Ain't no back and forth, ain't no left or right (21, 21)
I got King's Disease but I move like a knight (21, 21)
Rappers bandwagon tryna get some likes (21, 21)
I do it for the fam', never for the hype (21, 21)
When you turn to legend, no such thing as relevance (21, 21)
They must've forgot that I'm a new rapper that got integrity (21, 21)
All in the media and blogs, that's just a place I don't care to be (21, 21)
Most of these niggas wouldn't say shit if they was ahead of me (Hit-Boy)

No back and forth, I did it back then, I do it right now (woo)
I opened a lane for my era, I'm goated, they gave me the crown
G.O.A.T. with all the success, the negative press, I'm watchin' it pile (uh)
They sayin' that black music dyin', I'm sayin', "They wipin' us out"
But look at me now, damn, y'all, look at me now
Whatever I do is N.Y., I'm keepin' it Queens 'cause that's my side (what up?)
I shook up the town, I shook up the city, I shook up the state
I'm with 21 on my second run, this shit come with age

It's a conversation (woo), it's determination (yeah)
Your interpretation, I just shocked the nation (oh)
Did my tour with The Wu', I came back and I set the pace (whoa)
They just ran in one of my cribs and took what? I replaced it (haha)
Two Caucasians up out of their faces
Most of y'all assumed that they was black, it's exploitation (Black Caesar)
They ain't know that I see everything, invest in the Ring
It's cool to be mainstream, I'd rather be timeless
That's if we keepin' it P, 21 (21, 21)

I'm on that same trajectory
Bullet wounds and jail cells couldn't stop me, this my destiny
Never controversial, I'm mad the fans expected less from me
Nigga sneezed around me, wipe his nose, won't get no bless from me
Fuck the jewelry, I rather buy land and invest successfully
I got all type of stocks and bonds, Kehinde Wiley on my wall
And I'ma pass it to my son
If Savage like the capo that mean Escobar the don, one mic', one gun
My net worth like eight figures, I'm workin' on gettin' me nine
You know that I'm one of them niggas, I ain't doin' no cappin' or lyin'
You rappers be chasin' the hype, I do it and I don't be tryin'
I ain't goin' against no legend, nigga, I'm tryna be next in line
They actin' like I just popped, I was platinum before I signed
I went platinum without no features, I put platinum on your mind
This Glock I got two-tone, and this bitch don't bust no rhyme
They wanna see me fucked so they could deport me like I'm Shyne

No back and forth, I did it back then, I do it right now (woo)
They tellin' me that I'm the G-O-A-T, I been here for a while (while)
G.O.A.T., love me today, hate me tomorrow, no switchin' my style (style)
21, Yak, y'all get together, be big for the South (the globe)
But look at me now, damn, y'all, look at me now (uh)
Whatever I do is New York, you hear that shit all in my vowels (grrt)
I shook up the town, I shook up the city, I shook up the state
I'm one of them ones, on my second run, I'm on a new wave

Two kings
We're sendin' love to the whole culture
21, Esco, Mass Appeal, Slaughter Gang
This shit too easy, king


Lyrics submitted by spliphstar, edited by corrupppp

One Mic song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

62 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    for the record, reading my comment that i posted possibly close to a year ago now, i stand behind most of what I originally said, except for the part about moving out of the projects. that was unfair. people come from different situations and have to make ends meet in the face of obstacles that some people only see in their nightmares. point being, justaMT, i'm sorry if i offended you, because i do believe that you're a hard-working and honest kid and a good son who's doing what he can. and i sincerely believe that your mother works her ass off to give you, her, and any siblings you may have a better life. what i was trying to say in my original comment wasn't meant to sound so callous and cold. anyway, i'm attempting to affirm that i am compassionate to these things, even if i didn't come across that way. and MT, i'm apologizing to you specifically, because i believe that you are an honest worker, and doing what you have to do is something that should be respected, and i came off voicing what sounded like an opinion that i hate.

    LoganNYCon April 30, 2003   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Techno Ted
Audioslave
Techno Ted may be a person who caused Chris incredible emotional pain & trepidation as well as moments of peace & happiness but now is removed and awaiting his fate. Darling may be a different person who is also free of him and can live her life free of Ted's tyranny. "In between all the laughing, and daydreams ... lies: a desert of truth" Lies are like a desert or the omission of Truth: Where there were Lies then Truth was absent. The song, "Techno Ted", may be a cathartic celebration of the downfall of this person.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.