Pro-life politicians support violence associated with war including controversial technology like the H-bomb (short for hydrogen bomb) but oppose abortion: it’s hypocritical.

Butterfly urges Nikki to make her choice with pride and reassures her that both he and the father of her child, Sid, will be there to support her when she gets an abortion.

The Jackson Five, an immensely popular soul/funk/pop family music group from the ‘60s (you may be familiar with this dude Michael??), woulda rocked the popular hair style of dreads.

All three members of Digable rocked dreads when the band was first beginning. Basically, the Jackson Five would have been influenced by the style of Digable, were they around at the same time. “We, the synthesis of then and now melts…”

Music can take you to new places – as Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space was meant to do. In these lines, Butterfly pictures some of his favorite tunes as planets.

These tunes are presumably old school, we can tell from the reference to an 8-track walkman, which was invented in the 80’s about 10 years before Reachin' (A New Refutation of Time and Space was created.

Just as Butterfly is transported by his musical influences to other planets, Digable strives to reach new places with its raps. A beautiful cycle – especially given the way Digable chose its samples for the album. Said Butterfly as quoted in Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip Hop Junkies, “When it came time to go and sample records, I just went and got the records I had around me. And a lot of those were my dad’s shit, which was lots of jazz.”

A placebo is a simulated treatment for a medical condition intended to deceive the recipient. Sometimes patients given a placebo treatment will have actual improvement in a medical condition, a phenomenon commonly called the placebo effect.

There will be no placebo effect in this line’s case because everyone is getting lifted. Funky (aka dank) joints are being consumed so everyone is getting the real deal – no placebo.

Jimi Hendrix, one of the group’s heroes, would dig this song if he could hear it.

The extended vocal sample from a live recording of late, great Jimi Hendrix, to whom the song is a tribute.

Taken in context within the song, it’s as if Jimi is talking about and praising Digable. In just the previous verse, Butterfly rapped “We, the synthesis of then and now melts”. In the sample, the fact that Hendrix says “The way they’re bringing it all together…” is perfect.

Digable brings together the past and present well, reaching new places with the fusion. The examples of the Black Panthers having their own cartoon, Isaac Hayes having a 900 number, etc. are satirical imaginings of prominent figures (“masters”) of the past interacting with the present in a not-so-meaningful/successful way.

The song title is also taken from this sample – it’s clear that Jimi was diggin' the cats that were able to create their own new sound while paying good respect to the masters. (Aka, what Digable is all about…)

Butterfly on the sample used: “We originally had a sample of Jimi Hendrix talking about a cover tune, and he said: ‘We really dig the cats and we really dig this song.’ But we couldn’t clear it. It was a live recording of him.”

Since the song is a tribute to the late, great Jimi Hendrix, the sample had to be from him. Jimi woulda dug Digable, if he had been alive to listen to their music.

“Groovy” is somewhat dated slang, used often in the ‘60s. Hip is newer, more modern, so these lines could be another message that Digable is bringing the old cool back with a new, hip style.