Ye, born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, is an American rapper, singer, s… Read Full Bio ↴Ye, born Kanye Omari West on June 8, 1977, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. He is one of the most prominent figures in hip hop, known for his diverse musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After dropping out of college to pursue a career in music, West began producing for regional artists in the Chicago area. As an in-house producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, he co-produced albums including Jay-Z's The Blueprint (2001) before signing with the label as a recording artist. West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004), received critical acclaim and produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Slow Jamz." He topped the chart four other times with the singles "Gold Digger" (2005), "Stronger" (2007), "E.T." (2011, as a featured artist), and "Carnival" (2024).

West's second and third studio albums, Late Registration (2005) and Graduation (2007), both debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, with the latter becoming his most commercially successful to date. Three of his subsequent albums—808s & Heartbreak (2008), My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010), and The Life of Pablo (2016)—were certified triple platinum, while Yeezus (2013) was certified double platinum. Although not as well-received critically as his previous works, Ye (2018), Jesus Is King (2019), and Donda (2021) continued West's streak of consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200. West has also released collaborative albums including Watch the Throne (2011) with Jay-Z, Kids See Ghosts (2018) with Kid Cudi, and Vultures 1 and Vultures 2 (2024) with Ty Dolla Sign. In fashion design, he has collaborated with Nike, Inc., Louis Vuitton, and Gap Inc. on clothing and footwear, and led the Yeezy collaboration with Adidas.

One of the world's best-selling music artists with 160 million records sold, West has won 24 Grammy Awards, the joint 11th-most of all time and the most awarded for any hip hop artist along with Jay-Z. His other accolades include a Billboard Artist Achievement Award, a joint-record three Brit Awards for Best International Male Solo Artist, and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. West holds the joint record with Bob Dylan for most albums (four) topping the annual Pazz & Jop critic poll. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2005 and 2015. West's first six solo albums were included on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020, with the same publication naming him one of the 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.

West's outspoken views have received significant media coverage. He has been a frequent source of controversy due to his conduct on social media, at award shows, and in public settings, as well as his comments on the music and fashion industries, U.S. politics, race, and slavery. His Christian faith, high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, and mental health have also been topics of media attention. In 2020, West launched an unsuccessful independent presidential campaign that advocated for a consistent life ethic. In October 2022, he was widely condemned and lost many sponsors and partnerships, including his collaborations with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga, after making a series of antisemitic statements, including denying the Holocaust.

Southside
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Intro - Kanye West]
La, la, la, la, la - and everybody say
La, la, la, la, la - I know you, I know you

[Kanye West]
I know you're thinking, thinking that it must be
Armor All flow cause it never get rusty
I ain't gotta say it, man dawg trust me

Bust somebody head, GLC where was we?
Still rock the Prada 'fore that, rock the Starter
Niggas had the Georgetown, the Magic way harder
Thinking back to the projects, and they way they tore 'em all up
Like when I do a project, and come back and tear the mall up

[Hook - Common (w/ Kanye West)]
We coming from the
South (side), South (side)
South (side), South (side)
South (side), South (side)
South (side), Side of the Chi

[Common]
The broads, the cars, the half moon, the stars
I'm like Jeff Fort the way I get behind bars
Burn CDs with no regard for the stars
Come to the crib with conflict diamonds and they ours
Back in '94 they call me Chi-town's Nas
Now them niggas know I'm one of Chi-town's gods
We eating Joe, you still talking no carbs
A conscious nigga with mac like Steve Jobs

[Hook]

[Kanye West]

Your fly is open, McFly
The crowd is open I think I know why
I'm back from the future seen it with my own eyes
And yep, I'm still the future of the Chi
Back in college I had to get my back up off the futon
I knew that I couldn't cop a coup with no coupons
Look at that neutron on his green like crutons
People asking him, "Do you have any grey poupon?"

[Hook]

[Common]
You in the building but the buildings falling
You wouldn't be ballin' if your name was Spalding
My mind get flooded I think about New Orleans
Bout to school y'all niggas, you should call him August
I'm the sun that goes down but I'm still revolving
Southside walk it out, while still you're crawlin'
If rap was Harlem, I be James Baldwin
With money in the bank like G. Rap, we're calling

[Hook]

[Kanye West]
With niggas masked up like Phantom of the Opera
Dreaming of the day they push a phantom to the operas
Can't wait till they say, "Ye ran up at the Oscars."
Poppa, I heard his life is like a movie
Like when Em' played him and Mekhi played a rasta
Mexicans gonna love it like it was for La Raza
But this is for the mobsters, Holla
We some true chi-town legends, accept no imposters

[Hook]

[Common]
Uh, the un-American idol, tower like the Eiffel
Lean wit it, rock wit it, Black like the Disciples
Know when to use a bible, and when to use a rifle
You rap like you should be on the back of a motorcycle
Caught a case of robbery, and 'Beat It' like Michael
Your career is a typo, mine was written like a haiku
I write to 'Do the Right Thing' like Spike do
Through Conflicts that's Crucial and Drama that's Psycho

[Hook]

[Outro]
We're coming from the—-Hey!
[scratches] Spice it up
You might have to spice it up
Spice it up, spice it up
Take your life and—-
Yo, we're coming from the—-Hey!
We're coming from the—-Hey!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kanye West's "Southside" tell the tale of a man who is reminiscing about a lover who is now gone. He finds himself sitting on a runway with time on his hands and thinking of her again. He plays back her words to him in his head, hoping that everything fell into place for her as he wished. The singer's reflection in the mirror tells him that she is the only one who makes him feel alive, and he's so happy to be alive because of her.

The pre-chorus reveals that the singer is not doing well emotionally- he is messed up inside, and it has been raining all day since his lover went away. The chorus consists of the repeated phrase "Southside serenade," and it is not clear what this means. Perhaps it refers to the singer's memories of the time he spent with his lover on the south side of a city or perhaps it is a metaphor for the emotional state he is in since she has gone.

Overall, the lyrics to "Southside" paint a picture of a man who is deeply affected by the loss of his lover. He is struggling emotionally and looking to his memories of her to find solace.

Line by Line Meaning

Sitting on a runway, time on my hands, thinking of you again
I am stuck here with nothing to do, but all I can think of is you.

As I replay our conversations, pray that every where fell in place
I keep thinking about our talks, hoping everything is still okay between us.

Like a mirror lookin' back at me, sayin' you're the only one
When I look at myself, I feel like you are the only person who truly understands me.

Makin' me feel I could survive, so glad to be alive
You give me hope to keep going in life, and I am glad to have you by my side.

Nowhere to run, I got a song to sing
I feel trapped, but I have my music to express my feelings.

Messed up inside and it's been raining all day
I am feeling emotional and the weather is reflecting my mood.

Since you went away, Southside serenade
Ever since you left, I have been singing sad songs about missing you.

South-south-southside, southside
Repeating the name of the place where you used to be with me, trying to bring back memories.

Since you went away, Southside serenade
Continuing to express how much I miss you and how I am coping through music.

South-south-southside
Repeating again how much I miss the place we used to be together, hoping you are hearing this.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DON COVAY, LONNIE RASHID LYNN, KANYE WEST, KANYE OMARI WEST

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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