Yeah, yeah it goes like this right here
Like uh, niggas always be hollerin', "Peace"
You know what I'm sayin', "Peace my brother"
Peace this, peace that, you know what I'm sayin' but
Every time I, uh, try to get a peace of mind
Niggas try to get a piece of mine
So I gotta grab my piece

It's the return of the gangsta, thanks ta'
Them niggas that's on that blow
That run up in your crib
Which contains your lady and an eight month old
Child to raise plus you true blue 'bout this music but
They do not want to hear it
Because they'd rather be bouncin' and shootin'
And killin' and bouncin' and shit, get down
Return of the gangsta, thanks ta'
Them niggas that think y'all soft
And say, "Y'all be Gospel rappin'"
But they be steady clappin' when you talk about
Bitches, and switches, and hoes, and clothes, and weed
Let's talk about time travelin', rhyme javelin
Somethin' mind unravelin', get down
Return of the gangsta thanks ta'
Them niggas that got them kids
That got enough to buy an ounce
But not enough to bounce them kids to the zoo
Or to the park so they grow up in the dark never
Seein' light 'til they end up bein' like yo' sorry ass
Robbin' niggas in broad-ass daylight get down
Return of the gangsta, thanks ta'
Them niggas who get the wrong impression of expression
Then the question is, "Big Boi what's up with Andre?
Is he in a cult? Is he on drugs? Is he gay?
When y'all gon' break up? When y'all gon' wake up?"
Nigga, I'm feelin' better than ever
What's wrong with you, you?
Get down

Gangsta (it's the return, it's the return-turn-turn-turn)
Ooh (it's the return-turn, it's the return-turn, it's the return, return)
Gangsta (it's the return-return, it's the return-turn)
Ooh (it's the return, it's the return-turn-turn)

Yeah
Man, a nigga don't want no trouble
A playa just wanna kick back with my gators off
And watch my lil' girl blow bubbles
But still ready to rhyme, standin' my ground, never back down
Willin' to rob, steal and kill, anything that threatens mine
But good luck couldn't be bought, see
Many a fights had to be fought, G
For a nigga to ride these Vogues
Oh, so close to the sidewalk, to be gawked at
Watch your side my nigga 'cause we got gats
The first nigga to buck is gon' be the first nigga we attack
Don't want that, but it comes though, most of the time when you don't know
Stickin' together like flour and water to make that slow dough
We worked for everythin' we have and gon' stick up for
Each other, like we brothers from another mother
Kind of like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover (Glover)
Strictly for the Caddy lovers
And never the nut huggin' punk motherfuckers (yeah)
So quit spreadin' them rumors
We ain't Club Nouveau (know that, yeah, yeah)

Gangsta (it's the return, it's the return-turn-turn-turn)
Ooh (it's the return-turn, it's the return-turn, it's the return, return)
Gangsta (it's the return-return, it's the return-turn)
Ooh (it's the return, it's the return-turn-turn)

Gangsta (it's the return, it's the return-turn-turn-turn)
Ooh (it's the return-turn, it's the return-turn, it's the return, return)
Gangsta (it's the return-return, it's the return-turn)
Ooh (it's the return, it's the return-turn-turn)

Overall Meaning

In "Return Of The G" by Outkast, the lyrics describe the return of the gangsta, a persona that dominated hip-hop culture in the late 80s and early 90s. In the first verse, the singer expresses frustration with the constant calls for peace while he feels threatened and needs to protect himself. He suggests that the gangsta is back because there are people using drugs, breaking into homes, and committing violent crimes. These people show disrespect for the music, which he feels is more important than living a destructive lifestyle.

Moving onto the next verse, the rapper emphasizes the importance of standing your ground and never backing down, even if it means resorting to violence. He talks about the struggles and fights he had to face to acquire his success and how he and his peers have each other's backs. At the same time, he emphasizes that he desires a peaceful life with his family, but the harsh reality of the inner city makes that difficult. The repeated refrain emphasizes the return of the gangsta and his readiness to protect and defend his reputation.

The song's message touches on themes of violence and aggression that were prevalent in gangsta rap in the 1990s. Still, it also explores the struggle of artists who wanted to remain true to their music and message while facing criticism and misunderstanding from people who saw them as promoting negativity. Overall, the lyrics convey the complexities and contradictions of gang culture and the individuals involved.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah, yeah it goes like this right here
The song begins

Like uh, niggas always be hollerin', "Peace"
People preach about peace

You know what I'm sayin', "Peace my brother"
They say 'peace' to each other

Peace this, peace that, you know what I'm sayin' but
People say 'peace' a lot, but

Every time I, uh, try to get a peace of mind
Whenever I try to relax

Niggas try to get a piece of mine
People try to take advantage of me

So I gotta grab my piece
I have to protect myself

It's the return of the gangsta, thanks ta'
Gangsta culture is making a comeback

Them niggas that's on that blow
Drug dealers are driving this trend

That run up in your crib
They break into people's homes

Which contains your lady and an eight month old
Putting families in danger

Child to raise plus you true blue 'bout this music but
You love the music but have real responsibilities

They do not want to hear it
They don't care about your music

Because they'd rather be bouncin' and shootin'
They prefer partying and violence

And killin' and bouncin' and shit, get down
They like killing and partying

Return of the gangsta, thanks ta'
Embracing gangsta culture again

Them niggas that think y'all soft
Some people think you're weak

And say, "Y'all be Gospel rappin'"
Critics accuse you of being too religious in your rap

But they be steady clappin' when you talk about
But they still enjoy your music when you're not talking about religion

Bitches, and switches, and hoes, and clothes, and weed
Sex, drugs, and materialism themes sell

Let's talk about time travelin', rhyme javelin
Let's talk about something more imaginative and creative

Somethin' mind unravelin', get down
Let's explore new ideas

Return of the gangsta thanks ta'
Reclaiming gangsta culture

Them niggas that got them kids
People with children

That got enough to buy an ounce
Those with enough money to buy drugs

But not enough to bounce them kids to the zoo
But not enough to do fun activities with their kids

Or to the park so they grow up in the dark never
They grow up without exposure to the world

Seein' light 'til they end up bein' like yo' sorry ass
Growing up to be like you, who they see as unsuccessful

Robbin' niggas in broad-ass daylight get down
They end up turning to crime

Return of the gangsta, thanks ta'
Bringing back gangsta culture

Them niggas who get the wrong impression of expression
People who misunderstand your music

Then the question is, "Big Boi what's up with Andre?
People question Andre's behavior

Is he in a cult? Is he on drugs? Is he gay?
They speculate on his personal life

When y'all gon' break up? When y'all gon' wake up?"
When are you guys going to end the group?

Nigga, I'm feelin' better than ever
I feel great

What's wrong with you, you?
What's your problem?

Get down
Let's keep going

Man, a nigga don't want no trouble
I don't want any problems

A playa just wanna kick back with my gators off
I just want to relax

And watch my lil' girl blow bubbles
Watch my daughter play

But still ready to rhyme, standin' my ground, never back down
But I'm still prepared to rap and defend myself

Willin' to rob, steal and kill, anything that threatens mine
Willing to do anything to protect my loved ones

But good luck couldn't be bought, see
But sometimes luck is not enough

Many a fights had to be fought, G
Had to fight a lot

For a nigga to ride these Vogues
Worked hard to afford nice things

Oh, so close to the sidewalk, to be gawked at
Park in the street and get attention

Watch your side my nigga 'cause we got gats
Be careful, we are armed

The first nigga to buck is gon' be the first nigga we attack
We retaliate if someone tries to harm us

Don't want that, but it comes though, most of the time when you don't know
We don't want conflict, but it happens unexpectedly

Stickin' together like flour and water to make that slow dough
Staying united to make money slowly

We worked for everythin' we have and gon' stick up for
We earned everything we have and will defend it

Each other, like we brothers from another mother
We're like brothers

Kind of like Mel Gibson and Danny Glover (Glover)
Like characters from the movie Lethal Weapon

Strictly for the Caddy lovers
Only for those who love Cadillacs

And never the nut huggin' punk motherfuckers (yeah)
But not for those who are fake or annoying

So quit spreadin' them rumors
Stop spreading rumors about us

We ain't Club Nouveau (know that, yeah, yeah)
We're not like the band Club Nouveau

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andre Benjamin, Patrick L Brown, Giorgio Moroder, Raymon Ameer Murray, Antwan Patton, Rico R Wade, Corey Todd Woods

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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