Typical Neptunes production layers a dense re-telling of life in the ghetto, juxtaposed with the life of a combative soldier. It carries on Jay’s tradition of trying to bring meaning through metaphor and simile to a hustler’s lifestyle.

It closes the album on a somber note, perfectly detailing the “curse” of the life he has chosen.

Jay was never a fan of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, writing:

I was against the war, but wanted to be clear that I felt for the soldiers out there fighting it. I know people who joined the military, sometimes just because they didn’t have a better option, sometimes because they genuinely thought they were doing something for the good of the country.

It’s the perfect embodiment of the gift and the curse. The curse is you are entering another country with the intent to do damage, but the gift is the protection of your loved ones at home. The same is true for a hustler. You are causing pain to strangers in order to better the situation for you and your family. It’s a potent simile.