Success
Jay-Z Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Your success took a shot at you
What are you gonna to do now?
How are you gonna kill it?
You're gonna become unsuccessful?
Frank, you can be successful and have enemies, uh
Be unsuccessful too, and you can have friends

I got these niggas, Breezy, don't worry 'bout it
Let that bitch breath

I used to give a fuck, now I give a fuck less
What do I think of success
It sucks, too much stress
I guess I blew up quick, 'cause friends I grew up with
See me as a premie but I'm not and my nuts big
I don't know what the fuss is
My cribs illustrious
My rep is impeccable
I'm not to be fucked with, with
Shit, let that bitch breath
I'm way to important to be talking 'bout extorting
Asking me for a portion is like asking for a coffin
Broad day light I off your on switch
You're not too bright, goodnight, long kiss
Bye, bye, my reply, blah, blah
Blast burner, then pass burner to Ty-Ty
Finish my breakfast, why?
I got an appetite for destruction and you're a small fry
Now where was I?
Let that bitch breathe
I used to give a shit, now I don't give a shit more
Truth be told, I had more fun when I was piss poor
I'm pissed off
This what success all about?
A bunch of niggas acting like bitches with big mouths
All this stress, all I got is this big house
Couple cars, I don't bring half them shits out
All of this Ace of Spade I drank just to piss out
I mean, I like the taste, could've saved myself 6 hours
How many times can I go to Mr. Chow's, Tao's, Nobu?
Hold up, lemme move my bowels
I'll shit on y'all niggas, OG tell these boys
(Y'all ain't about to shit on my nigga)
I got watches I ain't seen in months
Apartment at the Trump, I only slept in once
Niggas said Hova was over, such dummies
Even If I fell I'll land on a bunch of money
Y'all ain't got nothing for me

Nas, let that bitch breathe

Success, McLaren, women staring
My villain appearance
Sacred blood of a king and my vein ain't spilling
Ghetto Othello, Sugar Hill Romello
Camaro driven, I climax from paper
Then ask, "Why is life worth living?"
Is it to hunt for the shit that you want?
To receives great, but I lust giving
The best jewelers wanna make my things
I make Jacob shit on Lorraine just to make me a chain
Niggas mentioned the One Love
Came home to paper in hand
Ain't gotta brag about the Feds, young man
Old cribs I sold, y'all drive by like monuments
Google Earth Nas, I got flats in other continents
Worst enemies wanna be my best friends
Best friends wanna be enemies like that's whats in
But I don't give a fuck, walk inside the lion's den
Take everybody's chips, 'bout to cash them in
Up your catalog, dawg, mine's worth too much
Like Mike Jacks ATV pub, Mottola can't touch
Let this bitch breathe





Let this bitch breathe

Overall Meaning

In "Success," Jay-Z and Nas reflect on the double-edged sword of achieving success. The opening lines ("Your success took a shot at you / What are you gonna to do now? / How are you gonna kill it? / You're gonna become unsuccessful?") highlight the tension that comes with making it to the top. The stakes are high, and the possibility of failure is constant, but their hunger for success compels them to persist.


Jay-Z expresses his frustration with the downside of success, particularly the stress that comes with it. He also recognizes that his newfound success has strained some of his relationships. Nas, on the other hand, revels in his success and the power it brings, but acknowledges the jealousy it breeds in others.


Together, the two rappers examine the complicated nature of success and the sacrifices it requires. In the end, they agree that the key to success is perseverance and the willingness to let go of what's holding you back.


Line by Line Meaning

Your success took a shot at you
Success can sometimes come with its own set of problems and obstacles.


What are you gonna to do now?
When success seems to have turned against you, how do you plan to overcome it?


How are you gonna kill it?
In order to regain control and get back on top, what steps will you take?


You're gonna become unsuccessful?
Are you just going to let your success slip away or will you fight to keep it?


Frank, you can be successful and have enemies, uh
Even when you're doing well, people will still see you as a threat and may try to bring you down.


Be unsuccessful too, and you can have friends
However, if you're not successful, people might feel more comfortable around you and consider you a friend.


I got these niggas, Breezy, don't worry 'bout it
I have everything under control, don't worry about a thing.


Let that bitch breath
Let the situation calm down and take a break from all the stress.


I used to give a fuck, now I give a fuck less
Success can come with a lot of stress, but over time you learn to care less and enjoy it more.


What do I think of success
Despite its benefits, success isn't always what it seems and can come with its own set of problems.


It sucks, too much stress
Success can be overwhelming and cause a lot of stress in one's life.


I guess I blew up quick, 'cause friends I grew up with
When you become successful, people who knew you before may not see you in the same light anymore.


See me as a premie but I'm not and my nuts big
Despite people seeing him as someone who got lucky, he worked hard to get where he is and is not to be underestimated.


I don't know what the fuss is
He doesn't understand why people are so enamored with his success.


My cribs illustrious
His homes are impressive and grand.


My rep is impeccable
His reputation speaks for itself and is something to be proud of.


I'm not to be fucked with, with
He's not a person to mess with or take lightly.


