Over the course of his career, e-dubble released four albums; Straight Outta St. Mary's (2006), Hip-Hop is Good (2009), Reset EP (2012) and Two Tone Rebel (2016).
[h2]Early life[/h2]
Wallace grew up outside of Philadelphia, the youngest child of a principal and a schoolteacher. In the 1990s, Wallace and his friends fell under the spell of hip-hop cast by Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre; his music would later be known for its common celebrations of this love of hip-hop. He played center on the Wissahickon High basketball team, but dreamed of being a rapper. In an interview with the Baltimore magazine, Wallace cited Eminem's breakout success in the late 90's as a major inspiration to him, saying "Eminem showed that a white rapper could have a career. It was about skills, whether or not you could do it."
[h2]Background[/h2]
After graduating from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a degree in political science, e-dubble moved to Baltimore to live with his friends and collaborators. Together they formed the hip-hop band Young English, and played their first show in July 2008. The group went on to purchase a renovated warehouse, dubbed “The Hampden Mansion,” where e-dubble would later go on to write, record, and produce his debut album Hip-Hop is Good. He went on to produce his Freestyle Friday series, a weekly series of free songs.
[h2]Career[/h2]
In 2009, e-dubble released his debut album, "Hip Hop is Good". The next year, in August 2010, e-dubble created his YouTube channel. He quickly began releasing freestyles on every Friday creating the series "Freestyle Fridays", in which he sampled other songs (such as Tighten Up and MMMBop) and rapped over the instrumentals. He also occasionally collaborated with his band, Young English, to make the tracks. The series ran throughout 2010 and a final track was released in 2012. The series was noted for its effective use of samples, lyrics and e-dubble's spoken word outros, in which he communicated with fans. He followed this up in 2012 with his next album, "Reset EP". He released his final album in 2016 with "Two Tone Rebel". His most popular songs include "Be a King", "Let Me Oh" and "What it Do".
[h2]Death[/h2]
On 21 January 2017, 23 days before his death, e-dubble posted a photo on his Instagram of a swollen hand, with the caption "I don't recommend throwing up half of your body's blood. Or having your hand swell up like Martin Short in 'Pure Luck' or needing 10 blood transfusions. But I'm gonna be aight. Thanks for the love". One of his business partners, Danny, later tweeted on 27 January: "Keep our friend e-dubble in your thoughts! He is at the Hahnemann Hospital fighting a serious infection", suggesting the infection was not getting better. As e-dubble became unusually inactive on the internet, rumors began to circulate that he had died, and were eventually confirmed on Twitter by many of his close associates as well as eventually the Black Paisley Records website. E-Dubble passed away on February 13, 2017.
Coming of Age
E-dubble Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all the times that we thought that we lost it
We hold our heads high, and keep our chins up
Cause when we die, well, at least we did something
We- went for broke when we found a cause
We- took the path that they said was wrong
So when that song plays, you know where you where
The day we live for. The day the truth worked
At the very same time, yeah, the truth hurts
Been taught our whole lives just to shoot first
I'mma keep living 'til they put me in that new hearse
Keep on moving, steady screaming out "EH!"
And we only get one, so damn it we gon' "EH!"
Too big to fail, they bail, we gon' stay
Put our time in hard, we all coming of age
They've been speaking from the roof top. I've been on the ground floor
With my fucking boom box. Trying to play it loud for 'em
They don't wanna hear that, but they'll play anything
Call me John Cusack. I will say anything
To keep the truth mixed in I will be the sixth man
Living in a different world. Look at this wingspan
Fuck it I can fly high. Pockets still way low
So I don't play games. Never seen a Halo
I ain't trying to hate though. Got my own vices
Help me get through, but they still love crisis
So we do the give and take. Looking for the give and go
I be setting screens so mean Doc Rivers called
But I'm on a different grind, and time has never been abundant
Your family stays modern when you play Al Bundy
Negative as fuck, but your heart's in the right place
Paying life's toll so appreciate the chump change
Through all the good things, and all the hardships
And all the times that we thought that we lost it
We hold our heads high, and keep our chins up
Cause when we die, well, at least we did something
We- went for broke when we found a cause
We- took the path that they said was wrong
So when that song plays, you know where you where
The day we live for. The day the truth worked
Work, work. Yeah the truth works
At the very same time, yeah, the truth hurts
Been taught our whole lives just to shoot first
I'mma keep living 'til they put me in that new hearse
Keep on moving, steady screaming out "EH!"
And we only get one, so damn it we gon' "EH!"
Too big to fail, they bail, we gon' stay
Put our time in hard, we all coming of age
On my grown shit. I've been walking tightropes
And that stress is a mess so I might smoke
While I ponder all the things that calm me
Friends and my family. Hand me my palm trees
'Til I learn something. Hop up out the jerk store
[?] Larry David I'm on the search for
And I don't need the money, but I need the freedom
Either way I'm writing, and I'm never leaving
'Till I'm satisfied, satiated, gratified
Hunger for the better times. Constitution ratified
[?] Tryina see if I can actualize
Drug store poet, cause that motherfucker's better high
Ugh! And we'll be laughing at the politics
Fucking all the pretty girls we used to have a problem with
Yeah. Break hearts then they JDate
Searching for the holler bread. Baby you are way late
Through all the good things, and all the hardships
And all the times that we thought that we lost it
We hold our heads high, and keep our chins up
Cause when we die, well, at least we did something
We- went for broke when we found a cause
We- took the path that they said was wrong
So when that song plays, you know where you where
The day we live for. The day the truth worked
Work, work. Yeah the truth works
At the very same time, yeah, the truth hurts
Been taught our whole lives just to shoot first
I'mma keep living 'til they put me in that new hearse
Keep on moving, steady screaming out "EH!"
And we only get one, so damn it we gon' "EH!"
Too big to fail, they bail, we gon' stay
Put our time in hard, we all coming of age
In the song "Coming of Age," e-dubble reflects on the moments in life that shape us and that we will be remembered for. The opening lines talk about the hardships we go through in life and how in every trying moment, we should hold our heads high and keep our chins up. The artist talks about how we have been taught to always shoot first in life, but we should keep living till we are put in a new hearse. E-dubble is talking about how we can only get one chance in life, and no matter how many hardships we face, we should always strive to make the best of it.
The artist then goes on to talk about how we must speak the truth in life, even if it hurts us or others. He also reflects on the way people will try to silence or ignore the truth, which is why he will always speak out even if he is the sixth man. The lyrics mention John Cusack from a scene in the movie "Say Anything," where he holds up a boom box to play a love song. In the song, e-dubble speaks about playing the truth loudly, even if it's not what people want to hear.
The chorus talks about how we should keep moving forward, screaming "EH!" and that we are too big to fail. We must put in our time and effort to come of age to achieve our goals, and when we die, at least we can say we did something. Overall, "Coming of Age" is a reflective song that implores listeners to strive for their best selves and face the future head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
Through all the good things, and all the hardships
No matter what we went through, the good and the bad, we faced it head-on.
And all the times that we thought that we lost it
There were moments where it seemed like we lost our way.
We hold our heads high, and keep our chins up
We maintained our confidence and determination despite obstacles.
Cause when we die, well, at least we did something
We wanted to leave a mark on this world and make a difference before we pass.
We- went for broke when we found a cause
We put everything on the line when we found something worthy to fight for.
We- took the path that they said was wrong
We didn't follow the conventional way of doing things; we forged our own path.
So when that song plays, you know where you where
We'll be remembered for the struggles that we overcame and the victories we achieved.
The day we live for. The day the truth worked
We live for the day when our efforts and honesty paid off and made a difference.
Work, work. Yeah the truth works
Truth and hard work is the recipe for success and change.
At the very same time, yeah, the truth hurts
Although truth is necessary, it can be painful and uncomfortable to hear or accept.
Been taught our whole lives just to shoot first
We were brought up in a society that values aggression and violence over peaceful solutions.
I'mma keep living 'til they put me in that new hearse
I'll keep living my life to the fullest until the day I die.
Keep on moving, steady screaming out 'EH!'
We keep pushing forward and striving for more, never settling for less.
And we only get one, so damn it we gon' 'EH!'
We only have one life, so we'll make it count and live it to the fullest.
Too big to fail, they bail, we gon' stay
We are too determined to fail, even when others give up on us.
Put our time in hard, we all coming of age
We invested our time and effort in our journey of growth and development.
They've been speaking from the roof top. I've been on the ground floor
While others have been preaching from high positions, I've been working at the grass-roots level.
With my fucking boom box. Trying to play it loud for 'em
I tried to make my voice heard and spread my message through my music.
They don't wanna hear that, but they'll play anything
Despite resistance, many people listen to music indiscriminately and without regard for its content or message.
Call me John Cusack. I will say anything
I won't hesitate to speak my mind and express myself, no matter how unconventional or controversial it may be.
To keep the truth mixed in I will be the sixth man
I'll always try to include honesty and integrity in my words and actions.
Living in a different world. Look at this wingspan
I feel like I don't fit in with mainstream society, but I embrace my unique qualities and creativity.
Fuck it I can fly high. Pockets still way low
I may not have material wealth or success, but I have the drive and potential to achieve anything.
So I don't play games. Never seen a Halo
I don't participate in deceitful or manipulative behavior. I've never seen life as black and white.
I ain't trying to hate though. Got my own vices
I don't hold grudges or negativity. I have my own shortcomings and weaknesses.
Help me get through, but they still love crisis
Even though my vices may help me cope, they can also create problems and have negative consequences.
So we do the give and take. Looking for the give and go
We try to create a balance in our relationships and collaborations, giving and taking as needed.
I be setting screens so mean Doc Rivers called
I work hard and with dedication like a basketball player, who won recognition from his coach for hard work.
But I'm on a different grind, and time has never been abundant
I'm working hard and pursuing a different path from the norm, always aware that time is limited.
Your family stays modern when you play Al Bundy
Life goes by so fast that even the newest ideas become outdated quickly, leaving us reminiscing about the past.
Negative as fuck, but your heart's in the right place
I may be pessimistic and cynical, but I care deeply about people and things that matter.
Paying life's toll so appreciate the chump change
We pay the price for living, but we find satisfaction in the small things and joys of life.
Contributed by David N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RUSHYRUSHY39
"Cause when we die, well... at least we did somethin'."
E-dub, you did more than you know.
@balkanrules246
So true.....
@franktwofinger1059
Yep, we need more artist like ED instead of pandering trendy F boys acting like musicians and artists using trend setting poles.
@disklexicstonksman8349
Took words right out of my mouth
@ReaperSagami36
If not for him I wouldn't be here today. He's more than a king he's a legend!
@ic3ytheboi66
Great artist
@fluffythetoaster768
The comment section for e-dubble is one gaint family and I really am proud to be a part of it
@bwynn8215
true but some people are Always like 911: what's your emergency and shit like that which is really annoying but you are right most of us are nice to each other
@fluffythetoaster768
Thanks man
@bwynn8215
Fluffy The Potato i love your name mixed with your picture XD but the E dub family Always help each other :D