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."
Lay It Down
Freddie Gibbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bitch, lay it down
Straight to the cake
Take it to the face
Boy, don't make a sound
Got a K for the fake
Case full of weight
Thug nigga 'bout my peso
Cup full of Ac
Y'all niggas sip that Karo
I'm blowed than a motherfucker
Million dollars in, bitch I'm on like a motherfucker
Smoking strong like a motherfucker
Vice Lord, Folk, Black Stones in this motherfucker
From the land of the gangbang
Neutrons get crossed out, niggas can't hang
Better watch what you say, mane
Ten, eleven phones and they all running cocaine
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
Certified drug dealer, bitch
I be with them powder flippas
Straight water whippas
Thug to the judge, free all my niggas
Said can you picture
Black mask on that ass, choppa split ya
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
Certified drug dealer, bitch
I be with them powder flippas
Straight water whippas
Thug to the judge, free all my niggas
Said can you picture
Black mask on that ass, choppa split ya
Lay it down, bitch
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
Lay it down, bitch
Lay it down, ho
You niggas ain't 'bout it
Nothing but a dollar on my line, ho
If a nigga wasn't rapping
Nigga be trapping out of a 'bando
If you niggas want static
Fully automatic, yeah that's Bando
Still whipping up the dough, mane
G.I. nigga got slugs for the snow, mane
Freddie G no ho, mane
Mr. lay a motherfucker down on the flo', mane
Thirty-six for the tha-yang
Neutrons get crossed out, niggas can't hang
Better watch what you say, mane
Hundred niggas with me and they all on the same thang
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
Certified drug dealer, bitch
I be with them powder flippas
Straight water whippas
Thug to the judge, free all my niggas
Said can you picture
Black mask on that ass, choppa split ya
Lay it down, bitch
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
I be with them killers, bitch
I be with them drillers, nigga
The song Lay It Down by Freddie Gibbs is a rap track that talks about drugs, violence and the street life. The chorus of the song is repeated several times, where he asks a bitch to lay it down, which means to give him what he wants. The verse consists of lines that talk about his life as a drug dealer and a gang member. He talks about how he hangs out with killers and drillers and how he is a certified drug dealer. He further emphasizes his thug life by talking about his vice lord, folk, and black stones in the area. He talks about how he smokes weed and has a cup full of Ac (actavis, which is a prescription-strength cough syrup). The verse also talks about his connections in the drug world with a case full of weight and ten, eleven phones that all run cocaine. The song suggests that he is not to be messed with and that he is armed with a K and will lay anyone down who crosses his path.
The next verse talks about his connection to the powder flippers and water whippers who sell cocaine and whip up the raw drug into powder. They make sure to wear their black masks and carry choppers to protect themselves in their illegal activities. The song also talks about his desire to free all his niggas who were arrested for similar drug activities. The song ends with the chorus being repeated several times, emphasizing his desire for more drugs and money.
Line by Line Meaning
Lay it down, bitch
Demanding that someone surrender, either physically or metaphorically
Bitch, lay it down
Repeating the demand for surrender, using an insulting term to assert dominance
Straight to the cake
Referring to getting straight to the money or profits without wasting time
Take it to the face
Consume something without hesitation, often referring to drugs or alcohol
Boy, don't make a sound
Warning someone not to make noise, often out of fear of being caught doing something illegal or dangerous
Got a K for the fake
Having a gun (K standing for the Kalashnikov rifle) to threaten or harm those who are fake or insincere
Case full of weight
A carrying case or suitcase full of drugs, most likely cocaine or heroin
Thug nigga 'bout my peso
Proudly identifying as a tough or criminal person, and being focused on making money
All-black with the strap
Dressed in all black with a gun, ready for violence or intimidation
Cup full of Ac
A cup filled with Actavis, a brand of cough syrup that contains codeine and is often abused for its intoxicating effects
Y'all niggas sip that Karo
Insinuating that others are less wealthy or less cool by drinking cheaper or less desirable cough syrup (Karo is another brand)
I'm blowed than a motherfucker
Being heavily intoxicated, likely from alcohol or drugs
Million dollars in, bitch I'm on like a motherfucker
Having achieved success and wealth, and feeling confident and powerful as a result
Smoking strong like a motherfucker
Smoking high-potency marijuana or other drugs
Vice Lord, Folk, Black Stones in this motherfucker
Referring to different gangs and affiliations present in a shared space, possibly implying danger or loyalty to a specific group
From the land of the gangbang
Coming from an area or community known for gang activity and violence
Neutrons get crossed out, niggas can't hang
Implying that weak or disloyal individuals will be eliminated from the group, often violently
Better watch what you say, mane
Warning someone to be careful with their words, as they could spark conflict or violence
Ten, eleven phones and they all running cocaine
Having multiple phones dedicated to drug trafficking and sales, indicating a high level of activity and organization
I be with them killers, bitch
Spending time with serious and dangerous individuals, possibly indicating a willingness to engage in violence if necessary
I be with them drillers, nigga
Spending time with individuals who are experienced with guns and violence, often used as a threat
Certified drug dealer, bitch
Proudly identifying as a successful seller of drugs
I be with them powder flippas
Spending time with people who deal drugs, specifically cocaine
Straight water whippas
Dealing with drugs that are diluted or weakened, often implying that the dealer is in control of the quality of the drugs
Thug to the judge, free all my niggas
Being unapologetic about one's criminal actions, and hoping for the release of fellow criminals from imprisonment or punishment
Said can you picture
Provoking someone's imagination or sense of fear, implying a violent or dangerous situation
Black mask on that ass, choppa split ya
Wearing a black mask and using a machete or other weapon to harm or kill someone
You niggas ain't 'bout it
Challenging someone's toughness or willingness to engage in violence
Nothing but a dollar on my line, ho
Being focused on money and not interested in anything that doesn't help one's financial situation
If a nigga wasn't rapping
Speculating about what one's life might be like if they weren't pursuing a career in music
Nigga be trapping out of a 'bando
Selling drugs out of an abandoned building or house (a 'bando)
If you niggas want static
If someone is looking for trouble or conflict
Fully automatic, yeah that's Bando
Having a fully automatic weapon to confront any potential threats or violence at one's drug-selling location
Still whipping up the dough, mane
Continuing to sell drugs and make money, despite potential risks or danger
G.I. nigga got slugs for the snow, mane
Having bullets ready to use against anyone who's interfering with one's drug-selling business, even in snowy conditions
Freddie G no ho, mane
Asserting one's dominance and toughness, in contrast to being a 'ho' or weak individual
Mr. lay a motherfucker down on the flo', mane
Being capable of using violence to harm or even kill someone, often with a gun
Thirty-six for the tha-yang
Using the slang term 'tha-yang' to refer to selling crack cocaine
Hundred niggas with me and they all on the same thang
Having a large group of people united in the pursuit of selling drugs and making money
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: WILLIAM T. BROWN, FREDRICK JAMEL TIPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Collin Breidenbach
Freddie is actually one of the nicest most humble guys ive ever talked to!!! Hung out with him a while at tech n9nes independent grind tour
FlarieBot
that tour was sick! saw him, with a couple other cats and tech with a friend, standing about 10 feet from the speakers XD = couldnt hear for a couple days after XD
Disco Wolf
Ian Crum LOL I threw a lob to him in MPLS 😂. Hell yea🚀✊
Paul Cruz
@John Maugherman RESPECT. from a 210SATX fellow eightys baby
Jake
John Maugherman Stay safe man
Steven Song
it's interesting to see how Freddie's style evolved over the years.
Raydensheraj
@Tarun Freestone He was great in the beginning and then just....yeah. I prefer NaS over anything he has ever done.
Tarun Freestone
yeah he didnt peak early but i prefer esgn days to anything except forever and a day
JoyBoy
he was and is still the best seriously
Matthew Ko
Ayo