Lucas received widespread exposure and critical acclaim after the release of his single "Ross Capicchioni" in 2015. In June 2017, he released his fourth mixtape, 508-507-2209, which was his first on a major label. On November 28, 2017, Lucas released his single "I'm Not Racist", which quickly went viral, gaining him further attention and praise. The video was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards. Lucas was formerly signed to Atlantic Records, until he announced his departure from the label in December 2018.
Since 2016, Lucas has also become known for remixing popular hip hop songs like "Gucci Gang" by Lil Pump, "Bank Account" by 21 Savage, "DNA" by Kendrick Lamar and many others. In October 2018, he announced his debut studio album ADHD, which was released on March 27, 2020. He began rapping at the age of 10, and attended South High Community School in Worcester.
Gary Maurice Lucas, Jr. was born on August 17, 1988, in Worcester, Massachusetts to a black father and a white mother. He began rapping at the age of 10, and attended South High Community School in Worcester.
Joyner Lucas first started rapping under the name G-Storm, but by 2007 had changed his stage name to Future Joyner and started working with his cousin Cyrus tha Great, forming a group called Film Skool Rejekts. That year they released Workprint: The Greatest Mixtape of All Time. Lucas released his first solo mixtape, titled Listen to Me, in 2011.[citation needed] After rapper Future came to prominence, Lucas dropped the "Future" from his name and continued as Joyner Lucas. He released his first mixtape under this new moniker in 2013, titled LFO's (Low Frequency Oscillators). His next mixtape, Along Came Joyner, was released on April 5, 2015. This mixtape contained his critically acclaimed "Ross Capicchioni". Following the success of the song, Lucas was featured in the 2015 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher. Originally intended to appear in the online-only cypher, he was later promoted to rap as part of the live broadcast cyphers based on the strength of his initial performance.
Lucas signed to Atlantic Records on September 21, 2016. Lucas went on to release a project titled 508-507-2209 on June 16, 2017, with Atlantic Records. The mixtape charted at #7 on the Heatseekers Albums chart on Billboard and contained the singles "I'm Sorry", "Ultrasound", "Just Like You" and "Winter Blues". Ever since 2016, Lucas has also become known for remixing popular hip hop songs.
On November 28, 2017, Lucas released the single "I'm Not Racist" via his YouTube channel. The music video quickly went viral and gained critical acclaim. The controversial song is about race and society, and race relations from the perspectives of a white man and a black man. The video was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards, but lost to Childish Gambino's "This Is America". Lucas and Chris Brown announced a collaborative project titled Angels & Demons on February 25, 2018, with the project's first single "Stranger Things" releasing the following day. On April 1, 2018, Lucas released the single "Frozen", a song focused on different forms of reckless driving. The second single from the Angels and Demons collaborative mixtape, "I Don't Die", was released on May 2.
On July 31, 2018, Lucas announced that he was forced to cancel appearances in the Australian and European legs of his I'm Kind of a Big Deal tour due to hoarseness and laryngitis. A month later, Lucas was featured on "Lucky You" from Eminem's tenth album, Kamikaze. The song debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Lucas' first top 10 entry on the chart. On October 12, 2018, Lucas announced that he would be releasing his debut studio album entitled ADHD. He also announced a single from the album that would be released the following Wednesday. The song, entitled "I Love", was released as the lead single from ADHD, which was released on March 27, 2020. It was preceded by nine singles from October 2018 to March 2020, the time before release.
On August 17, 2020, Lucas announced the release date of his debut EP, Evolution. It was released on October 23, 2020. It was preceded by two singles, "Snitch" and "Fall Slowly" featuring Ashanti.
Lucas has cited several artists as influences in his music, but he cites Eminem as his biggest musical influence. He also revealed he was influenced by Will Smith in his song "Will", which he would release a remix of featuring Will Smith himself on May 15, 2020. He cites Jay-Z as one of his influences too.
Joyner Lucas shares a son named Joyner Messiah Lucas (born February 20, 2016) with Carmen Julissa Ayala, whom he had an off and on romantic relationship with. Lucas tells the story of his son's conception in his song "Forever" on his mixtape 508-507-2209. Joyner Messiah Lucas is loved and adored by his father and referenced in many of his songs. He has also made cameos in his father's music videos. Most recently he played Will Smith's son Jaden Smith in the video of "Will".
Lucas has revealed that the title of his album ADHD comes from the fact that he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. He explained that people surrounding him, including his own parents, made him feel like he was not normal and treated him differently as a result. Eventually, he would act out and get sent to an alternative school after expulsion.
Feuds
Logic
According to Lucas, when he was on Tech N9ne's tour bus, he heard some records from Tech's album The Storm. Lucas expressed interest on collaborating with Logic on the song "Sriracha" and felt that he could add to the display of fast-flow rapping, and Tech acquiesced. Logic was originally slated to be the only feature on "Sriracha", but when he spent over six months to deliver his verse, Lucas hopped on the track to offer his own. Joyner stated that when they got the record back, he could tell that Logic was not "too happy" about him being on the track once he heard it. On his remix of Future's "Mask Off", Joyner, unhappy by the work Logic turned in after taking nearly half a year to edit his verse, directly addressed the disappointing display. Both he and Tech N9ne were upset with Logic for not emulating the style of quick flow on the song.
After Logic's hit song "1-800-273-8255" peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, Joyner Lucas immediately took offense and argued that the track was named in order to bring direct competition to his project, 508-507-2209. In a later interview, he called Logic "corny" and in another incident, he said that he thinks that Logic "can rap" but feels like "he tries to prove that he's black too much for me." With both Logic's single and Lucas' mixtape dealing with the issue of mental health representation and resource allocation, Lucas was careful to not slam the track too hard.
When Logic dropped his song "Yuck" from his mixtape Bobby Tarantino II in March 2018, the veiled diss inside the song was quickly spotted by Lucas and his fans, despite Logic saying that there was no diss in the song. Seemingly nonplussed by the insult, Lucas dared Logic to call him out directly on Twitter. That same month, Joyner took aim at Logic's song "44 More" and his album Everybody on his remix of BlocBoy JB's "Look Alive".
In 2019, the two rappers ended their feud, which was revealed when Logic made a guest appearance on Joyner Lucas' song "ISIS", the third single from ADHD. Lucas kept the name of the collaborator a secret until he released the song.
Hopsin
In September 2018, when a fan asked Los Angeles rapper Hopsin on Twitter who would win in a rap battle between him and Joyner Lucas, Hopsin replied, "That's a dumb question that I'm sure you already know the answer to." Not long after, Lucas commented, "Hold up. @Hopsin wtf is that supposed to mean???" In his response, Hopsin stated that he would "b[r]eak his soul" and also dissed Logic in the comment. This dispute would prove to be short-lived, when in less than two days Hopsin shared a screenshot of a FaceTime call with Lucas, indicating that they finally made peace, but still wanted people to consider who would beat the other in a rap battle. While the majority favored Hopsin, Lucas was adamant without arguing.
Tory Lanez
Joyner Lucas' feud with Canadian recording artist Tory Lanez began over matters similar to his beef with Hopsin. On November 19, 2018, Lanez claimed that he was a better rapper than Joyner Lucas on an Instagram Live session. Incredulous, Lucas immediately responded by inviting Lanez to a battle rapping challenge and telling him to let the public decide who is better. The next day, Lanez dropped a freestyle over Eminem's "Lucky You", of which Lucas made a guest appearance on. In less than 24 hours, Joyner responded with his freestyle over "Litty" by Meek Mill featuring Tory Lanez, also targeting rapper Trippie Redd, who joined Tory's Instagram Live and slandered Joyner's name as well. Shortly after, Lanez retaliated with his own freestyle of "Litty", titled "Litty Again", taking shots at Joyner's collaboration with Eminem. Lucas' answer song was a freestyle of Kodak Black's "Zeze". On the track, he mentions Tory's being accused of plagiarism in 2016, when listeners noticed that the ending of Lanez's song "4am Flex" was similar to Kendrick Lamar's "The Art of Peer Pressure". Joyner also accuses him of copying rapper Don Q's flow on his 2017 Funkmaster Flex freestyle. On November 23, Tory posted on Instagram a video of him declaring victory in the feud and celebrating. Displeased, Lucas reposted the video with his own comment, with a reference to Lanez as a singer.
The end of this rivalry was made public on August 8, 2019, when Joyner Lucas and Tory Lanez collaborated on their remix of "Suge" by DaBaby.
The Grammy Awards are held annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Joyner has two Grammy nominations altogether; one for Best Music Video for “I’m Not Racist” and one for Best Rap Song for “Lucky You” by Eminem.
Keep It 100
JOYNER LUCAS Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Uhh
Yeah
Somebody told me money rules the world
I know you heard that shit
Money's the root to all evil
Blessings and murder shit
Oh, there it go
Damn, it's hot as hell
Punch in a pin code and grab a hundred dollar bill
I snatched it up and went back to my wheels
Hit up the plug and said "I know you got some bud, I need that with some pills"
Meet me outside the gas station on Park Ave, I'll be waiting
Then put the cash in the glove compartment as I sat waiting
Damn, yo where's this nigga at?
Bout to light a cigarette while I ...
Oh, there he go
Open up the glove compartment and told em to light this
Come around and drive inside and, act normal like we ain't making a transaction
Take that (what up, what up)
I dapped him up and got to sliding
He crinkled it up, walked off and put it in his pocket
Off to the strip club with some drinks and some orders
He pull that hundred out his pocket, uncrinkled the corners
Stageside, watching this one bitch shaking and twirling
Busted it open all exotic and maybe she's foreign
She making eye contact
She got on eye contacts
She sees that Benjamin Frank, she keep her eyes on that
She's thinking "I want that"
He takes a sip of his glass
She bend over, he slaps her ass and puts some ones in her crack
He whispers in her ear "How long are you here?
Tell me you single
Oh, you got a man?
Fuck, I don't care
Tell him I'm queer
Save my name as Susan in your contacts
And fuck your relationship, I ain't worried about that
Can I use that red marker, sir?
Let me write my number on this hundred for you
Make sure you hit me up when your boyfriend can't do nothing for you
(508)-507-2209"
She got home and opened her purse as soon as she gets to the door
Counting them dollars, smoking tree while she sit on the floor
I don't think she like how this shit make her feel
But you gotta do what you gotta do when it's time for paying bills
For real
She wanna get high now, uhh
Grab the Benjamin off the floor, she feeling alive now, uhh
Few grams of coke on the table
That's the right now, uhh
She rolled a hundred up and stuck it up her nose like
That's what she call heaven's door
That's what she call Snow White, the white without seven dwarfs
She throw a hundred back at her purse and headed down to the store
She needed blunts for the gas
She needed gas for the Ford
She needed eggs and some dill
She needed cheese and some milk
She needed change
What what number is that?
I said what number is that on the bill, what is that?
Yes, in red, it's like a phone number
What is this?
Never mind
Aye aye, don't you make one muthafucking move
Empty that register
I know you don't need my help
Hurry the fuck up, look
Don't make me repeat myself
Gimme the cash, follow instructions, don't be fucking moving
Cause I'd hate to kill you over something stupid
Now hand me the bread and place your hands on top of your head
Take my tough advice
Turn around and count to a hundred if you love your life
Now keep it a 100
Uhh, keep it a 100
Yeah, keep it a 100
One hundred
Keep it a 100
Yo
Somebody told me money rules the world
I know you heard that shit
Money's the root to all evil
Blessings and murder shit
He put that hundred inside of collection plate on Sunday too
Hope that it'll take away your sins
Maybe someday soon
But anyway they covered the plate and just continued praying
After church the pastor opened it up and started saying
"Lord forgive me but I need this, I've been really static"
And he grabbed the hundred off the top and started staring at it
Held it up to see if it's real or fake
Then looked around to make sure nobody was looking
And then he took it
Damn
Off to the streets with the Lord
Off to go find him a whore
A hundred bucks in the dash and now he riding the course
He see some bitch on the corner
He told her hop in the car
And then she opened the door
Come on bitch, yo hurry the fuck up
I ain't tryna get caught up"
Then continued driving his stuff
Looking for a spot in the cut
How much for head?
A hundred
Now how much for sex?
A hundred
Damn, a hundred?
Come on, that's not a lot
Fuck
Why you playing?
Nah, I'm just saying, that's a lot, bitch
Like gotta calm down, damn
Now she making eye contact
She got on eye contacts
She see that Benjamin Frank
She keep her eyes on that
She's thinking "I want that"
He pulls his dick out his pants
"Ooh God, it's good"
Transaction complete
And she went back to the streets
Back to the cash at the leash
She back to get back on her knees
And she don't like how this shit make her feel
But you gotta do what you gotta do when it's time for paying bills
For real
She wanna retire soon, she swear to God
*smack*
She looked up and seen the hand of God
Oh my God
Forgot she had a pimp
That nigga been looking for her ass for days
Took every single dollar and left her eye black and gray
He be on the corner jamming getting drunk that-a-way
7-Eleven gambling throwing all his cash away, yup
Some say that money rule the world
I know you heard that shit
Money the root to all evil
Blessings and murder shit
Yeah, that pimp just lost that hundred dollars in that dice game
He said "I should've just bet that shit on tonight's game"
Whatever nigga, nice game
The homie who won it walked off with the hundred
Then opened up his wallet
Stuck it inside and then put it in his pocket
Started stomping and running
Feeling so good, started hopping and jumping
Money flopping and rumbling
His eyes is as big as his smile
No stopping him from the prow
He's jogging, skipping around
Till his wallet fell on the ground
A hundred sticking halfway out
In the back of a halfway house
For like three weeks
So don't even ask me how
Check it
A homeless man walks by
Sees a wallet, opens his eyes
And then grabs it, opens to check what's inside and to a surprise
It's money
A couple dollars, a hundred bill with some writing
A number written in red
If he had a phone he would call, but he doesn't
So he says "fuck it, it's mine"
And I'm really hungry and thirsty
I want some beer, a beef jerky
Maybe some ten percent juice
And if the store's open, I need some cigarettes too
True
He walked into the same store on the block
Just so happen to be the same exact store that got robbed
What a coincidence
That shit is just as weird as I thought
The clerk rang him out and said
"That'll be eighteen, twenty-five"
And then he held that hundred out with the red number written on top
And then everything stopped
Yo wassup, this is Joyner
I'm unable to take your call right now
Leave me a brief message and I'll get back to you, peace
Mr. Lucas, Officer Michael Bradley with the police department
Trying to get a hold of you now, this is the third time calling
I need to speak to you with regards to some serious charges
You need to get back to me as soon as possible
Or we'll be showing up at your door with about 10 officers and some handcuffs.
Choice is yours
In Joyner Lucas's song "Keep It 100", he explores the theme of money and the different ways people use it. Throughout the song, he tells various interconnected stories that revolve around the power of money. The lyrics start with somebody telling Joyner that money rules the world, and it's the root of all evil. The first verse tells the story of a person who works a dead-end job, slaving away for ten hours a day. They go to the ATM to withdraw their hard-earned cash, but it's not working. When they eventually get the money, they spend it on drugs and go to a strip club. The chorus emphasizes the importance of keeping it real and honest - keep it a 100.
The second verse describes a pastor who steals a $100 bill from the collection plate on Sunday. He justifies his actions by saying he's going through a tough time. He uses the money to pay for a prostitute, and she uses the money to buy drugs. However, she's caught by her pimp and beaten up. The final verse tells the story of a homeless man who finds the $100 bill on the street. He goes to a convenience store to buy food and cigarettes, but he's mistaken for the robber and held at gunpoint.
Overall, Joyner Lucas's "Keep It 100" portrays the various ways that money can impact people's lives positively and negatively. While it is essential to make a living and pay our bills, we must not lose sight of our values and integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody told me money rules the world
Money is said to be the most powerful force that governs the world
Money's the root to all evil
Money is responsible for most of the wrongdoings in the world
I slaved away for ten hours a day at work and just finally got my check but the ATM isn't working, shit
I worked hard for ten hours a day and finally got paid but I couldn't retrieve my money because the ATM was not functioning
Punch in a pin code and grab a hundred dollar bill
I entered my PIN and took out a hundred-dollar bill
Hit up the plug and said "I know you got some bud, I need that with some pills"
I contacted my drug dealer and requested some marijuana and pills
Meet me outside the gas station on Park Ave, I'll be waiting
Let's meet at Park Avenue gas station
Damn, yo where's this nigga at?
Where is my drug dealer?
Bout to light a cigarette while I ...
I was about to light my cigarette while waiting for my drug dealer
He crinkled it up, walked off and put it in his pocket
He took the money, folded it and put it in his pocket
Stageside, watching this one bitch shaking and twirling
Watching a stripper on stage dancing
She making eye contact
She is looking at me
She sees that Benjamin Frank, she keep her eyes on that
She notices the hundred-dollar bill and is focused on it
He whispers in her ear "How long are you here?
I whispered in her ear to ask how long she would be there
Tell him I'm queer
Tell your boyfriend that I am gay
Can I use that red marker, sir?
Can I borrow that red marker?
Let me write my number on this hundred for you
I will write my phone number on this hundred-dollar bill
She got home and opened her purse as soon as she gets to the door
As soon as she got home, she opened her purse
I don't think she like how this shit make her feel
She doesn't like how this makes her feel
She wanna get high now, uhh
She wants to get high now
Few grams of coke on the table
There are a few grams of cocaine on the table
She rolled a hundred up and stuck it up her nose like
She rolled a hundred-dollar bill and used it to snort the cocaine
That's what she call heaven's door
She calls it heaven's door
He be on the corner jamming getting drunk that-a-way
He is on the corner drinking and gambling
Some say that money rule the world
Some people believe that money is what controls the world
He said "I should've just bet that shit on tonight's game"
He regrets not betting the money on tonight's game
Never mind
Aye aye, don't you make one muthafucking move
Empty that register
Disregard what I just said. Give me all the money in the register and don't move or else I'll hurt you
Take my tough advice
Turn around and count to a hundred if you love your life
Here's some tough advice: turn around and count to one hundred if you value your life
He put that hundred inside of collection plate on Sunday too
He placed the hundred-dollar bill in the collection plate on Sunday
"Lord forgive me but I need this, I've been really static"
I'm sorry God, but I need this money. I'm struggling
And then he took it
He took the money from the collection plate
He see some bitch on the corner
He sees a woman standing on the corner
And then she opened the door
Come on bitch, yo hurry the fuck up
The woman opens the car door and he tells her to hurry up and get in
Looking for a spot in the cut
He is looking for a secluded spot
How much for head?
How much do you charge for oral sex?
Now she making eye contact
She see that Benjamin Frank
She is making eye contact with him and notices the hundred-dollar bill
"Ooh God, it's good"
Transaction complete
She performs oral sex on him and the transaction is complete
She back to get back on her knees
She returns to performing oral sex to earn money
That nigga been looking for her ass for days
Her pimp has been searching for her for several days
He took every single dollar and left her eye black and gray
He took all of her money and physically abused her
He held that hundred out with the red number written on top
He gives the cashier the hundred-dollar bill with a red number on top
And then everything stopped
Everything became silent and still
Mr. Lucas, Officer Michael Bradley with the police department
Trying to get a hold of you now, this is the third time calling
I need to speak to you with regards to some serious charges
You need to get back to me as soon as possible
Or we'll be showing up at your door with about 10 officers and some handcuffs.
Officer Michael Bradley from the police department is trying to reach Joyner Lucas regarding serious charges. He needs to respond as soon as possible or the police will come to his door with backup.
Contributed by Anna B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ddouglas9898
Damn, Lucas, You Have to Be Able To Phatom How Hard Your Lyrics Go.
They're like A Great Mother Oak Tress's Roots, and even if severed, You Can Still Feel Them.
A Bow In Gratitude to all those In Top Service Toward A Field.
However, Rap has trumped and padlocked my Heart Forever & Eternally.
Salute & A Knee, Facedown for Your Poetry........
@PiXimperfect
What a story! Joyner always stands out!
@hsseinnajjar9050
hey bro ... didn't know u are Joyner fan also
@user-xw4mu6nz4t
You're so late lmao
@TDK67DK
Quick recommendation: Dear America and Ross Capicchioni.
@frmydude8275
Only Joyner can make a good song about a $100 bill
@anton.100_7
Exactly
@sarad3378
big facts
@nicknameless_official5121
Ayo come on, y'all forgot about 100$ Bill Y'all by Cube?
@frmydude8275
NickNameLess alright so maybe two ppl😂
@sultanhanga280
Only kendrick lamer can make song about 1$
"How Much doller cost "