Gotta Eat

Im happy i get to explain this one because it my favorite song on the cd. On the first listen it comes off as a song describing a successful Drug Lord who has people trying to kill him, because he is hurting the community. But Lupe is really stating his views on health and dieting with the destruction of the community being blamed on fast food resturants.

(Hey, he had a whole lot of cheese, plus he was a mack, had a whole lot of steeds) These lines introduce the enemy as a hamburger/gangster with a whole lotta cheese/money. He had a whole lotta employees/drug dealers. A steed is a worker.

(Made a lot of niggas fat, gave a whole lotta Gs, Grams, man he had a whole lot of these,) The hamburger/gangster made people fat/phat by giving out a wole lotta g's. G's meaning grams of fat or grams of cocain.

(And he would let you hold, like a whole lotta keys and even if you lose some, he would give you new ones) These lines continue the fat and cocain metaphors. Even if you lost some weight/cocain the hamburger/ganster would give you more.

(Twice the bread, it's like he had two buns, And he had a whole lot of seeds) A hamburger has two buns/the gangster has alot of money. A big mac is served on a seeded bun/the gangster fathered many children.

(Even his kids had meals, for real, some rich small fries wrapped in paper since they was little,Catch up nigga!) Fastfood resturants serve kids meals/ The gangster was so rich that his offspring had millions of dollars. A kids meal fries are wrapped in paper since a small child can't consume a regular sized fry/The gangsters kids were wrapped in paper/money since their birth. Catch up/Ketchup 2nd verse (He was a heartbreaker, and a large shaker, if it was 'bout cakin, he was a partaker,) The hamburger is bad for your heart/the gangster broke many hearts. Large shaker refers to a milkshake/idk maybe a handshake. Cakin refers to more unhealthy food or spending money lavishly (International, he would take trips, bon voyage, just so hard, he was fishin for the chips) These line could refer to macdonalds expanding to other countries im not so sure, but fish and chips are foods. (So greedy, never gave to the needy, that's what some say, the way he shunned all the bums hangin' in the Subways) Greedy refers to people indulging on unhealthy food. The subway line could refer to the subway food chain being a healthier alternative to micky d's and burger king, but also being a lot less popular.

(he call 'em fruits and laugh at 'em Delivery man, in a pickup, drive through and throw a bag at 'em) Fruits...laugh at 'em refer to people eating unhealthy things instead of fruits. The gangster would drive through urban areas selling drugs to people.(subway,bums,delivery man,bag)/A fastfood drive through that delivers food to customers by handing food to them through the window. (And it was hard to understand him sometimes, Makin a killin' the way he had 'em standin in line, like) The ganster was makin a lot of money while killing his consumers who he had waiting in line, similar to fastfood chains. 3rd verse (Lovers call him King, Haters call him Clown) Another Burger king and Ronald Macdonald reference (he would say "Bite me!" that's the way it's goin' down) Bite me and its goin are references to the act of eating he was havin' thoughts that maybe he should retire, went to church on a Sunday and saw a deep friar(deep fryer) Said he had (beef), and people want him dead, he loved the (hungry) ones was only scared of the (Feds) He lived a (fast) life, couldn't get his path right, (Fry) just told him 'bout the (hooters) that he had last night Turned hisself in to the paddy wagon, said no, (bacon) wouldn't take him, had the (pigs) on the payroll...

Good grief. A great song, but these lyrics are just walls of text, didn't separate for the actual lines.

Fix'd lyrics. "I swear, If I see this nigga, I'ma kill him. I'm going to kill him. Slow. Make a nigga suffer. Know what I'm sayin?"

My man said "Life ain't easy," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy, Streets be all like "Feed me, feed me," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy.

My man said "Life ain't easy," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy, Streets be all like "Feed me, feed me," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy

My man said "Life ain't easy," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy,

Hey, he had a whole lot of cheese, plus he was a mac(mack), had a whole lot of steeds, Made a lot of niggas fat, gave a whole lotta Gs, Grams, man he had a whole lot of these, And he would let you hold, like a whole lotta keys('kis'), and even if you lose some, he would give you new ones, Twice the bread, it's like he had two buns, And he had a whole lot of seeds, Even his kids had meals, for reals, some rich small fries wrapped in paper since they was little, Catch up (Ketchup) nigga!

My man said "Life ain't easy," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy, Streets be all like "Feed me, feed me," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy.

My man said "Life ain't easy," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy, Streets be all like "Feed me, feed me," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy.

He was a heartbreaker, and a large shaker, if it was 'bout cakin, he was a partaker, International, he would take trips, bon voyage, just so hard, he was fishin for the chips, So greedy, never gave to the needy, that's what some say, the way he shunned all the bums hangin' in the Subways, he call 'em fruits and laugh at 'em Delivery man, in a pickup, drive through and throw a bag at 'em, And it was hard to understand him sometimes, Makin a killin' the way he had 'em standin in line, like

My man said "Life ain't easy," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy, Streets be all like "Feed me, feed me," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy.

My man said "Life ain't easy," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy, Streets be all like "Feed me, feed me," when niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy.

Lovers call him King, Haters call him Clown, he would say "Bite me!" that's the way it's goin' down, he was havin' thoughts that maybe he should retire, went to church on a Sunday and saw a deep friar(deep fryer) Said he had beef, and people want him dead, he loved the hungry ones was only scared of the Feds, He lived a fast life, couldn't get his path right, Fry just told him 'bout the hooters that he had last night Turned hisself in to the paddy(pattty) wagon, said no, bakin(bacon) wouldn't take him, had the pigs on the payroll...

To Be Continued, on another menu. Ya dig? Will he give up this life of crime, or will he stay? This and other adventures on Lupe Fiasco's next album, "L.U.P.End."

My man said 'Life ain't easy," When niggas gotta eat, that's when shit get greasy, HEY!

DDDaze i agree with u on that whole meaing. It's well put at that too. Nice job man nice job.

"he loved the hungry ones was only scared of the Feds, He lived a fast life, couldn't get his path right, Fry just told him 'bout the hooters that he had last night Turned hisself in to the paddy(pattty) wagon, said no, bakin(bacon) wouldn't take him, had the pigs on the payroll..."

do you think that there is any reference to "police" in those lines?

Continuing where DDDaze left off-

"Said he had beef, and people want him dead" Burgers literally have beef, people are trying to shut down fast food chains/ People didn't like the drug lord, wanted him killed."

"Loved the hungry was, was only scared of the Feds" Fast food when you're hungry, fast food chains are only scared of federal regulation on said food/ Drug lord loved those that were starvin, sine they were the ones buying his product, only scared of the cops

"Lived a fast life, couldn't get his path right Fry just told him bout the Hooters that he had last night" Fast food references, as well as to the hooters restaurants.

Turn hisself in to the paddy(patty) wagon, said "No, bakin'(bacon) wouldn't take him," had the pigs on the payroll" General unhealthy food refernces/Drug lord wouldn't be arrested for selling drugs, because he was paying the cops.

One addition to DDDaze and Wulfreigns: for people not living on the east coast, or not familiar with the restaurant "Checkers," a fast food drive-in chain goes "Checkers, cause you gotta eat".

whoops -- the slogan is "checkers, cause you gotta eat"

Throughout the whole song, he uses these food puns, it's ingenious!

The song is about food its about health. Like Lupe said he took some Tony S. shit and tried to make talkin' about health and fast food in a cool way. "How do you take somethin uncool and make it cool?"

are you kiddin me man this is NOT about food