Single-parent home, gangs, drugs, crime, prison and no way out but death. While it may sound like the makings of a classic 90’s inner-city film, it was the dark reality Brothatone faced growing up. But spared the fate that befalls so many urban youths, Tone found a way out—better yet, a new way of living found him.
Toney Frazier, better known by his stage name Brothatone, was born and raised in the projects of Arkansas. With only his mom around to raise and care for him after his parents separated, Tone turned to the streets to teach him how to be a man. At the tender age of 12, he followed his young uncle’s footsteps and joined a gang—the Crips. He quickly gained respect for fighting rival gang members, breaking in homes, committing robberies and being ready to kill whoever disrespected him. With his mom working long hours to provide for the family, there was no one around to counter what he was learning on the streets. His father tried talking to and disciplining him, but he rejected the advice of the man who had abandoned him years earlier. Engulfed in the street life, his violent behavior reached new heights when his 16-year-old uncle was shot and killed. Tone was suspended from school indefinitely for being involved in multiple altercations, and he was receiving death threats from rival gangs. Sent to live with relatives in hopes he would turn his life around, Tone landed in various juvenile detention centers across the South. He had taken it upon himself to carry on his uncle’s legacy; he was selling and smoking weed and was arrested for armed robbery and battery. Later, while on house arrest for attempted murder, he realized the other members of his gang had abandoned him too, as none of them came to visit. Depressed and alone, Tone battled with thoughts of suicide, stemming from his uncle’s death and the dead-end path he had chosen. But then came his awakening.
As providence would have it, Tone was riding in a police car to a courthouse one afternoon when a voice on the radio began sharing about the book of Revelation. So, while on house arrest, he began reading Revelation as God steadily worked on his heart. He distanced himself from his gang and promised a pastor that he would attend his church. Tone finally visited and began doing so regularly, although he was actually in pursuit of a female member of the congregation. Despite his impure motives, after a few visits, he heard the Gospel and gave his life to Christ. He was relieved, immensely grateful and awed by the reality that God had freed him from the bondage of his criminal past to find joy and peace in Him. Surprisingly, his old friends respected his newfound faith and let him pursue God without any opposition.
Armed with pen and paper, Tone began writing poems that reflected his new reality. Having taken to rapping and musical engineering as a teenager, but unaware of the emergence of Christian rap as an adult, he prayed for his ability to somehow be used by God. Thereafter, he was given a Cross Movement album, and while he didn’t comprehend the complex theological rhymes they delivered, he was inspired to follow in their footsteps. By the time he was 24, he had rapped at several church events and was advised to leave Arkansas if he wanted to pursue music seriously. With his wife deployed to Iraq, Tone decided to move to Tennessee; shortly after, he saw Lecrae perform and realized he wanted to spend his life ministering through music. He began traveling with Seventh Day Slumber, opened for Kutless and was constantly traveling around the nation sharing Christ. He released two successful albums, I Preach Christ and Interlude, and his platform was steadily increasing.
But while Tone’s life had been turned around, his sister’s life was headed downhill and her kids were suffering as a result of her drug addiction. Burdened to keep them from eventually turning to the streets, he decided to stop traveling for three years to care for his nieces before sending them to live with other responsible relatives. Having built a relationship with Pro during that time, once Reflection Music Group was founded, he was asked to join the roster. Still armed with an appreciation for what God has done in his life, Brothatone has returned with his comeback project Mic Check. The mixtape serves as a promotional tool to introduce him to new listeners and reintroduce him to those who’ve been questioning his absence.
As an artist, Tone aims to creatively deliver truth in an authentic, real-life manner that those who may not understand doctrine and theology can still relate to. He spends hours upon hours everyday listening to beats for inspiration and also serves faithfully with Fellowship Bible in Murfreesboro. Ultimately, his desire is to have a leadership position in the church to counsel others and influence people beyond his music. With years of gang banging behind him, he is confident that he has lost nothing and gained everything by following Christ. He is spurred on by the famous words, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Gangsta
Brothatone Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't seen him in a couple years, look how he changed up
He got that hang tough, he throwing gangs up
Red tee and red shoe strings, my homie flamed up
He sellin' drugs now, he reppin' Blood now
He roll with thugs, plus he beefin with the cuz now
Small as a pug but he swear to God he bloodhound
Thug love get it anybody throwin' blood down
'Cause that can never happen to him, he the real thing
Until that steel bang, and then he feel pain
And get killed for real thinking he Lil Wayne
And then your grill change, you won't be the same brotha
You'll be in real flames, I don't mean your gang colors
Forget your gang culture, this is my appeal mayne
Call on the Lord while you live, you can still change
Say you represent, down to die for your hood
But take a second guess, if you die it ain't good
Your sins that be confessed, you don't know God like you should
And ain't no second chance when you lie in they hood
You a gangsta, gangsta, in need of a change
You say banging ain't a thang, but your gang ain't a good look
You a gangsta, gangsta, is it worth eternal flames
It should make you wanna change, naw mayne that ain't a good look
Gangsta, Gangsta, Gangsta, Gangsta
The lyrics of Brothatone's song Gangsta depict the life of a gang member who is proud to be associated with his gang and even risks his life for it. The singer of the song meets an old friend who has now fully embraced the gang culture and is involved in selling drugs, throwing gang signs, and beefing with rival gangs. Despite the risk of being murdered for claiming his gang affiliation, the friend believes that nothing can happen to him because he is the "real thing." Brothatone warns him that eventually, he may face the grim reality of being killed or hurting someone else, and it will change him for the worse.
The chorus of the song repeatedly asks the question, "You a gangsta, gangsta, in need of a change?" Brothatone points out that being a gang member may seem glamorous and exciting, but it is a self-destructive path that leads to eternal flames. He urges the friend to turn away from the gang culture and seek salvation by calling on the Lord. The song's message is clear: gang life is not worth the price of losing one's soul.
The song's pessimistic view of the gang culture is reflected in the dark tone of the music video. Directed by Gaby Tamez, the video shows Brothatone rapping against a backdrop of gritty, urban landscapes, interspersed with images of gang members brandishing weapons and attacking each other. The video tells a cautionary tale of the dangers of gang life and its inevitable consequences, making it an essential watch for anyone looking to understand the negative aspects of hip-hop culture.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw a homie at the store he say he came up
I saw a friend at the store who told me he has made it in life
Ain't seen him in a couple years, look how he changed up
I haven't seen him in years, but he looks different now
He got that hang tough, he throwing gangs up
He acts tough and throws gang signs
Red tee and red shoe strings, my homie flamed up
He is wearing a red shirt and has red shoelaces, representing his gang
He sellin' drugs now, he reppin' Blood now
He sells drugs and is now part of the Blood gang
He roll with thugs, plus he beefin with the cuz now
He hangs out with dangerous people and is in a conflict with a rival gang
Small as a pug but he swear to God he bloodhound
He may be small, but he claims to be tough and loyal like a bloodhound
Thug love get it anybody throwin' blood down
He is willing to fight anyone who disrespects his gang
Got partners he been murdered for it, yet he still claim
Even though some of his friends have been killed for being in the gang, he still claims it
'Cause that can never happen to him, he the real thing
He believes that he is invincible and that nothing bad will happen to him
Until that steel bang, and then he feel pain
But if he gets shot with a gun, he will feel pain and suffer
And get killed for real thinking he Lil Wayne
He might get killed for believing that he is as powerful as the rapper Lil Wayne
And then your grill change, you won't be the same brotha
If he gets shot, his face will change and he won't be the same person anymore
You'll be in real flames, I don't mean your gang colors
He might even end up in hell, not just burning in his gang's colors
Forget your gang culture, this is my appeal mayne
I urge him to abandon his gang culture and follow a better path
Call on the Lord while you live, you can still change
I advise him to ask for help from God and turn his life around while he still can
Say you represent, down to die for your hood
He claims to represent his neighborhood and is willing to die for it
But take a second guess, if you die it ain't good
I suggest he take a moment to reconsider, because dying for the gang won't lead to anything good
Your sins that be confessed, you don't know God like you should
He needs to confess his sins, because he doesn't really know or understand God
And ain't no second chance when you lie in they hood
If he dies in his gang's territory, he won't get a second chance to do things the right way
You a gangsta, gangsta, in need of a change
He is a gang member who needs to change his ways
You say banging ain't a thang, but your gang ain't a good look
He thinks that being in a gang is cool, but it actually makes him look bad
You a gangsta, gangsta, is it worth eternal flames
Is being a gang member worth the possibility of ending up in hell for eternity?
It should make you wanna change, naw mayne that ain't a good look
He should be motivated to change his ways, because being in a gang doesn't make him look good
Gangsta, Gangsta, Gangsta, Gangsta
Ending chorus repeating the title of the song
Contributed by Aaliyah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.