Cozart attended Dulles Elementary School and later Banner High School on Chicago's South Side, which is where he got his career start. In December 2011, he was arrested on a weapons charge (aggravated unlawful use of a weapon) and put under house arrest at his grandmother's home. While under house arrest, Cozart posted several videos to his YouTube account. The attention he received grew in the short time between the release of several mixtapes and several music videos, including "Bang," "3Hunna," and "I Don't Like." After two locally successful mixtapes, "I Don't Like" became a local hit in Chicago. It also caught fellow Chicago rapper Kanye West's attention, and West organized a remix of the song along with rappers Pusha T, Jadakiss, and Big Sean. On July 7, 2012, it was announced that Chief Keef would be performing at the 2012 Lollapalooza music festival.
In the following years, Keef has served up a continuous stream of releases, such as Back From the Dead 2 (2014), Bang 3 (2015), and Thot Breaker (2017). Critics have cited Chief Keef as a major influence on contemporary hip hop through his impact on artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Tupac and various collaborations.
Told Ya
Chief Keef Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was riding with his mama
Let her roll a blunt of ganja
She say I'm gnarly
Then I say cowabunga
I know why I love lil mama
See me pull up in that Tonka
I know I'm heavy like my ice
You say can you spend the night?
No baby, that shit ain't right
She say what's the hold up?
I got these bands in my pants
I need hand on everything that I told ya
Money, get it up get it up get it up get it up
I smoke 93, you smoke 51
Pop out the truck, got the truck with the semi up
Lil nigga act up, Chief So hit em up
Snuck in the club with the snub, hit the DJ up
Made a million dollars from a motherfucking penny though
Pull us to the strip, hop out, what's the deal-io?
Fat ass Backwoods looking like a Philly Dog
Let his bitch hit the weed, she a silly hoe
She start talkin about being in my video
Pull up like a video, pop me a wheelie though
She started screaming, I got me a silly hoe
I don't talk bands bitch, I talk millions
I can be outside in the bity like Diddy though
Bitch then say she love me, really though?
So she like me for me, but bitch it's really gwau
I be ballin, like I play for the Thunder
I was riding with his mama
Let her roll a blunt of ganja
She say I'm gnarly
Then I say cowabunga
I know why I love lil mama
See me pull up in that Tonka
I know I'm heavy like my ice
Got a lot of drink and ice
You say "Can you spend the night?"
No baby, that shit ain't right
She say "What's the hold up?"
I got these bands in my pants
I need hand on everything that I told ya
Got the Ruger and the Ruger, hit your medulla up
Ain't gotta be on the radio, to turn it up
Pull to the party, know I'ma turn it up
When I start ballin, you know I'ma do it up
I was seeing so much money I done threw it up
Pull on a opp block, you know I blew it up
Came to the club, bitch you know that I'm toolied up
Dirty hoe act like she won't get her coochie up
Sosa Jefferson, bitch you know I'ma move it up
Hoes in all rooms, bitch you know that I'm bootied up
Ready for the war, I'm suited, I'm booted up
Bitch ain't tryna fuck, you know I root it up
I sip lean, nigga you can't brew it up
Don't like it too much if the shit ain't new enough
Say you got a background, fuck nigga pull it up
Talkin bout war, on money I'm pulling up
I be ballin, like I play for the Thunder
I was riding with his mama
Let her roll a blunt of ganja
She say I'm gnarly
Then I say cowabunga
I know why I love lil mama
See me pull up in that Tonka
I know I'm heavy like my ice
Got a lot of drink and ice
You say can you spend the night?
No baby, that shit ain't right
She say what's the hold up?
I got these bands in my pants
I need hand on everything that I told ya
In Chief Keef's Told Ya, he flexes his wealth and success in the music industry. The first verse mentions his partners' mother, whom he rode with while smoking marijuana. She calls him "gnarly," and he responds by exclaiming "cowabunga," a reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He then boasts about his heavy jewelry and abundance of liquor. When asked by a woman if he can spend the night, he rejects her proposition, saying it isn't right. He mentions his wealth in the last line, saying he needs someone to help him handle it.
In the chorus, Keef references the Thunder, an NBA team. "I be ballin, like I play for the Thunder" reinforces his wealth and success as though he were a professional basketball player. He continues to rap about his riches, his preference for smoking more potent weed than others, and his weaponry.
Overall, Told Ya is a braggadocious song showcasing Chief Keef's wealth and success in the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
I be ballin, like I play for the Thunder
I'm living large with lots of success, just like a star athlete.
I was riding with his mama
I was with a man's mother, maybe even romantically involved with her.
Let her roll a blunt of ganja
I let her roll a marijuana cigarette.
She say I'm gnarly
She thinks I'm rugged and cool.
Then I say cowabunga
I express my excitement and enthusiasm.
I know why I love lil mama
I know why I love this woman.
See me pull up in that Tonka
You can see me in my big truck.
I know I'm heavy like my ice
I know my jewelry is expensive and weighs a lot.
Got a lot of drink and ice
I have a lot of alcohol and ice to accompany it.
You say can you spend the night?
Youโre asking if you can spend the night with me.
No baby, that shit ain't right
No, that is not appropriate or acceptable.
She say what's the hold up?
She's asking for an explanation for the delay.
I got these bands in my pants
I have a lot of money on me.
I need hand on everything that I told ya
I need your help with everything that I've explained to you.
Money, get it up get it up get it up get it up
Letโs get money.
I smoke 93, you smoke 51
I consume high-quality drugs, while you have something lesser.
Pop out the truck, got the truck with the semi up
I step out of my truck with my gun ready to shoot.
Lil nigga act up, Chief So hit em up
If a small person causes problems, I'll go after them.
Snuck in the club with the snub, hit the DJ up
I brought a hidden weapon into the club and threatened the DJ.
Made a million dollars from a motherfucking penny though
I made a significant profit off a small investment.
Pull up to the strip, hop out, what's the deal-io?
I arrive at the strip club and get out of my car, wondering what's happening.
Fat ass Backwoods looking like a Philly Dog
A large marijuana cigar looks like a sandwich from Philadelphia.
Let his bitch hit the weed, she a silly hoe
I let another man's girlfriend smoke marijuana, showing her foolish behavior.
She start talkin about being in my video
She talks about wanting to be in my music video.
Pull up like a video, pop me a wheelie though
I arrive dramatically, popping a wheelie on my motorcycle.
She started screaming, I got me a silly hoe
She starts yelling and showing foolish behavior, so I think of her as a silly person.
I don't talk bands bitch, I talk millions
I don't talk about small amounts of money, only large sums of millions.
I can be outside in the bity like Diddy though
I can live like a celebrity in a big city like Sean Combs.
Bitch then say she love me, really though?
Does this woman truly love me?
So she like me for me, but bitch it's really gwau
She claims to like me for who I am, but it's really about my money.
Got the Ruger and the Ruger, hit your medulla up
I have two guns and will use them to shoot you in the head.
Ain't gotta be on the radio, to turn it up
I don't need radio airplay to make my music successful.
Pull to the party, know I'ma turn it up
When I arrive at a party, I know I'm going to make it fun and exciting.
When I start ballin, you know I'ma do it up
When I start to succeed financially, I will do it extravagantly.
I was seeing so much money I done threw it up
I had so much money that it made me physically ill.
Pull on a opp block, you know I blew it up
I went to the rival's neighborhood and caused chaos and destruction.
Came to the club, bitch you know that I'm toolied up
I arrived at the club with my gun ready to use.
Dirty hoe act like she won't get her coochie up
A promiscuous woman is acting like she won't have sex with me.
Sosa Jefferson, bitch you know I'ma move it up
I'm Chief Keef, and you know that I'm going to rise to the top.
Hoes in all rooms, bitch you know that I'm bootied up
There are women in every room, showing that I am surrounded by beautiful women.
Ready for the war, I'm suited, I'm booted up
I'm prepared for any conflict, dressed in military attire.
Bitch ain't tryna fuck, you know I root it up
A woman doesn't want to have sex with me, so I leave quickly.
I sip lean, nigga you can't brew it up
I drink codeine mixed with soda, which you can't make yourself.
Don't like it too much if the shit ain't new enough
I don't appreciate it as much if things aren't brand new.
Say you got a background, fuck nigga pull it up
If you claim to have a history or criminal record, prove it to me.
Talkin bout war, on money I'm pulling up
If you want a conflict, I'm ready and willing to use my money and resources to win.
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
223KingSquid
Been looking for this song for 3 years ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Des_
Gratz G lmao
Daniel Guevara
this song and "real money" are mad slept on ๐๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฏ
KharMohn
So true bro
AnPrimWrestler
This is some slept on fire
OnlyLocks
This shi so slept on ๐ญ๐ฅ
CBG Grizzy
CLASSIC MAN CLASSIC REAL SUPPORTERS KNOW WASUP ๐ฏ๐๐ดโผ๏ธ SLEPT ON TRACK
Olivia Clark
love this song
AlfieAndrews06
Underrated heat๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Ramon Brewer Jr
Damn SOSA you really Ahead of your time