Dave East is an emerging artist from Harlem, NY. His music is regularly fea… Read Full Bio ↴Dave East is an emerging artist from Harlem, NY. His music is regularly featured on Hot 97, Power 105, Shade 45, and Sirius' Hip Hop Nation. With a loyal fan-base ranging from record executives to professional athletes and artists alike, Dave East is quickly becoming a staple within NY's new-school of hip hop.

This newcomer displays versatile flow and distinct voice as he raps over vintage sounding production.

Thank You
Dave East Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I just wanna say thank you to every hater
Thank you (thank you)
Every, every city I go (I go, I appreciate it)
I ain't ever tell 'em my name (no more, no more, no more)
(I mean that)

Wake up every mornin' I pray
I done came a real long way (long way)

Every other city I go (I go)
I ain't gotta gotta tell 'em my name (my name)
If you hatin' I just wanna say, "thank you"
Know you doin' something right when they hate you
Runnin' 'round tellin' people how they made you
Only reason why they mad, 'cause they ain't you
Wake up every mornin' I pray
I done came a real long way (long way)
Every other city I go (I go)
I ain't gotta tell 'em my name (no, no)
If you hatin' I just wanna say, "thank you"
Know you doin' something right when they hate you
Runnin' 'round tellin' people how they made you
Only reason why they mad, 'cause they ain't you

Nowadays I pull up in a Range, I remember hoppin' that train
I gotta thank God for all the pain that got a nigga all up in the game
Foreign, I be out with my gang
They jackin' I changed and I didn't
I can jump back on that paint, switch up cities
Nowadays, niggas just look at me different
Pay me for what? I just handle my business
I play with them Benz, I can handle a ticket
I know I came up, but don't act like you don't know me
You wasn't around back when I had to get it
Wasn't around back when I had to hustle
Wasn't around back when I used to struggle
We used to throw all that cash in a duffle
Now all this cash keep me right out of trouble
Thank you

Wake up every mornin' I pray
I done came a real long way (long way)
Every other city I go (I go)
I ain't gotta tell 'em my name (my name)
If you hatin' I just wanna say, "thank you"
Know you doin' something right when they hate you
Runnin' 'round tellin' people how they made you
Only reason why they mad, 'cause they ain't you
Wake up every mornin' I pray
I done came a real long way (long way)
Every other city I go (I go)
I ain't gotta tell 'em my name (no, no)
If you hatin' I just wanna say, "thank you"
Know you doin' something right when they hate you
Runnin' 'round tellin' people how they made you
Only reason why they mad, 'cause they ain't you

We up in the sky right now
Used to fall asleep in the spot with the fiends, ran down like
"I want a rock right now"
This is for them niggas tryna plot right now
We up in the section, my niggas is flexin', I can see you hype, calm down
The girls say I'm different, the G's know I'm gettin' it, I'm shittin', it drop all brown (ugh)
They don't wanna see you get no real money (nah)
They don't wanna see you with no foreign (nah)
They don't wanna see you with that top model (top model)
If we winnin', I'm just makin' sure I'm scorin'
State to state, now they makin' sure I'm tourin' (we out)
Every time I speak, they recordin'
Now when we eat bigger portions (we eatin')
I got to sleep thinkin' Porsches

Wake up every mornin' I pray
I done came a real long way (long way)
Every other city I go (I go)
I ain't gotta tell 'em my name (my name)
If you hatin' I just wanna say, "thank you"
Know you doin' something right when they hate you
Runnin' 'round tellin' people how they made you
Only reason why they mad, 'cause they ain't you
Wake up every mornin' I pray
I done came a real long way (long way)
Every other city I go (I go)
I ain't gotta tell 'em my name (no, no)
If you hatin' I just wanna say, "thank you"
Know you doin' something right when they hate you

Runnin' 'round tellin' people how they made you
Only reason why they mad, 'cause they ain't you

Overall Meaning

In "Thank You," Dave East expresses his gratitude towards those who have criticized and hated on him throughout his journey. He thanks every hater who has pushed him to become better and recognizes that the best way to know you are doing something right is when someone hates you. He acknowledges that his success has come after overcoming challenges and obstacles, and he thanks God for the pain that made him stronger. Dave East also highlights how his success has changed his lifestyle as he now travels in foreign cars with his gang while he used to hop on trains. They throw cash in a duffle bag and now the same money keeps him out of trouble. Dave East has come a long way, and he never forgets where he comes from.

One of the interesting things about the song is that it was released in 2016 on Dave East's album, "Kairi Chanel," which was named after his daughter. Another notable feature is that the song samples Jay Z's classic track, "Politics as Usual." Additionally, the single was produced by Rico Suave, who is also known for producing tracks for other popular hip-hop artists. The song features a catchy chorus that makes the audience want to sing along, and it emphasizes Dave East's growth as an artist.

Another interesting fact is that Dave East has openly admitted to being a fan of Nas and Jay Z, who he looks up to as his mentors. In interviews, he has explained that he was initially hesitant to rap about his life, but these artists inspired him to tell his story. Moreover, Dave East has been known to put his street credibility into his lyrics, which stems from his past experiences. He grew up in East Harlem and lived in various housing projects, including the notorious Louis H. Pink Houses in Brooklyn.

The song's chords are not available at this time.

Line by Line Meaning

I just wanna say thank you to every hater
I am grateful to every person who has ever criticized me.

Thank you (thank you)
I am showing appreciation and gratitude for the support that I have received.

Every, every city I go (I go, I appreciate it)
I am grateful for the opportunity to travel and perform in different cities.

I ain't ever tell 'em my name (no more, no more, no more)
I don't need to introduce myself anymore because people know who I am.

(I mean that)
I am not kidding. I am serious about no longer having to introduce myself.

Wake up every mornin' I pray
Every morning, I give thanks and praise to a higher power.

I done came a real long way (long way)
I have overcome a lot of obstacles and have made significant progress in my life.

Every other city I go (I go)
I am constantly traveling and performing in different cities.

I ain't gotta gotta tell 'em my name (my name)
I no longer have to introduce myself because people already know who I am.

If you hatin' I just wanna say, "thank you"
I appreciate the criticism from those who dislike me because it only motivates me to do better.

Know you doin' something right when they hate you
Haters are a sign of success because it means that people are paying attention to me.

Runnin' 'round tellin' people how they made you
People who criticize me like to take credit for my success and pretend that they helped me get there.

Only reason why they mad, 'cause they ain't you
People who dislike me are jealous and wish they could be in my position.

Nowadays I pull up in a Range, I remember hoppin' that train
I have come a long way from my humble beginnings.

I gotta thank God for all the pain that got a nigga all up in the game
The struggles and hardships that I have faced have made me stronger and more successful.

Foreign, I be out with my gang
I have achieved a level of success that allows me to travel and enjoy life with my friends.

They jackin' I changed and I didn't
Some people accuse me of changing because of my success, but I am still the same person I always was.

I can jump back on that paint, switch up cities
I can return to my old lifestyle if I need to, but I am proud of how far I have come.

Nowadays, niggas just look at me different
People treat me differently now that I am successful.

Pay me for what? I just handle my business
I am successful because I am focused on my work and not distracted by money.

I play with them Benz, I can handle a ticket
I can afford to play around with expensive cars without worry of getting a ticket.

I know I came up, but don't act like you don't know me
I have achieved success, but I don't want people to treat me differently because of it.

You wasn't around back when I had to get it
People who didn't support me before my success should not expect to benefit from it now.

We used to throw all that cash in a duffle
I used to be involved in shady dealings to make money.

Now all this cash keep me right out of trouble
Now that I am successful, I no longer have to engage in illegal activities to make money.

We up in the sky right now
I am now experiencing a level of success and happiness that I never thought possible.

Used to fall asleep in the spot with the fiends, ran down like "I want a rock right now"
I used to be heavily involved in drugs and drug culture.

This is for them niggas tryna plot right now
I am aware that some people are trying to bring me down and I am not going to let them succeed.

We up in the section, my niggas is flexin', I can see you hype, calm down
I am enjoying my success with my friends and don't need anyone else's approval.

The girls say I'm different, the G's know I'm gettin' it, I'm shittin', it drop all brown (ugh)
I am confident about my success and don't care what others think about me.

They don't wanna see you get no real money (nah)
Some people don't want me to succeed or make real money.

They don't wanna see you with no foreign (nah)
Some people don't want me to enjoy the finer things in life.

They don't wanna see you with that top model (top model)
Some people don't want me to have a beautiful girlfriend or partner.

If we winnin', I'm just makin' sure I'm scorin'
I am focused on winning and making the most of my success.

State to state, now they makin' sure I'm tourin'
My success has allowed me to travel and perform in different states.

Every time I speak, they recordin'
People are paying close attention to me and what I have to say.

Now when we eat bigger portions (we eatin')
I am now able to enjoy more and better food because of my success.

I got to sleep thinkin' Porsches
My success has allowed me to dream bigger and set my sights on even more expensive and luxurious things.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: David Brewster, Ramon Ibanga, Calvin Price

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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