be
&friends Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Every chance I have is blown away
Like the morning paper in the wind
The way I speak can turn you away
Somehow I don't know how to change
Someday I'll be awakened

Wake up to the morning light
Reveal the mess that I gave to myself

Can't you see? Don't tell me lies

In the holy dream you were by my side
And someday I'll be awakened

Overall Meaning

The song "Be" by &friends is a rap track that highlights the singers coming up as an independent entity by never taking any bets or going into debt. The artist speaks of the importance of self-respect, hard work, and independence while rejecting empty success purchased at the cost of one's soul. By staying true to themselves and not playing "easy to get," they emphasize their commitment to their goals and not just the bottom line.

The lyrics of "Be" resonate not only because of the message of perseverance and hard work but also because they highlight the artist’s sense of pride and love for their hometown, Queens. They see Queens as a place of knowledge and learning that has contributed to their success. However, they also acknowledge the darker side of life in Queens by rapping about the people lining you up with cold smiles, making them think someone is fine until they realize the harsh reality.

Overall, the rap stresses the need for respect, hard work, and integrity to reach one's goals rather than compromising them for material success.

Line by Line Meaning

Self-made, no flex, ooh
I did it all myself, without bragging

Self paid, no debt, woo
I paid for it all myself, without owing anyone

We ain't takin' no bets, lot of y'all full of regrets
We don't gamble, but many others wish they hadn't

Pay me and give me respect
Compensate me appropriately and show me some respect

Y'all playin' easy to get, I'm playin' Russian Roulette
Others are being too cautious; I'm taking more risks

Y'all sellin' out for the check, we holdin' out for the kids
Others are doing things for money; we are doing things for the future generations

Free black and don't flip
We are free and not backing down

Gold ropes to whole cribs, low bread to whole loaves
We started with small things and grew to bigger things

Go hard or go home, go home and don't trip
Either try very hard or don't even bother, and if you do go home, don't be upset

Same block, same whip
We're from the same area and drive the same cars

Free as a bird, used to be runnin' from 12, live and you learn
We're free to do as we please, but we had to learn from past mistakes

Now we just flip 'em the bird
Now we don't care what others think and we show it

Papi, yo give me the word, copy ya heard?
Hey man, let me know what's up, you understand?

You step on the Myrtle I'm on the wave now
If you can't keep up, I'm leaving you behind and moving on

Bet you got nothin' to say now
I'm confident that you're speechless

You better get out the way
You should move, or you'll be in our way

Or better get comfortable catchin' this fade now
Or better be prepared to get beaten up

Stay in your lane, either you get on the train or watch on the wave
Stay in your own lane; either join us or watch from afar

There ain't no stoppin' the play
We will keep moving forward no matter what

Hoppin' up out of the flames
We're getting out of bad situations

Inking the island today
We're making progress today

Get your peace up on the board
Get your finances in order

Bought a crib by the lake
I bought a house by the lake

Still pull up in the fort
I still drive my luxury car

Real comin' for the fake
The truth is coming for the liars

Showin' love through the hate
We're being loving towards the haters

Still tryna end a war, momma said I need a break
We're still working towards ending conflict, but my mom thinks I should take a break

Maybe when I'm in the Forbes, generation's on the board
Maybe once I'm a millionaire, the younger generation will be ready to take over

Generations in the bank, ay
We've saved up money for generations to come

Ayy, is you gettin' on this train?
Are you coming with us or not?

Miss it and you gon' be late
If you miss it, you'll regret it

You could catch another wave
You could follow another trend

But we hoppin' on the B-Q-E
We're getting on the BQE highway

Doin' 90 on the B-Q-E
We're speeding on the BQE highway

You could find me on the B-Q-E
You can locate me on the BQE highway

Get behind me on the B-Q-E
Follow me on the BQE highway

(Ay, ay) Yeah, yeah, yeah, ay (Badmon)
Repeated lyrics as emphasis, with a nickname at the end

I pull up, I skrrt
I drive up and brake suddenly

Drop top and I'm wearin' no shirt (ay)
I'm wearing no shirt in my convertible

She know I'm a flirt
She knows I like to flirt with women

One hand on the wheel other hand up her skirt
One hand is on the steering wheel, but the other is inappropriately touching her

She know I'm a mur
She knows I'm tough

I'm on the 2-7, then back to the turf
I'm in a certain area, then back home

In the old school like I'm servin them work
I'm driving an old car like I'm selling drugs

When I'm local, I be goin' bezerk
When I'm in my neighborhood, I act crazy

Hit up old fools might back up the club for the fuck of it
I might go to the club and start trouble for fun

Talkin' my Brooklyn and girls'll be lovin' it
Speaking of Brooklyn makes girls interested in me

Star to the hood and you know I be tuggin' it
I'm a star in my neighborhood and people respect me

None of my niggas can fuck with the government
We cannot win against the government

They just be thuggin' it, I just be playin' it smart
They're acting tough; I'm being strategic

I don't be judgin', I'm playin' my part
I don't judge others; I just focus on my own responsibilities

Show the fake love and then play with your heart
They pretend to love you, then hurt you deeply

Gotta learn to just play with the cards dealt
We must learn to accept what life gives us

These niggas too hard on their-self
These guys are too hard on themselves

Niggas too hard to offer them help
These guys are too tough to accept help

I don't work too hard for all this wealth
I didn't work too hard to earn my money

For the first two bars for how all of it felt
For the first two lines, I was feeling emotional

Ayy, still in the field like inner field
I'm still in the game

Or M-O-B play centerfield
Or, if we're talking baseball, the Mob plays centerfield

Rain on the day just take the wheel
When it rains, drive carefully

For every day I made doubters, I made dollars
Every day that someone said I couldn't do it, I made a lot of money

'Cause my borough, it gave knowledge
Because of where I'm from, I gained knowledge and experience

How the city move, y'all better pay homage
This is how we do things in this city, so you should show some respect

I don't pity you niggas that make comments to create drama
I don't feel sorry for people who comment just to start arguments

You gon' find them tryna go viral
You'll notice them trying to become popular on the internet

Judge, jury, execution, no trial
They are quick to judge, punish, and execute without giving people a fair trial

I was sinkin' deep sleep
I was in a very deep sleep

Watching bitches creep, streets makin' hos so vile
I was watching women sneak around, and it made me realize how low some people can be

I'm from Queens where they line you up with a cold smile
I'm from Queens, where they will set you up with a smile on their face

And the whole time you thinkin', "Damn, that bitch so fine" (Oh, my) She not
And the whole time, you think to yourself how attractive she is, but in the end, she's not

Born in a ditch and you die in a box
People are born poor and die in a coffin, but the middle part is up to us

But I'm on a mission, a man of ambition
I have a goal and I'm very driven

My latest addition, retire my Pops
My latest accomplishment is being able to retire my father

So anyone threatenin', I'm firin' shots
If anyone threatens me, I'm going to fight back

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Tristin Souvannarath

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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