At the age of four La the Darkman moved with his family to Crown Heights, Brooklyn. At 14 he became involved in street life with GJ and EB and got in trouble with the kids at the basketball court. His mother didn't approve and he was moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan where he finished high school. He released his debut album 'Heist of the Century' in 1998, selling over 300,000 copies independently. His follow-up album was due for release in 2006 through Think Differently Music but is yet to be released.
Street Life
La the Darkman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Street life where we got no place to go
Street life where the struggle won't let you be
Street life where the drugs and thugs meet
Yo I bust shots out glocks wid kids that push rocks
Hol' glocks run in spots wid G's like Fort Knox
Rhyme excellent kill 'em wid intelligence
LA the Dark coming, inheriting nature, Islamic
Stay loyal to my clan like Elijah Mohammed
That's a promise, creating them secrets be like amazing
Everytime I touch the track I swing my axe and stake it
Speed racing through life world class
LA let the tech splash
My lyrics hard as brass
Show 'em all-star, check me in the Source y'all
'98 Ford car purchased near Fort Bar
Damn I'm always sharp man, accurate, sharp-shooter, marksman
Running through New York air painted like Al Sharpton
And sing, my guns be black and shallow ringed
Computerized thugs dropping checks in the bank
And then
Street life is the only life I know
Street life where we got no place to go
Street life where the struggle won't let you be
Street life where the drugs and thugs meet
Yo, yo, yo
You on my dick
My life is like a James Bond flick
Mad bitches, mad bullets but I never get hit
Yo, from herpes to trees, Tv's and MTv's
Niggas in jail for life the strongest hurt to leave
From bloods at night in Kings, to bounce back to Queens
Drugs and dope fiends scream over the limousine
Pop the 2 fort kings sucking dick on porno screens
Vaginas some clean wid terrible hygiene
To survive on my block G is devils at Halloween
The young son got guns wid 50 shot magasine
And digital web beams
Getting drunk off gasoline
Robbing niggas marked, die for this cane in this dream
In this
Street life is the only life I know
Street life where we got no place to go
Street life where the struggle won't let you be
Street life where the drugs and thugs meet
Yo,yo,yo
I'm unstoppable
Rainbow garment stay tropical
Jewels stay rockable
Crystal clear optical
My niggas got bodies
Get watched like John Gotti in a mansion
Wid a monk learning Wu-Tang karate
It's unfortunate niggas can't afford this
My 20 blew chords here
I hate eating sword fish
Surrounded by 20 men cold-blooded at the amphibian
In the Benz puffing tree shit from the Caribbean
And sparking it
Street life is the only life I know
Street life where we got no place to go
Street life where the struggle won't let you be
Street life where the drugs and thugs meet
"Street Life" by La the Darkman is a song about the harsh realities of life on the streets. The lyrics describe the struggles faced by those who live in poverty and are surrounded by drugs and violence. La the Darkman sings about the dangerous world he inhabits, where guns and gangs are a part of everyday life. The chorus repeats the phrase "Street life is the only life I know" to emphasize how the harshness of the city has become a way of life for those who live there.
The lyrics also reference the rapper's own experiences, such as "LA let the tech splash" which could be interpreted as a reference to the Los Angeles riots that occurred in 1992. He also raps about his loyalty to his clan, comparing it to the teachings of Elijah Mohammed, one of the founders of the Nation of Islam.
The song is a commentary on the difficulties faced by those living in poverty and the impact it can have on their lives. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of a world where survival is the only goal, and where the lure of drugs and crime can be too strong to resist.
Line by Line Meaning
Street life is the only life I know
Living in the streets is all I've ever known and experienced in my life.
Street life where we got no place to go
Being on the streets leaves us with no other place to go or call home.
Street life where the struggle won't let you be
On the streets, the constant struggle to survive and stay ahead won't let you rest for even a moment.
Street life where the drugs and thugs meet
The streets are where drugs, crime, and violence from gangs and thugs are prevalent and intertwined.
Yo I bust shots out glocks wid kids that push rocks
I use my gun to protect and defend myself and my young associates who sell drugs on the streets.
Hol' glocks run in spots wid G's like Fort Knox
We hold guns and run into places where we know gang members or people holding valuable items are, just like Fort Knox is known for holding valuables.
Rhyme excellent kill 'em wid intelligence
I'm a skilled rapper and can destroy opponents with my witty and intelligent rhymes.
Get money like embezzlement worrying as the president
I make money like an embezzler but also worry about my safety like the president does.
LA the Dark coming, inheriting nature, Islamic
Referring to myself, I have inherited natural ability and Islamic beliefs that guide me in life.
Stay loyal to my clan like Elijah Mohammed
Like the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Mohammed, I stay loyal to my group of people.
That's a promise, creating them secrets be like amazing
I promise to keep secrets well and doing so is an impressive skill.
Everytime I touch the track I swing my axe and stake it
Whenever I make a song, I put my all into it and leave my mark.
Speed racing through life world class
I'm fast and efficient in navigating through life.
LA let the tech splash
In LA, guns are fired frequently.
My lyrics hard as brass
My lyrics are tough and sharp like brass.
Show 'em all-star, check me in the Source y'all
I'm shining brighter than everyone else and should be recognized in The Source magazine.
'98 Ford car purchased near Fort Bar
I bought a Ford car near Fort Hamilton army base in Brooklyn in 1998.
Damn I'm always sharp man, accurate, sharp-shooter, marksman
I'm always on point with my weapons, I can hit my target precisely like a sharp-shooter or marksman.
Running through New York air painted like Al Sharpton
I'm running through New York City with the same style and attention as Al Sharpton.
And sing, my guns be black and shallow ringed
My guns have black parts and rings on them.
Computerized thugs dropping checks in the bank
Criminals are now using technology to commit crimes and deposit money into banks.
Yo, yo, yo / You on my dick
I'm annoyed at someone who is bothering me.
My life is like a James Bond flick
My life is filled with action and danger like a James Bond film.
Mad bitches, mad bullets but I never get hit
I deal with a lot of women and gunshots but I always escape unharmed.
Yo, from herpes to trees, Tv's and MTv's
My life includes everything from STDs to drugs, televisions, and MTV.
Niggas in jail for life the strongest hurt to leave
Being in jail for life is extremely difficult and painful to leave behind.
From bloods at night in Kings, to bounce back to Queens
I've experienced gang violence and drug deals from Brooklyn to Queens.
Drugs and dope fiends scream over the limousine
Drug addicts are yelling loudly over the passing limousine.
Pop the 2 fort kings sucking dick on porno screens
I aim my gun at two people having sex in a pornographic video.
Vaginas some clean wid terrible hygiene
Even though a woman may be clean in some ways, she may still have poor hygiene habits.
To survive on my block G is devils at Halloween
Staying alive on my street is tough and there are dangerous people around, especially like devils at Halloween.
The young son got guns wid 50 shot magasine
A young person on my street has guns with 50 shot magazines.
And digital web beams
These guns are equipped with digital technology to communicate and shoot accurately.
Getting drunk off gasoline
People are so desperate for alcohol or other substances that they resort to drinking gasoline.
Robbing niggas marked, die for this cane in this dream
I'm willing to rob anyone standing in my way or die to get my drugs and money.
I'm unstoppable
No one can stop me or hold me back.
Rainbow garment stay tropical
I'm wearing a colorful and tropical outfit to stand out.
Jewels stay rockable
My jewelry is valuable and impressive.
Crystal clear optical
My vision is crystal clear, both physically and mentally.
My niggas got bodies
My associates have killed people.
Get watched like John Gotti in a mansion
We're being watched and monitored like infamous mob boss John Gotti was in his mansion.
Wid a monk learning Wu-Tang karate
I'm hanging out with a monk who is teaching me martial arts skills like those of the Wu-Tang Clan.
It's unfortunate niggas can't afford this
It's a shame that some people can't afford the lavish lifestyle I'm living.
My 20 blew chords here
My song was a hit and made a lot of money here.
I hate eating sword fish
I don't enjoy eating swordfish.
Surrounded by 20 men cold-blooded at the amphibian
I'm with 20 ruthless men near a swamp or river.
In the Benz puffing tree shit from the Caribbean
I'm smoking marijuana from the Caribbean in my Mercedes-Benz.
And sparking it
I'm lighting up my joint and enjoying my life on my own terms.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Albert Johnson, Alvaughn Jackson, C. Sanfiorenzo, Kejuan Waliek Muchita, Lashawn Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@grpere1
Back in the day I was one of only a handful of people in South Texas who listened to East coast hip hop. I played this song religiously
because it was lyrical with a street sound. The rest of the people down here listened to DJ Screw and hated lyrical music. I'm Hispanic and my people only jammed SPM but i never cared for his music. At 42 and all these years later, I'm glad I kept an open mind and jammed all the hip hop music in addition to UGK and Scarface here in Texas.
@Infamous_whips
I bet this shit would sound crazy slowed down
@aw2584
@@Infamous_whipswell time to download that VirtualDJ and slow the shit down then? Lmao but fr it would take you 2minutes- used to slow down shit for myself all the time
@MIAMI305LIVE
Had this shit on tape back then, this and killa priest's heavy mental were heavy in the deck. Shits still dope
@acg24385
My life is like a James Bond flick/mad bitches mad bullets but I Neva get hittt - still slappy in 2020
@GreenroomTV
If you had this album in rotation you’re above a lot of bs music
@HOTCCFEnt
one of my favorite albums right here!
@syreetafoster8774
I love this song it 2014 and it straight up street life frfr man where u at la man the game miss u hell I do! Grand rapids baby holla
@angwon360
foh
@duelatdawn
One of the most hard bangin hip hop albums ever.