Fat Joe's first single off his eleventh album is, "Another Round," a collaboration with Chris Brown. The Another Round Songfacts reports that it was his first Hot 100 hit for four years.
Fat Joe has also had major beef with his ex TS Crew member Cuban Linkz who was a part of Fat Joe TS Crew until they had a disagreement about money royalties and the pair had a fight and Fat Joe knifed Cuban Linkz on the side of his face. The beef has quiet down now but they are no longer friends and nor do they speak to each other.
In The Ghetto
Fat Joe Lyrics
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It's time to speak the truth, maturity
Niggas gotta evolve to let niggas know the real
Call yourself real, ya gotta start speakin' about the real
This is Joe Crack, The Don an' this is what I'm bringin' to you
Yo, nowadays, I'm flirtin' with uncertain death
Lord, I gotta be dyin' 'cause after all this cryin'
When will the pain stop? This depression an' anxiety
Is gonna make me show another side of me
My niggas ride with me 'cause I'm the truth
There's benefits to rollin' with this clique
Don't nobody fuck with you
Still they label me a tyrant an' a backstabber
But study the facts of crack, the shit don't add up
I'm bringin' opportunity to my community
Probably the only rapper that cares
But still you out to ruin me
Who you foolin', be? I'm for unity, Latins an' blacks
Could you fathom the strength, we have of the two it attach?
Born together, voted alike
These 'Uncle Charm' politicians ain't holdin' us right
How could the same nigga be 20 years in office
When it's clear the only thing that's risin' is unemployment?
Abortion, little kids havin' kids
The school system is failin' us, now ain't that some shit?
While the rich keep gettin' richer, the poor keep dyin' young
I can't hide no more, the time has come
I was born in the ghetto
Tremblin', tryin' to stay alive
'Cause when you're born in the ghetto
No one seems to hear your cry
Brown skin, you know I love my brown skin
Every day, I'm confronted with racism
These motherfuckin' coppers wanna bag us
An' have us shackled up in state prisons
After all the taxes I pay
You would think when they stop us
They would have something nicer to say
Than, "Get the fuck out the car, where the drugs at?
All the jewelry, you wearin', where the fuckin' guns at?"
Once they search the car clean an' find nothin'
The same crooked cops try to act like they know us or somethin'
Laughin', tellin' jokes by the thousands
Two seconds ago they tried to send us to the mountains
Leave my son without a father, my wife without a husband
The more I think about it, man, it's just disgustin'
Still we live amongst 'em, everybody wants out
That's why we rap like we got silver spoons in our mouths
Like we ain't grow up on welfare
Nigga, don't even go there, you probably wore Pro Players
We need to educate the youth, tell our seeds the truth
Too much to share, the bare minimum will exceed the proof
I was born in the ghetto
Tremblin', tryin' to stay alive
'Cause when you're born in the ghetto
No one seems to hear your cry
Yeah, so much pain
Trying hard to stay alive, stay alive
Out in these streets
Man, sometimes it can get so tough
Yeah, yes, it can, yes, it can, yeah
It can get so hard, so hard, so hard
In Fat Joe's song "Born In The Ghetto," the rapper speaks honestly about his experiences growing up in a poverty-stricken area. He talks about the hardships of living in the ghetto, including the violence, the racism, and the corruption in the justice system. He also touches on the internal struggle of feeling trapped in his environment and wanting to escape it.
Throughout the song, Fat Joe questions the system that oppresses the people living in the ghetto. He speaks about how politicians often fail to represent their constituents properly, and how the school system fails to provide adequate education to those in need. He criticizes the police and how they often unfairly target and harass people of color. He also touches on the frustration of being judged unfairly because of his race and economic status.
The chorus highlights the feeling of helplessness that comes with living in the ghetto. Fat Joe speaks about feeling like nobody hears his cries and being forced to fend for himself. He describes his experiences growing up as a brown-skinned individual and the constant presence of racism that surrounds him.
Overall, the song is a reflection of the harsh realities of growing up in the ghetto. Fat Joe provides a voice for those who are unheard and calls for change in the system that continually oppresses the people living in poverty.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, it's time, baby
It is time to speak the truth, to show maturity.
It's time to speak the truth, maturity
To call yourself real, you must start speaking the truth about the real situation.
