Hailing from Gary, Indiana, a place whose murder and crime rates have ranked it several times at the top of the "Most Dangerous Cities" list, Freddie Gibbs is the true definition of a street survivor. Raised on Gary's east side, Gibbs lived the hard life firsthand in a run-down industrial community plagued with vice and ignored by the establishment. After playing at Ball State on a football scholarship, Gibbs was kicked out of college. Over the next few years he went through court-ordered boot camp, joined and got discharged from the military, and held down a series of 9 to 5 jobs without success. Feeling like the system had failed him, Gibbs turned to hustling; pimping and selling crack out of a local house. Inspired by rappers like UGK, The Geto Boys, and 2Pac, Gibbs started rhyming about his life and the issues facing urban youth in Gary and the countless other impoverished cities just like it. Gibbs is the first rapper signed to a major label from Gary.
The Steel City's most famous musical residents to date are the Jackson 5, whose name still adorns a marquee on a falling-apart theater in Gary's blighted downtown. His desire to rep the Midwest and his city led Gibbs to start recording mixtapes and pushing them online as well as the streets, where he quickly began garnering fans drawn to his original style, diverse flows, and deeply personal lyrics about his experience as a young black man growing up below the poverty line in a forgotten American city.
Freddie has worked with respected producers like Madlib, Red Spyda, Just Blaze, Buckwild, the Alchemist, Polow Da Don, and Collipark among many others. Gibbs cites Houston rap and Pac as his major influences, and it shows in his ability to alternate between chillingly tense street stories of violence and laid back comedic tales about women and weed. Ultimately Gibbs shows and proves with his rhymes, which demonstrate the promise of a legend in the making. His skills, wit, and street credibility establish Freddie Gibbs as a true artist. He's ready to represent for Gary, the Midwest, and anyone who relates to the struggle of inner city life. As Gibbs tells it: "My music is definitely on some gangsta shit. That's what I was raised on and what I witnessed. How can I speak on anything else?" "Become a fan now, or become one later."
Came Up
Freddie Gibbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forgis on that thing with a four fifty four, I'll see you later, mane
Bitches gonna bop, tell 'em pop that pussy for this paper, mane
Ho just wanna kick it, so I backseat Escalade her, mane
Thugging, and if you with me then you do the same
Got some partners doing life for the thing we do for this change
Tried the rap shit 'cause my big homie told me switch up my lane
Nigga, this trap shit get you stuck in a grave or locked in a cage, mane
Staying on this thug shit, bitch, I fuck the game up, game up
And you know this rap shit ain't gon' fucking change us, change us
Real Midwest gangstas hit ya plug and flame up, flame up
Dumping hollow tips for my enemies like yeah
Fuck you pussy boys in this industry like yeah
Fuck the records, I'm knee deep in the streets
New white girl on my phone, keep the Nikes up on my niece's feet like yeah
I jumped off in the streets and fucking came up
Forgis on everything, I fuck the game up
Woke up and wrote this for my fucking haters
That hate the way a nigga came up
I jumped off in the streets and fucking came up
Forgis on everything, I fuck the game up
Woke up and wrote this for my fucking haters
That hate the way a nigga came up
Uh came up, I'm never coming down
Nigga ain't have shit, sat the bench, now bitch I run the town
Heard niggas in the street want me hit, heard I can't come around
Nigga stepped all through your event, yeah bitch I shut it down
Thugging, and if you with me you'd be on a job
Private party, fifty freaks in a suite for me and my squad
Me and my partners, Gary, deep in the streets, less than a mob
Had a chopper thing, go beat down your block and then beat the cops, mane
Yeah, I stepped off in the booth and fucking came up, came up
Every tape I drop made these little niggas step they game up, game up
Nigga heard Young Gibbs, now it seem his flow done changed up, changed up
But I don't give no fuck, little nigga, my dues been paid
Now bust hollow tips for my enemies like yeah
Fuck you pussy boys in this industry like yeah
Fuck your records, I'm knee deep in the streets
Got white girl on my phone nigga, whip it up if you feeling me like yeah
I jumped off in the streets and fucking came up
Forgis on everything, I fuck the game up
Woke up and wrote this for my fucking haters
That hate the way a nigga came up
I jumped off in the streets and fucking came up
Forgis on everything, I fuck the game up
Woke up and wrote this for my fucking haters
That hate the way a nigga came up
The lyrics to Freddie Gibbs's "Came Up" describe the rapper's rise to success and his disdain for those who doubted him. Gibbs spits bars about his willingness to do whatever it takes to make money, including dealing drugs and robbing his enemies. He also speaks on staying true to his thug lifestyle and refusing to change despite his newfound fame.
The chorus, "I jumped off in the streets and fucking came up/Forgis on everything, I fuck the game up/Woke up and wrote this for my fucking haters/That hate the way a nigga came up," emphasizes the theme of overcoming obstacles and rising to the top. Gibbs asserts that he will not let anyone or anything bring him down as he continues to thrive in the rap game.
The lyrics also reference Gibbs's roots in the Midwest and his affinity for luxury cars and fashion. The line, "New white girl on my phone, keep the Nikes up on my niece's feet like yeah," shows his desire to provide for his family and loved ones even as he prioritizes his own success. Overall, "Came Up" serves as a testament to Freddie Gibbs's hard work and dedication to his craft.
Line by Line Meaning
I woke up and wrote this for my haters, mane
Started the day with determination and motivation to write this song for those who dislike me.
Forgis on that thing with a four fifty four, I'll see you later, mane
I drive my car with a powerful engine and am confident that I'll succeed and surpass my detractors.
Bitches gonna bop, tell 'em pop that pussy for this paper, mane
I have money and will reward women for dancing for me and entertaining me with their feminine bodies.
Ho just wanna kick it, so I backseat Escalade her, mane
Women just want to be with me, so I'll sit in the back of my Escalade while they drive and we hang out.
Thugging, and if you with me then you do the same
I am a gangster and those who support me must also be willing to engage in the same type of criminal behavior.
Got some partners doing life for the thing we do for this change
Some of my associates are serving life sentences for the same illegal activities that I am a part of, but we do it for the money and financial gain.
Tried the rap shit 'cause my big homie told me switch up my lane
I attempted to pursue a career in hip-hop music because a mentor figure advised me to change my ways and channel my energy into something more constructive.
Nigga, this trap shit get you stuck in a grave or locked in a cage, mane
Involvement in the drug trade and similar criminal activities can either lead to death or imprisonment.
Yeah, I put my ski mask on and fucking came up, came up
I took the necessary precautions to conceal my identity and managed to become successful despite engaging in illegal activities.
Staying on this thug shit, bitch, I fuck the game up, game up
I will continue to engage in criminal behavior and am proud to have disrupted the music industry with my rap career.
And you know this rap shit ain't gon' fucking change us, change us
Despite being in the rap game now, I've stayed true to my roots as a gangster and will not let the music industry change me.
Real Midwest gangstas hit ya plug and flame up, flame up
Gangsters from the Midwest will destroy your drug connection and burn down your operation.
Dumping hollow tips for my enemies like yeah
I am not afraid to use deadly force in order to eliminate those who oppose me.
Fuck you pussy boys in this industry like yeah
I have no respect for weak and timid individuals in the music industry.
Fuck the records, I'm knee deep in the streets
I prioritize my illegal activities over making records and will not be deterred from my criminal pursuits.
New white girl on my phone, keep the Nikes up on my niece's feet like yeah
I have a new white girl as a sexual partner and am able to provide for my family, specifically my niece, by purchasing them quality shoes.
Uh came up, I'm never coming down
I have reached a high point in my life and career and will not be falling back to my old ways.
Nigga ain't have shit, sat the bench, now bitch I run the town
I used to be nothing and have nothing, but now I am successful and influential in my community.
Heard niggas in the street want me hit, heard I can't come around
I have enemies who want to harm me and it is unsafe for me to visit certain areas.
Nigga stepped all through your event, yeah bitch I shut it down
My presence alone at an event is enough to make it a success, and I have the power to disrupt events if I choose to.
Private party, fifty freaks in a suite for me and my squad
I have enough money and influence to host a private party with many women for myself and my associates.
Me and my partners, Gary, deep in the streets, less than a mob
My business associates and I are very involved and successful in our illegal operations, and operate with less organization than a typical organized crime group.
Had a chopper thing, go beat down your block and then beat the cops, mane
I have access to a helicopter and am willing to use violent force against law enforcement if necessary to protect my operations.
Every tape I drop made these little niggas step they game up, game up
My music has influenced and inspired other up-and-coming rappers to elevate their own skills and techniques.
Nigga heard Young Gibbs, now it seem his flow done changed up, changed up
Other rappers have been so impacted by my style that their own music has become reminiscent of my own.
But I don't give no fuck, little nigga, my dues been paid
I am not concerned with others copying my style because I have paid my own dues and earned my own success.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Allen Mcclendon, Freddie Gibbs
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind