Pitchfork Media named "Breathe" the number nine song of the year for 2004, stating "'Breathe' sounds like the track Fab was always meant to rap over."
The song was also listed by Pitchfork Media as the 288th best song of the 2000's.
Bay Area rappers Yukmouth and Gonzoe recorded a "Breathe" video using the instrumental track to diss Compton-based rapper The Game.
Breathe
Fabolous Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Then you gotta breathe
Then you gotta (gasp)
Then you gotta (gasp)
Yo these niggas can't breathe when I come through, hum too
Some shoes, gotta be twenty man
It's not even funny they can't breathe
The choke holds too tight
The left looks too right
You know what? You right
These bitches can't breathe
Look look, they hearts racin'
They start chasin'
But I'm so fast when I blow past
That they can't breathe
In the presence of the man
Your future looks better than ya past if you present with the man
You better breathe
You niggas can't share my air
Or walk a mile in the pair I wear
And I'm getting better year by year
Like they say Juan do
Cops couldn't smell me if you brought the canines through
And I pace myself
I know these money hungry bitches want to taste my wealth
But I keep em' on a diet
Embrace they health
Or either keep em' on a quiet
And space myself
And just take a deep breath
I got em' grabbin' they chest
'Cause it's hurtin' em' to see Fab in his best
And they in they worst
They rather see me lay in the hearse than lay in the back
And I ain't just laying a verse
I'm saying the facts
I came back with some sicker stones
That got these broke niggas looking at me like they chokin' on a chicken bone
Every chick I bone
Can't leave the dick alone
So I know
It's one of them every time I flip my phone
Breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta breathe
Then you gotta (gasp)
Then you gotta (gasp)
Yo these niggas can't breathe when I come through, hum too
Some shoes, gotta be twenty man
It's not even funny they can't breathe
The choke holds too tight
The left looks too right
You know what? You right
These bitches can't breathe
Look look, they hearts racin'
They start chasin'
But I'm so fast when I blow past
That they can't breathe
In the presence of the man
Your future looks better than ya past if you present with the man
You better breathe
I see em on the block when I passes
Looking like they need oxygen mask-es
I make it hard to breathe
But I keep the glocks in the stashes
'cause the cops want to lock and harass us
And make it hard to breathe
They has to react
Like havin' a asthma attack
When they see the plasma in back
You dudes are wheezin' behind me
My flow is like a coupe, breezing at ninety
That's the reason they signed me
It's quick metaphors and hard punches on the cuts
Feels somethin' like hard punches to the gut
How I address the haters and under estimaters
And ride up on them like they escalators
They shook up and hooked up to respirators
On they last breath talking to investigators
I'm a breath of fresh air
And a fresh pair
Face it boo and do it till your face get blue
Breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta breathe
Then you gotta (gasp)
Then you gotta (gasp)
Yo these niggas can't (breathe)
When the crew walk in it
Pop a few corks in it
As quick as a tick in a New York minute
Catch a breath, fore you catch a left
Even worse, catch a Tef
Only way you catch a F
To the A-be, its in the maybe
Rollin with my baby
Gripping on a toy that you won't find in "KB"
I rhyme slick on ya
I'm a have to put the Heimlich on ya
What you know bout lettin' dimes lick on ya?
While you inhale the weed
And it won't stop till they inhale ya seed
And it don't stop I tell em' to breathe
Like a doctor with a stethoscope
I don't see no fucking hope
Unless these motherfuckers breathe
Yeah, Brooklyn gotta
Uptown gotta
The Bronx gotta
Queens gotta
Staten Isle gotta
You niggas gotta
You bitches gotta
Everybody breathe
One and then the two
Two and then the three
Three and then the four
Then you gotta, breathe
Then you gotta
Then you gotta
Breathe
Fabolous's song "Breathe" is a boastful rap track that shows the rapper's confidence and strength in the rap game. The chorus "One and then the two, two and then the three, three and then the four, then you gotta breathe" sets the tone for the entire song, implying that Fabolous is so dominant in his craft that others struggle to keep up or even breathe in his presence. The lyrics continue with him talking about the luxury items he owns that make others envious and also mentions that women cannot resist him. The hook focuses on the idea that no one can breathe around Fab because of the strength of his personality and talent.
One of the most interesting aspects of the song is the beat, which samples Supertramp's "Crime of the Century," a progressive rock album released in 1974. The song uses the saxophone riff from Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" and blends it with an aggressive drum beat to give the song its signature sound. Additionally, "Breathe" was a successful single, peaking at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Line by Line Meaning
Breathe!
Exclamation to take a deep breath
One and then the two
Counting, leading into the verse
Two and then the three
Continued counting
Three and then the four
More counting
Then you gotta breathe!
Reminder to breathe
Then you gotta (gasp)
Gasp for breath
Yo these niggas can't breathe when I come through, hum too
Fabolous has such an intimidating presence that people can't breathe in his vicinity
Some shoes, gotta be twenty man
Fabolous is wearing expensive shoes
It's not even funny they can't breathe!
People are actually struggling to breathe around him
The choke holds too tight
Metaphorically suffocating opponents with his lyrics
The left looks too right
Punchline suggesting his hooks are too strong
You know what? You right
Admitting someone made a good point
These bitches can't breathe!
Women are attracted to him and can't even catch their breath
Look look, they hearts racin'
Metaphor for women being excited by him
They start chasin'
Women want to be with him
But I'm so fast when I blow past
He's so popular and in-demand that women can't keep up
That they can't breathe!
Metaphor for being overwhelmed by his popularity
In the presence of the man
Referring to himself as 'the man' with a strong presence
Your future looks better than ya past if you present with the man
Suggesting that if someone is with him, their life will improve
You better breathe!
Reminder to breathe again
You niggas can't share my air
Others can't breathe the same air as him because he's so special
Or walk a mile in the pair I wear
Others can't compare to him, just like they can't wear his shoes
And I'm getting better year by year
Improving over time as an artist
Like they say Juan do
Reference to a popular saying 'as Juan would say'
Cops couldn't smell me if you brought the canines through
He can't be detected by the cops or anyone
And I pace myself
Taking his time with things
I know these money hungry bitches want to taste my wealth
Women only want him for his money
But I keep em' on a diet
He doesn't let women take advantage of him
Embrace they health
He encourages women to take care of themselves
Or either keep em' on a quiet
If women can't behave themselves, they'll be silenced
And space myself
He gives himself some distance from others
And just take a deep breath
Reminder to breathe once again
I got em' grabbin' they chest
People are so shocked by Fabolous that they're clutching their chests
'Cause it's hurtin' em' to see Fab in his best
Others are struggling to keep up with him at his best
And they in they worst
Others are weak in comparison to him
They rather see me lay in the hearse than lay in the back
People would rather see him dead than not succeed
And I ain't just laying a verse
He's not just making music, he's making a statement
I'm saying the facts
He's speaking truthfully
I came back with some sicker stones
His new music is even better than before
That got these broke niggas looking at me like they chokin' on a chicken bone
His haters are struggling with jealousy
Every chick I bone
He's slept with a lot of women
Can't leave the dick alone
Women can't stop being with him
So I know
He's confident
It's one of them every time I flip my phone
He's always getting calls and messages from women
Breathe
Reminder to breathe again
I see em on the block when I passes
People see him when he's out and about
Looking like they need oxygen mask-es
Again, people are struggling to breathe around him
I make it hard to breathe!
He's such a force that people can't even breathe around him
But I keep the glocks in the stashes
He keeps guns hidden
'cause the cops want to lock and harass us
Police are always after him
And make it hard to breathe!
Police are another obstacle that makes it hard for him to breathe
They has to react
Others have to respond to him
Like havin' a asthma attack
His presence is like a physical attack
When they see the plasma in back
Referring to his car's plasma speakers
You dudes are wheezin' behind me
People are left breathless around him
My flow is like a coupe, breezing at ninety
A metaphor for how his music flows
That's the reason they signed me
His talent is why he's been signed to a record label
It's quick metaphors and hard punches on the cuts
His rhymes are sharp and quick
Feels somethin' like hard punches to the gut
His lyrics hit hard like a physical strike
How I address the haters and under estimaters
He's calling out the people who don't believe in him
And ride up on them like they escalators
He's confronting them head-on
They shook up and hooked up to respirators
His haters are struggling with jealousy and sadness
On they last breath talking to investigators
Metaphorically, his haters are on their way out
I'm a breath of fresh air
He's a refreshing change
And a fresh pair
He's always coming up with something new
Face it boo and do it till your face get blue
He's taunting his haters to keep trying until they turn blue
Yo these niggas can't (breathe)
Another reminder that people can't breathe around him
When the crew walk in it
When he and his crew enter a room
Pop a few corks in it
Celebrating with champagne
As quick as a tick in a New York minute
Things happen very quickly
Catch a breath, fore you catch a left
People need to get ready before they get knocked out
Even worse, catch a Tef
He's threatening violence on those who oppose him
Only way you catch a F
The only way someone will win against him is if he 'catches an F', i.e. fails
To the A-be, its in the maybe
He's not sure what will happen in the future
Rollin with my baby
Spending time with his significant other
Gripping on a toy that you won't find in 'KB'
He has something special that you can't buy in stores
I rhyme slick on ya
He's a smooth rapper
I'm a have to put the Heimlich on ya
He's going to make his haters choke
What you know bout lettin' dimes lick on ya?
He's been with attractive women
While you inhale the weed
Smoking weed
And it won't stop till they inhale ya seed
He won't stop being successful until he's had children with many women
And it don't stop I tell em' to breathe
He's telling his haters to take it easy and breathe
Like a doctor with a stethoscope
Metaphor for how he analyzes his competition
I don't see no fucking hope
He doesn't see anyone succeeding over him
Unless these motherfuckers breathe!
Again, reminding his haters to breathe
Yeah, Brooklyn gotta
Shoutout to Brooklyn, his hometown
Uptown gotta
Shoutout to Upper Manhattan
The Bronx gotta
Shoutout to The Bronx
Queens gotta
Shoutout to Queens
Staten Isle gotta
Shoutout to Staten Island
You niggas gotta
He's calling out his haters and challengers
You bitches gotta
He's calling out his haters and challengers (females)
Everybody breathe!
He's encouraging everyone to take a deep breath
Then you gotta, breathe!
Continued reminder to breathe
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@taslimajao6100
Who still listening in 2024
@KC-lg8qf
Timeless track!
@Key-be4rp
Yessss!!!
@johnnyindalecio4577
Me ππΎββοΈ
@tismin2001
Different world, different life, different time
@berlinelormil3989
yerrrrrr
@ChosenPlaysYT
Low key one of the best hip hop beats ever.
@abbamalami9171
Damn, i forgot how GOATED justblaze was
@uraniajackson2352
I miss these rap days like hip hop brings back a lot of Memories
@redgebency8760
This wasn't suggested. You searched it.