With the love and hustle of the Crescent City running through his veins, Au… Read Full Bio ↴With the love and hustle of the Crescent City running through his veins, August is eager to follow in the footsteps of the NOLA music legends that paved his way. His recently inked deal Def Jam Recordings looks to be a great step in the right direction, but music wasn’t always in his future.

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.

other side
August Alsina Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

As the days go by
I remember we was sitting on the aisle
Wish I could take it back to the days we lost
But it's easier said then done, someone had to pay the cost
I know nothing lasts forever, no nothing at all
Sometimes you don't ever get up after you fall
Every day's a gamble
I know you can't win 'em all

But that don't stop the hurt at all

One time for my fallen soldiers that were lost in war
Two times for my gangstas who ain't here with us no more
Three times for them fathers that ain't tryna do for they kids
Never thought that missing you would ever feel like this

I hope I see you on the other side
So we can kick it like we did before
I hope you leave a little room on the other side
So I know I got somewhere that I can go
I hope I'm not banging at the door saying let me in
And I pray that I'm forgiven for my sins
And I see you on the other side
Hope I see you on the other side

Real niggas don't cry 'til I seen real niggas who died
I ain't gon' lie, I had real tears in these eyes
Made me feel something inside, seem like I'm gon' lose myself
If I knew somebody else, I'm gon' need somebody else

One time for my fallen soldiers that were lost in war
Two times for my gangstas who ain't here with us no more
Three times for them fathers that ain't tryna do for they kids
Never thought that missing you would ever feel like this

I hope I see you on the other side
So we can kick it like we did before
I hope you leave a little room on the other side
So I know I got somewhere that I can go
I hope I'm not banging at the door saying let me in
And I pray that I'm forgiven for my sins
And I see you on the other side
Hope I see you on the other side

Remember all the good times we had
It's so sad 'cause we can't go back
Now all we got are old times, throwbacks
Know you stay forever on my mind, see you on the other side
Remember all the good times we had
It's so sad 'cause we can't go back
Now all we got are old times, throwbacks
Know you stay forever on my mind, see you on the other side

I hope I see you on the other side
So we can kick it like we did before
I hope you leave a little room on the other side
So I know I got somewhere that I can go
I hope I'm not banging at the door saying let me in
And I pray that I'm forgiven for my sins
And I see you on the other side
Hope I see you on the other side
I hope I see you on the other side
So we can kick it like we did before
I hope you leave a little room on the other side
So I know I got somewhere that I can go
I hope I'm not banging at the door saying let me in
And I pray that I'm forgiven for my sins

And I see you on the other side
Hope I see you on the other side

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to August Alsina’s song Other Side are about loss, grief, and hope. The verses speak to the feeling of wishing to undo the past and the recognition that nothing lasts forever. The lyrics also acknowledge the reality that sometimes we can't help but fall, but we must continue to play the game of life, knowing that we might not always win. The chorus is about the hope that the singer sees his lost loved one in the afterlife, where they can have a good time just like they did before. He hopes there is room for him there and that he is forgiven for his sins. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the desire for reunion and the importance of forgiveness.

The song was first released on August 2, 2013, as part of the EP "Downtown: Life Under the Gun." It was later included on his debut studio album "Testimony" in 2014.

Line by Line Meaning

As the days go by
As time passes

I remember we was sitting on the aisle
I recall a specific moment or memory when we were together

Wish I could take it back to the days we lost
I regret not being able to go back to better times

But it's easier said then done, someone had to pay the cost
It's difficult to fix things and someone had to suffer the consequences of our actions

I know nothing lasts forever, no nothing at all
Everything comes to an end eventually

Sometimes you don't ever get up after you fall
Sometimes you can't recover from the losses you experience

Every day's a gamble
Life is unpredictable

I know you can't win 'em all
It's impossible to succeed in everything

But that don't stop the hurt at all
Even if we expect it, the pain still hurts

One time for my fallen soldiers that were lost in war
A tribute to those who died fighting for a cause

Two times for my gangstas who ain't here with us no more
A tribute to those who died in violent circumstances

Three times for them fathers that ain't tryna do for they kids
A tribute to absentee fathers who don't fulfill their responsibilities

Never thought that missing you would ever feel like this
I didn't expect to feel so much pain and sadness from missing you

I hope I see you on the other side
I hope to reunite with you in the afterlife

So we can kick it like we did before
To spend time together again like we used to

I hope you leave a little room on the other side
I hope to have a place where I can be with you in the afterlife as well

So I know I got somewhere that I can go
So I have a destination where I can meet you again

I hope I'm not banging at the door saying let me in
I hope I'm not rejected or denied the opportunity to reunite with you

And I pray that I'm forgiven for my sins
I ask for forgiveness for anything I may have done wrong in our relationship or in general

Real n****s don't cry 'til I seen real n****s who died
I thought real men don't cry until I saw men I considered tough cry when they lost someone

I ain't gon' lie, I had real tears in these eyes
I admit to shedding real tears over my loss

Made me feel something inside, seem like I'm gon' lose myself
The pain has affected me deeply and I feel lost

If I knew somebody else, I'm gon' need somebody else
If I had someone else to turn to, I would seek their comfort

Remember all the good times we had
I recall all the enjoyable moments we shared

It's so sad 'cause we can't go back
I feel sorrow for not being able to relive those moments

Now all we got are old times, throwbacks
All we have left are memories and reminiscences of the past

Know you stay forever on my mind, see you on the other side
You will always be in my thoughts and I look forward to reuniting with you in the afterlife

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AUGUST ANTHONY ALSINA, BRANDON ALEXANDER HODGE, RALPH JEANTY, SEAN MCMILLION

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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