Shit, let that bitch breath
Once again, it's best to step back from the situation and let things calm down.


I'm way to important to be talking 'bout extorting
He's too successful and important to be involved in petty crimes like extortion.


Asking me for a portion is like asking for a coffin
Asking him for money is like digging one's own grave.


Broad day light I off your on switch
He can easily silence his enemies and make them disappear.


You're not too bright, goodnight, long kiss
His enemies are no match for him and will meet their end soon.


Bye, bye, my reply, blah, blah
He doesn't have time for idle chatter or people trying to bring him down.


Blast burner, then pass burner to Ty-Ty
He'll take care of business and then pass on the torch to his trusted confidant.


Finish my breakfast, why?
He's not going to let anything or anyone interrupt his routine or pleasure.


I got an appetite for destruction and you're a small fry
He's hungry for success and will destroy anyone who gets in his way, no matter how small they are.


Now where was I?
He's briefly distracted but ready to jump right back in.


Let that bitch breathe
Once again, he's reminding everyone to calm down and take a break before continuing.


I used to give a shit, now I don't give a shit more
He's become indifferent to what others think and is more focused on success.


Truth be told, I had more fun when I was piss poor
Ironically, he had more fun and freedom when he had less money and success.


I'm pissed off
Despite his success, he's still unhappy and angry at the world.


This what success all about?
He questions whether success is really worth all the trouble and negative aspects that come with it.


A bunch of niggas acting like bitches with big mouths
In his eyes, a lot of successful people act immature and talk too much.


All this stress, all I got is this big house
Despite his success, he's still feeling the pressure and all he has to show for it is a big house.


Couple cars, I don't bring half them shits out
He has nice cars but doesn't even use all of them or show them off.


All of this Ace of Spade I drank just to piss out
He spent a lot of money on expensive champagne that didn't even matter in the end.


I mean, I like the taste, could've saved myself 6 hours
He enjoyed the champagne but realizes he could've just saved time and money by drinking something else.


How many times can I go to Mr. Chow's, Tao's, Nobu?
He's become tired of going to the same expensive restaurants and wants a change of scenery.


Hold up, lemme move my bowels
He's going to take a brief bathroom break to relieve himself.


I'll shit on y'all niggas, OG tell these boys
He's going to dominate and come out on top, telling his associates this.


(Y'all ain't about to shit on my nigga)
His friend is supporting him and won't let anyone bring him down.


I got watches I ain't seen in months
He has so many watches that he doesn't even remember all of them.


Apartment at the Trump, I only slept in once
He has an apartment at the Trump Tower but has only stayed there once.


Niggas said Hova was over, such dummies
People doubted his success and thought he was finished, but they were wrong.


Even If I fell I'll land on a bunch of money
Even if he were to fail, he has enough money to keep him afloat.


Y'all ain't got nothing for me
He's too powerful and successful for anyone to mess with him.


Success, McLaren, women staring
Success brings fast cars and attractive women.


My villain appearance
He appears to be a villain or bad guy to some even though he's successful and accomplished.


Sacred blood of a king and my vein ain't spilling
He comes from a royal lineage and has a strong will and determination.


Ghetto Othello, Sugar Hill Romello
He's a mix of different cultures and backgrounds, making him unique.


Camaro driven, I climax from paper
He enjoys the thrill of earning money and being successful, just like someone would enjoy driving a fast car.


Then ask, "Why is life worth living?"
Despite his success, he questions the point of life and what really matters in the end.


Is it to hunt for the shit that you want?
Is life just about going after what you want and being successful?


To receives great, but I lust giving
While receiving is nice, he also enjoys giving back and helping those in need.


The best jewelers wanna make my things
He's so successful that even the best jewelers want to work with him.


I make Jacob shit on Lorraine just to make me a chain
He's so wealthy that he can make a well-known jeweler work with a rival to make him a chain.


Niggas mentioned the One Love
People talk about his love and respect for his friends and family.


Came home to paper in hand
He comes home from his travels with a lot of money in hand.


Ain't gotta brag about the Feds, young man
He doesn't have to brag to others about his wealth and success.


Old cribs I sold, y'all drive by like monuments
Houses he used to own are now seen as important landmarks in the neighborhood.


Google Earth Nas, I got flats in other continents
He owns property all over the world and is well-traveled.


Worst enemies wanna be my best friends
Even people who hated him now want to be his friend because of his success.


Best friends wanna be enemies like that's whats in
Sometimes even close friends can turn on you out of jealousy or envy.


But I don't give a fuck, walk inside the lion's den
Regardless of what others think or feel, he's willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.


Take everybody's chips, 'bout to cash them in
He's going to take his earnings and cash them in to become even more successful.


Up your catalog, dawg, mine's worth too much
He's telling others to step up their game and make their own success because his own success is too valuable.


Like Mike Jacks ATV pub, Mottola can't touch
His success is unlike anyone else's and can't be touched or duplicated.


Let this bitch breathe
He's once again telling people to calm down and take a break before continuing.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Nasir Jones, Larry Ellis, Shawn C. Carter, Ernest Dion Wilson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions