Early career
Hi-Tek started his rap career with hip hop group Mood and had a regional hit with "Hustle on the Side". That song was made for Mood's album Doom, which featured amongst others Brooklyn MC Talib Kweli. Talib and Hi-Tek clicked immediately, and Hi-Tek went on to produce most of Talib Kweli and Mos Def's Black Star (1998). In 2000, Tek and Kweli (under the name Reflection Eternal) released Train of Thought (2000) on Rawkus Records, with raps by Talib Kweli and beats by Hi-Tek. It enjoyed moderate crossover radio success with the single "The Blast" and eventually earned Gold status in record sales. The pair have yet to release a follow-up album due to creative differences.
Current career
After signing to Rawkus Records, Tek produced for some of their projects, including the popular Soundbombing series, a three-record compilation of Rawkus artists. During his tenure there, he grew unhappy with their treatment of him, such as a time they forced him to give a beat he'd produced for Snoop Dogg to label signee Kool G Rap, who didn't want the beat.
In 2001, he released his solo album Hi-Teknology on Rawkus. The album featured raps by artists like Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Vinia Mojica, Buckshot, and others, all produced by Hi-Tek. It received some critical acclaim and spawned a minor hit "Round and Round" with Cincinnati singer Jonell.
Although the record sold over 250,000 copies, Hi-Tek wasn't pleased with the job Rawkus did with his album, and he left the label shortly after its release. He then signed to MCA Records after the song "Round and Round" became an underground hit. While signed to MCA, Hi-Tek produced the album Hi-Teknology 2 and produced Jonell's debut album for Def Jam, though neither of these albums were released.
Currently, Hi-Tek is working as a staff producer for Aftermath Entertainment and its affiliates, as well as past associates such as Kweli and Mos Def. He is also recording songs for Dion, an R&B singer signed to Aftermath. Hi-Teknology 2 was released October 17, 2006 on Babygrande, and distributed by Koch Entertainment. The producer released the third installment, Hi-Teknology 3: Underground on December 11, 2007.
Hi-Tek was featured on the cover of Beyond Race magazine for the publication's winter 2008 issue.
Round & Round
Hi-Tek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, yeah, oh
I try and I try to stop the
Forces that go 'round in my head and I
Thought you were the one to understand me
You turned my dark skies to light
But once again you touched my hopes to find
Falling again, falling again
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
If you don't understand where I'm comin' from
Then my heart is tellin' me you're not the one
All the games you played and I realized
You're not the one for me no more so baby bye-bye
Pack yo' bags and get to steppin'
You got to let it go, you need to stop trippin'
I hope you don't think I'ma let you back in
'Cause you's a fool
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain (it's gonna rain)
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain (hey)
Today I made up my mind to get away
Every day, I sit and pray, every day, every day
Today I made up my mind to get away
Every day, I sit and pray, every day, every day
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
I really don't know what you came here for (today I'm gonna take a little time)
Round and around we go (to get away)
I'm sending your bags outside the door (every day, I sit and pray)
Round and around we go (every day)
Every day
Round and around we go
To get away
Round and around we go
Hi-Tek (round and around we go)
Round and round, round and round (round and around we go)
We go round and round
We go inside out (round and around we go)
We go back and forth
We go round and round (round and around we go)
Did you hear me?
In Hi-Tek's song "Round & Round", the artist is addressing a relationship that has gone awry. He is expressing his frustration with a partner who he feels doesn't understand him, but who he once looked to for light and love. The lyrics are infused with a sense of circularity, as if the situation described in the song is a pattern that Hi-Tek has been caught in before. The chorus repeats the phrases "round and around we go" and "I'm sending your bags outside the door" multiple times, emphasizing the idea of a relationship that has come full circle and is now coming to an end.
Hi-Tek is direct in his dialogue with his partner, telling them that they need to "let it go, stop trippin'", and that he won't be letting them back in. He is insistent that the partner's bags be moved out of his space, a physical manifestation of the emotional separation that he is seeking. The repeated refrain of "it's gonna rain" adds a sense of urgency and impending doom to the song.
Overall, "Round & Round" is a song about finding the strength to end a toxic relationship and move on, even if doing so requires cutting off someone whom Hi-Tek once cared deeply for.
Line by Line Meaning
I try and I try to stop the
Forces that go 'round in my head and I
Thought you were the one to understand me
You turned my dark skies to light
But once again you touched my hopes to find
My soul's insane, my tears start gleaming in the rain
Falling again, falling again
The singer is feeling like a prisoner to his own thoughts and emotions, and although he thought he had found someone who could help him understand himself, it seems that person has let him down and left him feeling lost and hopeless once again.
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
I really don't know what you came here for
Round and around we go
I'm sending your bags outside the door
Round and around we go
The singer is frustrated with his partner, who seems to be playing games and causing him to feel trapped in a cycle of arguments and misunderstandings. He is ready to be done with this person's drama and is kicking them out of his life.
If you don't understand where I'm comin' from
Then my heart is tellin' me you're not the one
All the games you played and I realized
You're not the one for me no more so baby bye-bye
Pack yo' bags and get to steppin'
You got to let it go, you need to stop trippin'
I hope you don't think I'ma let you back in
'Cause you's a fool
The singer realizes that his partner is not able to understand him or treat him right, and so he's walking away for good. He's calling out their manipulative behavior and telling them to leave him alone, because he knows they'll only cause more hurt in the long run.
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain (it's gonna rain)
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain
It's gonna rain, it's gonna rain (hey)
The singer is predicting tough times ahead, but he's also acknowledging that rain is necessary for growth and rebirth. He's ready to weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side.
Today I made up my mind to get away
Every day, I sit and pray, every day, every day
Today I made up my mind to get away
Every day, I sit and pray, every day, every day
The singer is actively choosing to remove himself from the negative environment he's been stuck in. He knows that he needs to take time for himself, stay centered, and focus on the things that really matter to him.
Hi-Tek (round and around we go)
Round and round, round and round (round and around we go)
We go round and round
We go inside out (round and around we go)
We go back and forth
We go round and round (round and around we go)
Did you hear me?
The repetition of the phrase 'round and round we go' highlights the cyclical nature of the singer's struggles, but it also reminds us that every time we hit a low point, there's the potential for momentum and growth. Hi-Tek is urging us to pay attention and stay aware of the patterns in our own lives, so that we are better equipped to break free from chaos and achieve real progress.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Tony Cottrell, Shannon Showes, Clifford Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind