Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs.
Ghostface Killah was raised in the Stapleton housing projects in Staten Island, New York. In his autobiographical song "All That I Got Is You", Ghost tells the story of his childhood. He raps about how he grew up in a three bedroom apartment without his father, who left him at the age of six. Apparently, his mother had nine children.
His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing.
He was also a close friend of the three founding members of Wu-tang clan
Grew Up Hard
Ghostface Killah Lyrics
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My nigga Halloween, we gon' get rich this year, nigga (see)
Sip on this little bit of odor, made brown
Zone out, turn the lights off
Ant boogie, what up? Uh-huh
In the crib, with my wiz, getting my grown man on
Listening to classic soul, with the slow jams on
Popping beers, almost twenty five years in the town
I seen niggas die off, like dandelions in the fall
Niggas heard of Chip Banks and left him lying in the hall
Your boy Sandy Brock was ill, like Kobe Bryant with the ball
It's no exceptions, even the biggest giants gotta fall
Cause we living in denial, but these lessons are vital
When marinating in the slums, you gotta practice survival
Now everybody wants to be next American idol
But these are more than just songs pressed up your vinyl
Being rich is a poor man's dream, and we all wanna shine
But we all can't green, knahImean?
Being rich is a poor man's dream, and we all wanna shine
But we all can't green
[Chorus]
I grew up hard, maybe you grew up harder
But I ain't been to many operas
Or had money for private doctors
As harsh it sound, these just a tears of a clown
I grew up hard, maybe you grew up harder
The message is I'm too strong to hold down
I know the ledge, and I ain't planning to drown
As harsh it sound, these just a tears of a clown
Momma ain't raised no fool, they say we gotta save the children
But first, we gotta save our spoons
I was taught not to waste my food
Even if I didn't like it, every scrap on my plate got chewed
Either you ate, or you didn't eat, the memories are bitter sweet
Used to get teased by my friends, cause I had bigger feet
I think about them jokes and laugh, crack a smile
Cause as a child, I never knew that being broke was bad
Growing up I was close to my dad, but that still didn't stop a nigga
From putting that coke in them bags
That was the past, now, I'm riding with the oak in the dash
Got jealous niggas hating, big time, hoping I crash
I can't blame 'em, and on the same note, I can't change 'em
Let a nigga disrespect my shit, I'm gonna flame 'em
That's word to my son little Jay, my little homey
Ask niggas how your boy get down, ain't nothing phony
[Chorus]
Yeah, they say two heads are better than one, and in the process
I learned that slow progress, is better than none
That's why I'm still here pursuing my goals, baking that bread
In the bakery, if I ain't out, doing no shows
I hit the block, once in a blue, and front with the crew
And show niggas a good time, by getting drunk in the stud'
Some niggas find happiness, with a blunt and a brew
They talented niggas, but they just need something to do
It's kinda hard try'nna look beyond buildings and bricks
We can't condone broken homes, when our children is sick
Tryina' survive off the cereal and milk from the WIC
And all the good ones we got, be getting killed in the mix
He could of been the next Jordan, who knows, the next Emmit
Young Tiger Woods, or the new Arthur Ashe of tennis
That's why I'm looking past the gimmicks, getting cash with Dennis
Criminal grind, we gonna smash the business
[Chorus]
Yeah, when you see that big thing pull up
Don't be mad at us, man, be glad, we done made it from the projects
We done came up, Stapleton Houses, man
Straight up, Theodore, Toney Starks Enterprise
In the song "Grew Up Hard," Ghostface Killah reflects on his rough upbringing and the struggles faced by those growing up in poverty. The opening lines suggest a desire to succeed and get rich, specifically mentioning his friend Halloween. However, the rest of the song is a sobering reflection on the harsh realities of life in the ghetto. Ghostface discusses listening to classic soul and Tears of a Clown while drinking and shedding tears over the loss of friends to violence. He also touches on themes of survival, humility, and the desire to succeed despite one's circumstances. This is emphasized by the chorus, which repeats the phrase "I grew up hard" and references the tears of a clown.
The song has a melancholy, reflective tone that is typical of Ghostface's style. His lyrics are deeply personal and introspective, offering a powerful commentary on the struggles of growing up in poverty. It is both a tribute to those who have not had it easy and a defiance of the difficulties he has faced in his own life.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh-huh, who, just smoothing it out, right now
Ghostface Killah is just hanging out and relaxing.
My nigga Halloween, we gon' get rich this year, nigga (see)
Ghostface Killah is planning on making a lot of money with his friend Halloween.
Sip on this little bit of odor, made brown
Ghostface Killah is drinking a little bit of liquor that is brown in color.
Zone out, turn the lights off
Ghostface Killah is getting in a relaxed head space by turning off the lights.
Ant boogie, what up? Uh-huh
Ghostface Killah greets his friend Ant Boogie.
In the crib, with my wiz, getting my grown man on
Ghostface Killah is at home with his girlfriend, acting like a responsible adult.
Listening to classic soul, with the slow jams on
Ghostface Killah is listening to classic soul music with slow, romantic ballads.
Smokey Robinson, Tears of a Clown, shedding tears
Ghostface Killah is listening to the song 'Tears of a Clown' by Smokey Robinson and is very moved by it.
Popping beers, almost twenty five years in the town
Ghostface Killah has been in town for almost 25 years and is opening some beers to drink.
I seen niggas die off, like dandelions in the fall
Ghostface Killah has seen many people die, often unexpectedly and in large numbers like dandelions that fall off in autumn.
Niggas heard of Chip Banks and left him lying in the hall
Someone named Chip Banks was beaten up and left lying in a hallway.
Your boy Sandy Brock was ill, like Kobe Bryant with the ball
Someone named Sandy Brock was very skilled at something, like Kobe Bryant was skilled at basketball.
It's no exceptions, even the biggest giants gotta fall
Everyone, even very successful people, can hit hard times and fail.
Cause we living in denial, but these lessons are vital
People are often in denial about their problems, but it's important to learn from them.
When marinating in the slums, you gotta practice survival
When living in impoverished areas, one must learn to survive and cope.
Now everybody wants to be next American idol
Many people aspire to be famous singers like those on 'American Idol.'
But these are more than just songs pressed up your vinyl
Music is important and can have a significant impact on people's lives.
Being rich is a poor man's dream, and we all wanna shine
Many people want to be successful and wealthy, but for poor people, this is often just a dream.
But we all can't green, knahImean?
But not everyone can be wealthy and successful, you know what I mean?
Momma ain't raised no fool, they say we gotta save the children
Ghostface Killah's mother raised him to be smart and responsible, and people believe it's important to help save the children of the community.
But first, we gotta save our spoons
Before we can help others, we need to take care of ourselves and our own problems.
I was taught not to waste my food
Ghostface Killah was raised not to waste his food.
Even if I didn't like it, every scrap on my plate got chewed
Ghostface Killah was raised to be grateful for what he had and to never waste any food.
Either you ate, or you didn't eat, the memories are bitter sweet
If you didn't eat, it was a difficult memory to look back on, but having food to eat was a sweet memory to cherish.
Used to get teased by my friends, cause I had bigger feet
Ghostface Killah's friends used to tease him because he had large feet.
I think about them jokes and laugh, crack a smile
Ghostface Killah thinks back to those days and laughs.
Cause as a child, I never knew that being broke was bad
When Ghostface Killah was young, he didn't realize that being poor was a bad thing.
Growing up I was close to my dad, but that still didn't stop a nigga From putting that coke in them bags
Ghostface Killah had a close relationship with his father, but it didn't stop him from getting involved in selling drugs.
That was the past, now, I'm riding with the oak in the dash
Ghostface Killah used to sell drugs, but now he's moving on with his life and has a fancy car.
Got jealous niggas hating, big time, hoping I crash
Some people are jealous of Ghostface Killah's success and want him to fail.
I can't blame 'em, and on the same note, I can't change 'em
Ghostface Killah understands why people may be envious, but he can't do anything to change their feelings.
Let a nigga disrespect my shit, I'm gonna flame 'em
If someone disrespects Ghostface Killah, he will respond strongly and aggressively.
That's word to my son little Jay, my little homey
Ghostface Killah swears to his son that he has his back and will always protect him.
Ask niggas how your boy get down, ain't nothing phony
People can ask around about Ghostface Killah and will hear that he's genuine and true to himself.
Yeah, they say two heads are better than one, and in the process
People say that two people working together is better than one when trying to accomplish something.
I learned that slow progress, is better than none
Ghostface Killah learned that it's better to make progress slowly than not at all.
That's why I'm still here pursuing my goals, baking that bread
Ghostface Killah is still pursuing his goals and making money.
In the bakery, if I ain't out, doing no shows
Ghostface Killah is working in a bakery when he's not performing in shows.
I hit the block, once in a blue, and front with the crew
Ghostface Killah occasionally hangs out on the street with his friends.
And show niggas a good time, by getting drunk in the stud'
Ghostface Killah and his friends have a good time by drinking and partying in their recording studio.
Some niggas find happiness, with a blunt and a brew
Some people are happy with just smoking weed and drinking beer.
They talented niggas, but they just need something to do
Some people have a lot of talent but don't have anything to do with it.
It's kinda hard try'nna look beyond buildings and bricks
It's difficult to see past the poverty and poor conditions in the community.
We can't condone broken homes, when our children is sick
People need to take responsibility for their own actions and not allow their homes to fall apart when their children are suffering.
Tryina' survive off the cereal and milk from the WIC
Some people are struggling to survive and can only afford cereal and milk from support programs like the WIC.
And all the good ones we got, be getting killed in the mix
All the good people in the community are getting killed or caught up in the violence and chaos.
He could of been the next Jordan, who knows, the next Emmit
Someone in the community could have been a talented athlete like Michael Jordan or Emmitt Smith, but we'll never know.
Young Tiger Woods, or the new Arthur Ashe of tennis
Someone in the community could have been a talented golfer or tennis star like Tiger Woods or Arthur Ashe, but we'll never know.
That's why I'm looking past the gimmicks, getting cash with Dennis
Ghostface Killah is looking past the superficial aspects of the music industry and focusing on making money with his partner Dennis.
Criminal grind, we gonna smash the business
Ghostface Killah and his partners are working hard in the music industry and will succeed no matter the challenges they face.
Yeah, when you see that big thing pull up
When Ghostface Killah arrives in his fancy car,
Don't be mad at us, man, be glad, we done made it from the projects
People shouldn't be angry at Ghostface Killah for his success; they should be happy that he's made it out of the projects.
We done came up, Stapleton Houses, man
Ghostface Killah and his partners have come a long way from their home in the Stapleton Houses housing project.
Straight up, Theodore, Toney Starks Enterprise
Ghostface Killah and his partners are part of the Theodore and Toney Starks business enterprises.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Y, INEZ FOXX, MACK RICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind