At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
Slave
Esthero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wanna hear da music
Yeah
Wanna feel that vibe
Turn it up
Are we on the air?
Uh huh
Ya didn't hear?
Gotta make that money, man
Do this child
Make your money, dawg
Do it child
Just to whatcha got to do
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system (esthero: don't wanna be your-)
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system
(Don't wanna be your)
In life the thing to do
Nothin gained, nothing tried
Very few even try
Most just wanna get high
From the cradle to the grave
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gonna
Take it how you wanna
Love me or hate me
Support me or me
Either way I show love
Let it make me or break me
I'm the queen of self-esteem
No sweat
Set the seam
Like how you need
Straight up
Ain't no puppet on a string
Like them hoes suckin on your thing
Overworked and underpayed for days
Behave
I'm not gonna be your slave
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system
(Don't wanna be your)
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system
(Don't wanna be your)
Hold on tight, don't let go
Don't want much, just want more
Speakin from my people
Scream it hardcore
Livin in the ghetto
Sleepin on the floor
Watch'you thought, I wasn't gonna ride?
Do it myself, get a piece of the pie?
You be holding your breath
Ya best slit your life koz you're just waitin' to die
People still takin life for a joke
Can't see the fight but you blow a lotta smoke
If you didn't get it, you got what you deserve
Just like that, bless my word
Every day I wake up
Gots to stay one-up
How you gon' sit back and wait on the wealth?
Ya gotta go get it motivate yourself
If not, you're only perpetratin yourself
And at the end of the day, you only hate yourself
If you know me, you knoe my motto
Takin charge
I got what it takes to make it, make it large
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system (don't wanna be you)
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system (don't wanna be your)
Everybody got a problem
But of course, the world gotta problem
And it's yours
That's why I wrote this rhyme
You can quote this line
Coz I focus line
Livin in some hopeless times, or so it seems
Never let go of your dreams
N'a mean?
N'a mean? (jus do whatcha got to do)
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system
(Don't wanna be your)
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Don't wanna be your slave
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
And I'm not gon' blame the system
(Don't wanna be your)
(... To fade out... to fade out... to fade out... to fade out...)
The song “Slave” by Esthero is reflective of the struggles of an individual in the entertainment industry trying to make their way towards success. The lyrics express the need to turn up the music, feel the vibe, and eager to make money. They want to do whatever it takes to get to the top, but at the same time, they do not want to be anyone’s slave. The song also reflects on the complexities of life. It highlights the reality that few people try to make something of themselves, and most people just want to get high. The lyrics express a desire for self-esteem, success, and independence, while rejecting the idea of being controlled by anyone. The repeated phrase, “Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it” emphasizes the idea of taking control of one’s own life and doing whatever it takes to be successful, without becoming a slave to anyone.
The song reflects on the journey to success in the entertainment industry, however, it can also be applied to anyone who feels trapped by a system or another person's expectations. The song encourages the listener to take control of their own life and to do what it takes to achieve success on their own terms, rather than becoming a slave to anyone else's expectations.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh... uh turn me up
Asking for more sound; wanting to fully immerse in the music
Wanna hear da music
Expressing the desire to listen to music
Yeah
Just an affirmative word
Wanna feel that vibe
Desiring to feel the energy of the music
Turn it up
Asking for an increase in the volume of the music
Are we on the air?
Asking if they are being broadcasted to a larger audience
Uh huh
An affirmative response
Ya didn't hear?
Asking if the listener didn't hear them before
We all over the world, babe
Referring to their music's worldwide reach and recognition
Gotta make that money, man
Acknowledging the importance of earning a living
Do this child
Encouraging someone to take charge of their life
Make your money, dawg
Telling someone to earn their livelihood
Do it child
Encouraging someone to take action
Just to whatcha got to do
Urging someone to do what they need to do to succeed
Do it and do it and do it and do it and do it
Reiterating the need to take action repeatedly
Don't wanna be your slave
Refusing to be under someone's control or authority
And I'm not gon' cry, big dawg
Not going to shed tears for someone in charge
And I'm not gon' blame the system (esthero: don't wanna be your-)
Not blaming the system for one's problems or difficulties
In life the thing to do
Commenting on what should be done in life
Nothin gained, nothing tried
Implying that taking risks can lead to success
Very few even try
Noticing that few people take action
Most just wanna get high
Observing that many people have an inclination towards recreational drugs
From the cradle to the grave
Implying that this attitude persists throughout life
Don't wanna be your slave
Reiterating one's refusal to be someone's subordinate
Take it how you wanna
Implying that others can take it in any way they choose
Love me or hate me
Acknowledging that there will always be people who don't like you
Support me or me
Suggesting that one should either offer support or not get involved at all
Either way I show love
Expressing that their attitude towards others is not affected by others' actions
Let it make me or break me
Referring to the fact that one's experiences can either bring them success or failure
I'm the queen of self-esteem
Stating that they have confidence and pride in themselves
No sweat
Implying that something was done without apparent difficulty
Set the seam
Referring to something being stitched flat
Like how you need
Stating that they will do what is necessary
Straight up
Being honest and direct
Ain't no puppet on a string
Suggesting that they are not controlled by anyone else
Like them hoes suckin on your thing
Comparing other people to prostitutes
Overworked and underpayed for days
Being in a situation where one works excessively but earns little
Behave
Giving an instruction to behave properly
Hold on tight, don't let go
Advising someone to hold onto what they have
Don't want much, just want more
Expressing the desire for an improvement in their situation
Speakin from my people
Speaking on behalf of their group of people
Scream it hardcore
Yelling or protesting loudly and powerfully
Livin in the ghetto
Referring to living in a impoverished area
Sleepin on the floor
Living so poorly that one does not have a bed
Watch'you thought, I wasn't gonna ride?
Asking if someone thought that they were not going to fight back
Do it myself, get a piece of the pie?
Suggesting that they are going to work hard to attain what they want
You be holding your breath
Implying that someone is waiting but not achieving anything
Ya best slit your life koz you're just waitin' to die
Suggesting that one should change their path as they are just wasting their life away
People still takin life for a joke
Observing that some people do not take living seriously
Can't see the fight but you blow a lotta smoke
Commenting on someone pretending to be doing something they are not
If you didn't get it, you got what you deserve
Suggesting that someone suffers consequences for not understanding something
Just like that, bless my word
Stating a fact
Every day I wake up
Referring to their daily routine
Gots to stay one-up
The need to stay ahead in life
How you gon' sit back and wait on the wealth?
Asking someone how they can wait for something to come to them instead of actively pursuing it
Ya gotta go get it motivate yourself
Encouraging someone to take action and motivate themselves
If not, you're only perpetratin yourself
Suggesting that not trying to improve oneself is detrimental
And at the end of the day, you only hate yourself
Implying that someone will regret not taking action
If you know me, you knoe my motto
Stating that they have a distinct philosophy
Takin charge
Indicating that one is taking control of the situation
I got what it takes to make it, make it large
Having confidence in their ability to succeed
Everybod got a problem
Acknowledging that everyone has issues or difficulties
But of course, the world gotta problem
Suggesting that the world's issues are more significant
And it's yours
Assigning the world's problems to the listener
That's why I wrote this rhyme
Explaining the reason for writing the song
You can quote this line
Offering a line that someone may want to use or remember
Coz I focus line
Implying that the line is the focus of the song
Livin in some hopeless times, or so it seems
Explaining the difficulty of the current situation
Never let go of your dreams
Encouraging someone to hold onto their aspirations
N'a mean?
Saying "you know what I mean?" in slang
Contributed by Violet V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@tyleryoung306
This track should be on Spotify, been searching for it forever. I was in grade 5 when this dropped and it was one of my favourite tracks. That chorus and the beat. Straight banger.
@ChanelG1000
right?? I can't find it anywhere but here! so annoying! was this a single?
@aavvcc
Yes, adding another complaint here that this song isn't on Spotify. Frustrating 😒
@billyfinn
Queen Esthero still in 2024.
@DopeBoyzMusiQ
Still Bangin Michie Mee On da Mic in 2024 My Classic Era !
@antona.4572
Toronto remembers and loves you! 👍👍👍
@joehook7482
The FOREVER QUEEN OF T.O. does it again
@bowmanvillain
This song needs to be on SPOTIFY. SO DAMN GOOD
@KS16272
This song has relevance.
@kerrbear1980
I grew up listening to her. Im stoked I found this