After making a name for himself while attending the historical Grambling State University and releasing FREE Barabbas and Trilliam in 2015 and 2016, respectively, Aha signed with Reach Records and released his first mixtape, Trilliam 2. It peaked at #3 on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap charts and cemented Aha as one to watch. βMomma Houseβ turned heads everywhere, taking social media by storm, entering Spotifyβs US Viral Top 50 chart and receiving airplay on BET Jams. Put simply, Aha did what he came to do: capture our attention with a message of hope, strength, and non-conformity.
Enter Trilliam 3, Ahaβs highly anticipated 2017 mixtape to complete the Trilliam trilogy. From start to finish, thereβs a passion that shines through and arrests the listenerβs mind and heart as Aha grapples with questions of faith, equality, social justice, and his role as an artist with a growing platform. βTrilliam 3 is the climax of how I've been feeling about multiple things over the last couple of years,β Aha says. βEspecially the politics of being a successful black male under 25 in America. It's something I've been digesting lately and it's definitely spilling into the music.β
Keep It in the Family
Aha Gazelle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
Ain't no fear in me
I shoot my shot like Jordan
My daddy raised me right so no I'm not an orphan
I'm out here killing them my mama is my lawyer
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
Ain't no hoe in me we got kicked out the garden
What's that supposed to mean well I am not a farmer
It's just my bro and me we rollin he my partner
He said we need a banger so my drums are harder
Got people lying on me like my name Mufasa
My friends are dead so I can't even hear the gossip
They tryna buy my soul so they can make a dollar
I gotta keep it all in house like it's a hostage
Ain't no fear in me
I shoot my shot like Jordan
My daddy raised me right so no I'm not an orphan
I'm out here killing them my mama is my lawyer
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
I found it's better just to keep it in the family
My homies are the only ones who understand me
Sink or swim I know they'll never leave me stranded
My brother and my sister mama and my daddy
This beat is super hard you see it in my shoulders
Don't know you jackin' with my donkey's like an ogre
Then they get mad and flip me off like Motorola
I don't react in fact I still invite them over
Ruffin in the living room he got 'em dancin'
The house ain't really big but treat it like a mansion
Got people makin' t-shirts all up in the attic
I'm in the kitchen Willie here he got the camera
I can't make this up this ain't another story
What's goin' on upstairs well that's another story
Connected to some people that's way past the border
Ain't never seen it well because it was imported
Ain't no fear in me
I shoot my shot like Jordan
My daddy raised me right so no I'm not an orphan
I'm out here killing and my mama is my lawyer
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
I found it's better just to keep it in the family
My homies are the only ones who understand me
Sink or swim I know they'll never leave me stranded
My brother and my sister mama and my daddy
I'd rather be Nat King Cole than Nat Turner
I'ma disappear before this world burns me
Look high and low
Give me five loaves and two fish
That's a Timmy Turner
I'm a penny earner selling downloads
It's a Penny Loafers that's a brown loaf
And I suggest you don't try me
That's not a day's load that's a Periscope
That's a sniper rifle with a red dot
I see your driver's license that's a head shot
They say put your money where your mouth is
It's real expensive cause I say a lot
I go by many names like I'm Kakarot
I ain't got no kids so I don't play a lot
You got yes man, I say okay a lot
I got family that's all I care about
Ain't no fear in me
I shoot my shot like Jordan
My daddy raised me right so no I'm not an orphan
I'm out here killing them my mama is my lawyer
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
I found it's better just to keep it in the family
My homies are the only ones who understand me
Sink or swim I know they'll never leave me stranded
My brother and my sister mama and my daddy
End
In "Keep It in the Family" by Aha Gazelle, the rapper speaks on the importance of keeping his personal life private and staying loyal to his family and close friends. He begins the song by stating that he has put someone on silent so that they won't affect him negatively. The chorus asserts that he has no fear and is confident in his abilities because of his upbringing. He was raised right by his father and has his mother as his lawyer in case of any legal issues. His sister also lends her voice when necessary. Gazelle emphasizes that he is trustworthy, unlike those who would attempt to buy his soul for their own gain. He has experienced people lying about him and gossiping behind his back but he remains unbothered and chooses to keep everything "in-house" like it's a hostage.
The second verse talks about his tight-knit relationships with his colleagues, his brother, mother, and father. He brags about his beats, and how they will make others dance. He also talks about the creative process in his home, describing the scene in detail. The line "Connected to some people that's way past the border, Ain't never seen it well because it was imported" alludes to his possible connection to the drug trade, which he may have inherited from his family. Regardless, he chooses to remain low-key and keeps himself away from trouble. The third verse overflows with Gazelle's cleverness, with numerous wordplayings like "Penny earner selling downloads, It's a Penny Loafers that's a brown loaf." He speaks about the importance of his family and how he values them above everything else.
Line by Line Meaning
Put you on silent before you mess me up
I am avoiding potential drama by putting you on silent
Ain't no fear in me
I am not afraid of anything
I shoot my shot like Jordan
I take risks and go for what I want like Michael Jordan did in basketball
My daddy raised me right so no I'm not an orphan
My father taught me how to be a respectful and successful person, so I don't feel like I'm missing anything
I'm out here killing them my mama is my lawyer
I'm succeeding in my career and my mother is my legal representative
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
If I have trouble singing a certain part, my sister takes over for me
I found it's better just to keep it in the family
I believe that it's better to keep things within my close circle of family and friends
My homies are the only ones who understand me
My close friends are the only ones who really know and understand me
Sink or swim I know they'll never leave me stranded
In good times or bad, I know that my friends will always be there for me
My brother and my sister mama and my daddy
My siblings, mother, and father are my closest family members who mean the most to me
This beat is super hard you see it in my shoulders
The beat of this song is really strong and you can see it in the way I move
Don't know you jackin' with my donkey's like an ogre
I don't know why you're messing with me and trying to make me look bad
Then they get mad and flip me off like Motorola
People get angry with me and disrespect me like flipping off a phone
I don't react in fact I still invite them over
Despite people being rude to me, I don't react negatively and still extend an invitation to them
Ruffin in the living room he got 'em dancin'
My friend Ruffin is playing music in the living room and people are dancing to it
The house ain't really big but treat it like a mansion
Even though my house isn't that big, we make it feel grand and luxurious
Got people makin' t-shirts all up in the attic
People are making t-shirts in the attic of my house
I'm in the kitchen Willie here he got the camera
I'm in the kitchen and my friend Willie is filming what's happening
I'd rather be Nat King Cole than Nat Turner
I prefer to be known as a successful musician like Nat King Cole rather than a slave rebellion leader like Nat Turner
I'ma disappear before this world burns me
I'd rather disappear and remove myself from a bad situation before it destroys me
Look high and low
Search everywhere
Give me five loaves and two fish
Give me what you can and we'll make it work
That's a Timmy Turner
That's a reference to a cartoon character named Timmy Turner
I'm a penny earner selling downloads
I make a small amount of money by selling my music as digital downloads
It's a Penny Loafers that's a brown loaf
It's something cheap and basic
And I suggest you don't try me
I advise you not to push me or test my patience
That's not a day's load that's a Periscope
That's not a small task, it's a bigger undertaking
That's a sniper rifle with a red dot
That's a powerful and precise tool
I see your driver's license that's a head shot
I know everything about you and have power over you
They say put your money where your mouth is
People say to back up what you say with action
It's real expensive cause I say a lot
It costs a lot to back up everything I say
I go by many names like I'm Kakarot
I have multiple identities like the character Kakarot from Dragon Ball Z
I ain't got no kids so I don't play a lot
I don't have children, so I have more time to focus on my career and other interests
You got yes man, I say okay a lot
Other people may agree with you just to please you, but I agree to things because I'm genuinely okay with it
I got family that's all I care about
My family is the most important thing to me
Contributed by Penelope D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Niekko accessible Gamer
[Intro]
Put you on silent before you mess me up
Yeah
[Hook]
Ain't no fear in me
I shoot my shot like Jordan
My daddy raised me right so no, I'm not an orphan
I'm out here killing them my momma is my lawyer
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
[Verse 1]
Ain't no hoe in me we got kicked out the garden
What's that supposed to mean? Well I am not a farmer
It's just my bro and me, we rollin', he my partner
He said we need a banger so my drums are harder
Got people lying on me like my name Mufasa
I'm fresh to death so I can't even hear the gossip
They tryna buy my soul so they can make a dollar
I gotta keep it all in house like it's a hostage
[Hook]
Ain't no fear in me
I shoot my shot like Jordan
My daddy raised me right so no, I'm not an orphan
I'm out here killing them, my momma is my lawyer
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
I found it's better just to keep it in the family
My homies are the only ones who understand me
Sink or swim I know they'll never leave me stranded
My brother and my sister, momma and my daddy
[Verse 2]
This beat is super hard, you see it in my shoulders
Don't know you jackin' with my donkeys like an ogre
Then they get mad and flip me off like Motorola
I don't react in fact I still invite them over
Ruff in the living room, he got 'em dancin'
The house ain't really big but treat it like a mansion
Got people makin' t-shirts all up in the attic
I'm in the kitchen, Willie Earl, he got the camera
I can't make this up, this ain't another story
What's goin' on upstairs, well, that's another story
Connected to some people, that's way past the border
Ain't never seen it, well, because it was imported
[Verse 3]
I'd rather be Nat King Cole than Nat Turner
I'ma disappear before this world burns me
Look high and low
Give me five loaves and two fish
That's a Timmy Turner
I'm a penny earner selling downloads
In some Penny Loafers, that's a brown loaf
And I suggest you don't try me
That's not a day's load, that's a periscope
That's a sniper rifle with a red dot
I see your driver's license, that's a head shot
They say put your money where your mouth is
It's real expensive 'cause I say a lot
I go by many names like I'm Kakarot
I ain't got no kids so I don't play a lot
You got yes man, I say okay a lot
I got family that's all I care about
[Hook]
Ain't no fear in me
I shoot my shot like Jordan
My daddy raised me right so no, I'm not an orphan
I'm out here killing them, my momma is my lawyer
If I can't hit the note my sister hit it for me
I found it's better just to keep it in the family
My homies are the only ones who understand me
Sink or swim I know they'll never leave me stranded
My brother and my sister, momma and my daddy
Reach Records
Aha has all the sauce for you on his channel. Subscribe for the latest! π
http://bit.ly/AHAVEVO
Mary Ann Whipple
wow ok
Derell Carter
I love how Reach artist all have unique/different sounds. They all know their lane and don't try to swerve out into someone else's. π―
Natasha Huff
Yus
Mason Turner
Lightsout 148 stay in yo lane π
Evan Dodson
Derell Carter Lavar Ball ππππ
Alex Boniface
Feels good to listen to a song with no curse words and facts
J. Morris
NotAboutMe if you don't like his music, fine. Nobody's forcing you to listen to it...
NotAboutMe
You seriously don't see the ego and insecurities behind a rap artist feeling the need to talk about how they ain't a hoe in their music? Ok, let's dive deeper... ain't no hoe in me... so what's the opposite meaning of that.. I'm "hard".. I'm a bad.. I'm hood.. I'm street...? what's the implication of the lyrical content? you will not find that type of content in a single piece of music from Reach records besides from this. You over justify the implication by taking the focus to merely the single word he uses and how the word whore is ok.. which to be technical, since that's what your attempting to do, the word hoe isn't derived from whore. and again, go back to Aha's line, "ain't no hoe in me" he's not using the word implying that he doesn't sleep around and sin against God by being with multiple partners.. he's saying he's not a bitch, and lyrical content like that has no place at reach records, IMO! it's trash and again, I'm disappointed this type of music is coming out of reach. Have a good day and may God Bless you.
Matthew Breneman
Alex Nyamweru And finally someone with a Bible verse profile pic who doesn't criticize a reach artist for how many times he mentioned Jesus in each song. Thank you!