#12
Earl Sweatshirt feat. Tyler The Creator Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, you the motherfucking man, huh?
Oh, you be fucking bitches, counting all the bands, huh?
Oh, you be trapping out the bando selling grams, huh?
Oh, you be smoking, drinking lean, and popping Xans, huh?
You see, that's the bullshit that I don't need
I'm telling y'all niggas, y'all ain't fucking with me
See, I look in the mirror and he said, "You are the man"
And I said, "Hey man, I agree"

Rocks on rainbow, Ben's a nice fellow
Your neck reflects yout personality, and mine is yellow
Boy, I hit the block, like I hate Legos
They know they got thirty seconds, Jared Leto
Before they see some halos, and I reload the ammo
Boy is Golf Wang-o, and that's the squad I bang-o
I tell my fucking [?]
Now lets reload the aim-o

Can't a nigga get some fucking chaos in hurr?
Want the truth in the [?]
And you can get your ass [?] like a kick in the snare
Schoolyboy's my niggy, you know I'm good [?]
That boy's not that bad, enh, it's no biggy
It's the G-O, the L-F, we go-go, no homo
We black out, and go hard like JoJo and fuckin' Diggy
No ship in this series, and I just want Iggy, man
We been Batmen since Batman have a sidekick
Catch me in some vans like one of them soccer mamas
And them bitches blue like that family went to the Dodgers, solve em (Oh no!)
You can't bitch, I'm a problem
You get fucked up like the thoughts this side of my noggin
Going harder than the quidditch in Harry Potter
All my shows got one black in it like Larry David
And I'm that nigga
Meaning I'm two niggas
I'm schizo, Brent Lowe, my motherfucking bingo
Pink and yellow on my neck remind you of my dickhole
And I don't really fuck with you niggas, shout out to Jim Crow

Don't get offended, love being darkskinned
23 with the crib and I don't got no tenants
And I don't like sports, but the court got a tennis
Is that diamonds on your neck? Stay the fuck out my bidness
See, that's the cherry bomb, get my burr on
That's McLaren, '91 out the Chevron
Motors Flog Gnaw, Vans on, fuck your Jordans
Went from throwing up to throwing carnivals (Yeah, nigga!)

Boy, I'm a sicko, flacko nigga but kinda macho, boy
I got some vatos shadow [?], he kinda loco
Pack a [?] pistol, we splitting nachos
Then for that cheese, boy, he [?] some shells just like a taco
So grab your goggles, nigga
Taco Tuesday, you don't want none of that
Have you heard of Fairfax, boy, we was running that
Nigga took the store from us, yeah, fuck all of that
(Man, he really took the store)

Crack a cracker with a barrel
Gang bang tattoos, this ain't a Louis rag
[?] got me crip crazy
Pants heavy, sag to the left
With the belt strapped, no face mask, nigga, just toe tags
Still the blunts getting past ya
Ain't worried bout no niggas, nigga
Grieve over suckers, gunpowder on my knuckles
Call the ambulance, I'm from the era of crip walking
You was clown-dancing
You wanna be me, huh?

Cuz is wack when he raps, and what he rap, he ain't done
Top Dawg, Wolf Gang, smell the cat on your tongue
Pussy boy you fucked over, nigga, control your gums
Teeth missing, moms' won't recognize your face when it's done
My square homie's license, double life in my trunk
Mind, power, body, and soul, we break handcuffs
Got a strike on my record, double cups, and duck
You want the life like us, you need to crip that coast
You want to steer that wheel




You want to smoke that kil'
Well who am I?

Overall Meaning

The verses of #12 by Earl Sweatshirt feat. Tyler The Creator are a commentary on what they perceive as the shallow and performative nature of modern masculinity. The opening lines are a sarcastic acknowledgment of the idea that someone's worth is tied to their sexual conquests and financial success. Earl Sweatshirt dismisses these traits as "bullshit" and asserts that he doesn't need them to feel like "the man." He then expresses his frustration at people who try to measure themselves against others, reinforcing his own sense of self-worth by saying he agrees with the person he sees in the mirror.


The rest of the song is a showcase of Tyler The Creator's surrealist, stream-of-consciousness style, with seemingly disconnected phrases and images strung together to create a mood of chaotic defiance. He raps about his fashion sense, his love of cars, his affiliation with the Golf Wang collective, and his disdain for conformity. The repeated lines about Taco Tuesday and breaking handcuffs speak to Tyler's desire for freedom, both from societal norms and from literal restraints. The verse ends with a challenge to anyone who wants to emulate his lifestyle, suggesting that they would have to fully embrace the gang culture of the West Coast and learn to live on the edge.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, you the motherfucking man, huh?
Do you think you're the best? Is that what you believe?


Oh, you be fucking bitches, counting all the bands, huh?
Do you think you're cool for having sex and making money?


Oh, you be trapping out the bando selling grams, huh?
Are you proud of dealing drugs out of a run-down building?


Oh, you be smoking, drinking lean, and popping Xans, huh?
Do you think doing drugs makes you look cool?


You see, that's the bullshit that I don't need
I don't want or need that kind of lifestyle


I'm telling y'all niggas, y'all ain't fucking with me
I'm better than all of you and you know it


See, I look in the mirror and he said, "You are the man"
I believe in myself and my abilities


And I said, "Hey man, I agree"
I agree with myself and my reflection


Rocks on rainbow, Ben's a nice fellow
I have colorful jewelry and am a nice person


Your neck reflects yout personality, and mine is yellow
My jewelry says a lot about me and my personality


Boy, I hit the block, like I hate Legos
I go to the streets with intensity


They know they got thirty seconds, Jared Leto
They better hurry up because they don't have much time left


Before they see some halos, and I reload the ammo
I'll shoot them before they know it and reload my weapon


Boy is Golf Wang-o, and that's the squad I bang-o
I represent the Golf Wang crew and that's who I support


I tell my fucking [?]
I tell my group of people something that's unclear


Now lets reload the aim-o
Let's reload the gun and get back to business


Can't a nigga get some fucking chaos in hurr?
Can't we just have fun and not worry about drama?


Want the truth in the [?]
I want the truth about something that's not specified


And you can get your ass [?] like a kick in the snare
You'll get in trouble if you don't watch out


Schoolyboy's my niggy, you know I'm good [?]
Schoolboy Q is my friend and I trust him


That boy's not that bad, enh, it's no biggy
Schoolboy Q is not that bad and it's not a big deal


It's the G-O, the L-F, we go-go, no homo
We're the Golf Wang crew and we have a good time without being gay


We black out, and go hard like JoJo and fuckin' Diggy
We party hard and have a good time like JoJo and Diggy Simmons


No ship in this series, and I just want Iggy, man
There's no one like me and I want a unique woman like Iggy Azalea


We been Batmen since Batman have a sidekick
We've been cool since before Batman had a sidekick


Catch me in some vans like one of them soccer mamas
You'll see me wearing Vans like a soccer mom


And them bitches blue like that family went to the Dodgers, solve em (Oh no!)
Their clothes are blue like a Dodgers game and I can't handle it


You can't bitch, I'm a problem
You can't mess with me because I'm powerful


You get fucked up like the thoughts this side of my noggin
You'll get hurt like the bad thoughts in my head


Going harder than the quidditch in Harry Potter
I'm pushing myself harder than they do in the sport of quidditch from Harry Potter


All my shows got one black in it like Larry David
There's always one black person at my shows like the TV show Curb Your Enthusiasm starring Larry David


And I'm that nigga
I'm the best and everyone knows it


Meaning I'm two niggas
I'm twice as good as everyone else


I'm schizo, Brent Lowe, my motherfucking bingo
I have a mental disorder and I'm the best at everything


Pink and yellow on my neck remind you of my dickhole
The colors of my necklace remind you of my private parts


And I don't really fuck with you niggas, shout out to Jim Crow
I don't like most of you and I'm making a reference to a racist law system as a joke


Don't get offended, love being darkskinned
Don't take offense, I'm proud of my dark skin


23 with the crib and I don't got no tenants
I'm 23 and own a house but don't have anyone renting it


And I don't like sports, but the court got a tennis
I'm not a fan of sports but I'll play tennis on a court


Is that diamonds on your neck? Stay the fuck out my bidness
Is that a fancy necklace you're wearing? Mind your own business


See, that's the cherry bomb, get my burr on
That's the explosive nature of my music, I get excited


That's McLaren, '91 out the Chevron
That's my expensive car that I bought in 1991 from Chevron


Motors Flog Gnaw, Vans on, fuck your Jordans
I'm promoting my music festival, wearing Vans, and disliking Jordan shoes


Went from throwing up to throwing carnivals (Yeah, nigga!)
I used to throw up a lot but now I throw awesome parties


Boy, I'm a sicko, flacko nigga but kinda macho, boy
I'm a crazy, cool, manly guy


I got some vatos shadow [?], he kinda loco
I have some hispanic friends who are a little crazy


Pack a [?] pistol, we splitting nachos
I carry a small, powerful gun and share some nachos with my friends


Then for that cheese, boy, he [?] some shells just like a taco
Then, for the money, he'll shoot someone just like a taco shell is filled with meat


So grab your goggles, nigga
Get ready and be aware of what's happening


Taco Tuesday, you don't want none of that
It's Taco Tuesday, but you probably don't want to participate


Have you heard of Fairfax, boy, we was running that
Do you know about Fairfax street, where we used to be in charge?


Nigga took the store from us, yeah, fuck all of that
Someone else took over the store and I don't like it


(Man, he really took the store)
(I'm serious, he really took it)


Crack a cracker with a barrel
Shoot a white person with a shotgun


Gang bang tattoos, this ain't a Louis rag
I have tattoos that represent the gang lifestyle, not a Louis Vuitton handkerchief


[?] got me crip crazy
Something unspecified makes me crazy for the crip lifestyle


Pants heavy, sag to the left
My pants are drooping and to the left


With the belt strapped, no face mask, nigga, just toe bags
I have my belt fastened and don't need to hide my face, I'll just put toe tags on my victims


Still the blunts getting past ya
You're still not noticing the joints that are being passed around


Ain't worried bout no niggas, nigga
I'm not concerned with anyone else


Grieve over suckers, gunpowder on my knuckles
I don't cry over losers, I just have gunpowder on my hands


Call the ambulance, I'm from the era of crip walking
Get some medical attention because of the way I walk, associated with the crip gang


You was clown-dancing
You were making a fool of yourself


You wanna be me, huh?
You wish you were as cool as me


Cuz is wack when he raps, and what he rap, he ain't done
Because my cousin is bad at rapping and lies about the things he's done


Top Dawg, Wolf Gang, smell the cat on your tongue
These are labels for my crew and you can't deny it


Pussy boy you fucked over, nigga, control your gums
You messed with a weak person, watch what you say next time


Teeth missing, moms' won't recognize your face when it's done
You'll have missing teeth and your mom won't recognize you if you keep up this behavior


My square homie's license, double life in my trunk
My law-abiding friend's license is in my car, where I also have things for illegal activity


Mind, power, body, and soul, we break handcuffs
We're tough and capable of anything, even breaking handcuffs


Got a strike on my record, double cups, and duck
I have a criminal record, two cups for my drink, and will avoid trouble


You want the life like us, you need to crip that coast
If you want to be like us, you need to embrace the crip lifestyle


You want to steer that wheel
You want to be in control


You want to smoke that kil'
You want to smoke a lot of weed


Well who am I?
I'm the one who controls that lifestyle and can give it to you




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Tyler Okonma, Quincey Hanley

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

KAIIOKEN

Bruh this beat knockssss

dipsetball

@jeff1run Nope. Just the beat. <3

Young Marxus

no he didnt..

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