Haystak (born Jason Winfree) is a rapper native of Nashville, Tennessee. He… Read Full Bio ↴Haystak (born Jason Winfree) is a rapper native of Nashville, Tennessee. He is most renown for his style of rapping he refers to as "white trash", that talks about growing up white, poor, and in the South.

Early life

Haystak was born to teenage parents, raised by his grandmother, and grew up in the poorest environment. As he got older, Haystak began engaging in a life of crime. But all that ended after being arrested on charges of drug possession at the age of 15.[citation needed]

Music

Haystak began rapping after being released two years later, but no one gave him the chance to prove himself. So Haystak took a daring chance and joined a local label called Street Flava Records and producers Kevin Grisham and Sonny Paradise. They produced his debut album, Mak Million, in 1998. With his description of the southern way of life from a white boy's point of view, Haystak won the respect of his peers in the underground rap scene and was recognized by the people of Nashville, both white and black. Two years later, Car Fulla White Boys came out with many fans waiting eagerly. With his success, Koch Records signed Haystak and rereleased Car Fulla White Boys that same year. In 2002, Haystak's third album, The Natural, was released on Koch. Since then, Haystak's fame has grown greatly, and he even played a small role in the 2005 film Hustle and Flow.

Discography:

Year Album Title
1998 Mak Million
2000 Car Fulla White Boys
2002 The Natural
2003 Return Of The Mak Million
2004 Portrait Of A White Boy
2005 From Start to Finish
2005 The New South
2006 The Southwest Connection
2007 Crackavelli
2008 Hard 2 Love
2008 Cracks The Safe
2009 The Natural II
2009 Came Along Way
2010 Easy 2 Hate

Listen
Haystak Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Intro:]
Telephone rings... This is Haystak... wat up dude...
What'chall gonna do... naw just stay with them broads man...
Y'all in the jacuzzi huh...naw, naw, Imanna rhyme... but go
Ahead y'all have a good time... Hangs up... Cha'

I ain't got no time to fuck off money laid up in the hot tub,
Cuz where I'm from time flies by like hot subs,

Cops love to pull you over 'n' search your shit,
Call a female officer to come 'n' search your bitch,
You can't trust neara' motha' fucker to know where you live,
Cuz your frien's turn to your foes,
Bullets holes in the crib,
It's a trip, how the tables have turned,
From bein' broke, to spendin' money like you had paper to burn,
You haters gonna learn what most players already know,
Need to worry 'bout ya own hoes, worry 'bout ya own doe,
Windows break, gun blasts echo,
Swore revenge on 'em, now you just can't let go,
Gotta chip on your shoulder, I know how ya feel,
Pushed over the edge, yous a killa for real,
I bet you sleep with yo' steel,
Ready to let it rang out,
Enemies catch ya slippin' they gonna blow ya brains out,

[Chorus:]
"Listen," "Listen,"
"What the fuck, you can't handle it?"
"Listen," "Listen,"
"What the fuck you gonna do?"
"Listen," "Listen,"
"Can't you recognize game?"
"Listen," "Listen,"
"Video survalience, unit one,
We are monitoring the suspect,"

You may got the feds outside, as we speak,
Posted up watchin' you, from across the street,
Rumor has it you offed yo' peeps,
Took over they territory, bought you a jeep,
Iced your teeth and your pinkys
Phones piercin' your ears,
Up in Vips screamin' ain't no bitches in here,
Whatcha mouth
You shinin' like a headlight playa,
You ain't gotta brag,
"That's the mother fuckin' feds right there,"
They hard to spot in the club,
Workin' they plain clothes,
Versatchi shirts, rollies, gators 'n' kangoes,
Look just like you do,
Airs, Axe, FuBu,
You think dudes cool,
But he's the fuckin' police,
You out there shinin', braggin', flossin', yo jew'ry,
Next thing you know you caught up in fronta the damn gran' jury,
Be careful who you talk to,
Neva' let 'em see ya be sof' dude,
These fools tryin' ta off you,
Hear me talkin' to you nephew...

[Chorus:]
"Listen," "Listen,"
"They don't know who they fuckin' with,"
"Listen," "Listen,"
"They can't recognize game,"
"Listen," "Listen,"
"Why the fuck they can't handle it,"
"Listen," "Listen,"
"Think ol' plain clothes dude goin'ta kill you man,"

Robbin' the wrong motha fucker got you caught in the win'
You went into hidin', started offin' your frien's,
Sent ya a message, the next victim 'ill be ya kin,
You put him in that position,
Now he got to do you in,
This fool goes crazy, he done been to the pen,
3 or 4 times, for killin' 5 or 6 men,
You had the hook up,
Front ya twenty, you pay for ten,
Five days shouldn't pass 'fo' you page him again,
Well, six days passed 'fo' they found yo ass,
Filled fulla bullet holes naked in the trash,
Shell casin's on the ground from a 44mag.,
Money that you owed still beside you in a bag,
Slit yo throat from ear ta ear, pulled yo tounge thru yo neck,
Local cops blamed it on the Columbian connects, and ah,

Couple days after you was gone, yellow tape came down,
And life went on...So "Listen," "Listen," "Listen"...

Overall Meaning

The song "Listen" by Haystak is a cautionary tale of the dangers of living a reckless and flashy lifestyle. Haystak describes the allure of fast money and partying, but also the consequences that come with it. He warns listeners about the risks of getting caught up in illegal activities like drug dealing, robbery, and murder, and the potential consequences of attracting the attention of law enforcement.

Haystak speaks from experience when he raps about how quickly life can change. He acknowledges that it's easy to go from having nothing to spending money like it's going out of style, but he also acknowledges that money and material possessions can attract unwanted attention. Specifically, he highlights the dangers of being under surveillance and the risk of attracting the attention of the police.

The chorus of the song urges listeners to "listen" to his message and avoid making the same mistakes. Haystak speaks like a streetwise elder, imparting hard-earned wisdom to his audience. The song is a reminder that actions have consequences, and that no one is invincible.

Line by Line Meaning

Telephone rings... This is Haystak... wat up dude...
Haystak receives a phone call and greets the caller

What'chall gonna do... naw just stay with them broads man...
The caller asks Haystak what he has planned and Haystak advises him to spend time with his female companions

Y'all in the jacuzzi huh...naw, naw, Imanna rhyme... but go Ahead y'all have a good time... Hangs up... Cha'
The caller informs Haystak that he is in a jacuzzi, but Haystak tells him that he is going to write a rap instead of joining them. Haystak wishes the caller a good time and hangs up

I ain't got no time to fuck off money laid up in the hot tub,
Haystak has no interest in wasting his time or money lounging in a hot tub

Cuz where I'm from time flies by like hot subs,
Haystak states that in his hometown, time seems to pass very quickly

Cops love to pull you over 'n' search your shit,
Police officers in Haystak's hometown frequently stop and search individuals

Call a female officer to come 'n' search your bitch,
Police officers call in female officers to search female individuals

You can't trust neara' motha' fucker to know where you live,
Haystak suggests that it's difficult to trust anyone to know where you live

Cuz your frien's turn to your foes,
Haystak points out that friends can quickly become enemies

Bullets holes in the crib,
Haystak has experienced gun violence in his home

It's a trip, how the tables have turned,
Haystak is amazed by how circumstances can drastically change

From bein' broke, to spendin' money like you had paper to burn,
Haystak recalls a time when he was poor and now he is spending his money excessively

You haters gonna learn what most players already know,
Haystak suggests that his detractors will learn a lesson that most successful individuals already know

Need to worry 'bout ya own hoes, worry 'bout ya own doe,
Haystak advises people to focus on their own relationships and finances

Windows break, gun blasts echo,
Haystak describes the sounds of gun violence, as windows shatter and gunshots are heard

Swore revenge on 'em, now you just can't let go,
Haystak suggests that individuals who seek revenge cannot seem to forgive and forget

Gotta chip on your shoulder, I know how ya feel,
Haystak understands the feeling of having a grudge

Pushed over the edge, yous a killa for real,
Haystak suggests that someone who has been pushed too far can become a killer in reality

I bet you sleep with yo' steel,
Haystak argues that some people sleep with a gun for protection

Ready to let it rang out,
Haystak suggests that some people are always prepared to fire their weapon

Enemies catch ya slippin' they gonna blow ya brains out,
Haystak warns that enemies will take advantage of any moment of weakness and kill you

"Listen," "Listen,"
Haystak repeats the word "listen" to grab the listener's attention

"What the fuck, you can't handle it?"
Haystak questions why someone cannot handle the truth he is presenting

"What the fuck you gonna do?"
Haystak questions what someone will do about the situation

"Can't you recognize game?"
Haystak suggests that some people cannot see the game or situation for what it is

"Video survalience, unit one,
A voice recording is activated

We are monitoring the suspect,"
The voice recording indicates that the suspect is under surveillance

You may got the feds outside, as we speak,
Haystak suggests that the police may be outside someone's residence

Posted up watchin' you, from across the street,
The police are keeping a close eye on the suspect from a distance

Rumor has it you offed yo' peeps,
There are rumors that the suspect has killed their own people

Took over they territory, bought you a jeep,
The suspect has taken over their enemies' territory and invested in a new vehicle

Iced your teeth and your pinkys
The suspect has spent money on dental and jewelry enhancements

Phones piercin' your ears,
The suspect has ear piercings with large earrings

Up in Vips screamin' ain't no bitches in here,
The suspect is at a VIP location and is proud to announce that there are no women present

Whatcha mouth
Haystak advises the suspect to be careful and aware of their surroundings

You shinin' like a headlight playa,
The suspect is drawing attention to themselves

You ain't gotta brag,
Haystak suggests that the suspect doesn't need to boast

"That's the mother fuckin' feds right there,"
Haystak points out that the police are in front of the suspect

They hard to spot in the club,
Haystak notes that undercover police are difficult to identify

Workin' they plain clothes,
Haystak points out that police officers are working in plain clothes

Versatchi shirts, rollies, gators 'n' kangoes,
Police officers dress stylishly and expensively

Look just like you do,
Haystak suggests that the suspect and police officers are very similar in appearance

Airs, Axe, FuBu,
Haystak describes popular clothing brands

You think dudes cool,
The suspect thinks that another individual is cool

But he's the fuckin' police,
Haystak reveals that the individual the suspect thinks is cool is actually a police officer

You out there shinin', braggin', flossin', yo jew'ry,
Haystak points out that the suspect is showing off their jewelry and being flashy

Next thing you know you caught up in fronta the damn gran' jury,
Haystak warns that the suspect could soon be facing a grand jury

Be careful who you talk to,
Haystak advises the suspect to be aware of who they are speaking to

Neva' let 'em see ya be sof' dude,
Haystak suggests that the suspect should never let others see them as weak or vulnerable

These fools tryin' ta off you,
Haystak warns that others are attempting to kill the suspect

Hear me talkin' to you nephew...
Haystak emphasizes that he is giving the suspect important advice

"They don't know who they fuckin' with,"
The suspect suggests that their enemies do not understand their power

"They can't recognize game,"
The suspect suggests that their enemies cannot see reality clearly

"Why the fuck they can't handle it,"
The suspect questions why their enemies cannot handle the situation

"Think ol' plain clothes dude goin'ta kill you man,"
The suspect believes that the plain-clothed police officer is a threat to their life

Robbin' the wrong motha fucker got you caught in the win'
Haystak implies that the suspect has tried to rob the wrong person and realizes that they are in trouble

You went into hidin', started offin' your frien's,
The suspect has gone into hiding and has started killing their friends

Sent ya a message, the next victim 'ill be ya kin,
One of the suspect's enemies has sent them a message saying that the suspect's next victim will be a family member

You put him in that position,
Haystak suggests that the suspect's actions have led to this situation

Now he got to do you in,
The suspect's enemy feels that he has no choice but to kill the suspect

This fool goes crazy, he done been to the pen,
The suspect's enemy has gone insane and has been to prison several times

3 or 4 times, for killin' 5 or 6 men,
The suspect's enemy has killed five or six people and has been to prison multiple times for it

You had the hook up,
Haystak suggests that the suspect had a connection or opportunity

Front ya twenty, you pay for ten,
The suspect was given a deal where they pay for ten items but receive twenty

Five days shouldn't pass 'fo' you page him again,
Haystak suggests that the suspect should contact their connection again after five days

Well, six days passed 'fo' they found yo ass,
The authorities found the suspect six days after their last communication with their connection

Filled fulla bullet holes naked in the trash,
The suspect was found dead with multiple gunshot wounds and naked in a garbage bin

Shell casin's on the ground from a 44mag.,
The shell casings that were found by the authorities were from a .44 Magnum firearm

Money that you owed still beside you in a bag,
The money that the suspect owed their connection was found next to them in a bag

Slit yo throat from ear ta ear, pulled yo tounge thru yo neck,
The suspect's throat was slit from ear to ear, and their tongue was pulled through the wound

Local cops blamed it on the Columbian connects, and ah,
Local authorities tried to blame the murder on Colombian drug connections

Couple days after you was gone, yellow tape came down,
A few days after the suspect's death, crime scene tape was used to cordon off the area

And life went on...
Haystak concludes that life moves on even after a violent death

"Listen," "Listen," "Listen"...
Haystak repeats the word "listen" to stress the importance of his story and advice

Contributed by Harper S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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