Music has played a central roll in Gilbere’s life since birth. Learning from his parents taste, and healthy vinyl collections Gilbere was introduced to the likes of Issac Hayes, Roy Ayers, Phil Colins, and Sade as a youth. By age 9 he was reciting raps from likes of 2Pac, B.I.G. and Outkast, which inevitably led to Gilbere penning his own songs by age 12. In 2000, songwriting gave way to production and an initial foray into beat-making with Fruity Loops and Reason. His sound captured the attention of the neighborhood, where Gilbere soon became known for his mixtapes and for supplying local singers and rappers with the soundtrack to their dreams.
The inspiration to take music seriously led Gilbere to pursue a degree in Entrepreneurship & Business Management at Temple University, where he enrolled in the fall of 2006. As Gilbere progressed as a musician, he was aided by his brother DeNiro’s own growth in the industry. Working in radio, brand management, and through his own production efforts, DeNiro provided Gilbere a trusted guide through the challenges of selling and working in music. Through him, Gilbere was introduced to the Junior Music Executive Program which lead to an internship with Studio 609 and award winning production duo Dre & Vidal. The experience and experimentation with Reason and Logic, along with live instrumentation, presented a true opportunity for Gilbere to carve out his own sonic identity. Staying close to the business while building his musical foundation he took another step in his progression as an artist – teaming up with fellow producer from Temple, Rakib “Raak” Uddin.
In 2009, Gilbere formalized his relationship with Raak. The two busily began preparing Gilbere’s debut. This February, in conjunction with streetwear brand Black Scale, their work made its debut in the form of a widely recognized mixtape sampler Gilbere Forte is BLVCK. The release has successfully solidified Gilbere as a strong voice not to be ignored. With his forthcoming 87 Dreams ahead and momentum buzzing, Gilbere is promising to “change lives, moods, and vibes.”
Pray
Gilbere Forte' Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Michigan feeling nigga, real white jordan 6’s
Went to school in the burbs, but don’t make no difference
White boys on my team, go harder than niggas
We the best in the game but your coach ain’t never listen
Unsigned like a motherfucker, now the labels fishing
Signed a deal a year ago, got out of it cause I ain’t feel the dough
Got a cool meal, on black shepherds, I know you but I’m cool bro
Your mama dressed you for church nigga who you kidding
Dick in the booty ass niggas, you must be shit
They say I’m the greatest in the world, but I’ma tryina live it
Party ass got all the bitches, pg kind agot all the bitches
I’m a treal nigga, in hell figure, my style leave you end up missing
Fashion killer, paris life, hobbing bob sinclair
3000 electro lights
Walk hard, and my soul glow, 3000 electro nights
Got coke lines in the bathroom, baddes bitches live the wild life
Saw bitches give the best head, standing up on my bed
Or drive a gold cart through the shopping mall
Staring up skirts no draws
Cruising in front of your bitch, parking her whip
Talking…both of y’all need to get off of my dick, dick
A nigga came too far, to live a lie
I die young to be still alive
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
Hah, who is surviving america, on the top floor, hysteria
Looking down to my life, like how the fuck did I marry her?
Life’s a bitch but she suck a good dick
Hands fatter than the bottom of a …sitting low on 23 inch
Shush, belly of the beast but I ain’t hungry though
Vegan life for you pop rose, I know…flow
Andre …when I walk oh, …sweater when I’m laying low
I’m on the back and neat blowing heylows
With …by the case loads
One day I’ma ball like, jay dub and susu
On a private jet to el ritmo, instagraming my phone too
Wanna play by the…god damn, must be crazy
Fucking like I’m in the 80’s, ’87 I been that baby
Bombs, bombs, blown away, my swag done fucked your girls away
I sound myself, put your clothes away, rock here the beat, that’s a throwaway
Can’t find the body, motherfucking cold case, fuck everybody
Y’all no g, middle finger to them niggas dick ride to me
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
My daddy dead, I was born a blessing, born a blessing
Summer time in 92, back seat, I was rolling benzes
…that’s outside, I’m coming home, that grammy time
… 4 mile blood, I wheel that…
That I knew all life, you niggas gift…
Nigga, you think this the death of a dynasty
This art of war, … of me, I’ve been quite too long
Jay y nigga pass that loud, smoking on that heaven
Can you see them clouds
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
The lyrics of Gilbere Forte's "Pray" are filled with powerful and insightful observations about life, success, and the struggles that come with it. The opening lines, "Your time of death, my cost to living, Michigan feeling nigga, real white Jordan 6's" set the tone for the rest of the song, which deals with themes of race, class, and personal struggle. The artist speaks about growing up in Michigan, attending school in the suburbs, and playing sports with white teammates who were often more devoted to the game than black players. He also talks about his experience in the music industry, from being unsigned to signing a deal and then getting out of it because he didn't feel the financial benefits.
Throughout the song, the artist uses vivid imagery and metaphor to convey his powerful emotions. He speaks about "dick in the booty ass niggas," referencing those who try to hold him back or tear him down, and describes himself as a "fashion killer," indicating his unique sense of style and creativity. He also speaks about "coke lines in the bathroom" and "baddest bitches living the wild life," painting a picture of the excess and temptation that are often associated with the music industry. Ultimately, however, the artist acknowledges that he has come too far to live a lie and is determined to succeed and thrive despite the obstacles in his way.
Line by Line Meaning
Your time of death, my cost to living
My existence is a result of your passing
Michigan feeling nigga, real white jordan 6’s
I come from Michigan and wear clean white Jordan 6’s
Went to school in the burbs, but don’t make no difference
I went to school in the suburbs, but it doesn’t define me
White boys on my team, go harder than niggas
The white boys on my team work harder than black folks
We the best in the game but your coach ain’t never listen
We are the best team but the coach never listens to us
Unsigned like a motherfucker, now the labels fishing
As an unsigned artist, record labels are trying to sign me now
Signed a deal a year ago, got out of it cause I ain’t feel the dough
I signed a deal but got out of it because it wasn't paying me enough
Got a cool meal, on black shepherds, I know you but I’m cool bro
I have a million dollars and wear black Air Jordan 3s. I know you, but we're not really cool
All black, all black, all black, my nigga, but you a known christian
I dress in all black, but you claim to be a Christian
Your mama dressed you for church nigga who you kidding
Your mom dresses you for church, so you're not as tough as you portray
Dick in the booty ass niggas, you must be shit
Men who have sex with men must be shit
They say I’m the greatest in the world, but I’ma tryina live it
People say I'm the best, but I'm still trying to prove it
Party ass got all the bitches, pg kind agot all the bitches
People who party get all of the women, even the good girls
I’m a treal nigga, in hell figure, my style leave you end up missing
I'm a genuine person, and my style will make others want to imitate me
Fashion killer, paris life, hobbing bob sinclair
I'm a fashion icon who enjoys the Parisian lifestyle and listening to DJ Bob Sinclar
3000 electro lights
I enjoy bright and flashing lights
Walk hard, and my soul glow, 3000 electro nights
I work hard and have a positive, confident attitude. I also enjoy bright lights at night
Got coke lines in the bathroom, baddes bitches live the wild life
I do drugs in the bathroom, and the most attractive women live a wild lifestyle
Saw bitches give the best head, standing up on my bed
I've seen women give the best oral sex while standing on my bed
Or drive a gold cart through the shopping mall
I also enjoy driving a golf cart through the mall
Staring up skirts no draws
I look up women's skirts and they don't wear underwear
Cruising in front of your bitch, parking her whip
I'm driving in front of your girlfriend and parking her car
Talking…both of y’all need to get off of my dick, dick
Stop following me and leave me alone
A nigga came too far, to live a lie
I've come too far in my career to live a lie
I die young to be still alive
Even though I'm still alive, I feel like I've lived a lot already and could die young
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
We should stop and ask for guidance through prayer
Hah, who is surviving america, on the top floor, hysteria
Who can survive in America, with all the chaos going on?
Looking down to my life, like how the fuck did I marry her?
I look at my life and wonder how I got where I am now
Life’s a bitch but she suck a good dick
Life is difficult, but there are moments of pleasure
Hands fatter than the bottom of a …sitting low on 23 inch
My hands are larger than a particular object and I'm driving with large rims
Shush, belly of the beast but I ain’t hungry though
I'm in a dangerous place, but I'm not afraid
Vegan life for you pop rose, I know…flow
I know you're on a vegan diet, but I still have a great rap flow
Andre …when I walk oh, …sweater when I’m laying low
I'm wearing Andre 3000's clothes when I'm walking around and a particular sweater when laying low
I’m on the back and neat blowing heylows
I'm sitting in the backseat, blowing smoke rings
With …by the case loads
I have drugs by the case load
One day I’ma ball like, jay dub and susu
One day I will have as much money as Jay Z and his wife Beyonce (Susu)
On a private jet to el ritmo, instagraming my phone too
I'll be on a private jet to El ritmo, while also posting on Instagram
Wanna play by the…god damn, must be crazy
I want to have fun but it's a bad idea
Fucking like I’m in the 80’s, ’87 I been that baby
I have old-school sex skills like I was born in the 80's
Bombs, bombs, blown away, my swag done fucked your girls away
My style is so impressive that I stole your girlfriend away
I sound myself, put your clothes away, rock here the beat, that’s a throwaway
I like my own music and don't need any compliments. This beat is not worth keeping
Can’t find the body, motherfucking cold case, fuck everybody
I don't care about anyone else's opinion and don't leave any evidence when committing crimes
Y’all no g, middle finger to them niggas dick ride to me
You aren't real and show fake support for others, while I'm the real deal
My daddy dead, I was born a blessing, born a blessing
My dad is dead, but my birth was still a blessing
Summer time in 92, back seat, I was rolling benzes
In the summer of 1992, I was in the backseat of a Benz
…that’s outside, I’m coming home, that grammy time
I'm coming home to the place where I belong, probably after winning a Grammy award
… 4 mile blood, I wheel that…
I represent a particular blood gang from a specific area
That I knew all life, you niggas gift…
I've known certain people my whole life, but some are fake
Nigga, you think this the death of a dynasty
You might think this is the end of a powerful group, but it's not
This art of war, … of me, I’ve been quite too long
I've been quiet for too long, but now I'm ready to use war tactics
Jay y nigga pass that loud, smoking on that heaven
Jay Z, pass that strong marijuana, because it feels like heaven
Can you see them clouds
I'm so high, I can see clouds
Let us pray, let us pray, let us pray
An invitation to pray and seek guidance before ending the song
Contributed by Alexandra M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SnowyAJAX
2020 and this is still one of the most slept on songs I’ve ever heard
Colten C
2021 still up there.
Roger Vazquez
2022 still a banger
Colt Brooks
2023 too
B C
2022 and this song is still one of the hardest.
Danny Garcia
Still Go Crazy Like The First Time I Heard It 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Robert Garcia
Most slept on rapper ever
XAVIERTHEVIRGO
I swear bro drop this n left 😂
Kevin James
Dude I’ve been rocking with this song since high school freshman year.
jada mouay
yes