getting crowned/getting capped

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi, everybody! I’m from Russia :wink: my grammar is not good, sorry. =(
Eminem is my favorite artist.
I’m trying to learn his lyrics “Not Afraid” now, and I’m seeking some help here.
I can’t understand the parts in bold in the following excerpt:

I understand that Eminem is playing with words here. But I can’t understand what this idioms mean. =(
Can someone help me with it, please?
Thanks a lot!

2

A king wears a crown. Traditionally a common working man would wear a cap on his head.

He lied about being a king so he won’t be given a crown to wear. He’ll get an ordinary cap instead.

It’s not my sort of music, so I may be wrong, but from what I can gather, it seems that some people think that Eminem is talking about himself throughout this song. There are others who think that these lines might be a dig at another rapper… Elusive, and it islinked to his song ‘The King II (Gold Crown)’

3

thx :slight_smile:

4

In urban slang, “you’re getting capped” means you are going to be shot.

5

ok, thanks a lot! but can you help me one more time? the last time)

what does this part mean?

6
  1. There’s a game called circle and I don’t know how = There’s a game called circle but I don’t know how to play the game.
  2. I’m way too up to back down = I’m really too high to become low again = I have really gone too far to come back.
7

It’s all an extended metaphor concerning your mouth.

Note the word “teeth” - this sets the stage for the extended metaphor.

Then comes crowned - I take this as a pun. Crown = king; royalty, powerful, et. al.

Crown can also refer to dental crowns - they go on your teeth.

…

Then comes capped. Caps can refer to dental crowns - caps, crowns - all the same to a dentist. Capped also means getting shot ;).

This is my interpretation. Those lines are an excellent example of an extended conceptual metaphor involving teeth. As always, interpretations vary.