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."
Supplier
Freddie Gibbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, the thing that i was taught that "Only The Strong Survives"
You know meaning with, meaning that whether you had to, you know
Scrape, bait, or whatever you had to do, man
The thing was to get it, it really didn't matter what the means was
Or how you had to go and get it
That'd mean you had to, step on 10 people to get a dollar
And you know that this is what I'd heard constantly, "Only The Strong Survive"
The lyrics of Freddie Gibbs's song "Supplier" are a commentary on the harsh realities of drug dealing in the black and Mexican communities. The first line, "They're supplying dope to the black and Mexican communities," highlights how drug dealers prey on the vulnerabilities of these marginalized groups by providing them with substances that they are often unable to resist due to poverty, unemployment, or addiction.
The following lines, "Only The Strong Survives," speak to the cutthroat nature of the drug trade, and the belief that only those who are determined and ruthless enough can make it to the top. The singer acknowledges that this mentality often results in harming others, as people climb the ladder by stepping on others to get ahead. However, this toxic attitude is often reinforced and normalized in these communities as a means of survival.
Overall, "Supplier" sheds light on the systemic issues that contribute to drug addiction and violence in underserved communities, and the devastating impact of the drug trade on vulnerable individuals and their families.
Line by Line Meaning
They're supplying dope to the black and mexican communities
Drug dealers are purposely targeting and providing illegal drugs to predominantly Black and Mexican neighborhoods.
Yeah, the thing that i was taught that 'Only The Strong Survives'
The singer was taught that the ability to persevere and succeed relied on strength and determination.
You know meaning with, meaning that whether you had to, you know
This means that regardless of the circumstances or actions needed to obtain money and resources, the end goal was to survive and succeed.
Scrape, bait, or whatever you had to do, man
The artist suggests that people will resort to any means necessary to earn a living, including illegal activities.
The thing was to get it, it really didn't matter what the means was
Success in survival meant obtaining money and resources, regardless of the method involved.
Or how you had to go and get it
The singer is emphasizing the importance of obtaining money and resources by any means possible.
That'd mean you had to, step on 10 people to get a dollar
The singer is referencing the harsh reality of cutthroat economics, often resulting in individuals exploiting and oppressing others to gain wealth and resources.
Then you step on 10 people
The artist reiterates on the struggle and brutal action it takes to fulfill the goal of obtaining resources to survive and achieve financial security.
And you know that this is what I'd heard constantly, 'Only The Strong Survive'
Throughout the artist's life, they have been conditioned to believe that perseverance, strength, and survival skills are essential to succeed in life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CriptoniteG
Those drums are so perfect. Amazing way to open up an album.
@elizabethmcnabb972
the Gaturs
@sicckko
killed it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7Z_AXlfgBk
@t.s.9897
"They're supplying dope to the Black and Mexican communities..."
This track always gets me SO pumped for the rest of the album. Fucking legendary transition into Scarface; Blo---Blood Gushin'...Â
God damn.
@Themingemoblie
I think I hear a siren......Â
@t.s.9897
Scrooge McFuck POINT BLANK!
@gedbeat15
"Down for a motherfuckin' 187 nigga?"
@gedbeat15
The first 2 tracks remind me of the beginning of "Sweet Sweetback's Badasss Song" when Sweetback is running from the cops.
@carlin843
One of the greatest hip-hop openings ever.
@Kooliow12
Zebra print on the Album, Bongo instrumental on the first track.... lol its like opening a book