What We Do
Freeway Lyrics


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(feat. Beanie Sigel, Jay-Z)
[Freeway]
Man if I get rocked, this shit for my kids nigga
It's that real shit...
[female singer, repeated throughout the verses]

Even though what we do is wrong...
We still hustle 'til the sun come up
Crack a 40 when the sun go down
It's a cold winter

Y'all niggaz better bundle up
And I bet it be a hotter summer, grab a onion
Yes the ROC gets down, you hot now, listen up
Don't you know cops' whole purpose is to lock us down?

And throw away the key
But without this drug shit your kids ain't got no way to eat, huh?
We still try to keep Mom...smilin'...
'Cause when the teeth stop showin' and the stomach start growlin'

Then the heat start flowin'
If you from the hood I know you feel me ([Jay-Z:] Keep goin'...)
If a sneak start leanin' and the heat stop workin'
Then my heat start workin' I'm-a rob me a person

Catch a nigga sleepin' while he out in the open...and I'm-a get him ([Jay-Z:] Keep flowin'...)
We gotta raise our kids while we livin'
Make a million off-a record bail my niggaz outta prison
Fuck a Bentley or a Lexus just my boys in the squadder

Nigga talk reckless then I hit 'em with the Smif 'n...
But I'm never snitchin' I'm a rider
If my kids hungry snatch the dishes out ya kitchen
I'll be wylin' til they pick me outta line-up...

We keep the nines tucked, chopped dimes up, rap about it
Wyle out, fuck niggaz up, laugh about it
I'm not tryin' to visit the morgue but Freeway move out 'til I sit with the Lord
'Til I...get my shit together, clean up my sins

Freeway got it in like 10 in the mornin'
And I can get it to ya like 10 while you yawnin' mang...
Still deliver the order mang!
And I ain't talkin' bout chicken and gravy mang!

I'm talkin' bout bricks 'o ye-yo, halves and quarters
4 and a halves of hash you do the math
Swing past us scoop up your daughter
She want to roll wit' a thug that rap, you do the math
He won't blast 'til my stacks in order mang!

[Jay-Z]
... Mang! Lemme get 'em Free
Hove never slackin' mang, zippin' in the black Range
Faster than the red ghost, gettin' ghost wit' Pac-Mang
One-time know a got a knack to get that change

Leader of the black gang, are-O-see mang
Bang like T-Mac, ski mask air it out
Gotta kill witnesses 'cause Free's beard's stickin' out
Y'all don't want no witness shit, we squeeze hammers mang

Bullets breeze by you, like Lousiana mang...
But I gotta feed Tianna mang...
So I move keys you can call me the Piano Man
Rain...sleet, hail...snow man

Slang dough, E, hydro man...

[Beanie Sigel]
...no, B. Sige in the third lane
Gramps still prayin' workin on my nerves man...
Like, "Son you gotta get your soul clean...
Before they blow them horns like Coltrane..."

But still I cry tears of a hustler
Wipe tears from my mother, pull out beers for her brothers...
That's above us, make beds for the babies
Tuck kids under covers, buy cribs for their mothers

Shit I'll probably be wylin' with their fathers
Tell Ms. Robert, tell Enijah that I'm ridin' for her father
That's like my brother, like same mother different father
Any problems dog know I got 'em

And still we grind from the bottom
Just to make it to the bottom sold crack in the alleyways
Still gave back Marcy a Dollar Day
Real gangstas make hood holidays

They ain't thank us but we still paid homage mang




Soul Food Sunday lookin' like Big Momma's mang
Tell the gang I never break my promise mang... mang... unnh!

Overall Meaning

In "What We Do," Freeway, Beanie Sigel, and Jay-Z reflect on the harsh realities of living in impoverished communities and turning to drug dealing as a means of survival. Freeway starts by saying that if he gets caught, the drug dealing is for the sake of his children. Despite the illegality of their actions, they continue to hustle day and night to provide for themselves and their families. The female singer's repeated line, "Even though what we do is wrong," echoes the idea that they are aware of their actions' implications, but they have no other choices. The trio acknowledges that the police see their community's residents as a menace and seeks to imprison them.


Freeway describes the dire circumstances that make it impossible to give up the drug trade, hunger, and poverty. However, he and the other rappers make it clear that they are not proud of their lifestyle, nor do they want to engage in it forever. Freeway says that they must keep their children fed, and he'll hold up a store if he must. Jay-Z speaks about the long-lasting consequences of their actions and how it impacts their children. Even though his daughter Tiana needs him, he moves keys and avoids the police. Beanie Sigel's verse is about his religious beliefs, the shame he feels for participating in drug trafficking, and the emotional toll of losing people to drugs.


Line by Line Meaning

Man if I get rocked, this shit for my kids nigga It's that real shit...
I'm doing all this illegal stuff for my children because it's the only way they can thrive in the impoverished conditions of the hood.


[female singer, repeated throughout the verses] Even though what we do is wrong...
We acknowledge that what we're doing is wrong but we have no choice due to the systemic oppression in our community.


We still hustle 'til the sun come up Crack a 40 when the sun go down It's a cold winter
We work hard all day and relax with a drink at night despite the harsh weather conditions.


Y'all niggaz better bundle up And I bet it be a hotter summer, grab a onion Yes the ROC gets down, you hot now, listen up Don't you know cops' whole purpose is to lock us down?
We're warning others to prepare themselves for the harsh realities of the hood and cautioning them about the purpose of police in our neighborhoods.


And throw away the key But without this drug shit your kids ain't got no way to eat, huh?
If we don't sell drugs, our kids will starve because there are few other opportunities to provide for them.


We still try to keep Mom...smilin'... 'Cause when the teeth stop showin' and the stomach start growlin' Then the heat start flowin'
We do our best to make our loved ones happy and protect them, but if someone threatens our families, we have to get violent to defend them.


If you from the hood I know you feel me ([Jay-Z:] Keep goin'...) If a sneak start leanin' and the heat stop workin' Then my heat start workin' I'm-a rob me a person
We empathize with others from our communities who relate to our struggles and will do whatever it takes to survive, including committing crimes if necessary.


Catch a nigga sleepin' while he out in the open...and I'm-a get him ([Jay-Z:] Keep flowin'...) We gotta raise our kids while we livin'
We have to be on the lookout for opportunities to make money and protect our families, even if it means taking advantage of other people's vulnerabilities.


Make a million off-a record bail my niggaz outta prison Fuck a Bentley or a Lexus just my boys in the squadder
We prioritize using our success and wealth to help our friends who are struggling, rather than showing off material possessions.


Nigga talk reckless then I hit 'em with the Smif 'n... But I'm never snitchin' I'm a rider
I'm not afraid to use violence to defend myself or my crew, but I'll never betray my community or friends by talking to the police.


If my kids hungry snatch the dishes out ya kitchen I'll be wylin' til they pick me outta line-up...
I'll do whatever it takes to make sure my children don't go hungry, even if that means taking food from someone else's kitchen or getting arrested for stealing.


We keep the nines tucked, chopped dimes up, rap about it Wyle out, fuck niggaz up, laugh about it
We stash our guns, sell drugs, and boast about our violent exploits in music, using humor as a way to cope with the bleak reality of our lives.


I'm not tryin' to visit the morgue but Freeway move out 'til I sit with the Lord 'Til I...get my shit together, clean up my sins
I don't want to die young, so I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing until I can clean up my life and turn things around.


Freeway got it in like 10 in the mornin' And I can get it to ya like 10 while you yawnin' mang... Still deliver the order mang! And I ain't talkin' bout chicken and gravy mang!
I have drugs available all the time, and I can get them to you quickly and easily, like a food delivery.


I'm talkin' bout bricks 'o ye-yo, halves and quarters 4 and a halves of hash you do the math Swing past us scoop up your daughter She want to roll wit' a thug that rap, you do the math He won't blast 'til my stacks in order mang!
I'm selling large quantities of drugs and urging others to do the math and see how much money can be made from it. I'm also suggesting that young women are into guys who rap about being tough and criminal, and that I won't use my gun unless I need to protect my money.


... Mang! Lemme get 'em Free Hove never slackin' mang, zippin' in the black Range Faster than the red ghost, gettin' ghost wit' Pac-Mang One-time know a got a knack to get that change Leader of the black gang, are-O-see mang
I'm jumping in to rap now and boasting about my own wealth and power, including my ability to evade the police and my leadership role in the ROC gang.


Bang like T-Mac, ski mask air it out Gotta kill witnesses 'cause Free's beard's stickin' out Y'all don't want no witness shit, we squeeze hammers mang Bullets breeze by you, like Lousiana mang...
I'm bragging about my violent tendencies and explaining that we'll do whatever it takes to get away with our crimes without leaving behind witnesses.


But I gotta feed Tianna mang... So I move keys you can call me the Piano Man Rain...sleet, hail...snow man Slang dough, E, hydro man...
I'm justifying my illegal actions by saying I need to provide for my daughter. I'm also letting people know I sell various drugs no matter the weather condition.


...no, B. Sige in the third lane Gramps still prayin' workin on my nerves man... Like, "Son you gotta get your soul clean... Before they blow them horns like Coltrane..."
I'm introducing myself to the rap and talking about my grandfather's religious beliefs and how he urges me to clean up my life before it's too late.


But still I cry tears of a hustler Wipe tears from my mother, pull out beers for her brothers... That's above us, make beds for the babies Tuck kids under covers, buy cribs for their mothers
Despite our involvement in criminal activity, we still have emotions and care about our family. We make sure they are taken care of and comforted.


Shit I'll probably be wylin' with their fathers Tell Ms. Robert, tell Enijah that I'm ridin' for her father That's like my brother, like same mother different father Any problems dog know I got 'em
I'm close with friends' families and will do whatever it takes to protect them, even if it means getting involved in dangerous situations.


And still we grind from the bottom Just to make it to the bottom sold crack in the alleyways Still gave back Marcy a Dollar Day Real gangstas make hood holidays They ain't thank us but we still paid homage mang
Even though we engage in crime, we also try to give back to our communities, even when it's not appreciated. We believe in celebrating where we came from and showing respect to our fellowhood people.


Soul Food Sunday lookin' like Big Momma's mang Tell the gang I never break my promise mang... mang... unnh!
We like to gather together and eat good food like we're at a big family dinner, and I'm telling my crew that they can always count on me to keep my word and stay loyal.




Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SHAWN CARTER, SHAWN C CARTER, DWIGHT GRANT, LESLIE PRIDGEN, SKIP SCARBOROUGH, JUSTIN GREGORY SMITH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@40kkal

2024 Still Blasting This ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ

@KimGloverMurrell

Me to

@1Ataya

215 all day!

@mohamedhamisi9766

I'm here men....

@ted.25blu57

That sixers clip brought here. Lady in the green hoodie somebody said. I seen them folk rapping them lyrics like their life depended on it

@scootert35

Can't go too long without bumping this.

7 More Replies...

@VinDieselXXX

This generation don't have winter time hip-hop like this๐Ÿ˜ญ

@eatwellnesshalalalternativ4602

Lol just alot of summer jams ๐Ÿ˜’

@henrysedillo5834

10,000$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

@biggunk7254

Jake Steed that shit that made you stay outside and hustle

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