August learned at an early age that drugs and money could make you, or break you. With both his father and stepfather battling crack addiction, August’s mother moved their family to Houston, Texas in search of a fresh start. But Houston provided no happy ending. For years, a young August endured a home life plagued by drugs and violence. At just 14, he got word from New Orleans that is father, August Sr., lost his battle with drugs and alcohol.
In an attempt to escape his reality, August took to Youtube, where he posted dozens of homemade performance videos. His clips covering the likes of Musiq Soulchild and Lyfe Jennings went viral, generating millions of views in just over a month. It seemed that he was finally taking his first steps toward a bright future in music, but just a year later, reality hit home when his best friend was shot and killed in the streets of Houston. As quickly as August appeared, he vanished form Youtube, back to the real world. With tensions mounting, 16-year-old August was kicked out of his mother’s home. Alone, he returned to New Orleans. He bounced around between family and friends houses, but on some nights, only the corner store provided him shelter. Eventually, he took to the streets, selling drugs as a means of survival.
With his older brother also in the streets hustling, it wouldn’t be long before August learned that the addiction to money could be just as deadly as the addiction to drugs. Just days before August’s 18th birthday, his older brother was gunned down in New Orleans East, another unsolved murder in one of the nations most dangerous cities. “I never expected them [the police] to find his killer”, August explains. “People die everyday in the streets of New Orleans. Unfortunately, death has become a way of life,” but not for August. His brother’s death became his motivation to not become a statistic, but to pursue his musical aspirations on an entirely new level.
Under the guidance of NNTME MuCo, AKA Noontime, (management/production company), August relocated to Atlanta in 2011 to begin carving his own musical path, creating music in a lane that would separate him from his R&B counterparts. His experiences in life are what shaped him, so those experiences, no matter how brutally honest, positive or negative, would serve as the focal point of his artistry. In April of 2012 August teamed up with Hoodrich/MMG’s own DJ Scream for the release of his debut mixtape, ‘The Product’, which garnered him an internet and radio buzz, and spawned the Sound Mob produced single, “Sucka” featuring fellow New Orleans native, R&B crooner Lloyd. The anti-love track offers the opinion that “love is for suckas”, providing an alternative to the sappy love songs associated with today’s R&B.
This past May, Alsina returned with his second installment of ‘The Product‘ series, this time teaming up with DJ Drama and his Gangsta Grillz brand. The debut single “I Luv This Shit” finds August paired with fellow Def Jam label mate, Trinidad Jame$. The top 10 hit, produced by Knucklehead, speaks to the rebellious and, sometimes, reckless lifestyle that finds August singing words that many can relate to, “I’m way too drunk to be talking like this, I’m way too high to be trippin like this, I’m way too young to be livin like this, ask me why I do it I’ma put it like this... God Damn it, I luv it”. It’s that honest and rebellious tone that caught the ear of Cash Money CEO/Rich Gang boss, Birdman, who jumped on the remix to stamp the fellow New Orleans native.
With his buzz building, August’s next stamp would come from media giant MTV, as he was named one of 2013’s Fab 5, their annual list of hip-hop artist to watch. Exposure on the network helped to make his independent video “Downtown” ft. Kidd Kidd, a viral hit, generating nearly 1 million views in less than 2 months. The autobiographical song/visual would become the title track for Alsina’s first official NNTME/Radio Killa/Def Jam release, an 8-song EP titled, ‘Downtown: Life Under the Gun’, which offers collaborations between Alsina and the previously mentioned Jame$ & Kidd Kidd, along with NOLA veteran Curren$y, and Atlanta newcomer Rich Homie Quan. Of the EP, Alsina says, “It allows you to walk through my hood with me and see where I’m from. Don’t get it confused, this isn’t my album, just a few songs to let people know what I’m about and why I do this”.
While just 21 years old, and already a lifetime of experiences behind him, August Alsina is living proof that your past doesn’t have to dictate your future, and that life’s hardships can be the motivation required for success.
Nobody Knows
August Alsina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wish you could put yourself inside my shoes
You got friends that ain't friends no more
They don't understand the life I chose
See the money and the fame
It can hurt everything you love
Got some people that depend on me
And I can't give up
They don't know what I'm going through
Nobody saw the struggle they just see the reward
They focused on the peace but they never saw the war
Homies I started with ain't make it till the end
They used to be my niggas now we ain't friends
Long as I'm putting niggas on it be all good
Soon as I tell them that I can't they the first to go
I see you tryin to come around since I'm out the hood
But I see 'em being fake so I let 'em know
I had to let 'em know
Nobody knows what I go through
Wish you could put yourself inside my shoes
You got friends that ain't friends no more
They don't understand the life I chose
See the money and the fame
It can hurt everything you love
Got some people that depend on me
And I can't give up
They don't know what I'm going through
They don't know what I'm going through
Now everybody run out with their hand out
Maybe 'cause I stand out, see me in the videos
Thinking that I'm cashing out
They don't see my homies with the notice on their house
They just think I'm eating so they sitting with an open mouth
Playing mac saying I should give 'em this in my amount
I remember back when I was hurting, working selling crack
Where were all these niggas at claiming they my fam
If I lost it all tomorrow I know they won't give a damn
Nobody knows what I go through
Wish you could put yourself inside my shoes
You got friends that ain't friends no more
They don't understand the life I chose
See the money and the fame
It can hurt everything you love
Got some people that depend on me
And I can't give up
They don't know what I'm going through
They don't know what I'm going through
Nobody knows uh uh
Nobody knows uh uh
Nobody knows uh uh
Nobody knows, no no no
Nobody knows
In August Alsina's song "Nobody Knows," the artist expresses his frustration with the idea that nobody can truly understand the difficulties he faces in his life. The song particularly focuses on the struggle between fame and personal relationships. In the first verse, August sings that people see the fame and the money and not the hardship that comes with it, which can damage the things and people you love. He highlights that just because he has chosen his lifestyle, he still has people depending on him, and he cannot give up.
In the second verse, August talks about how his friends have changed since he has achieved success. He notes that while he has been able to put some of his friends on, many of his old friends have fallen by the wayside, and new people have begun to come out of the woodwork. August addresses how people who did not help him when he was struggling outside of his current successful lifestyle, try to reap the benefits now. He says he knows that they will not care about him if he loses everything.
Interestingly, the chorus of "Nobody Knows" has nine repetitions of "Nobody knows" which can emphasize the concept of isolation even further. August Alsina was at the peak of his career when he released "Nobody Knows" hurting emotionally and physically but his true feelings weren’t visible to his fans. In an interview, he claimed that he had multiple sclerosis which had worsened to the point of him going blind temporarily. The song was based on his feelings of how his life had changed as he became an artist. The song was produced by Knucklehead and has been popular since August had released it. The song was streamed over 30 million times on his official YouTube channel.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody knows what I go through
No one truly understands the challenges I face in life
Wish you could put yourself inside my shoes
I wish others could experience what I go through to truly empathize with me
You got friends that ain't friends no more
Some people I used to call my friends have changed and don't support me anymore
They don't understand the life I chose
Those friends don't comprehend the path I've chosen for myself
See the money and the fame
People only see the surface-level success of my career
It can hurt everything you love
That success can come with difficulties that harm other important aspects of my life
Got some people that depend on me
I have responsibilities and obligations to some people who rely on me
And I can't give up
Despite the challenges, I have to keep pushing forward for those who depend on me
They don't know what I'm going through
Others, particularly those who only see my success, do not truly understand the struggles I am facing
Nobody saw the struggle they just see the reward
People focus only on the outcome, not the challenges and difficulties I faced along the way
They focused on the peace but they never saw the war
Others only see the benefits but not the struggles needed to achieve them
Homies I started with ain't make it till the end
Some of my former friends and colleagues did not survive life's challenges
They used to be my niggas now we ain't friends
Those people I used to be close with are no longer a part of my life
Long as I'm putting niggas on it be all good
As long as I am providing opportunities to others, everything is fine
Soon as I tell them that I can't they the first to go
However, as soon as I have to say no to someone, they abandon me
I see you tryin to come around since I'm out the hood
Some people have only come back into my life now that I am successful
But I see 'em being fake so I let 'em know
I see the insincerity of those people and confront them about it
Now everybody run out with their hand out
Many people are now asking me for financial support
Maybe 'cause I stand out, see me in the videos
They see me as a successful person due to my visibility in music videos
Thinking that I'm cashing out
They assume that I am making a lot of money
They don't see my homies with the notice on their house
Those people do not see the financial struggles of those close to me
They just think I'm eating so they sitting with an open mouth
They only see my success and do not know about my struggles and obligations
Playing mac saying I should give 'em this in my amount
Some people are trying to pressure me into giving them money
I remember back when I was hurting, working selling crack
I recall a past time where I struggled and was involved in illegal drug trade
Where were all these niggas at claiming they my fam
At that time, where were the people now trying to get money from me and claiming to be my family?
If I lost it all tomorrow I know they won't give a damn
If I were to suddenly lose everything, those people would not care about me anymore
Nobody knows uh uh
No one really knows
Nobody knows, no no no
No one truly understands
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, SPIKY I M IN PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AUGUST ANTHONY ALSINA, NAYVADIUS WILBURN, RALPH JEANTY, SEAN MCMILLION, JOSHUA THEODORE CROSS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@benj533
"Nobody Knows"
Nobody knows what I go through
Wish you could put yourself inside my shoes
You got friends that ain't friends no more
They don't understand the life I chose
See the money and the fame
It can hurt everything you love
Got some people that depend on me
And I can't give up
They don't know what I'm going through
They don't know what I'm going through
[Verse 1:]
Nobody saw the struggle they just see the reward
They focused on the peace but they never saw the war
Homies I started with ain't make it till the end
They used to be my niggas now we ain't friends
Long as I'm putting niggas on it be all good
Soon as I tell them that I can't they're the first to go
I see 'em trying to come around since I'm out the hood
But I see 'em being fake so I let 'em know
I got to let 'em know
[Hook:]
Nobody knows what I go through
Wish you could put yourself inside my shoes
You got friends that ain't friends no more
They don't understand the life I chose
See the money and the fame
It can hurt everything you love
Got some people that depend on me
And I can't give up
They don't know what I'm going through
They don't know what I'm going through
[Verse 2:]
Now everybody run up with their hand out
Maybe 'cause I stand out
See me in a video, thinking that I'm cashing out
They don't see my homies with the notices on their house
They just think I'm eating so they sitting with an open mouth
Laying back saying I should give 'em this and buy 'em that
I remember back when I was hurting, working selling crack
Where were all these niggas at claiming they my fam
If I lost it all tomorrow I know they won't give a damn
[Hook:]
Nobody knows what I go through
Wish you could put yourself inside my shoes
You got friends that ain't friends no more
They don't understand the life I chose
See the money and the fame
It can hurt everything you love
Got some people that depend on me
And I can't give up
They don't know what I'm going through
They don't know what I'm going through
(ah, ah) Nobody knows [5x]
Nobody knows mmm
@AM-nh9lj
Life was kicking my ass when this came out. So much pain, hurt, anger. Today, I can say I’m finally HEALED
@juniormonkou9017
😊😊😊😊😊😊
@Ms.Fhares
Anger may not come back put pain and hurt will, part of life
@rochellewoods4388
Yes we need more artist like him. He stays true to himself and his fans.
@abbybright5665
Tiffany Richard know bobuiknow baby bii
@tonyaferguson5480
@abby Bright plllppploplll
@simplyj3178
Still my theme song to my life
@natemckinney1828
This song still hits and the fact that it speaks itself is just incredible
@meganmcbride2023
🔥🔥check out my singles "Damaged" and "Ride" on my page written by me
@madisonwilliams-kelley7088
I love this song so much, because nobody honestly knows what he has been through and he is expressing it through something he loves doing. I am so sorry for his loss of his brother. I can tell he loves him a lot 💖💞