") was released as the lead single and third track from Ab-Soul's fourth studio album *Do What Thou Wilt* (2016). It features guest vocals from Da$h and interpolates his own song "Pineal Gland" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" theme song.

The title references to Huey Newton, a co-founder of the Black Panther Party. Ab explained on Genius, "I should've called it 'Huey Knew Then' and it would've phonetically sounded more like Huey Newton. I might call it that for the album I don't know." He added that it was not about race, saying, "Not even looking at it from a racial standpoint, but just looking at an awareness from society in general. All this stuff about the gun laws and the police, it's very reminiscent of that time. I just wanted to use this hip-hop to show that we have our eyes and ears open." He told *HotNewHipHop*, "That song had nothing to do with race. Absolutely nothing to do with race. 'Even white lives matter when I black out.' And if you study Huey Newton would know that that's where he was trying to go to. He wasn't a black supremacist. The same with Malcolm. They weren't black supremacists."

## Music video

The official music video was directed by APLUS Filmz and uploaded to TDE's YouTube channel on October 14, 2016. *Rolling Stone* summarized of the visual, "Throughout the video, the screens surrounding Ab-Soul flash images of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, instances of police brutality and Donald Trump, whose race-baiting rhetoric has dominated headlines for months."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro: Ab-Soul]

All that

Mm!

Check it out, hey

This is a story all about how

My life got flipped, turned upside down

And if you roll another blunt and keep your mouth shut

I'll tell you how I became the wicked n\*\*\*a they call Young Mind Fuck

Black out, black out (Youngin from Del Amo)

Black out, black out (Belt by Ferragamo)

Black out, black out

Black out, yeah, aye, man (black out)

Ichiban

[Verse 1: Ab-Soul]

They speak highly of me when I raise my voice

I gotta shoot a fuckin' free throw to make my point

My wittiness leave 'em stuck in the wilderness

You need a backwood to roll to this joint

I'm Robin Hood in Robin jeans, you follow me?

Nevermind, I'm tired of tight analogies

Still in pursuit of happiness in the midst of the madness

With middle fingers to bitches with badges that go oink

(Yeah! Yeah!)

I'm on the fence with common sense

My logic is sound, Spock of the 90746

No shit, Sherlock

Remind 'em of Han Solo on the battlefront

Everybody behind Soulo and they backin' up

I just threw my two-step, let her back it up

Go on, back it up! Go on, back it up!

You dry-snitchin', I'm slidin' in somethin' moist

You annoy these women, I anoint these women

You stressin' em, I schedule an appointment with 'em

They let me cut so much I bring ointment, n\*\*\*a

I'm lubricant slick, baby, I'm hornier than

The brass section of the band, you understand?

Pick your poison, it's your choice

[Pre-Chorus: Ab-Soul]

Hey, I'm just a youngin from Del Amo

(Lil' homie from the hood)

Yeah, with a belt by Ferragamo

(Yeah, bitch, I look good)

Hey, just doing what I wanna

This ain't marijuana

Please don't tell my mama

[Chorus: Ab-Soul]

I'ma black out, black out, black out, black out

You tellin' white lies while I black out

Black out, black out, black out, black out

Pale white horse when I black out

Black out, black out, black out, black out

Spark the white lighter, then I black out

Even white lives matter when I black out

Bucket of black paint in front the White House, n\*\*\*a

[Verse 2: Ab-Soul]

(Yeah! Yeah!) I hope I'm in Obama's iPod

Yeah, 'fore I had a desktop

Was lookin' for a shortcut to be an icon

But this time it's for the money, my n\*\*\*a

Me and the Ichiban Don got itchy palms

And I just left Emmet's with a jar and a intercom

I'ma act an ass and have a donkey to pin it on

I'm winnin' no matter what the decision's dependin' on

I'm sinister, picture a tickin' bomb in the Pentagon

The typical shit I've been on, remember the pen is gone

Your pinnacle's penny-pinchin'

I'm gettin' nickels for my thoughts

(Black out!) Like Slim Shady in Balmain jeans

Difficult to say I'm vision impaired, all I seen

I'm Yamborghini High, A$AP M-O-B

Your 16 is pint-sized to me

[Pre-Chorus: Ab-Soul]

Hey, I'm just a youngin from Del Amo

(Lil' homie from the hood)

Yeah, with a belt by Ferragamo

(Yeah, bitch, I look good)

Hey, just doing what I wanna

This ain't marijuana

Please don't tell my mama

[Chorus: Ab-Soul]

I'ma black out, black out, black out, black out

You tellin' white lies while I black out

Black out, black out, black out, black out

Pale white horse when I black out

Black out, black out, black out, black out

Spark the white lighter, then I black out

Even white lives matter when I black out

Bucket of black paint in front the White House, n\*\*\*a

[Verse 3: Da$H]

Young no shame Kurt Cobain, bastard son

With a gun in palm; money, pussy, crime sittin' on my mind

No emotion, orange bottles how I deal with mine

Crackin' bannies only time a n\*\*\*a cross the line

Wrong hand signs'll turn a function to Columbine

Yeah, so, B.O.B's top gunner

Front runner, NEVR DIE clique, the thing you are not, brother

Polo Ralph Lauren is keepin' the Glock covered

Pour up medication by the brick

Sippin' oil like we're tryna sink a ship

So yeah, uppers and the downers in the mix

Now the film heads talking 'bout a script

Livin' my days is a gamble

I guess that's the perks of the set, bet

Ain't nothin' certain but dirt, that bitch wearin' that skirt

So I guess that I'm flirtin' with death

Need the type of cash cow to get Trump whacked out

Here's the question you should ask

What's the Soul without the Da$H?

Never had the option I could back out

If it's 'bout the cash, then I act out

[Outro: Da$H, *Ab-Soul*]

Black out, *black out*

Black out, *black out*

Black out, *black out*

Black out, *black out*

Yeah, so!

## References

1. ↑ Penrose, Nerisha (September 30, 2016). "Ab-Soul Tantalizes Fans With New Song 'Huey Knew'". *Billboard*.
2. ↑ "Ab-Soul On "Huey Knew," Huey Newton, & Malcolm X". *YouTube*. December 16, 2016.
3. ↑ Kreps, Daniel (October 14, 2016). "See Ab-Soul's Bracing, Politically Fueled 'Huey Knew' Video". *Rolling Stone*.