That theme became to be us, it became to be our — it personified our personality and our relationship through the years. It was one of those things that blurred the line between art and life, like, you know, whether it’s art imitating life or life imitating art.
Clark Kent talked about the track in an interview with Complex:
Jay had this song all ready, and now he’s looking for the rhymer to go on it. It was going to be Lil’ Shyheim, that’s who he was going to get. […] Then someone told Bee-High and Jay that this little dude Malik—the name Bleek came from Malik—was spittin’. He was little, but we wanted to hear him because we wanted someone to be on this song.
So me and Bee-High sat with him in the projects and made him rhyme all day like, ‘Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going, say another one, say another one.’ We wanted to believe he was actually an MC before we were like, ‘Here’s this song, get on it.’
Jay had the whole song laid out already of how he wanted it to be, and told him what he was supposed to do. Jay [referenced the verse already], so he just had to do it. It’s just that he did it so perfectly.
Coming of Age
Jay-Z Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come experience, life as we know it
As some of you should know it, yeah, yeah
Place, Marcy, Brooklyn
Actions, well, y'all know the actions
Uh, I got this shorty on my block always clocking my rocks
He likes the style and profile I think he wanna mock
To honeys hawkin I'm the hottest nigga in New York and
I see his hunger pains, I know his blood boils
He wanna, run with me, I know this kid'll be loyal
I watched him make a few ends, to cop his little sneakers and gear
Then it's just enough for re-up again
I see myself in his eyes, I moved from Levi's
To Guess to Versace, now it's diamonds like Liberace
That's just the natural cycle, nobody wanna be like Michael
Where I'm from, just them niggas who banned from a gun
We out here trying to make hard white into cold green
I can help shorty blow out like Afro-Sheen
Plus I can relive my days of youth which is gone
That little nigga's peeps, it's time to put him on
It's time to come up (and hold my own weight, defend my crown)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand my ground)
It's time to come up (stick up my chest, and make some loot)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand on my own two)
I'm out here slinging bringing the drama
Trying to come up in the game
And add a couple of dollar signs to my name
I'm out here serving disturbing the peace, life could be better
Like my man reclined in plush leather seats
He's selling weight, I'm selling eight, balls
Sixteen trying to graduate to pushing quarters y'all
I ain't gon' sweat him I'ma let him come to me
If he give me the nod then these niggas gon' see
I'm tired of being out here 'round the clock
And breaking day, and chasing crackers up the block for my pay
I'm staying fresh, so chickens check
I'm trying to step up to the next level, pushing 'Vettes to the Jets
Diamonds reflect from the sun, directly in your equilibrium
And stunned I'm waiting for my day to come
I got the urge, to splurge, I don't wanna lifetime sentence
Just give me the word
It's time to come up (and hold my own weight, defend my crown)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand my ground)
It's time to come up (and stick up my chest, and make some loot)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand on my own two)
Hey fella I been watching you clocking
(Who me holding down this block it ain't nothing)
(You the man nigga now stop fronting)
I like your style
(Nah, I like yo' style)
Let's drive around awhile
(Cool nigga) here's a thou'
(A G? I ride with you for free)
(I want the long term riches and bitches)
Whoa, now listen to me
You let them other niggas get the name, skip the fame
Ten thou' or a hundred G keep yo' shit the same (on the low?)
Yeah, the only way to blow
You let your shit bubble quietly
(And then you blow!) hey keep your cool
The only way to peep a fool is let him show his hand
Then you play your cards
(Then he through dealing I understand)
Don't blow your dough on hotties
(The only thing I got in this world is my word and my nuts)
(And won't break em for nobody!)
Ha, I like resume, pick a day, you can start
(From now until death do us part)
It's time to come up (and hold my own weight, defend my crown)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand my ground)
It's time to come up (stick up my chest, and make some loot)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand on my own two)
It's time to come up (and hold my own weight, defend my crown)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand my ground)
It's time to come up (stick up my chest, and make some loot)
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand on my own two)
"Coming of Age" is a song by Jay-Z featuring Memphis Bleek. The song explores the life of young men in Marcy, Brooklyn, and their pursuit of success and respect. The song's lyrics are about how Jay-Z and Memphis Bleek help a younger person in the ghetto come up and gain respect. Although it's a song about ambition, the lyrics also implicitly acknowledge the illegal activities undertaken by young people to achieve their goals.
Jay-Z raps about how he can relate to the young man who wants to emulate his lifestyle: the money, the women, the style. He sees himself in the young man and recognizes the hunger for success that he had at a young age. He wants to help the young man, but also wants to relive his own youth. Thus, the song explores the cycle of ambition and mentorship, with the older generation helping the younger generations to achieve greatness.
Overall, "Coming of Age" is a song about mentoring, ambition, and the cycle of poverty that drives young people to engage in illegal activities to achieve success.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah
Introducing the beginning of the song
Come experience, life as we know it
Join us in witnessing the reality of our lives
As some of you should know it, yeah, yeah
Our way of life is familiar to some, but not everyone
Place, Marcy, Brooklyn
Our story takes place in the Marcy housing projects of Brooklyn, New York
Actions, well, y'all know the actions
Our actions and what we do is already known to you all
Uh, I got this shorty on my block always clocking my rocks
There is a young person in my neighborhood who's paying close attention to what I'm doing
He likes the style and profile I think he wanna mock
He is attracted to the way I carry myself and may be trying to copy me
He likes the way I walk, he sees my money talking
He admires my confidence as I walk and he can see my success in how much money I make
To honeys hawkin I'm the hottest nigga in New York and
I am considered the most popular guy in New York by the women who are interested in me
I see his hunger pains, I know his blood boils
I can see his eagerness and desire to become successful like me
He wanna, run with me, I know this kid'll be loyal
He wants to work with me and I believe he will remain faithful to me
I watched him make a few ends, to cop his little sneakers and gear
I've observed him saving up money to buy clothes and shoes
Then it's just enough for re-up again
After he buys what he wants, he has enough money left over to buy more
I see myself in his eyes, I moved from Levi's
I can see myself in his situation, as I used to wear lower quality clothing like Levi's
To Guess to Versace, now it's diamonds like Liberace
I've progressed to wearing high-end name brands like Versace and now have enough money to buy diamonds
That's just the natural cycle, nobody wanna be like Michael
This is a natural progression and ascension, people don't want to stay the same or be stagnant like Michael Jordan's career
Where I'm from, just them niggas who banned from a gun
In my area, there are people who are not allowed to own guns
We out here trying to make hard white into cold green
We are out here trying to turn cocaine into cash
I can help shorty blow out like Afro-Sheen
I can help him become successful and recognizable like a popular hair product Afro-Sheen
Plus I can relive my days of youth which is gone
By working with him, I can re-experience the excitement of my younger days which have passed me by
That little nigga's peeps, it's time to put him on
It's time for me to help out and show that young guy the ropes
It's time to come up (and hold my own weight, defend my crown)
It's time for me to succeed on my own and defend my status at the top
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand my ground)
I need to be firm and defend myself when challenged
It's time to come up (stick up my chest, and make some loot)
I need to assert myself and make more money
Gots to lock it down and when they rush (stand on my own two)
I must stay strong and confident when faced with challenges
I'm out here slinging bringing the drama
I'm out here selling drugs and stirring up trouble
Trying to come up in the game
I'm trying to rise to the top of the drug game
And add a couple of dollar signs to my name
By doing this, I aim to make a lot of money
I'm out here serving disturbing the peace, life could be better
I'm out here selling drugs and causing trouble, but I know there's a better life for me
Like my man reclined in plush leather seats
Like my friend who is enjoying a luxurious life, sitting comfortably in expensive leather chairs
He's selling weight, I'm selling eight, balls
He is selling larger quantities of drugs, while I'm selling smaller quantities called 'eight balls'
Sixteen trying to graduate to pushing quarters y'all
At sixteen years old, I'm trying to work my way up to selling larger amounts of drugs, called 'quarters'
I ain't gon' sweat him I'ma let him come to me
I'm not going to pressure him to work with me, I'll let him come to me on his own terms
If he give me the nod then these niggas gon' see
If he agrees to work with me, then others will see that we are a team
I'm tired of being out here 'round the clock
I'm exhausted from working all the time
And breaking day, and chasing crackers up the block for my pay
I'm tired of working all day and having to run away from police ('crackers') to get paid
I'm staying fresh, so chickens check
I'm keeping myself looking good so that girls will check me out
I'm trying to step up to the next level, pushing 'Vettes to the Jets
I am aiming to upgrade my lifestyle and drive nicer cars from Corvettes to private jets
Diamonds reflect from the sun, directly in your equilibrium
My diamonds shine extremely bright that it directly impacts your vision
And stunned I'm waiting for my day to come
I'm excited to see what my future holds and waiting for my big break to arrive
I got the urge, to splurge, I don't wanna lifetime sentence
I have a strong desire to spend a lot of money, but I don't want to be stuck in jail for life as a result of my actions
Just give me the word
All I need is someone to give me the go-ahead to make my move
Hey fella I been watching you clocking
Hey man, I've been watching you and noticing what you're doing
(Who me holding down this block it ain't nothing)
(Are you talking about me? Holding down this block is an easy task)
(You the man nigga now stop fronting)
(You're the man now, don't try to hide it)
I like your style
I like the way you carry yourself
(Nah, I like yo' style)
(No, I like your style more)
Let's drive around awhile
Let's take a ride around the block
(Cool nigga) here's a thou'
(Alright bro, take this thousand dollars)
(A G? I ride with you for free)
(A thousand dollars? I'd ride with you even without payment)
(I want the long term riches and bitches)
(I want to be successful in the long term and have many women)
Whoa, now listen to me
Wait, I have something important to tell you
You let them other niggas get the name, skip the fame
Don't worry about being famous, let the other guys have that title
Ten thou' or a hundred G keep yo' shit the same (on the low?)
Whether you make ten thousand or a hundred thousand, keep your lifestyle the same (and keep it a secret)
Yeah, the only way to blow
The only way to become successful is by keeping quiet and not exposing yourself too much
You let your shit bubble quietly
Let your success grow slowly and quietly
(And then you blow!) hey keep your cool
(And then you become successful!) But make sure to stay calm and not let your success go to your head
The only way to peep a fool is let him show his hand
The only way to find out if someone is a fool is by letting them reveal themselves through their actions
Then you play your cards
Once you see who is foolish and who is smart, you can make your decisions accordingly
(Then he through dealing I understand)
(Once you make your move, and they realize you're onto them, they'll stop trying to work with you)
Don't blow your dough on hotties
Don't waste your money on women
(The only thing I got in this world is my word and my nuts)
(The only things I truly have are my word and my dignity)
(And won't break em for nobody!)
(And I won't compromise them for anyone)
Ha, I like resume, pick a day, you can start
I approve of your work ethic, choose a day to start working with me
(From now until death do us part)
(We'll work together until the very end)
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Mtume, Rodolfo Antonio Franklin, Shawn Carter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind