Two Words
Kanye West Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

We in the streets, playa, get your mail
It's only two places you end up, either dead or in jail
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)
Now throw your hands up
Hustlers, busters, boosters, hoes
Everybody, fuck that
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)

(Listen)
Two words, United States, no love, no breaks
Low brow, high stakes, crack smoke, Black folks
Big Macs, fat folks, ecstasy capsules
Presidential scandals, everybody move
Two words, Mos Def, K West, hot shit
Calm down, get back, ghetto people got this
Game 'pon lock shit, gun 'pon cock shit
We won't stop shit, everybody move
Two words, BK, NY, Bed-Stuy
Two harsh, too hungry, too many, that's why
These streets know game, can't ball, don't play
Heavy traffic, one lane, everybody move
Two words, Mos Def, Black Jack, hot shit
Calm down, get back, ghetto people got this
Game 'pon lock shit, gun 'pon cock shit
We won't stop, everybody move

Now throw your hands up (throw your hands up high)
Hustlers, busters, boosters, hoes
Everybody, fuck that
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)




And keep your hands up ('til they reach the sky)
Hustlers, busters, boosters, hoes
Everybody, fuck that
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)

Ayo, two words, Chi-Town, Southside, worldwide
'Cause I rep that 'til I fuckin' die
One neck, two chains, one waist, two gats
One wall, twenty plaques, dues paid, gimme that
I am limelight, Blueprint, five Mics
Go-Getters rhyme like, should've been signed twice
Most imitated, GRAMMY nominated
Hotel accommodated, cheerleader, prom-dated
Barbershop player-hated, mom and pop bootlegged it
Felt like it rained 'til the roof caved in
Two words, Chi-Town, raised me, crazy
So I live by two words, "Fuck you, pay me"
Screaming, "Jesus, save me"
You know how the game be, I can't let 'em change me
'Cause on Judgment Day, you gon' blame me
Look, God, it's the same me
And I basically know now, we get racially profiled (throw your hands up high)
Cuffed up and hosed down, pimped up and ho'd down
Plus, I got a whole city to hold down
From the bottom, so the top's the only place to go now

Now throw your hands up (throw your hands up high)
Hustlers, busters, boosters, hoes
Everybody, fuck that
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)
Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)

Two words, Freeway, two letters, A-R
Turn y'all rap niggas into two words, fast runners
Like Jackie Joyner, you better sleep with your burner
The heat skeet, blow a reef through your car, my God
Two words, no guns, break arms
Break necks, break backs, Steven Seagal
Free, young boss, freshman of the Roc
With the beef in the pot, Jay sent for his dogs to brawl
Forget your squad, better fend for yourself
Have you screamin' out four words, "Send for the law," uh
Two words, Freeway, slightly retarded
Fuck around, throw a clip in your artist, leave with his broad

Red, white blue, black (throw your hands up)
Calm down, move back (throw your hands up)
Motherfuckers askin', "Who is that?" (Throw your hands up)
You know it's the almighty Black Jack (throw your hands up)
Mos Def, K West (throw your hands up)
Ghetto people, get this shit off your chest (throw your hands up)
North to the south, to the east, to the west (throw your hands up)
Black Jack Johnson, it's no contest (throw your hands up)
And show it to 'em like

Overall Meaning

In the song Two Words by Kanye West, the lyrics describe the harsh realities of living in the street and the dangers that come with it. The opening lines, "We in the streets, playa, get your mail, It's only two places you end up, either dead or in jail," paint a bleak picture of life in the street, with no escape. Throughout the song, the lyrics are raw, gritty and unapologetic, with Kanye and Mos Def delivering powerful verses that speak about how their upbringing in the streets of Brooklyn and Chicago have shaped who they are.


The title of the song, Two Words, refers to the two words that define their lives - "fuck you" and "pay me." This is evident in Kanye's lyrics, "So I live by two words, 'Fuck you, pay me,' Screaming, 'Jesus, save me,' You know how the game be, I can't let 'em change me," where he speaks about how he refuses to be changed by the industry and its expectations.


The song also speaks about racial profiling and the difficulties faced by people of colour. This is summed up in the lyrics, "I basically know now, we get racially profiled (throw your hands up high), Cuffed up and hosed down, pimped up and ho'd down, Plus, I got a whole city to hold down, From the bottom, so the top's the only place to go now."


Overall, the song is a powerful and unflinching depiction of the harsh realities of life in the street and the struggles faced by people of colour.


