A lesser known fact about me is that I am a huge hip hop buff. To explore this side and share my insights, I will be writing about hip hop and possibly doing some lyrical breakdowns. In this blog I will be doing a breakdown of the song 3.59 AM from an album called Punya Paap.
In my opinion, the “Hip Hop scene” in India is developing fast and a significant portion of the audience has already realised that Honey Singh and Badshah aren’t really “Hip Hop” artists! Today’s hip hop scene has shifted out of Punjab and has penetrated areas like Delhi, Bombay, Bengaluru etc. Rappers now have started to talk about real issues rather than the cliched topics like “bandi, daru, gaadi and paisa” which was quite prevalent in Punjabi hip hop. A name that prominently features in the list of top rappers in India’s hip hop scene is Vivian Divine, and his recent album proves why it’s rightly so. The film Gully Gang was loosely based on his life. In this song(3.59 AM), Divine talks about his life and struggles as an artist rising from the slums of Bombay. In this song, we also see a number of references to Christianity(the song starts with a choir type tune), and might be an indicator that he is also connected to his religious side.
What’s the significance of the name 3.59 AM?
There are multiple interpretations here. 59 is an area code of Andheri, Mumbai which is often used by Divine in his songs. 3–4 AM is also the Devil’s hour and Divine has often stated that he writes his songs in this period as his consciousness is at it’s peak. In the music video, his entry is marked by glowing red eyes which can be another reference to that. Also, it can be a reference to a period before dawn, signifying the dawn of a new era of hip hop.
Jwala jwala jwala chhote laya main game mein
Dollar Dollar Dollar chhote laya main game mein
Bada naam naam banaya main game mein
Liya nahi chayan tab toh Heera yeh chain mein
Likhta tha gully mein, Ab main likhta hoon plane mein
Asal zindagi hai meri chhote no entertainment
Itihaas likh diya Tujhe classics diya
5X Plat (platinum) Gully waale ne diya
These lines are more or less obvious. Essential brag lines! He talks about how his bars are like fire and that he has brought in a lot of money into the hip hop scene. He worked relentlessly and hence today he is able to wear diamond studded blings. Then he speaks about how he used to write in his slum, and now he is able to write them while travelling in airplanes. As far as the 5x platinum claim is concerned that’s a bit contentious, but it’s either Kohinoor or Gully Boy album which received a 5x platinum certification.
Peeche se aake phir saamne se diya
Sachin ka bat Bambai ka maine naam rakh diya
Jab studio mein locked tab sab khol diya
Agar 2 maine liye toh 10 maine diya
Usne 10 mujhse lekar dhass mujhe diya
Roll karke pehle sabko kash maine diya
Badalon ke upar maine game rakh diya
Quality gaano se make it rain kar diya
In the first line he refers to how he started with nothing and today he has come a long way. “Samne se aake diya” might also be a reference to a Hindi cuss, as he later on talks about “snakes” who betrayed him(backstabbed him, another reference to “peeche se diya”). The “Sachin ka bat” reference is not very clear, but according to me Sachin being a cricket icon, his bat would be something revered by cricket fans. This line might be a reference how he gave a similar face to Bombay’s hip hop scene.
In the next 2 lines he says that if he took 2 favours he returned 10, and still his “friends” betrayed him(“dhass mujhe diya”). Here there is also a wordplay on the term “maine” and “mahine”, indicating he took 2 months but gave 10 songs. In the next line, “Roll” refers to rapping and also to rolling a joint(“Kash” means draw or pull in Hindi, and “Kush” is weed). This line basically means that his rap drew or pulled in millions of people and his bars were so lit that they gave people a high. In the next line he talks about how his rap game is so good that he has set the bar as high as the clouds. Again high and clouds refer to his last line about “Kush”. In the next line we see a reference to rain which is related to his last line on clouds. “Make it rain” also means inflow of money. So the quality of his songs have brought in a lot of money!
