Old Ways
Chiddy Bang Lyrics

Uh, yeah
Introducing the start of the song

And how the saying go, things change
Things in life are always changing

Skinny dude, but the flow is the size of Ving Rhames
Despite his physical appearance, his rap skills are comparable to that of a larger person

Pennies from my thoughts add up, I hope you bring change
Small ideas can accumulate into larger ones and cause change

I know these haters ain't want me to see my wings raise
People who dislike him do not wish for him to soar to great heights

Flowin' shoes polishin', rappers I demolish it
A metaphor for his great rap skills that enable him to destroy other rappers

I done lost my mind, they needed a psychologist
Expressing his chaotic state of mind and how he needs someone to help him sort through his thoughts

They could care less back when I was still in colleges
Nobody had much interest in him when he was still a college student

And now the boy be in London, Theophilus
He has achieved success and is now able to travel to different countries with other successful musicians like Theophilus London

It's tough tryin' to end up on the paid route
It's difficult to succeed and start earning money in the music industry

The flow is medium rare, now bring a steak out
A metaphor for his rare and exceptional rap skills

This is my medium, here, see how it plays out
His rap skills are his way of expressing himself and he hopes people appreciate it

They all buggin' me, I gotta pull a Raid out
He has pests bothering him and he needs to take action to eliminate them

Using it sparingly, forever will they cherish me
By pacing himself and not releasing too much music at once, he believes people will appreciate and value his work more

Before I black out, introduce my moment of clarity
In the midst of all the chaos, he desires a moment of clarity to help him center himself and regain focus

Let's take them back to days when we had no radio plays
Recalling a time when they had no radio exposure and were struggling to make it in the industry

And we had to change up our ways, cause success brings
Success brings about a need for change and adaptation

Difference, tryin' to keep it clean
Striving to maintain a positive image despite the negative influences around him

While they litterin', snakes in the grass, they try to slither in
People with bad intentions are trying to worm their way into his life

The rose that grew from concrete, not witherin'
Using the analogy of a rose growing through concrete, he speaks of his perseverance and strength through difficult times

And it's life so fast, the lights keep flickerin'
Life moves quickly and is uncertain

What goes around comes back, and that's the karma truth
The belief that what you do in life, good or bad, will come back to you eventually

I log onto my closet, that shit is Karmaloop
He shops at Karmaloop and uses fashion to express himself

So I get a little fresh
He likes to keep his fashion sense up to date

My teachers used to hate me, but now I could pass the test
Despite not being liked by his teachers in the past, he has grown and matured enough to pass tests and overcome challenges

Got confidence, subconsciousness
He has gained confidence in himself and his abilities

Makes me overlook all of my many accomplishments
Despite his accomplishments, he does not dwell on them and continues to strive for more

But, see I get it like nobody else did
Some people do not fully understand his perspective and way of life

I found a deeper meaning, know what sense of self is
He has gained a deeper understanding of himself and his purpose in life

And I'm a die of old age
He hopes to live a long and fulfilling life

And stay true I reverted back to my old ways
Despite changes and challenges in his life, he has remained true to himself and his passion for music

I'm not the same, style change
He has grown and evolved as a musician

But I can leave the game
Despite his love for music, he is capable of leaving the industry if needed

Now I'm right back to my old ways
After reflecting on his life and past experiences, he has returned to his original passion for music

I take life so slow, every minute gotta go
He values every moment in life and cherishes them

We only here for a little
Life is short and you should make the most of it

So I'm somewhere in the middle
He is in between success and failure, but is content with where he is in life