9th Wonder is a hip hop producer from Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.. He began his career as the main producer for the hip-hop group Little Brother, and has also worked with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Murs, and Destiny's Child. As part of Little Brother he gained widespread recognition and critical acclaim. He has since left Little Brother. 9th Wonder stated that as long as both Phonte and Big Pooh welcomed a reunion somewhere down the line, he would be completely open to the idea.
The duo released two albums. The first one, Chemistry in 2005 and the sophomore album titled The Formula in 2008.
Stop Rapping
9th Wonder & Buckshot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lie to yourself, you can't lie to me
You see lights, camera and action
Everything ain't for everyone, son, stop rapping
Look up in the sky, where you'd rather be
Lie to yourself, you can't lie to me
I see true careers collapsing
Everything ain't for everyone, son, stop rapping
Damn, you make it look so easy
For me to get paid, but this shit crazy
I've been at it for five joints
And I still ain't make a profit or pocket one point
I paid for my trip to the UK
Even spent more than the grip in two days
I figured, ay, if I'mma blow right now
Then I'mma go right now, my dough low right now
But it'll, loosen up as I'm moving up the charts
But the only charts I see is a bus
My money feel cold like crush
But me and my niggas hot so I know it ain't us
We the shit and we ain't even sell a record yet
Every nigga on the block saying son a vet
The mixtape don, the father of the features
The problem is none of the features coming out neither
So you can now neither
Come forward or say "son, I ain't gonna blow, and I know it"
I can't show it
I should have kept my nine to five
But hip hop had me believing that I should try
Look up in the sky, where you'd rather be
Lie to yourself, you can't lie to me
You see lights, camera and action
Everything ain't for everyone, son, stop rapping
Look up in the sky, where you'd rather be
Lie to yourself, you can't lie to me
I see true careers collapsing
Everything ain't for everyone, son, stop rapping
Gucci, Louis, Louis, Gucci
Niggas kill me when they say they making movies
You're no Bruce Lee
Return of the dragon, enter the dragon
Enter the stage, y'all can imagine
It's no beauty pageant, you don't get picked
You put in work, and then they love you cause you didn't quit
You don't make movies, you make skits
For little tricks in your neighborhood, then you disappear quick
David Blaine, you can save the blame, for yourself
Cause you fucked up, boy, no one else
Telling yourself, yeah, we on tour
When you been around the world in your bullshit Honda Accord
Ops, a minivan, do you get any fans?
Say you the best, not yet, change of plans
Go get another career
Cause hip hop is like a ball head, for you it's not here
Look up in the sky, where you'd rather be
Lie to yourself, you can't lie to me
You see lights, camera and action
Everything ain't for everyone, son, stop rapping
Look up in the sky, where you'd rather be
Lie to yourself, you can't lie to me
I see true careers collapsing
Everything ain't for everyone, son, stop rapping
The song "Stop Rapping" by 9th Wonder & Buckshot is an ode to self-awareness and realism. It's a commentary on the allure of fame, the glitz, and glamour of the music industry, and how it can lead to false hopes and unfulfilled dreams. The lyrics tell the story of an aspiring rapper who has been chasing his dreams for five years but has nothing to show for it. He's been spending his own money to finance his career, and all his efforts are in vain. The song urges this rapper, and any other aspiring artists, to give up on their dreams if they're not meant to be. The chorus is a call to reality, a reminder that everyone is not cut out for the music industry, and that it's okay to find something else to do.
The first verse is about the struggles of maintaining a successful career in the music industry. The rapper talks about his current financial struggles, which he hopes will improve as his popularity increases. He talks about how he's paid for his trips to the UK to perform, but despite his popularity, he's still not making any money. He talks about how he's a mixtape king and how he's been featured on other artists' tracks, but he's still not seeing any progress in his career. The rapper is urging other aspiring artists to have realistic expectations about the music industry, to realize that if they're not making money, it's time to move on.
The second verse takes aim at rappers who talk about their flashy lifestyles and the movies they're making. The message is that these rappers are living in a fantasy world, and they need to be brought back to reality. It's a reminder that being a successful rapper is not about the flashy cars, the Gucci, and the Louis. It's about putting in work and being authentic. The line "hip hop is like a ball head, for you it's not here" is a reference to the trend of rappers shaving their heads, which implies that they're not authentic and that they're just following what's trendy. The overall message of the song is that everyone has a unique path to follow, and just because one person is successful in the music industry does not mean everyone can be.
Line by Line Meaning
Look up in the sky, where you'd rather be
You're not content with where you're at in your career
Lie to yourself, you can't lie to me
Don't pretend you're successful when you're not
You see lights, camera and action
You're attracted to the glamour and fame of the industry
Everything ain't for everyone, son, stop rapping
Not everyone is cut out for this, so consider bowing out
I see true careers collapsing
Many artists are struggling even if they look successful from the outside
Damn, you make it look so easy
It looks effortless, but it's a tough industry to succeed in
For me to get paid, but this shit crazy
It's hard to make a living off of your music
You put in work, and then they love you cause you didn't quit
It takes effort and perseverance to really make it
Cause hip hop is like a ball head, for you it's not here
Hip hop may not be for you, so it's best to try something else
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
20FreeWill
Can I just say to duckdown thank you for being the primary label keeping hip hop alive for me today and to bootcamp click for being the major group bumpin in all my audio systems for the past ten years now ever since I heard em on ffunk flex vol2 iv bought up everything I could find. Enta da stage still one of my most beloved in my collection. Gotcha opin original and ak like u want it are my joints
onblock7
I love all three of their albums, first one is a classic IMO.
jeffnfoxylady1
thanks for keeping real hip hop alive
mr offkey marc
one of the best tracks on the album all good.
1trx2
Them snares go hard!
World Of Light Media
im glad to hear this, good job overall
Cody James
One of the realest tracks ever made.
cynthia1981
Stoked on this track!!
earl2thab
This album goes so hard
DumbEraser
Beat is beautiful. Cannot use different terminology. Ofc the raps are tight too! Briliant album indeed! Gotta buy it!