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"The Rain" is the most powerful track FP has ever done. Every single time i hear it, i'm like "WOW!!" The beat is perfect, pure-unadulterated Hip-Hop with the Jill Scott on the hook.

The 1st verse is about very introspective about how pain and struggle is neccessary 2 grow, learn, and appriciate the good times. He kinda tells parents 2 let kids go thru' their own stuff instead of always jumping in cuz it'll benifit them when growing up. FP then talks about rising 2 fame and getting wrapped up in the flashy life that waz given 2 him thru' his 1st 2 records. He talks about how materialism kinda ran his life and that when the money and fame disappeared during And In This Corner..., he found himself alone and struggling. The end of the verse has him saying that in those dark times, u find out who u are and it changes u 4 the better so that u can stay away from the really negative things, and also deal with the smaller things that the go wrong that are beyond your own choices.

The 2nd verse opens with him talking about a past love that really did him wrong and broke his heart (ooooohhh...i been there). "Never let the weather determine the man" means that just cuz u see somebody go thru' something bad dosen't mean they are a bad person, it's just that it's all part of God's plan and that it's benifiting them in some way. It's one of those things that means "sometimes bad things happen 2 good people." It goes on 2 talk about maintaining thru' struggle - "Follow my heart thru' the storm, my umbrella in hand." "thru' grey skys, i grew wise, on bended knee i fell, ever since then, the rain i never felt" is saying that it waz during one of FP's darkest hours that he put his trust in God and that it changed his life.

The opening of verse 3 has FP seeing other people around him dealing struggle in their community but that they are maintaining cuz of their faith in something better - "it wazn't touchin' 'em, but the rain was comin' down." He then goes back 2 reinforce the idea that during in your darkest moments, are when u find out what's wrong with your life and how 2 fix it - "God started rappin' 2 me, he said 'pain is the mother of change, the rain must flow so the seeds of joy might grow." It then goes in2 keeping faith in God 2 keep yourself moving on when going thru' something - "don't be afraid, find shelter in me, the road of greatness thru' the valley of adversity."

I think this song is one of the best songs ever recorded in history. It's just amazing and i've had this song on repeat a few times in my life just 2 keep me focused and moving on during a hard time in my life. At the end, the children singing with the sound of falling rain and thunder.

Fresh Prince and Common Sense out did themselves when writing this song. And DJ Jazzy Jeff and Darren Heson created a flawless beat. I don't think there are any other songs in Hip-Hop where every single word means so much.
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i think Aj pretty much summed up that song.

I think its the best lyrical song Will has done. It has got me thru so much, when im going thru bad times i always put that song on and it just makes everything clear.

I love that line, "the rain must flow so the seeds of joy might grow", its great, its like bad things have 2 happen or the good times wouldnt seem as good. Well thats how i translate it anyway, but i spose different ppl take that song in different ways.
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"The Rain" and "Afro Angel" are songs that speak directly from the heart, they're similar to the songs "I Ain't Mad At Ya"and "Keep Ya Head Up" that 2Pac did 'cause they express the pain that we all go thru in our hearts sometimes when chips are down but listenin' to those tracks make ya feel that ur not the only one that goes thru tough times. :werd: Edited by bigted
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AJ did a great job of explaining that song :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

when i first heard the rain i was blown away :eek4: :eek4: :eek4:

i was just sitting there thinking oh my god this is dope..and i had to repeat it straight away...

it really is flawless.. the production is amazing.. they even added rain sound effects in the background..

wills best written song.. jill scott jazzy jeff.. they really need to team up for another song....
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When I first heard The Rain, I said "this is [b]REAL HIP-HOP[/b]!" I played the song for my mother and all I kept saying is that this is real hip-hop. It's a song that deals with life and how we are put our faith in God thru all of our situations. It's the most significant hip-hop song I've ever heard. It speaks to every man, woman and child.

It boggles my mind that Sony did not release this song as a single. Imagine the video - Will walking along the streets of Philly on a rainy day. Will looking as the kids play in the rain and being reflective about life. It would have been a great video. Sony Music sucks!!!
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Radio and the media don't often support positive Hip-Hop stuff. I think Black Eyed Peas are the only Hip-Hop act who have pulled that off in YEARS. TLC's "Waterfalls" is that last song that really stands out in my head like that.

The sad thing is, is that that's what radio needs right now (and back then). I think it would have been a "Summertime" kinda hit where everybody from the grittiest street thug 2 Top 40 radio fans would have loved the song.

I can just imagin how good the video would be. It would be one of those videos with really cool special efx, but not flashy special effects. Raindrops, thunder, water, sunshine, flashbacks, etc....the possibility are endless.
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AJ did a very nice job breakin' it down for you and for me as well. I'll admit, it took me a while to feel this song. I barely listened to it on Willenium. Until a few months ago, I starting listening to it and listening to words carefully. This would have been a great single and possible hit that is like 2pac's "Changes". Awesome stuff.

The video could be like Will walking down the streets of Philly and as he's rapping the 1st verse, it could be above him, clips of him as Fresh Prince when he "shook the room" and did it like "summer(time)". Like AJ said, possiblilty's are endless.
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