Analysis: The Notorious B.I.G. - "Last Day"

Artist: The Notorious B.I.G. Song: Last Day Released: March 25, 1997

Lyric:

Niggas under the stairs only understand what we got Underground, all above must get shot

Context (via Genius):

A reference to the 1991 Wes Craven horror movie The People Under The Stairs, which features crazed cannibals secretely living inside a house’s walls and floorboards:

Here, Sheek is using the film’s titular cellar dwellers as a metaphor for the underground, hardcore hip-hop heads who relate to the Lox’s music.

“All above"—the opposite of "underground"—are presumably soft pop music sellouts, and Sheek thinks they should be shot.

The first rapper to reference The People Under The Stairs was Common in 1992, followed by Akinyele in 1993, Keith Murray in 1994, and Nas in 1996.

In 1998, an underground hip-hop group named People Under The Stairs debuted.

The film has also been referenced by Redman, Chuck D, Lil B, Raekwon, and Styles P (twice).

^A ^bot ^archiving ^lyrics ^for ^project ^r/Truth2Power.