"I use music as an outlet to connect with people and paint pictures of my experiences growing up in Oakland, CA."
Roll Call
Dame Dolla Lyrics
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That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
Give dope fiends to hustlers, never see me blowing up
Now everywhere I step foot is game time, you know what's up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
Give dope fiends to hustlers, never see me blowing up
Now everywhere I step foot is game time, you know what's up
[Verse 1: Dame D.O.L.L.A.]
I take pride in where I hail from
Many of these boys ain't on my level [?]
See where we from we see it all, victory and defeat
Very different from yall, they was kneeling down at your feet
I had to learn my lesson, be careful of my surroundings
Pull that gun up on me, my heart was pounding
Was nervous, I should have seen 'em lurking
I started praise and worship, a cold, cold city but it gave me sense of urging
I was riding rollers up the streets, you know we trying to cut the grass
Looking at the screen doe, wait for granddad to flash
Grannie know he ain't even workin', he ain't have to ask
Every time he came he knew we had a plate [?]
Mongrels got some [?], know I got that gyro
We was in that fire, dragon breath from Spyro
You can pump your passion, ain't [?] at the side show
Had a couple rule stars, Dame time is my [?]
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
Give dope fiends to hustlers, never see me blowing up
Now everywhere I step foot is game time, you know what's up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
Give dope fiends to hustlers, never see me blowing up
Now everywhere I step foot is game time, you know what's up
I ain't scared to lose, I'm scared to have the wrong people around when I win
Now let's begin, on the nine scale, I'm a ten
I'm iron, you're like some tin
Me without the hustle like dolphins without the fin
I see my homie off the crystal like, "Man where you been?"
He said he stepped on a bomb and ended up in [?]
Drugs or the guns most likely gon' be your end
A lot of cats saying make it, I pray I'm buying [?]
That flatland, that stove front, that tray gram going up
That free [?] ain't no food, no showing up
That red lip with good kids with big dreams of blowing up
The Johnsons, the Wilsons, [?] Staples, you know what's up
Who these cats claiming, they image they staining
These suckers they hanging with [?]
You from the hood but never heard of a dirty [?], you actin', we brought that action, disaster
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
Give dope fiends to hustlers, never see me blowing up
Now everywhere I step foot is game time, you know what's up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
Give dope fiends to hustlers, never see me blowing up
Now everywhere I step foot is game time, you know what's up
Everybody try to say they started at the bottom
If I don't vouch for you then that mean you ain't solid
I represent the Nine, the Nine
I represent the Nine, the Nine
Everybody try to say they started at the bottom
If I don't vouch for you then that mean you ain't solid
I represent the Nine, the Nine
I represent the Nine, the Nine
In "Roll Call" by Dame Dolla, the rapper takes pride in his roots and where he hails from, known as "the Nine." He talks about growing up in a dangerous environment, where he learned to be careful of his surroundings and where he had to witness victory and defeat, unlike those who kneel down at one's feet. Dolla remembers the times when he carried a gun, and his heart would pound in fear. He also reminisces his days on the streets, selling drugs to dope fiends and hustlers, and how it all never made him blow up. For him, every step he takes is game time, and he is always aware of what's happening around him.
Dolla expresses his anger towards those who claim to come from similar backgrounds as he does but have never heard of a dirty 30. He believes that these people are just acting and hanging with the wrong crowd, and disaster is bound to happen. Dolla concludes by saying that if he doesn't vouch for someone from his hood, it means they are not solid, and he represents the Nine, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
That flatland, that stove front, that nine where I throw it up
Referring to the place where the artist grew up, which is filled with poverty and crime, with a gun he would brandish as a sign of protection
Give dope fiends to hustlers, never see me blowing up
The artist grew up selling drugs and avoiding being caught, using his street sense to avoid drawing attention to himself
Now everywhere I step foot is game time, you know what's up
Despite leaving his rough neighborhood, the artist still carries the same mindset of always being aware of his surroundings
I take pride in where I hail from
The artist is proud of his upbringing and where he came from
Many of these boys ain't on my level
The artist views himself as being superior to others, due to his experiences and upbringing in a difficult environment
See where we from we see it all, victory and defeat
Growing up in a harsh environment, the artist saw both success and failure firsthand
Very different from yall, they was kneeling down at your feet
The artist views himself as different from others who may have had an easier upbringing and were privileged
I had to learn my lesson, be careful of my surroundings
The artist had to learn to be cautious in his environment, in order to avoid danger
Pull that gun up on me, my heart was pounding
The artist had a close encounter with danger, which made him fearful
Every time he came he knew we had a plate
The artist's grandfather would often visit and bring food for the family
Now let's begin, on the nine scale, I'm a ten
The artist views himself as exceptional, even in comparison to others in his environment
Me without the hustle like dolphins without the fin
The artist believes his hustle is essential to his survival, like a dolphin needs its fins to swim
I see my homie off the crystal like, "Man where you been?"
The artist encounters a friend who has been using drugs and has been missing
A lot of cats saying make it, I pray I'm buying [?]
The artist is hopeful to achieve success, but acknowledges that it can be difficult
That free [?] ain't no food, no showing up
The artist's neighborhood may have access to free resources, but it is not a reliable source for survival
The Johnsons, the Wilsons, [?] Staples, you know what's up
The artist lists names of people who come from similar backgrounds as him, indicating a shared understanding
These suckers they hanging with [?]
The artist views some people who he associates with as untrustworthy
You from the hood but never heard of a dirty [?], you actin', we brought that action, disaster
The artist is familiar with people in his neighborhood who are involved in illegal activity, and responds aggressively to those who are not aware of it
If I don't vouch for you then that mean you ain't solid
The artist is selective about who he associates with, and only trusts those who he believes to be reliable
I represent the Nine, the Nine
The artist is proud of his roots and represents his neighborhood
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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