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."
Palmolive
Freddie Gibbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It should speak for itself, you know what I mean?
Kane season
Fucking my pastor daughter and two Jesus pieces (yeah)
Dropping this blow on the basement flow, my Yeezys squeaking (yeah)
Repping the fam, I pledge allegiance, undefeated
Fuck the forty acres and the mule, they gave us niggas the Eagle
Popeyes, spoons and needles (yeah)
Sold a piece of crack to polices, Mario Van Peebles (uh)
Serving every prom queen and groupie with that vanilla smoothie (I was prom queen)
Scary Gary, my nigga, my neighborhood something like Fallujah (yeah)
Vladimir banana clip, move with Russian collusion shooters (uh)
Fuck a track, ho, selling that pussy on computers (yeah)
Pimpin'll never die, Chad Butler in Heaven chuckin' deuces (hold up)
Trunk of deuce of hard white fish, then I made a wish (yeah)
A smoker scrubbin' down my kitchen, I'm never gon' wash a dish (yes)
It's Mr. Clean, glass, all Palmolive (yeah)
These niggas don't know how hard you ridin' 'fore they ass 'til you park it (skrrt)
In 1998, I sold a Glock 19 chopper
2018, I'm finna reclaim my fucking time and cop the Rollie flooded
Maxine Waters, fuck your poison, keep your vaccines off us
We got a reality star in the goddamn office, quite like the Reagan days (yeah)
Fernando said they used to move chickens in the Noriega days (yeah)
I'd disrespect his name, but he signed my face with a razor blade (true story, nigga)
Baby Tony, top of the family like Johnny Sacrimoni (yeah)
Choppin' up this block white top with some Yohji Yamamoto's (uh)
Whoever kill him first gon' get promoted
Boy, I was getting my way with murder, before Denzel fucked Viola
Gangsta king
Young nigga, dope money, just have at it, nigga
Make money, more money, mathematics, nigga
But the popos, they coming for your money, nigga
Play low, I mean low like no money, nigga
Young nigga, dope money, just have at it, nigga
Make money, more money, mathematics, nigga
But the popos, they coming for your money, nigga
Play low, I mean low like no money, nigga
Look, real bars are the ill bars
These scars are the only real proof they couldn't kill gods
My coke hand is still sketchin' out my memoirs
What I did to door panels on them Windstars
Gem stars, left cuts in the dinner plates
It's new stash spots, the AC don't just ventilate
Take over your blocks, young niggas assimilate
We all break bread like going Dutch on a dinner date
The love of your life rap nigga wear fake watches
The serial number don't match the gift boxes
The bezel on her ballon bleu do the Tinashe
The bitch told me two-tone Rollies was too blase (yugh)
Way more chemical than political
PTSD from what I weighed on the digital
It was snowfall and Reagan gave me the visual
Obama opened his doors knowing I was a criminal
I took a risk, I took a brick
Took a road trip to a Motel 6
Get it wholesale and you know I won't tell shit
Ride coattails, then he really want that lit
Just another in the mix, nigga, I'm rich, nigga
Tell me, is you Alpo or Mitch, nigga?
Bet it all, roulette, all on my wrist, nigga
Like Cleo setting it off, taking your bitch, nigga, ooh
Young nigga, dope money, just have at it, nigga
Make money, more money, mathematics, nigga
But the popos, they coming for your money, nigga
Play low, I mean low like no money, nigga
Young nigga, dope money, just have at it, nigga
Make money, more money, mathematics, nigga
But the low low, like talking to baby mama, nigga
Fake rap, tell that bitch this is that show money, nigga
I know a guy in my neighborhood
He came home from work one day and caught his best friend in the hall with his wife
They had all day to go to bed
Pulled out a .45, shot both of 'em
Next morning, his friend went down to the jail
He said, "Fred, don't take it so hard"
He said, "It could have been worse"
He said, "What you mean, it could have been worse?"
He said, "Man, two people dead. I might get the electric chair. You tell me it could have been worse?"
He said, "yeah, baby. It could have been worse."
He said, "What you mean?"
He said, "Hell, if you'd have came Thursday instead of Friday, you'd have gotten me too"
In the song "Palmolive" by Freddie Gibbs featuring Pusha T and Killer Mike, the lyrics and language used to depict the violent and drug-filled way of life of a drug dealer living in the inner city. The song speaks to the endurance and determination that it takes to survive living in such an environment. Gibbs reflects on his life dealing drugs as he raps about selling every prom queen and groupie with that vanilla smoothie, serving and selling crack to police officers, and how he was getting his way with murder before Denzel Washington even became big in Hollywood. He contrasts his past with his future goals of owning better goods like Rolex watches, taking over blocks and assimilating young men into his group, and making and more money through math.
Moreover, the chorus of the song speaks to the dangers of the life he leads. Gibbs warns his listeners that "the popos, they coming for your money, nigga, Play low, I mean low like no money, nigga." He is telling people to do whatever it takes to avoid being caught and jailed by the authorities. The imagery used throughout the song solidifies the dangers and trials associated with living this way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's gon' speak for its
It should speak for itself, you know what I mean?
Kane season
The time for reckoning against oppressors has arrived
Fucking my pastor daughter and two Jesus pieces (yeah)
Engaging in both sexual impropriety and flaunting wealth as a symbol of power
Dropping this blow on the basement flow, my Yeezys squeaking (yeah)
Using the basement as a venue for distributing drugs and referring to the sound of his shoes as he engages in such activity
Repping the fam, I pledge allegiance, undefeated
Showing loyalty to family first and declaring victory without flaw
Fuck the forty acres and the mule, they gave us niggas the Eagle
Rejecting prior attempts at reparations and deriding a supposed symbol of liberty and unity
Popeyes, spoons and needles (yeah)
Comparing the acquisition of fast food with the danger of drug use
Sold a piece of crack to polices, Mario Van Peebles (uh)
Boasting about outsmarting law enforcement officials and making a pop culture reference to a film director
Serving every prom queen and groupie with that vanilla smoothie (I was prom queen)
Selling drugs to influential people, including high school prom queens, and referencing their status as such
Scary Gary, my nigga, my neighborhood something like Fallujah (yeah)
Acknowledging the dangerous and uneasy state of his neighborhood and comparing it to a war-torn region
Vladimir banana clip, move with Russian collusion shooters (uh)
Asserting the power and danger that comes with having weapons and associating it with Russian interference
Fuck a track, ho, selling that pussy on computers (yeah)
Dismissing the importance of music and instead boasting about making money through sex work online
Pimpin'll never die, Chad Butler in Heaven chuckin' deuces (hold up)
Paying respects to the late rapper Pimp C and noting that his legacy as a pimp will never fade away
Trunk of deuce of hard white fish, then I made a wish (yeah)
Transporting drugs and hoping for continued success
A smoker scrubbin' down my kitchen, I'm never gon' wash a dish (yes)
Reflecting on the extravagance of his lifestyle and the fact that he doesn't need to do the chores himself
It's Mr. Clean, glass, all Palmolive (yeah)
Comparing his cleanliness with the product brand names
These niggas don't know how hard you ridin' 'fore they ass 'til you park it (skrrt)
Others don't understand the level of dedication and sacrifice required for success until it is achieved
In 1998, I sold a Glock 19 chopper
Recalling a past instance of selling a firearm
2018, I'm finna reclaim my fucking time and cop the Rollie flooded
Stating that they plan on taking back control and purchasing an expensive watch despite external challenges
Maxine Waters, fuck your poison, keep your vaccines off us
Rejecting government attempts to control bodies and claiming they are harmful
We got a reality star in the goddamn office, quite like the Reagan days (yeah)
Comparing the current President to an outdated and damaging one, and emphasizing their lack of qualifications
Fernando said they used to move chickens in the Noriega days (yeah)
Sharing details of past drug trade to emphasize his experience and knowledge
I'd disrespect his name, but he signed my face with a razor blade (true story, nigga)
Acknowledging a person's power while also asserting their position
Baby Tony, top of the family like Johnny Sacrimoni (yeah)
Naming influential people and asserting their own status within the organization
Choppin' up this block white top with some Yohji Yamamoto's (uh)
Wearing designer clothing and working at his job of selling drugs
Whoever kill him first gon' get promoted
Revealing the violent and ruthless nature of drug trade and showing that success requires violence
Boy, I was getting my way with murder, before Denzel fucked Viola
Confessing to past violent activity and referencing a film about it
Young nigga, dope money, just have at it, nigga
Encouraging young people to engage in selling drugs
Make money, more money, mathematics, nigga
Asserting that making money is a calculated and mathematical process
But the popos, they coming for your money, nigga
Reminding that law enforcement is a constant threat to anyone involved in drug trade
Play low, I mean low like no money, nigga
Advising to stay out of sight and avoid drawing attention to oneself
Look, real bars are the ill bars
Asserting that honest and truthful music is the best kind
These scars are the only real proof they couldn't kill gods
Claiming that scars serve as evidence of perseverance and invincibility
My coke hand is still sketchin' out my memoirs
Reflecting on drug use and its impact on creativity and storytelling
What I did to door panels on them Windstars
Sharing specific details of past crimes and achievements
Gem stars, left cuts in the dinner plates
Describing the appearance of a weapon used during a crime
It's new stash spots, the AC don't just ventilate
Revealing the lengths that one goes to hide drugs and their determination to ensure its safety
Take over your blocks, young niggas assimilate
Showing ambition and power by taking over other's territory and having younger men learn from it
We all break bread like going Dutch on a dinner date
Nomalizing sharing worldly goods on everyone's terms
The love of your life rap nigga wear fake watches
Calling out other rappers for wearing fake jewelry and not being genuine
The serial number don't match the gift boxes
Asserting that the quality of an object is revealed through attention to detail
The bezel on her ballon bleu do the Tinashe
Referencing an expensive watch and a popular musician to juxtapose their importance
Way more chemical than political
Positing that drug trade is more involved and impactful than political governance
PTSD from what I weighed on the digital
Acknowledging the harm that comes with the drug trade and reflecting on personal struggles
It was snowfall and Reagan gave me the visual
Recognizing the influence of media on the way drugs are perceived and legislated
Obama opened his doors knowing I was a criminal
Acknowledging that previous Presidents may not have seen a 'criminal' as a human being worth supporting despite President Obama's actions
I took a risk, I took a brick
Confessing to engaging in risk-taking activity and indulging in drugs
Took a road trip to a Motel 6
Imagining and reminiscing on past escapades
Get it wholesale and you know I won't tell shit
Claiming loyalty to business associates and secrecy
Ride coattails, then he really want that lit
Showing that some people only want success after others have achieved it
Just another in the mix, nigga, I'm rich, nigga
Subtly dismissing and critiquing the idea of exclusivity and lists within the rap community
Tell me, is you Alpo or Mitch, nigga?
Asking for honesty and loyalty from associates by referencing betrayal in the past
Bet it all, roulette, all on my wrist, nigga
Asserting power through fashion and gambling metaphors
Like Cleo setting it off, taking your bitch, nigga, ooh
Referencing a movie character associated with crime and misogyny
But the low low, like talking to baby mama, nigga
Acknowledging that some of life's struggles lie in personal relationships
Fake rap, tell that bitch this is that show money, nigga
Disparaging other rappers and claiming that his wealth is from legitimate means
I know a guy in my neighborhood
Recalling a past anecdote that reinforces his tough reputation
They had all day to go to bed
Highlighting the premeditated aspect of infidelity in the anecdote
Next morning, his friend went down to the jail
Juxtaposing infidelity and betrayal with violent retribution and making light of it
Hell, if you'd have came Thursday instead of Friday, you'd have gotten me too
Turning betrayal into a humorous and convenient plot twist
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Frederick Tipton, Leon Sylvers, Michael Render, Otis Jackson, Terrence Thornton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hiphopgronk5980
No one slacked here. Thank you Madlib. Thank you Gibbs. Thank you T. Thank you Killer Mike. Thank you Hip-Hop!!
@ebonywhite1388
Agreed
@ChinotheJet
Shit fiery butter
@tonydavis4043
Real recognise real bro!!
@Oakbeast
yeah fire all around but that hook got me.
@deeznutz4u595
@817Grizzy fuck you no name lame. We are here for gibbs. Not some no name lame. Fuck out of here with your spam bullshit you fake ass bitch. Your whack .
@SPACECOWBOY705
I'm not even scared to say it.. this album an instant classic
@Maestro-gh2ei
my guy thats facts
@classof2010president
I’m with u brother.
@LUCIOUSXIV
BIG FACTS