Keepin' It Gangsta
Fabolous Lyrics


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Fabolous, yeah, uh-huh, uh-huh, Yeah
Yo, I don't care what y'all do, how y'all do
Where y'all do it, just keep it gangsta
Look at them gangstas

Fab's livin' la vida loca
Only nigga in the hood you can come see for either weed or coca
Nark's want to see me and my team in a chair
They heard about the kid with the high beams in his ear
DEA been lookin' for proof since 9-3
When I came through in the Benz with the roof behind me
Tell them jake's through on bullet proof's and find me
You need extingwishers to go in the booth behind me
Who the fuck want to beef
My Fendi knits be [Repeat: x3]
So you can't see what's tucked underneath
And I might not even drop
Just take my advance and make a small town in Cleveland pop
"Vivrant Thing" on my hip, that will make you "Breathe and Stop"
Rock ya chain in ya shirt, Your roll (Rollie) with the sleeve on top
You niggas know where my heat stay at
I leave niggas MIA and I ain't talking where the Heat play at
C'mon

[Chorus:]
Y'all know who
Keepin' it Gangsta
We come through
Keepin' it Gangsta
Y'all know how we do
Keepin' it Gangsta
My whole crew
Keepin' it Gangsta

Niggas don't think I'm still shaving crack
Cause I pull up in a truck with a system that make the pavement crack
Baugettes have my face and beard covered
And I keep a Leathal Weapon like Mel Gibson and Dan Glover
Now I lose V Money and see Lo
And the cops think me and Muggs is G Money and Nino
I don't hit these honey's with see-Notes
Rather put them on Greyhound, Strap these honey's with kilo's
Type of gangsta every chick wants
I get Nike's from Aster you won't see hit the store for 6 months
Something bout the Beamer [Repeat: x5]
When I come through it be increasing a skeo's sex drive
Half the click look like they stuck Genisis up
The other half is tryin to wrap they sentences up
I'm never gone hate, Half these artists never slum weight
When they call NY, its the only time they touch the 7-1-8

[Chorus]

I lay low on the other side of the globe
Carat's hanging out the side of my lobe
Pull in ya drivers side and unload
They find ya when its time for your ride to be towed
On side of the road
With ya brain on ya passenger side of ya Rove (Rover)
Y'all niggas ain't gangstas til' y'all riding
And Fed's tell ya hit a chick once and she running back like Fred Taylor
I'm snatching everything in the PJ's now
That's why most these niggas is workin' with the DA's now
If I'm in a hoop ride or a buggy coupe 5
Keepin' it Gangsta
If I'm with a hoochie freak or a dime in Gucci sneaks
Keepin' it Gangsta
If I'm probally in the hood or I'm in Hollywood
Keepin' it Gangsta
If I spit 16 on a track or 16 from a gat
Keepin' it Gangsta





[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

Fabolous’ “Keepin’ it Gangsta” is a catchy song filled with lyrics depicting the hip-hop music industry and the street life. Fabolous talks about his life as a gangster and drug dealer. He boasts about having everything from money to women, drugs, and cars. Throughout the song, he asserts his identity as a gangster and encourages others to do the same. His lyrics mention his high beams, bulletproof vest, and Leathal Weapon like Mel Gibson and Dan Glover to indicate his readiness for any issues at any time. Fabolous refers to himself as the “only nigga in the hood you can come see for either weed or coca.” He portrays himself as a notorious drug dealer that is never caught by the police, and his fans love it. Fabolous’s goal is to keep everything 'gangsta' and to encourage others to do the same.


The song’s title, “Keepin’ it Gangsta” is a phrase that has now become part of popular culture. The phrase is used when someone is trying to act tough, or when someone is trying to do something that is considered cool. The song’s chorus encourages listeners to keep things ‘gangsta’ and to live a life like a gangster, regardless of their background. The song itself is an amalgamation of different musical genres, including hip-hop and rap, and it features an infectious beat that gets the listeners’ feet tapping.




Line by Line Meaning

Fabolous, yeah, uh-huh, uh-huh, Yeah
Fabolous preps to rap with these introductory sounds


Yo, I don't care what y'all do, how y'all do
Fabolous isn't concerned about the method of operation of others


Where y'all do it, just keep it gangsta
Nevertheless, he expects gangsta status to be maintained


Look at them gangstas
The image of what Fabolous deems gangster is explicitly presented


Fab's livin' la vida loca
He's living a fun, yet dangerous lifestyle


Only nigga in the hood you can come see for either weed or coca
He's the sole supplier for cannabis or cocaine in his area


Nark's want to see me and my team in a chair
The police would like to see Fabolous and his team in prison


They heard about the kid with the high beams in his ear
Fabolous is well-known, even by law enforcement


DEA been lookin' for proof since 9-3
The DEA has been trying to catch Fabolous since 1993


When I came through in the Benz with the roof behind me
Police found evidence of his crimes when he arrived in a Benz with a sunroof behind him


Tell them jake's through on bullet proof's and find me
He'll be so protected that even the police with bulletproof vests won't be able to catch him


You need extingwishers to go in the booth behind me
He's so hot, the booth behind him needs fire extinguishers to cool down


Who the fuck want to beef
Who would dare to start a fight with Fabolous?


My Fendi knits be (Repeat: x3)
His clothing has hidden guns so his enemies won't see them


So you can't see what's tucked underneath
It's there, but not visible


And I might not even drop
He may not even release a new album


Just take my advance and make a small town in Cleveland pop
He could just take money from a record company to make a town in Cleveland more famous


"Vivrant Thing" on my hip, that will make you "Breathe and Stop"
If Fabolous pulls out his gun, it'll take your breath away


Rock ya chain in ya shirt, Your roll (Rollie) with the sleeve on top
Wear your necklace underneath your shirt, with your wristwatch on top of your shirt sleeve


You niggas know where my heat stay at
Everyone knows where Fabolous keeps his guns


I leave niggas MIA and I ain't talking where the Heat play at
He makes people disappear just like the Miami Heat basketball team


I'm still shaving crack
Fabolous is still selling cocaine


Cause I pull up in a truck with a system that make the pavement crack
Fabolous drives a vehicle with a sound system so loud it shakes the ground


Baugettes have my face and beard covered
His jewelry is so extensive it hides his face and beard


And I keep a Leathal Weapon like Mel Gibson and Dan Glover
Fabolous always carries a deadly weapon like the characters in the movie Lethal Weapon


Now I lose V Money and see Lo
He lost some people close to him, V Money and See Lo


And the cops think me and Muggs is G Money and Nino
The police confuse Fabolous and Muggs for characters from the movie New Jack City


I don't hit these honey's with see-Notes
He doesn't pay women with money he earned from selling drugs


Rather put them on Greyhound, Strap these honey's with kilo's
He'd rather send them on a Greyhound bus with drugs attached to them


Type of gangsta every chick wants
He's the kind of gangster that women are attracted to


I get Nike's from Aster you won't see hit the store for 6 months
He gets exclusive Nike shoes before they're available in stores


Something bout the Beamer (Repeat: x5)
Fabolous likes the way his BMW looks


When I come through it be increasing a skeo's sex drive
His appearance makes women even more aroused


Half the click look like they stuck Genisis up
Some of his crew looks like they just robbed a jewelry store called Genesis


The other half is tryin to wrap they sentences up
The other half is trying to finish their rap verses


I'm never gone hate, Half these artists never slum weight
He doesn't hate on other rappers, but thinks some of them haven't experienced a rough upbringing


When they call NY, its the only time they touch the 7-1-8
When they call New York, it's the only time they touch another area code (718)


I lay low on the other side of the globe
He hides in other countries


Carat's hanging out the side of my lobe
His earrings are expensive and large


Pull in ya drivers side and unload
He'll shoot the driver's side of your car


They find ya when its time for your ride to be towed
Your dead body will be discovered when your car is being towed


On side of the road
The location of the dead body's discovery


With ya brain on ya passenger side of ya Rove (Rover)
The body and brain will be in the passenger side of the car while it's being towed


Y'all niggas ain't gangstas til' y'all riding
You're not a gangster until you have wealth and a fancy car


And Fed's tell ya hit a chick once and she running back like Fred Taylor
If the Feds tell you to order a hit on a woman, she'll run back like a football player


I'm snatching everything in the PJ's now
He's stealing from people in the public housing projects


That's why most these niggas is workin' with the DA's now
Other people are working with the police now because of him


If I'm in a hoop ride or a buggy coupe 5
It doesn't matter if he's in a regular car or a fancy convertible


If I'm with a hoochie freak or a dime in Gucci sneaks
It doesn't matter if he's with a promiscuous woman or a gorgeous one who's wearing expensive shoes


If I'm probally in the hood or I'm in Hollywood
It doesn't matter if he's in the ghetto or in Hollywood


If I spit 16 on a track or 16 from a gat
It doesn't matter if he's rapping or shooting a gun


Keepin' it Gangsta
He'll always maintain gangster status


Y'all know who
Everyone knows who Fabolous is


We come through
He and his crew will show up


Y'all know how we do
Everyone knows their typical behavior


My whole crew
His entire posse


Keepin' it Gangsta
They'll all maintain gangster status




Lyrics © THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: ERNESTO SHAW, JOHN JACKSON, JOHN DAVID JACKSON, KEN IFILL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@HugeGamma

I hope kids these days get a chance to hear this forgotten classic! bass line goes HARD AF

@Reaper-qo8tn

We did get the chance, midnight club 3. Next killer hip-hop artist on the rise bringing back fabulous styles

@adodel517

We got it

@fskash7821

Fax

@viscountslappy5085

If only there were a website with every music video and song ever made, right there in a searchable format...

@smeagle3295

The bass line is the best part. The rest of this song hasn’t aged quite as well though. 💯

2 More Replies...

@hennylo68

Fab is hella underrated, he doesn't get the respect he deserves as a top notch lyricist. Dude is one of the best pure lyricists ever.

@Stylezzz101

can we get a FABOULOUS VERZUZ please !?

@fatethaghost1878

For sure

@c.jgrims5521

Now I have to go back to immortal technique and shit.

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