Bas bas ho gaya abhi sirf parivaar mera
Pehle shani tha ab har din shanivaar mera
Dentist se zyaada game mujhe daant de raha
Vaccine yeh bars aur main sabko shot dera
Mujhe game saath dera jaise liya maine saat phera
Sirf main jaanta hu Punya Paap mera
Dimag ko rakhte doosra aur khwaab pehla
Qalam se bar fest Pentecost mera
In this part, he says that he has been betrayed enough, and now he will only focus on his family and very close friends. “Pehle shani tha” means he was going through a bad time, and now every day is like a holiday. In the next line he does a word play on “daant”(teeth) and “daat”(appreciation), saying that he gets a lot of respect and appreciation from his peers and fans. He then talks about how his bars are like “vaccine”, and how he is married to the game (“saath phere”). He says he keeps his dreams first, above everything else. Pentecost is a Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension. Here he compares the “fest” or festival of Pentecost, to his “bar fest”. Bars are lines in a rap song. Also, his name is “divine” and hence he is saying that he writes like he has a holy (or divine) spirit in him.
Agar maloom tu jeeta chal haath upar kar
Dil se salaam mere saath they agar
Gehra paani bolke mere saath they magar
Bhagwaan mujhe bola divine paani pe chal
Yeezus wale mode mein Nas wale mode mein
Khoon se behtar koi nahi shaks wale mode mein
Gandagi hai tu aur mein flush wale mode mein
Seekha sab road pe aur mein 100–100 tha board mein
This para is phenomenal! In the first line he asks people who feel like winners to raise their hands(raises his own in the video). He salutes those who were with him. The next line is a triple entendre. “Gehra paani” means troubling times. He refers to the previous line saying that some people stayed with him during troubling times. In the same line, the term “magar” refers to crocodiles(“magarmach”) indicating that some of his friends were crocodiles and took advantage of him. The 3rd meaning here refer’s to “DEEP WATERS”(gehra paani) which is a band opened by his former mentor Genghis Khan, with whom he had a fallout and who has attacked him multiple times on social media.
In the next line he says that God(Jesus) has asked him to walk on water(walk on the surface because there are crocodiles in the deep). Walking on water is again a reference to Jesus(who according to new testament walked on water), indicating he is “Divine” or godly. In the next line he again makes a reference to Yeezus(Jesus). Yeezus is also one of Kanye West’s most critically acclaimed album, and Divine wants to say that Punya paap will be like that. The next line — “Nas wale mode mae” again has 2 meanings. Nas is a legendary hip hop artist. Divine has collaborated twice with Nas and has also released songs under Nas’s record label Mass Appeal India. “Nas” means veins in Hindi, and we get a reference to blood in the next line.
In the next line he says that only blood relatives(family) will remain with you and rest all will betray you at some point. The next two lines are pretty obvious. He says that his bars will flush out(or spill out) all the bad things that has happened with him, and then he says that he learned from the streets and now he is scoring 100/100 in life’s exam. Board here also refers to billboards, hence this also refers chart topping hits that he has produced.
Sab kuch zor mein DIVINE apne zone mein
Gully Gully Gang Aur ghar mera Bombay
Bache bache karte rap har kone mein
Sapne hote sach tab maza aata sone mein
Classic har baar Har shabad mere Sholay mein
Chhaati inki nahi hai isliye bar bar yeh bolenge
Hum kholenge jaise kho kho ka game
Tu bahar dikhta accha sirf promo ka game
Rakhta chaar mere saath jaise 2–2 ka game
Tu aur tere homie chhote tum dono ka game
Chhutta paisa rakh ke dekh laya na change
Here in the first few lines, he again talks about how he is a rap icon in Bombay, and now that his dreams are coming true he can sleep peacefully(also rest in peace). “Classic har baar” indicates how he has produced multiple classics, and also how each line(“bar”) is a classic, and each word(“shaabd”) is fire(Sholay which is also a reference to the film which had a number of iconic dialogues, hence indicating his dialogues are as iconic as Sholay).
“Chhaati” or chest here indicates courage. In the next line, he makes a reference to Kho Kho. On the 13th day of the war, the Kaurava General Guru Dronacharya created the ‘Chakravyuha’ a special military defensive circle which was eventually penetrated by the renowned warrior Abhimanyu. He was killed eventually by having to fight alone against 7 other warriors but he inflicted heavy casualties in return. His style of fighting reflects the concept of ‘ring play’ — a tactic in Kho Kho. Here just like Abhimanyu had the courage to open up(or break)the “Chakravyuha”, he says he also has the courage to open up and tell the truth unlike others. “Bahar se dikhta accha” is again a reference to fake people. Also, here this line also means that these people don’t deserve to be in the game(hip hop) and that they are better off “promo”ting themselves as fake players. “Rakhta 4 mere saath” here again indicates 5 Pandavas(he and 4 more). Also, if you have seen the famous pallbearer music video, there are 4 bearers who carry a dead body, and “2–2 ka game” ya “do do ka game” also refers to killing someone. He, hence, wants to say that he is gonna kill such fake rappers(might be referring to Emiway Bantai) and their homies. He then does a word play on “chutta paisa” or change, and says he has brought change in the rap scene(also that he has some change to give to the beggars).