Niggas gotta evolve to let niggas know the real
It is essential to grow and communicate the reality to the people.
This is Joe Crack, The Don an' this is what I'm bringin' to you
Fat Joe wants to convey his perspective through this song.
Yo, nowadays, I'm flirtin' with uncertain death
Uncertain future puts Fat Joe almost in the brink of death.
Lord, I gotta be dyin' 'cause after all this cryin'
How much more hurtin's left?
Fat Joe is deeply hurt and cannot tolerate any more pain.
When will the pain stop? This depression an' anxiety
Is gonna make me show another side of me
The constant anxiety and depression are making Fat Joe vulnerable, causing him to show another side of his personality.
My niggas ride with me 'cause I'm the truth
There's benefits to rollin' with this clique
Don't nobody fuck with you
Fat Joe's loyal followers benefit from their allegiance to him, as they become untouchable in the community.
Still they label me a tyrant an' a backstabber
But study the facts of crack, the shit don't add up
Despite accusations of being a tyrant and a backstabber, the facts suggest otherwise.
I'm bringin' opportunity to my community
Probably the only rapper that cares
But still you out to ruin me
Fat Joe brings opportunities to his community, but some people still try to ruin him.
Who you foolin', be? I'm for unity, Latins an' blacks
Could you fathom the strength, we have of the two it attach?
Fat Joe supports unity between Latin and Black people, which is a powerful combination.
Born together, voted alike
These 'Uncle Charm' politicians ain't holdin' us right
Latin and Black people are born and vote similarly, yet they are not being accurately represented by politicians.
How could the same nigga be 20 years in office
When it's clear the only thing that's risin' is unemployment?
It is illogical for a politician to stay in office for 20 years while the number of unemployed people continues to increase.
Abortion, little kids havin' kids
The school system is failin' us, now ain't that some shit?
Issues like abortion and young parents are not being adequately addressed, and the school system is failing to educate children.
While the rich keep gettin' richer, the poor keep dyin' young
I can't hide no more, the time has come
The rich continue to prosper while the poor suffer and die young. Fat Joe cannot stay silent anymore.
I was born in the ghetto
Tremblin', tryin' to stay alive
'Cause when you're born in the ghetto
No one seems to hear your cry
Being born in the ghetto entails a constant struggle to survive, where no one hears your cries for help.
Brown skin, you know I love my brown skin
Every day, I'm confronted with racism
Fat Joe proudly loves his brown skin but faces racism daily.
These motherfuckin' coppers wanna bag us
An' have us shackled up in state prisons
Police officers want to arrest and imprison Black and Latin people.
After all the taxes I pay
You would think when they stop us
They would have something nicer to say
Than, "Get the fuck out the car, where the drugs at?
All the jewelry, you wearin', where the fuckin' guns at?"
Despite paying taxes, police officers speak rudely to Black and Latin people when they stop them and search their cars for drugs or weapons.
Once they search the car clean an' find nothin'
The same crooked cops try to act like they know us or somethin'
If they find no evidence, crooked police officers act friendly and pretend to know Black and Latin people they just searched.
Leave my son without a father, my wife without a husband
The more I think about it, man, it's just disgustin'
If something happens to Fat Joe, his son and wife will be left without him, which is revolting to think about.
Still we live amongst 'em, everybody wants out
That's why we rap like we got silver spoons in our mouths
Like we ain't grow up on welfare
Nigga, don't even go there, you probably wore Pro Players
Living amongst such oppression makes people desire to leave. To demonstrate their status, artists rap like they grew up wealthy, despite growing up on welfare.
We need to educate the youth, tell our seeds the truth
Too much to share, the bare minimum will exceed the proof
The youth needs to be educated and told the truth, even if only the bare minimum due to the overwhelming amount of information.
Yeah, so much pain
Trying hard to stay alive, stay alive
Out in these streets
There is immense pain while struggling to survive day by day in the streets.
Man, sometimes it can get so tough
Yeah, yes, it can, yes, it can, yeah
It can get so hard, so hard, so hard
The situation can be very tough and challenging to deal with, making it hard and frustrating.
Lyrics © JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDRE CHRISTOPHER LYON, EDDIE LEE FLOYD, JOSEPH ANTHONY CARTAGENA, MARCELLO VALENZANO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind