U Don't Know
Jay-Z/Musicfire.in Lyrics
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I'm from the streets where the
Hood could swallow a man, bullets'll follow a man
There's so much coke that you could run the slalom
And cops comb the shit top to bottom
They say that we are prone to violence, but it's home sweet home
Where personalities crash and chrome meets chrome
But this is worse than the Dow Jones your brains are now blown
All over that brown Brougham, one slip you are now gone
Welcome to hell where you are welcome to sell
But when them shells come you better return 'em
All scars we earn 'em, all cars we learn 'em like the back of our hand
We watch for cops hopping out the back of van
Wear a G on my chest, I don't need Dapper Dan
This ain't a sewn outfit homes, homes is about it
Was clapping them flamers before I became famous
For playing me y'all shall forever remain nameless
I am Hov'
Sure I do, I tell you the difference between me and them
They trying to get they ones, I'm tryin' to get them M's
One million, two million, three million, four
In just five years, forty million more
You are now looking at the forty million boy
I'm rapping Def Jam 'til I'm the hundred million man
R., O., C.
I came into this motherfucker a hundred grand strong
Nine to be exact, from grinding G-packs
Put this shit in motion ain't no rewinding me back
Could make 40 off a brick but one rhyme could beat that
And if somebody would of told 'em that Hov' would sell clothing
Heh, not in this lifetime, wasn't in my right mind
That's another difference that's between me and them
Heh, I'm smarten up, open the market up
One million, two million, three million, four
In eighteen months, eighty million more
Now add that number up with the one I said before
You are now looking at one smart black boy
Momma ain't raised no fool
Put me anywhere on God's green earth, I'll triple my worth
Motherfucker, I, will, not, lose
I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I am a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well
I was born to get cake, move on and switch states
Cop the Coupe with the roof gone and switch plates
Was born to dictate, never follow orders
Dickface, get your shit straight, fucker this is Big Jay
Will, not, lose, ever, fucker!
In the song "U Don't Know," Jay-Z gives a portrayal of life growing up in the streets, where death is the norm and everyone is just trying to survive. The opening line of "Turn my music high, high, high, high-er" is an invitation to turn up the volume, as Jay-Z is about to reveal some truths about his upbringing. He goes on to paint a picture of a neighborhood where bullets are as common as breaths of air and the police presence is heavy. Despite the obvious danger, Jay-Z emphasizes that the hood is home sweet home, where cars crash, and people live and die by the code of the streets.
Jay-Z then switches gears and raps proudly about his success and financial gains, emphasizing the difference between him and the others who are merely trying to make a quick buck. He acknowledges the sacrifices he made along the way, and the risks he took to get to where he is now. Jay-Z is a self-proclaimed hustler, selling products even where there is no need or market for them, and in his familiar braggadocious style, he asserts that he will never lose, no matter what.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn my music high, high, high, high-er
I want my music to be played so loud that it's heard everywhere
I'm from the streets where the Hood could swallow a man, bullets'll follow a man
I come from an urban neighborhood where violence is rampant and you could easily become a victim
There's so much coke that you could run the slalom
There's so much cocaine in the streets that you could ski down the hills created by it
And cops comb the shit top to bottom
Police intensively search the area for illegal activity
They say that we are prone to violence, but it's home sweet home
Although our neighborhood is seen as violent, we still see it as our home
Where personalities crash and chrome meets chrome
Our world is one of cars and their personalities colliding
The coke prices up and down like it's Wall Street homes
The price of cocaine is as unstable as the stock market
But this is worse than the Dow Jones your brains are now blown
The drug game is riskier than any investment on Wall Street, you could get killed anytime
All over that brown Brougham, one slip you are now gone
One mistake and you could lose your life or end up in jail
Welcome to hell where you are welcome to sell
The drug game is so dangerous that it's like being in hell, but anyone can join and participate
But when them shells come you better return 'em
When bullets fly, you better fight back
All scars we earn 'em, all cars we learn 'em like the back of our hand
We learn everything the hard way, through scars and experience of stolen cars
We watch for cops hopping out the back of van
We always stay alert for any signs of the police coming after us
Wear a G on my chest, I don't need Dapper Dan
I wear my own clothes, I don't need a designer like Dapper Dan to make me look good
This ain't a sewn outfit homes, homes is about it
My style is about the streets, not a designer suit
Was clapping them flamers before I became famous
I was shooting guns before I became a celebrity
For playing me y'all shall forever remain nameless
I don't forgive those who underestimate me
Sure I do, I tell you the difference between me and them
I can explain to you what sets me apart from others
They trying to get they ones, I'm tryin' to get them M's
Other rappers are trying to make thousands while I'm trying to make millions
One million, two million, three million, four
I've made millions already and will make even more
In just five years, forty million more
I've made forty million in five years and will continue to make more
You are now looking at the forty million boy
I'm a millionaire
I'm rapping Def Jam 'til I'm the hundred million man
I'll continue to make music for Def Jam Records until I've made a hundred million
I came into this motherfucker a hundred grand strong
I started out with a hundred thousand dollars in the music industry
Nine to be exact, from grinding G-packs
I made that money selling drugs
Put this shit in motion ain't no rewinding me back
Once I started making money, there was no going back
Could make 40 off a brick but one rhyme could beat that
I could make forty thousand selling drugs, but I can make more money with one hit song
And if somebody would of told 'em that Hov' would sell clothing
If someone had said I would start a clothing line, no one would have believed them
Heh, not in this lifetime, wasn't in my right mind
I never thought I would be a businessman, it seemed impossible to me at first
That's another difference that's between me and them
I'm not just a rapper, I'm a businessman too
Heh, I'm smarten up, open the market up
I've become smarter and opened new markets for myself
In eighteen months, eighty million more
I've made eighty million in a year and a half
Now add that number up with the one I said before
I've made more than a hundred million in my career so far
You are now looking at one smart black boy
I'm a smart, successful black man
Momma ain't raised no fool
I was raised to be smart and savvy
Put me anywhere on God's green earth, I'll triple my worth
I can make money anywhere, no matter the location
I sell ice in the winter, I sell fire in hell
I can sell anything, no matter the circumstances
I am a hustler baby, I'll sell water to a well
I'm a natural salesman and can sell anything to anyone
Was born to get cake, move on and switch states
I was born to make money and move on quickly to new opportunities and locations
Cop the Coupe with the roof gone and switch plates
I buy new cars and switch the license plates to avoid being caught by the police
Was born to dictate, never follow orders
I'm a leader, not a follower
Dickface, get your shit straight, fucker this is Big Jay
Don't mess with me or try to bring me down, I'm a successful, wealthy man
Will, not, lose, ever, fucker!
I will never give up or stop winning, no matter what
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOBBY BYRD, SHAWN CARTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind