First teased via a snippet on Earl’s Twitter, it is Earl and Navy Blue’s first collaboration. The song is built around an old-school piano sample, probably taken from “Rococo Rondo”, an instrumental by The Ghostwriters, included in their 1986 album Remote Dreaming.
The Mint
Earl Sweatshirt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm runnin' things, I'm runnin' things
Hold me down, hold me up
Hold me close 'cause my times is up
Show they true colors, don't know who to trust
Mind workin' like the water when it rush
Growin' for my father, bitter to his touch
All this for my momma 'til I'm dust
God gon' deal the karma, lost my trust
Sayin' "Every man know many men"
Got me in a jam, I be in my feelings
On the other hand, I just need a moment
Offer my condolence, smokin' 'til the mornin'
Brodie on the corner with a piece on his hip
Give a warning 'fore you blow it in the sky
Tiptoein' over mortar and the brick
Bumpin' shoulders with the devil in disguise
Shoulder-level water on the rise
Twist, 40s in the morning in the winter
I heard you got your sauce at the Enterprise
Evidently, it was rented but it's mine
Evidently, it was written like Nas
I was in the kitchen with that nigga Mike
Gotta listen when I tell ya, "Simmer down"
Two years I've been missin', livin' life
You was wildin', every day was trash
Crackers pilin' in to rape the land
Early morning, wash my swollen hands
Hit the showers, cleanse my soul and crash
Tiptoein' over glass, brodie go too fast, told him slow up
Know I use too much of everything at hand
Except the difference is now I control it, I be
In the crib and in the moment, stuck sippin' out the flask
Feet up on the dash, I hit the spliff but don't promote it
Under overpass, no cap
Sand fallin' out the hourglass
Grand total, it's a whole lotta raps
Quicksand, scramblin' outta that
Go behind the back, switch hands
The fare's high, niggas know they outta wack
Sterilize your clique, paralyze maritime niggas when
Every time Wavy Don tappin' in
Savion Glover caught a couple L's
Took 'em to the neck, motherfucker
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, fuck a check
Uh-uh, lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a check
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a check
Uh-uh, lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a-
Nigga, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, maybe
In "The Mint," Earl Sweatshirt talks about being in control of his life, despite feeling pressure from external forces. He reflects on his relationships with his family and his community as he navigates his own growth and success while also grappling with the harsh realities of life.
The first verse is introspective, as Earl grapples with his past and his present. He acknowledges the bitterness that he feels towards his father but is honoring him by pushing forward in life. At the same time, he's also dealing with the reality that he can't trust everyone around him, and he's also working through his own emotions. He turns to smoking to cope with his feelings, almost as a form of therapy. In the second verse, Earl shifts his focus to the outside world. He recalls a conversation with a man on the street corner who is armed and warns others before firing his weapon. This sets the tone for the rest of the verse, as Earl paints a picture of a world full of danger and chaos. He references drug use, societal inequalities, and his own struggles with maintaining control of his life. He seems to find some solace in his art, however, using it to help him regain some balance when life is too overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Yup, yup, that's right
Yes, that is indeed correct
I'm runnin' things, I'm runnin' things
I am in charge of everything, I am the leader
Hold me down, hold me up
Support me when I need it, help me rise
Hold me close 'cause my times is up
Stay close to me because I am close to the end
Show they true colors, don't know who to trust
People reveal their true intentions, and it's hard to know who to rely on
Mind workin' like the water when it rush
My thoughts are flowing fast and relentlessly like rushing water
Growin' for my father, bitter to his touch
I am growing and succeeding despite my father's negativity towards me
Now I'm solely honor, livin' is a must
I am now responsible for my own life and it's crucial that I keep living
All this for my momma 'til I'm dust
I'll keep pushing hard for my mother even after I die
God gon' deal the karma, lost my trust
I believe God will bring justice, but I've lost faith in people
Sayin' 'Every man know many men'
The saying is that every person knows many other people
Got me in a jam, I be in my feelings
I got caught in a difficult situation and it's affecting my emotions
On the other hand, I just need a moment
But at the same time, I just need some time to think
Offer my condolence, smokin' 'til the mornin'
I express my sympathy while smoking until the morning
Brodie on the corner with a piece on his hip
My friend is standing on the corner with a gun
Give a warning 'fore you blow it in the sky
Give some warning before firing your gun into the air
Tiptoein' over mortar and the brick
I am walking carefully over the mortar and brick on the ground
Bumpin' shoulders with the devil in disguise
I am coming into contact with a deceitful and dangerous person
Shoulder-level water on the rise
The water is rising up to my shoulders
Twist, 40s in the morning in the winter
I twist the cap off 40 ounce bottles in the morning during the cold winter
I heard you got your sauce at the Enterprise
I heard that you obtained your swag from a commercial corporation
Evidently, it was rented but it's mine
Apparently, it was a rental but now it belongs to me
Evidently, it was written like Nas
Apparently, it was written in the style of Nas
I was in the kitchen with that nigga Mike
I was in the kitchen with a guy named Mike
Gotta listen when I tell ya, 'Simmer down'
You need to calm down and listen to me
Two years I've been missin', livin' life
I have been absent for two years, living my life
You was wildin', every day was trash
You were acting recklessly and every day was bad
Crackers pilin' in to rape the land
The oppressors are piling in to exploit the land
Early morning, wash my swollen hands
I wash my swollen hands early in the morning
Hit the showers, cleanse my soul and crash
I take a shower to clean my body and relax
Tiptoein' over glass, brodie go too fast, told him slow up
I am carefully walking over broken glass while my friend rushes ahead, but I tell him to slow down
Know I use too much of everything at hand
I am aware that I tend to use too much of whatever is available
Except the difference is now I control it, I be
But now I have the power to control it
In the crib and in the moment, stuck sippin' out the flask
I am at home, in the present moment, drinking from a flask
Feet up on the dash, I hit the spliff but don't promote it
I have my feet up on the dashboard, smoking a joint but not advertising it
Under overpass, no cap
Under a bridge, I am not lying
Sand fallin' out the hourglass
Sand is falling out of the hourglass
Grand total, it's a whole lotta raps
In total, there are a lot of recorded music tracks
Quicksand, scramblin' outta that
I am struggling to climb out of a dangerous situation like quicksand
Go behind the back, switch hands
I deceive my opponent by switching my hands in basketball
The fare's high, niggas know they outta wack
The cost is too high, and everyone knows it's not fair
Sterilize your clique, paralyze maritime niggas when
Cleanse your group, or else they will be paralyzed
Every time Wavy Don tappin' in
Every time Wavy Don is involved
Savion Glover caught a couple L's
Savion Glover experienced some losses
Took 'em to the neck, motherfucker
He took the losses head on
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, fuck a check
There is a lot of violence to end and peace to create, and money doesn't matter
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a check
There is a lot of violence to end and peace to create, and money is not important
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a check
There is a lot of violence to end and peace to create, and money is not a priority
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a-
There is a lot of violence to end and peace to create, and money is irrelevant
Nigga, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, maybe
Man, I'm not sure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Robert Mansel, Sage Elesser, Thebe Kgositsile
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@vinhxo2k632
Yup, yup, that's right
I'm runnin' things, I'm runnin' things
Hold me down, hold me up
Hold me close 'cause my times is up
Show they true colors, don't know who to trust
Mind workin' like the water when it rush
Grownin' from my father, bitter to his touch
Now I'm solely honor, livin' is a must
All this for my momma 'til I'm dust
God gon' deal the calm, but lost my trust
Sayin' "Every man know many men"
Got me in a jam, I be in my feelings
On the other hand, I just need a moment
My condolence, smoke until the mornin'
Brodie on the corner with a piece on his hip
Give a warning 'fore you blow it in the sky
Tiptoein' over mortar and the brick
Bumpin' shoulders with the devil in disguise
Show the love of water on the rise
Twist, 40s in the morning in the winter
I heard you got your sauce at the enterprise
Evidently, it was rented but it's mine
Evidently, it was written like Nas
I was in the kitchen with that nigga Mike
Gotta listen when I tell ya simmer down
Two years I've been missin', livin' life
You was wildin', every day was trash
Crackers pilin' in to rape the land
Early morning, wash my swollen hands
Hit the showers, cleanse my soul and crash
Tiptoein' over glass, brodie go too fast, told him slow up
Know I use too much of everything at hand
Except the difference is now I control it, I be
In the crib and in the moment, stuck sippin' out the flask
Feet up on the dash, I hit the spliff but don't promote it
Under overpass, no cap
Say I'm ballin' out the hourglass
Grand total, it's a whole lotta raps
Quicksand, scramblin' outta that
Go behind the back, switch hands
The fair's high, niggas know they outta wack
Sterilize your clique, paralyze maritime niggas when
Every time wavy dyin', tappin' in
Savion Glover caught a couple Ls
Took 'em to the neck, motherfucker
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, fuck a check
Uh-uh, lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a check
Lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a check
Uh-uh, lotta blood to let, peace to make, give a fuck about a-
Nigga, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, maybe
@Kyle-in3pu
It's crazy to think Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler, the Creator, and Frank Ocean were all a part of a collective at one point...
@josephgreen9792
@MVP D ROSE ur trash nigga lmao
@andrewthag
Time flies i remember the day Earl dropped EARL
@aceambling7685
not really that crazy, I remember the OF days like they was yesterday
@Haztacokilla
Legendary shit
@Kyle-in3pu
@Yung Savage That's when I first found em, I couldn't stop watching and listening to their music. Good times
@Mac1Camp
"Two years I've been missing, living life" That line definitely made me smile, Earl's came a long way musically and as a person. As a fan, it makes me happy he's feeling happier.
@Renecide
Mac Campbell Definitely a stand out line. It feels like he’s free from his chains at long last! Proud of him
@Mac1Camp
Renecide IM RUNNING THINGS IM RUNNING THAAAANGS
@Renecide
Mac Campbell LEGENDARY SAMPLE! 🌊🌊🌊🌊