The group released their first mixtape All-American Trash in 2016. Their debut album SATURATION was released on June 9, 2017, followed by SATURATION II on August 25 and SATURATION III on December 15, 2017. On March 30, 2018, BROCKHAMPTON announced that they had signed a record deal under RCA Records.
In the summer of 2018, the group parted ways with vocalist Ameer Vann over accusations of sexual misconduct. Their album which was set for release, titled Puppy, was thrown out after the incident. Three tracks from the album were reworked and released over subsequent weeks throughout the summer, including “1999 Wildfire”, “1998 Truman” and “1997 Diana”
On September 21, 2018, the boyband released their fourth studio album, Iridescence, recorded in London's iconic Abbey Road Studios over ten days. It was their major-label debut, as well as their first album since Ameer Vann's departure following sexual misconduct allegations.
The album marked BROCKHAMPTON's first number-one album, as the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart. The album sold 101,000 copies in its first week and was released just weeks before the band embarked on their first tour without ex-member Ameer.
BROCKHAMPTON returned in 2019 which a string of singles, “I Been Born Again”, “If You Pray Right”, “Boy Bye”, and “No Halo”. GINGER is the fifth studio album by American hip-hop collective Brockhampton. It was released on August 23, 2019, through the band's label Question Everything and RCA. It features slowthai, Deb Never, and the band's members.
2020 was the first year since 2016 that they did not officially release a project; instead, Brockhampton began streaming weekly on Twitch and Instagram to DJ and premiere new songs, which would also be posted to and deleted from their YouTube channel regularly. However, none of these songs were officially released on streaming services due to challenges with sample clearance. This era was dubbed "TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES".
In 2021, BROCKHAMPTON returned with their sixth album, Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine, released on April 9th. The singles for the album included “Buzzcut” and “Count On Me”. The album included features from Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, SoGone SoFlexy, Charlie Wilson and Baird.
On January 14, 2022, the band announced that they would no longer be performing as a group and would go on indefinite hiatus after their 2022 Coachella performances. On April 16, 2022, during the first of said Coachella performances, BROCKHAMPTON announced a final album that would arrive the same year. The title of this album, The Family, was revealed in late October, and the album was released on November 17, 2022. However, the band announced another surprise follow-up album TM that would release the following day, November 18, 2022.
Boys
BROCKHAMPTON Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel just like Zayn
I feel just like Harry
I cop it and I flip it
Have it sittin' on pirellis
Me and all my niggas
South side, One Direction
Got lens that make direction
Flow to my location
Lowkey I'm in Cali just avoiding my probation
Fuck your jurisdiction, fuck the federales
Sold out by my father, he gon' feel the karma
When I get the, get the commas, nigga
I don't have, I don't have no fear, nigga
Buy the ounce, sellin' ounces over here, nigga
I don't lie, I just bought a whole grill
Arguing with my bitch, my whip sit twenty-six nigga
Lowkey I'm a heartthrob
And I ain't drop an album yet
I'm something like a poster
Sitting on your girl's wall
And something about my face
Make her take her clothes off
Ya'll say I got bitches
But y'all bitches make my dick soft
Why y'all always mad cause I'm feeling myself
What the fuck you mean?
I can't feel myself?
Old girl suburban
But now I'm on to new things
Ego like celebrity, but real like a dope fiend
Tanning out in Hollywood, got Chantel's on my coattails
From motels to hotels, I'm good
Bitch I'm good, from hotels to motels, I'm good
Bitch I'm good, from hotels to motels, I'm good
Bitch I'm good
Hella boys say, hella boys say, hella boys
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
In the city I'm a menace
I give C.E.O's the business
Marathons I gotta finish
Foreign whip is speaking Yiddish
Lately I been feeling vicious
Why y'all crying like some infants
You don't wanna be a witness
Then you better mind your fucking business
All these crumbs on my denim
We the only dogs spitting venom
Been some years I tried to tell them
But they wanted me to be the villain
They just wanted me to lose
Ones I love, made me choose
Had to cut the ones I thought I'd take to the top
Just so I could make a move
Dropped out of college
Smoking the same campus
Tell me 'bout limits
Last year I was suicidal
Took those thoughts and tried to kill it
Used to avoid, used to being paranoid
Huffin with my boys
Pack it up, I shake the world like asteroids
Give me love before you try to give me noise
I destroy
Hella boys say, hella boys say, hella boys
They say that they want me they forgot about me
The first section of the song BOYS by BROCKHAMPTON is repetitive and features the phrase "hella boys say" multiple times. The next lines, "I feel just like Zayn, I feel just like Harry" reference Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, former members of the popular boyband One Direction. The lyrics suggest that the artist has similar qualities to these popular boyband members, and goes on to reference the selling of drugs and avoiding probation.
The chorus repeats the phrase "They say that they want me, they forgot about me" multiple times, which could be interpreted as the artist's feeling that while people may express interest in him, they ultimately forget or ignore him. The following verses continue to reference the rapper's success and personal struggles, including issues with mental health and cutting off people in his life.
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on fame and success, and the challenges and loneliness that can come with it. The artist grapples with his own identity and place in the world, while also acknowledging the difficulties of navigating toxic relationships and societal pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
Hella boys say, hella boys say, hella boys
There are many boys who say, 'hella boys,' repeatedly.