Rakh tera fame
Main banda nahi same
Kaptani innings yeh hai Kohli wala shot
Ghar ke bahar tere paunche yeh rangoli wala shot
Konkani Karnatak Koli waala shot
Khade hokar jala diye Modi wala shot
16 se hai khauf aur mai 16 se hoon hot
Khatarnaak coats jaise tailor mera baap
There are a few obvious references here. Virat Kohli is a brilliant player and the captain of the Indian team. Here Divine seems to say that he is probably the captain of the Indian hip hop scene. He then says that his songs are now played in each and every house(hence the reference to Rangoli). “Konkani Karnatak Koli” these are areas along the West Coast. Divine himself is from Goa and is extremely popular in this region. West coast here also refers to the American West coast, which has produced legendary rappers like Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Dre, Tupac, Kendrick, Eazy-E etc. “Modi wala shot” here refers to the 2002 Gujarat riots. In the last line he does a word play on “coats” (“quotes”), and says his quotes(“coats”) are legendary as if he was born to a tailor.
Edit karke tune image mera meme banadiya
Mehnat karke tere bhai ne poora dream bana diya
Picture ya sadkon pe scene bana diya
Khudka time laya maine sabse bada gaana diya
Shikshak se pehle thugs dekha
Tiffin box se pehle maine drugs dekha
29 saal ka main par lagta maine sab dekha
Rishton mein pyaar se zyada shak dekha
Shauharat ke liye zyada mehnat thora luck dekha
Circle rakta tight aur main circle jitna F*** deta
Nasha apan karte isliye nashe mein na rakh deta
He takes a jab at people who make fun of him, and says that while they create memes, he will keep grinding and achieving his goals. “Picture ya sadko pe” here refers to the fact that he has worked with Bollywood, and even made songs for the people of the streets. Also, that a picture(“Gully gang”) has been made on him. “Khudka time laya” (like apna time ayega) is obvious. He next talks about the song “apna time ayega” which has the most number (sabse bada gaana) of views for an Indian hip hop song. He goes on to talk about how he had a very rough time on the streets where he had to face thugs and drug addiction. He ends it with a play on the word circle(zero), and says that now he keeps a tight circle of friends and gives 0 fucks to anyone else.
Views toh 69 ko bhi aata hai
Apna missionary shot sab kuch samne se jata hai
Bank mera ghar ka khudka mera khaata hai
License pe hai album kyunki maths mujhe aata hai
Dollar jab involved tab cents samajh aata hai
Jab bills aur passion dono saath me nahi jaata hai
Jo passion na de paise woh passion nahi sikhata hai?
Independent main nahi sirf entertainment mein
Independent mein hu har street ke pavement pe
Inke baap ke payment se aaya lame men ke saath
Nazrein to milana kabhi real men ke saath
Main karte rahoonga grind jab tak 6 men de haath
The very first line is a double entendre. He talks about the mumble rapper Sixnine, saying that even such mumble rappers get views on their songs. He also does a word play on 69, which is also a sex position. This is supported by the reference to “missionary” position in the next line. Here he also means to say that even sex videos get views. After that the next few lines are pretty obvious and are again essential brag lines. He talks about money and that only passion is not sufficient. He does a wordplay on “cents”(sense) to focus on this issue. He says that he is not just independent as a rapper, but he is also independent because he earns sufficiently(again a reference to Emiway Bantai’s lines in Samjh Mae Aya Kya). At the end, I feel he did a word play on 6 men(sounded like amen).
The rest of the lines and the outro is pretty straightforward. So I didn’t feel like it would need a breakdown. What a song man! If you like this type of content, do share my story, follow me on medium and stay tuned!