Line by Line Meaning

We in the streets, playa, get your mail
We are in the streets, man, you better get your money


It's only two places you end up, either dead or in jail
There are only two possible outcomes in the streets - death or imprisonment


Still nowhere to go (nowhere to go)
We still have no direction, no escape from the streets


Now throw your hands up
Raise your hands and show that you are with me


Hustlers, busters, boosters, hoes
All kinds of people are in the streets trying to make a living


Everybody, fuck that
I don't care about anyone else's opinions


Two words, United States, no love, no breaks
In this country, there is no love or mercy for those struggling in the streets


Low brow, high stakes, crack smoke, Black folks
We are low class, but the risks we take are high, and drugs are all we have


Big Macs, fat folks, ecstasy capsules
We indulge in fast food and drugs to escape our lives


Presidential scandals, everybody move
Even the people in power have scandals, so we need to keep moving forward


Two words, Mos Def, K West, hot shit
Me and Mos Def are killing it with our music


Calm down, get back, ghetto people got this
Even though we come from the ghetto, we can still make it and handle our business


Game 'pon lock shit, gun 'pon cock shit
We've got the game on lock and are ready to take on any challenge


We won't stop shit, everybody move
We won't give up, we'll keep pushing and moving forward


Two words, BK, NY, Bed-Stuy
Brooklyn, New York, represent Bed-Stuy


Two harsh, too hungry, too many, that's why
The streets are rough and full of people struggling, which is why it's hard to survive


These streets know game, can't ball, don't play
The streets know what's up, if you can't handle it, don't even try


Heavy traffic, one lane, everybody move
We're all trying to get ahead, but it's tough with so many obstacles in our way


Two words, Mos Def, Black Jack, hot shit
Me and Mos Def are making great music and tearing it up


Ayo, two words, Chi-Town, Southside, worldwide
From Chicago's South Side to the world - that's where I belong


'Cause I rep that 'til I fuckin' die
I will always represent where I come from, no matter what happens


One neck, two chains, one waist, two gats
I'm heavily armed and protected, with two chains around my neck


One wall, twenty plaques, dues paid, gimme that
I've achieved great success and recognition, and I deserve it


I am limelight, Blueprint, five Mics
I am in the spotlight now, with a classic album and top ratings


Go-Getters rhyme like, should've been signed twice
My crew Go-Getters can really spit, we should have been signed twice


Most imitated, GRAMMY nominated
People try to copy my style, and I've even been nominated for a Grammy


Hotel accommodated, cheerleader, prom-dated
I'm living the good life, staying in hotels and dating cheerleaders


Barbershop player-hated, mom and pop bootlegged it
I may have haters, but even your mom and pop are buying my music


Felt like it rained 'til the roof caved in
I've been through some tough times, but I won't give up


Two words, Chi-Town, raised me, crazy
Chicago raised me, and it was a crazy upbringing


So I live by two words, 'Fuck you, pay me'
I have to look out for myself and demand payment for my work


Screaming, 'Jesus, save me'
Sometimes life gets really tough, and all I can do is call for help


You know how the game be, I can't let 'em change me
I can't let the game change who I am as a person


'Cause on Judgment Day, you gon' blame me
I'll be held accountable for my actions, so I need to stay true to myself


Look, God, it's the same me
I haven't changed who I am, even with all my success


And I basically know now, we get racially profiled (throw your hands up high)
I've come to realize that no matter what I do, people still see me as a Black man and racially profile me


Cuffed up and hosed down, pimped up and ho'd down
The police can arrest me and treat me like a criminal, and women can be treated like objects


Plus, I got a whole city to hold down
I have a responsibility to my city and the people in it


From the bottom, so the top's the only place to go now
I started from the bottom, so the only place to go from here is up


Two words, Freeway, two letters, A-R
Shoutout to my buddies Freeway and AR


Turn y'all rap niggas into two words, fast runners
My rap skills are so good, I can make other rappers look inferior


Like Jackie Joyner, you better sleep with your burner
Just like Jackie Joyner, you need to have protection on you at all times


The heat skeet, blow a reef through your car, my God
I've got a deadly aim and can shoot through anything


Two words, no guns, break arms
I don't need a gun to take someone down, I can just use my bare hands


Break necks, break backs, Steven Seagal
I'm so powerful, I can take down people like Steven Seagal does in action movies


Free, young boss, freshman of the Roc
I'm a young, successful boss, and I'm part of Roc Nation


With the beef in the pot, Jay sent for his dogs to brawl
When there's trouble, Jay-Z has my back and will send his team to help


Forget your squad, better fend for yourself
Don't rely on others to protect you, you need to take care of yourself


Have you screamin' out four words, 'Send for the law,' uh
If things get really bad, you might have to call for the police to intervene


Two words, Freeway, slightly retarded
Freeway is a bit slow, but he's still my friend and a great rapper


Fuck around, throw a clip in your artist, leave with his broad
If you mess around with me, I'll take your artist and your girl


Red, white blue, black (throw your hands up)
This song represents America and the struggles of Black people


Calm down, move back (throw your hands up)
Everyone needs to calm down and move back to let this song and its message take over


Motherfuckers askin', 'Who is that?' (Throw your hands up)
People who don't know who I am need to ask around and find out


You know it's the almighty Black Jack (throw your hands up)
Everyone should know about me and my music


Mos Def, K West (throw your hands up)
Me and Mos Def are a force to be reckoned with


Ghetto people, get this shit off your chest (throw your hands up)
People in the ghetto need to speak up and make their voices heard


North to the south, to the east, to the west (throw your hands up)
No matter where you are, you should be raising your hands and listening to this music


Black Jack Johnson, it's no contest (throw your hands up)
I'm the best out there, hands down


And show it to 'em like (throw your hands up)
Let's show them what we're made of, together




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leslie Pridgen, Dante Smith, Kanye West, Louis B. Wilson, Ricardo Wilson, Carlos Delano Wilson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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