After performing for some time in the Boston underground, the duo, known at the time as God Complex, released their first single in 1996 to critical acclaim. This lead to the release of the Rebel Alliance LP, a compilation of Boston talent that featured acts such as Virtuoso, Mr. Lif, Tony Infamous and Force Five. Also at this time the two dropped the God Complex moniker becoming simply 7L & Esoteric.
Herb
7L & Esoteric Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This some quick shit, check
You're a herb and uh, it's like this
("Ya better ask somebody")
[Verse 1]
You're a herb, if you say you dig all the time
but can't find a sample from beats to the rhyme
But everything you sample is a fuckin' re-issue
You're a herb, sayin' that you rhyme of the mind
But ya hype man's backin' up every line
If you're in a fight but don't really want to scrap
But act like you want it when the bouncer hold you back
You're a herb, if you tip strippers with a dollar
Those who grab the coke and then call yaself a baller
A herb, if you just now sayin' holla
If you meet a girl but are too shook to call her
If you act cool but keep ya girl on a leash
If you're still talkin' bout the Jay Nas beef
You're a herb, if you saw episode one
But never saw the trilogy, I just begun
You're a herb
Hook:
* humming to the beat with lines being mixed in*
"Ya better ask somebody"
"Yo herb"
[Verse 2]
You're a herb, if you got a flag on ya truck
But before last September you never gave a fuck
A herb, if you put ya faith in the churches
I you call yourself Bin Laden in ya verses
A herb, actually, better yet a joke
If you glorify suicide and doin' lines of coke
I you traded in your comic books and stamps
For an Avirex and some SouthPole pants
You're a herb, if you live next to Forest Gump
But go to school tying your bandana in the front
"Yo herb", if you got skills but dress like a nerd
Just cause you can rap don't mean you ain't a herb
Herb, you're a herb if you claim fame
But hide yaself online with a fake screen name
Act violent and claim to hold things
Rappin' like a thug and walk around in toe rings
You're a herb
Hook
[Verse 3]
You're a herb, if your man buy's you a bex
And you're to stingy to buy him the next
But you'll buy a drink for the opposite sex
The type of guy that snatch whole albums of the neck
You're a herb, if you fallin' for the Puma fads
Cause they got a pair of turntables in their ads
A herb, if you never pay for a date
A big herb if you never reciprocate
If you gotta leave the room or change up ya tone
When you talkin' to your girl on your cell phone
A herb, if you steal out the tip cup
If you wear your hat with the visor flipped up
You're a herb, if you like this but don't own this
If you think it's funny when you fuckin' with the homeless
If you tuck your sweatshirt in ya jeans
If you dis the goon group because you left a bean
You're a herb, motherfucker
Hook (until fade)
Yeh, take offence, 7L on the track
Esoteric with the rap, herb rappers fall back
The song Herb by 7L & Esoteric is a criticism towards those who claim to be real hip-hop artists but fail to live up to the standards of the genre. The song describes various traits of a "herb", a term used to describe someone who is uncool and lacks authenticity. The lyrics touch upon various topics such as sampling, being a poser, and claiming to be a thug without actually living the life. The hook "Ya better ask somebody" emphasizes the message that true hip hop fans will be able to spot the "herbs" and they will be called out.
The first verse criticizes those who try to pass themselves off as true hip-hop artists but rely on samples from other songs rather than creating their own original beats. They also criticize the trend of claiming to be a conscious rapper while having a hype man that supports every line. The second verse calls out those who claim to be pro-American but only became patriotic after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. They also criticize rappers who glorify suicide and drug use. The last verse criticizes those who are cheap and don't reciprocate favors. They also criticize those who try to be cool and follow the trend but don't actually own any of the gear.
Overall the song Herb is a critique of the culture of hip hop and the lack of authenticity of some of the artists in the industry.
Line by Line Meaning
You're a herb, if you say you dig all the time
But can't find a sample from beats to the rhyme
You claim to be a music enthusiast, but you cannot identify the samples used in different beats and rhymes.
A herb, if you claim your raps is official
But everything you sample is a fuckin' re-issue
You boast about your off-the-record rhymes but end up using previously recorded music, hence losing your originality.
You're a herb, sayin' that you rhyme of the mind
But ya hype man's backin' up every line
You claim to be a freestyler, but you need a hype man to backup every line of your verse, hinting at your lack of true skill.
If you're in a fight but don't really want to scrap
But act like you want it when the bouncer hold you back
You're a herb
You are afraid to fight, but you act like you do to save face, showing your cowardice and lack of integrity.
A herb, if you tip strippers with a dollar
Those who grab the coke and then call yaself a baller
You are cheap and do not know how to flaunt wealth, tipping strippers with a dollar while pretending to be a high roller by doing cocaine.
A herb, if you just now sayin' holla
If you meet a girl but are too shook to call her
You use outdated lingo and are afraid to call a girl, showing your lack of confidence and coolness.
If you act cool but keep ya girl on a leash
If you're still talkin' bout the Jay Nas beef
You're a herb
You pretend to be a lady's man but are controlling; you also drag on talking about the beef between Jay-Z and Nas, showing your petty interests.
You're a herb, if you saw episode one
But never saw the trilogy, I just begun
You watched only the first episode of a movie trilogy and have not completed it, showing your lack of commitment and follow-through.
You're a herb, if you got a flag on ya truck
But before last September you never gave a fuck
You put up a flag on your truck after a significant event but never cared before, showing your lack of genuine interest and patriotism.
If you glorify suicide and doin' lines of coke
If you traded in your comic books and stamps
For an Avirex and some SouthPole pants
You're a herb
You praise dangerous activities and have shallow interests, exchanging your classy hobbies for style, making you a superficial person.
If you gotta leave the room or change up ya tone
When you talkin' to your girl on your cell phone
A herb, if you steal out the tip cup
You are not genuine when talking to your girlfriend and are likely cheating, also stealing tips put out for someone else's hard work, making you a dishonest person.
You're a herb, if you like this but don't own this
If you think it's funny when you fuckin' with the homeless
You enjoy mocking the less fortunate and do not even own the songs you are vibing to, making you a heartless and fraudulent individual.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Altti Ctrl Del
You're a herb if you don't revisit this track.
gully1983
you're a herb if you're not feeling this
Noah Elias-Guy
You're a herb, if you think this song's about pot, but never analyzed the lyrics to find out it's not.
Daisha McAvaddy
Im a herb for finding out about this song on urban dictonary
david ϟϟ
Daisha McAvaddy also didn’t know Burger King started the herb thing.
david ϟϟ
Daisha McAvaddy me too.
Shaolin McVey
Esoteric Underrated Lyricist
ButtrapedByBigfoot
"you're a herb if you saw episode 1 but never saw the trilogy" lol
j
No.
Chanze the nemeton shriner
He said if you start episode one but never start a trilogy