Track 6: Entre 2 (“Between 2”)
This is the album’s middle track (track 6) and, like the album, is entitled Entre 2. Within his words, 1Key explores the “Between Two” motif, with clear examples in the hook:
“I exist between…
Birth and death
Without filter between…
Thought and speech
I live between…
Night and day
I hesitate between…
Never and forever.” (Translated from French to English)
In Entre 2, 1Key carries us into the second half of his album, which is more heavily influenced by hip-hop, and which exudes a more serious mood. The music opens with an electronic piano chord sequence, which is modified to sound like female voices and is repeated throughout the track. The chord sequence is dramatized by the click and then bang of a gunshot, over which 1Key starts to rap in French, his voice deep and his statements punchy. At the same time, the music thickens. We hear high-pitched piano notes, creating a siren effect, and then a sharp knocking sound. Next, a series of metallic rhythms are layered in, building a sense of drama as the story unravels.
“You’re not this butterfly with flamboyant colours
Sailing between the winds of trends
You’re a chameleon, hooked on your own branch
You observe the world in every direction
You do not just stay there and watch these egocentric termites devour each other mercilessly
You sound the alarm but that makes you a target…” (Translated from French to English)
Within his words, 1Key reveals complex contradictions and dichotomies. While butterflies are beautiful in appearance, they are fickle and easily manipulated. On the other hand, the chameleon has qualities of a hero: he is defiant, he thinks independently, and he takes action. But he suffers for his heroism. This raises an important question: should butterflies (aka ordinary Rwandan citizens) behave more like chameleons, despite the sacrifices that would involve? And if the butterfly were to represent “Rwandan progress”, just how much substance is there? In Rwanda, conversations about politics are generally met with caution, and it is extremely rare (and potentially dangerous) to openly challenge the status quo. Having said that, the question of substance is reflective of conversations that I have had with many Kigalians. While these Rwandans are proud and optimistic about the extraordinary growth of Kigali, they also understand that rural Rwanda (home to approximately 90% of the population) is a completely different reality. Within Kigali, citizens have been witnessing the mushrooming of new, shiny buildings and expensive coffee shops, restaurants and gyms. As inequalities deepen, many people ask: “But who is this beautiful city being built for?”
In his termite analogy, 1Key addresses additional concerns with Rwandan society. Termites live as one, which speaks to the Rwandan Government’s policy of National Unity, an idea which is also prevalent in Rwandan popular culture. And yet 1Key’s egocentric termites devour each other mercilessly. According to 1Key, this is an honest reflection of contemporary Rwandan society (or indeed any capitalist society), where its citizens habitually exploit and take advantage of each other in their increasingly individualistic attempts to gain money and subsequently status.
In the second verse, 1Key adopts the persona of the Coward, or the ordinary citizen. He describes hypocritical smiles and friends who stab him in the back, evoking our sympathy and understanding. Simultaneously, he admits to being passive and lazy, telling us: “Nothing drives me besides alcohol, sex and drugs.” (Translated from French to English) Like the chameleon, 1Key observes his world in every direction. He certainly articulates a more intelligent and nuanced view of contemporary Rwandan society than what we are used to hearing (or reading). 1Key doesn’t want to be a commercial “copy-cat” recording artist for radio and TV. Through his art, he expresses himself, explores ideas, and heals himself (and others).
In many ways, 1Key is a pioneer: aesthetically, his music is original and experimental, and his lyrics are fresh and provocative. A fierce promoter of Kigali’s live music scene, 1Key essentially wants to start conversations. He told me: “It’s OK to have different opinions, but we don’t talk about them.” 1Key is aware that his art may cause controversy, telling me: “Not all Rwandans are ready for me!” Indeed, his “disobedient” character – which is untypical in Rwanda – and tendency to challenge norms, as well as his body piercings and tattoos, leaves many Rwandans bewildered. 1Key laughs this off, defiantly telling us: “You want a joke? Apparently I belong to an asylum/I write crazy stuff HAHAHAHA”. (Translated from French to English)
Entre 2 was produced by Barick at his home-studio in Kigali. Barick is featured on the hook.
_______
Song lyrics and translations
| Entre 2 (“Between 2” [Track 6 on Entre 2 album])
Prod. Barick (Kigali); French. |
|
| [Verse 1] | [Verse 1] |
| Hommage à toi brave | Homage to you brave |
| Sage soldat armés de cordes vocales | Wise soldier armed with vocal chords |
| Elles t’étranglent quand tu ne les utilises pas | They strangle you when you do not use them |
| Elles tuent quand tu les utilises mal | They kill you when you use them wrong |
| Mais toi t’as trouvé l’équilibre… Chapeau bas! | But you found the balance… Hats off! |
| Ce couplet est une ôde pour toi, défenseur de vertu | This verse is an ode to you, defender of virtue |
| Toi qui ne t’ai pas tu même avec la bouche cousue | You did not keep quiet despite your sealed lips |
| Tu t’es battu malgré les mains liées | You fought with your hands tied |
| Pour un futur où tu seras oublié | For a future in which you will be forgotten |
| Avec ta vie t’as payé le prix R.I.P | With your life you paid the price R.I.P |
| J’admire ton courage dans la défense de tes croyances | I admire your courage in defending what you stand for |
| T’es pas ce papillon aux couleurs flamboyantes | You’re not this butterfly with flamboyant colours |
| Qui vogue entre les vents des tendances | Sailing between the winds of trends |
| T’es un caméléon, tu t’accroches sur ta branche | You’re a chameleon, hooked on your own branch |
| Et t’observes le monde dans tous les sens | You observe the world in every direction |
| Tu ne restes pas là à regarder ces termites égocentriques se dévorer sans merci | You do not just stay there and watch these egocentric termites devour each other mercilessly |
| Tu sonnes l’alarme mais cela fait de toi une cible | You sound the alarm but that makes you a target |
| Ça t’étonne pas, tu connais la musique | It does not surprise you, you know the tune |
| Alors tu danses avec un grand sourire | So you dance to it with a huge smile |
| On t’applaudit mais tu sais que quand tu seras parti | You receive applause but you know that once you are gone |
| Tes écrits seront conservés dans la bibliothèque des amnésiques | Your writings will be stored in the library of amnesiacs |
| Tes traces préservées au musée des oubliettes | Your footprints preserved in a museum of the forgetful |
| Et ton nom restera gravé dans le vent… à jamais | And your name will be engraved in the wind… forever |
| — | — |
| [Hook] | [Hook] |
| J’existe entre… | I exist between… |
| La naissance et la mort | Birth and death |
| Sans filtre entre… | Without filter between… |
| La pensee et la parole | Thought and speech |
| Je vis entre… | I live between… |
| La nuit et le jour | Night and day |
| J’hésite entre… | I hesitate between… |
| Jamais et toujours | Never and forever |
| — | — |
| J’existe entre… | I exist between… |
| La naissance et la mort | Birth and death |
| Sans filtre entre… | Without filter between… |
| La pensee et la parole | Thought and speech |
| Je vis entre… | I live between… |
| La nuit et le jour | Night and day |
| J’hésite entre… | I hesitate between… |
| Jamais et toujours | Never and forever |
| — | — |
| [Verse 2] | [Verse 2] |
| Hélas je ne serai jamais toi, j’ai pas ta bravoure dans ma peau | Unfortunately I’ll never be you, I don’t have your bravery within me |
| Moi je préfère la fermer, vivre à genou que mourir debout en héros | I prefer to shut it, live on my knees than die standing |
| Je suis le rhytme, j’attends que la Terre tourne dans l’autre sens | I follow the rhythm, I’m waiting for the world to turn the other way |
| La vie me surprend tous les jours, me parlez pas de son essence | Life surprises me every day, don’t talk to me of its essence |
| C’est une fine meche qui brule a petit feu… et alors? | It’s a fire wick which burns a small fire… so what? |
| Je suis passif, hypo-sensitif, est-ce ma faute? | What if I’m passive, hypo-sensitive, is it my fault? |
| Rien ne m’anime à part l’alcool, le sexe et la drogue | Nothing drives me besides alcohol, sex and drugs |
| La famille? T’as vu leur regards quand t’as pas de job? | Family? Have you seen their look when you don’t have a job? |
| Les amis? C’est eux qui te poignardent dans le dos | Friends? Those are the people who stab you in the back |
| J’ai peur de rien surtout pas des ont-dit | I fear nothing, especially what people say |
| Je me méfie des non-dits cachés derrière les sourires hypocrites | I’m cautious of unspoken words hidden behind hypocritical smiles |
| Cette ère c’est notre apocalypse, rien à y faire | This era is our apocalypse, there’s nothing we can do about it |
| Cette terre c’est le paradis et l’enfer | This earth is heaven and hell |
| Cette vie n’est qu’un sombre tunnel, la mort, c’est en fait elle la lumière | Life is just a dark tunnel, death is in fact the light |
| Tôt ou tard on finit tous six pieds sous terre, puis on rejoint nos ancêtres à l’etat végétatif | Sooner or later we will all end six feet under, then we join our ancestors in their vegetative state |
| Peut être que c’est leur esprit que j’aspire, quand je tire deux coups de mon spliff | Maybe it’s their spirit which I inhale, when I take two puffs from my spliff |
| HAHAHAHAHAHA | HAHAHAHAHAHA |
| — | — |
| [Hook] | [Hook] |
| J’existe entre… | I exist between… |
| La naissance et la mort | Birth and death |
| Sans filtre entre… | Without filter between… |
| La pensee et la parole | Thought and speech |
| Je vis entre… | I live between… |
| La nuit et le jour | Night and day |
| J’hésite entre… | I hesitate between… |
| Jamais et toujours | Never and forever |
| — | — |
| J’existe entre… | I exist between… |
| La naissance et la mort | Birth and death |
| Sans ilter entre… | Without filter between… |
| La pensee et la parole | Thought and speech |
| Je vis entre… | I live between… |
| La nuit et le jour | Night and day |
| J’hésite entre… | I hesitate between… |
| Jamais et toujours | Never and forever |
| — | — |
| [Verse 3] | [Verse 3] |
| Je suis pas suicidaire, je kiff trop la life | I’m not suicidal, I love life too much |
| Surtout pas sédentaire, je suis à la poursuite des fun nights | Especially not sedentary, I’m in pursuit of fun nights |
| Ce serait un drame si cette vie n’était pas une comédie | It would be a tragedy if life were not a comedy |
| Tu veux une blague? Parait que ma place est à l’asile | You want a joke? Apparently I belong in an asylum |
| J’écris des trucs de ouf HAHAHAHA | I write crazy stuff HAHAHAHA |
| — | — |
| [Hook] | [Hook] |
| J’existe entre… | I exist between… |
| La naissance et la mort | Birth and death |
| Sans filtre entre… | Without filter between… |
| La pensee et la parole | Thought and speech |
| Je vis entre… | I live between… |
| La nuit et le jour | Night and day |
| J’hésite entre… | I hesitate between… |
| Jamais et toujours | Never and forever |
| — | — |
| J’existe entre… | I exist between… |
| La naissance et la mort | Birth and death |
| Sans filtre entre… | Without filter between… |
| La pensee et la parole | Thought and speech |
| Je vis entre… | I live between… |
| La nuit et le jour | Night and day |
| J’hésite entre… | I hesitate between… |
| Jamais et toujours | Never and forever |
| — | — |
| [Instrumental] | [Instrumental] |
| — | — |
| [Outro] | [Outro] |
| Barick attends un peu… Il y a un truc que j’ai oublié de dire | Barick, wait a minute… there’s something I forgot to say |
| En fait… | In fact… |
| Je suis pris entre les dents comme la langue | I’m caught between teeth like a tongue |
| En déséquilibre entre le yin et le yang | In imbalance between yin and yang |