I feel just like Zayn
I feel similar to Zayn Malik, former member of One Direction.
I feel just like Harry
I feel similar to Harry Styles, former member of One Direction.
I cop it and I flip it
I purchase something and then sell it for profit.
Have it sittin' on pirellis
I have my car or possession fitted with Pirelli tires.
Me and all my niggas
Me and all of my friends or associates.
South side, One Direction
I am from the south side, like One Direction.
Tens and tens and tens and tens
I have a lot of money, in multiples of ten.
Got lens that make direction
I have lenses that show me the direction to travel in.
Flow to my location
People come to me or know where to find me easily.
Lowkey I'm in Cali just avoiding my probation
I am quietly in California, avoiding being caught for violating my probation.
Fuck your jurisdiction, fuck the federales
I don't care about your laws or the federal authorities.
Sold out by my father, he gon' feel the karma
My father betrayed me and will suffer the consequences.
When I get the, get the commas, nigga
When I earn a lot of money, I will get commas in my bank account.
I don't have, I don't have no fear, nigga
I have no fear at all.
Buy the ounce, sellin' ounces over here, nigga
I buy ounces of drugs and then sell them here.
I don't lie, I just bought a whole grill
I am being truthful when I say I bought a whole grill.
Arguing with my bitch, my whip sit twenty-six nigga
I am having an argument with my girlfriend, while driving a car with 26-inch rims.
Lowkey I'm a heartthrob
People secretly find me attractive.
And I ain't drop an album yet
I haven't released an album yet.
I'm something like a poster
I am like a poster or image that people love looking at.
Sitting on your girl's wall
My image is on the wall of your girlfriend's room.
And something about my face
There is something about my appearance.
Make her take her clothes off
My appearance makes her want to undress.
Ya'll say I got bitches
People say that I have many women.
But y'all bitches make my dick soft
Despite having many women, they still do not arouse me sexually.
Why y'all always mad cause I'm feeling myself
Why is everyone upset that I am confident and proud of myself?
What the fuck you mean?
What are you trying to say or insinuate?
I can't feel myself?
I am unable to have self-confidence and be proud of myself?
Old girl suburban
My former girl drove a suburban vehicle.
But now I'm on to new things
But now I have moved on to new relationships or opportunities.
Ego like celebrity, but real like a dope fiend
My ego is like a celebrity, but my reality is that of a drug addict.
Tanning out in Hollywood, got Chantel's on my coattails
I am tanning in Hollywood and have people, like Chantel, following me closely.
From motels to hotels, I'm good
I used to stay in cheap motels, but now I can afford to stay in hotels.
Bitch I'm good, from hotels to motels, I'm good
I am doing well, whether staying in hotels or motels.
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
People say they want me, but then forget about me or don't follow through.
In the city I'm a menace
In this city, I am a troublemaker or threat.
I give C.E.O's the business
I am assertive and intimidating towards company executives.
Marathons I gotta finish
I have long-term goals that I need to achieve.
Foreign whip is speaking Yiddish
My foreign car is metaphorically speaking a foreign language, like Yiddish.
Lately I been feeling vicious
Recently, I have felt intense anger and bitterness.
Why y'all crying like some infants
Why are you all crying like babies?
You don't wanna be a witness
You do not want to be involved as a witness to something.
Then you better mind your fucking business
If you don't want to be involved, then you should mind your own business.
All these crumbs on my denim
I have small pieces of dirt or debris on my denim clothing.
We the only dogs spitting venom
We are the only ones actively sharing harmful or offensive speech or behavior.
Been some years I tried to tell them
I have tried to tell them this for years.
But they wanted me to be the villain
But they wanted me to appear as the bad guy or to take the blame.
They just wanted me to lose
They wanted me to fail or be defeated.
Ones I love, made me choose
The people I love or care about made me make a difficult decision.
Had to cut the ones I thought I'd take to the top
I had to leave behind the people who I thought would help me achieve success.
Just so I could make a move
I had to make that decision in order to progress or make a change.
Dropped out of college
I left college before completing my degree.
Smoking the same campus
I am still smoking drugs on the same college campus where I left.
Tell me 'bout limits
I am asking someone to explain to me the idea of having limitations.
Last year I was suicidal
I was contemplating suicide last year.
Took those thoughts and tried to kill it
I tried to overcome those suicidal thoughts and tendencies.
Used to avoid, used to being paranoid
I used to avoid certain situations and was always fearful or paranoid.
Huffin with my boys
I am smoking drugs with my group of male friends.
Pack it up, I shake the world like asteroids
I am getting ready to leave and make a huge impact on the world, like an asteroid.
Give me love before you try to give me noise
I want you to show me love or support before trying to criticize or judge me.
I destroy
I am powerful and can ruin or damage something or someone easily.
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
People say they want me, but then forget about me or don't follow through.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ameer Vann, Clifford F Simpson, Dominique Simpson, Jabari Manwarring, Matthew Garrett Champion, Romil Hemnani, Russell Evan Boring, William Anku Kraka Mawuli Ando Wood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind