Words by Dmaric X
The song finds Sean reflecting on his come up, reminiscing about his days being broke in Detroit and dreaming about one day reaching the pinnacle of the rap game. In an example of the contrast between his humble beginnings and his current celebrity status, he says, “Used to have to take showers standing in the mildew/Now I’m in the penthouse look at what a mill do/” The chain Sean refers to in the song is the Jesus Piece, which he first saw being worn by The Notorious B.I.G.
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The second verse is handled by Nas, who reflects on what wearing a chain meant back in the eighties when he was coming up as a kid. In typical Nas fashion, he adds a hint of conscious awareness to the song when he says “Now I’m coppin stones/Sorry Sierra Leone/One day we’ll right the wrongs,” referring to the nasty issue of conflict diamonds.
Sean comes back on the third verse, talking about the contributions he has had on the city of Detroit. The closing verse comes from Kid Cudi, in what might be one of his best verses of the year. Cudi’s rapid fire delivery is crisp and smooth, and he closes the song off by saying, “G.O.O.D. Music forever, understand?”
‘First Chain’ is one of the big collaborations that will be appearing on Sean’s sophomore album ‘Hall Of Fame,’ set to drop on August 27. Listen to the song below.
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