Neither does hip hop n… Read Full Bio ↴“History does not happen in a straight line…”
Neither does hip hop nor its prolific breakout rhymist/activist/author/voice of conscience Lecrae.
Never afraid to move the needle, few would argue that his much anticipated Columbia Records debut album (due out this summer) comes at a pivotal moment for the artist, as hip hop’s torrent now moves to him.
Surging or insurgent - depending on your point of view - he’s blessed with a visionary verbal arsenal and an abiding faith that’s piloted a unique career trajectory defying the typical hip hop storyline. ‘The system may not have planned for this,’ wrote Vibe about Lecrae, ‘but it’s definitely coming around.’ “More caught than taught,” is how the artist describes his incredible journey that includes two Grammys, a history-making #1 album with his masterful 2014 offering, Anomaly (topped multiple categories, including the Billboard 200 and is RIAA Gold certified), and a compelling live resume, most recently notching a headlining 2016 ‘Destination’ tour which Lecrae says was about “real unity, not pretend unity.” He continues to thoughtfully engage the culture, reeling off a NY Times Bestseller (last year’s riveting memoir ‘Unashamed’) and a breakthrough spoken word performance at the BET Hip Hop Awards last fall that had the twittersphere heralding his arrival as truth-telling firebrand. BET hailed it as an “epic poem,” of “necessary affirmations.”
Lecrae relishes his purpose-driven career arc as inspired ‘catalyzer’ - going “from artist to architect” on the new album, widening the close-knit comfort zone of Reach Records (the label he co-founded) by partnering with Columbia Records and expanding his creative outreach. “I sought influences and collaborators I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to work with,” he says. The patient growth process was born out of a “gumbo” of more than 50 songs, “some to just get off my chest,” he says - “I don’t know if they were all meant to be heard but I know they were meant to be written.”
One song that has already seen the light of day is the powerfully uplifting “Blessings,” (featuring Ty Dolla $ign) which iHeartRadio chose for their ‘On The Verge’ platform which connects breaking artists with new listeners. Lecrae cites a refreshed perspective throughout the making of the new album after surviving one of the most tumultuous years he’s experienced since his turbulent teens. Among the hardships was the passing of his longtime friend and collaborator DJ Official, some “painful personal” ramifications after the publication of the unvarnished‘Unashamed,’ trusting friendships that went south, andchronic social media sparring from those attacking Lecrae for his candid and heartfelt perspective in response to theheartbreaking social justice issues making headlines in 2016. “Some people felt that maybe I shouldn’t be articulating the pain when it comes to the structural and systemic issues that have created barriers and disparity in regard to race,” he says. “But I came out of it feeling more confident in making this album then at any other time in my life.”
With trusted friend and Grammy winning producer S1 serving as a key production contributor, Lecrae says it was healing for him to weave some of the more nuanced, complex themes of the new album and come out the other side. “It’s about giving hope to people that they can overcome the fear and the insecurity when things do fall apart,” he says. “The before and after of it all. It may get ugly in your life, but there’s a point of rediscovery where the fear can actually drive the faith and restore you. Sometimes you have to acknowledge where you are at before it can get better.”
Such authenticity has been the hallmark of his 7 studio albums and multiple mixtapes, now nearing the 2 million mark in sales, with the acclaimed artist winning a Billboard Music Award, multiple BET, Soul Train, and Dove awards and even an Honorary Doctorate of music to go along with his 2 Grammy wins. Past signature songs like the ultra-relatable “Church Clothes,” and the prophetic, multi-perspective of “Welcome To America” revealed a Lecrae exploring the plight of the disconnected in all of us. Critics have praised the sociological component of his work and his heightened sensitivity toward the disenfranchised.
On the upcoming album, Lecrae hints he’s still mindful of the outsider role that’s enabled him to work the edges of hip hop stardom, but also conscious of the world coming into his space, now. “I don’t fit in to any one category,” he says. “The BET performance showed I can compete on the highest level and excel at it. I’ve already proven I’m part of the hip hop narrative. On this album I’m taking liberties.”
Cold World
Lecrae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These folks is killing for less money than they can borrow
Create and you will sorrow for families left feeling hollow
Then the son of a gun victim fleshing out his anger
Coloring cartoons of strangers who getting strangled
And the daughter let a stranger, the school call him a counselor
Do some dirty things, but he promise that he would counsel her
It's the same low down dealer that she always get her pills from
And the son is getting older, streets is making him colder
But his momma's out cold, cause she ain't never quite sober
His sister's 15, but you probably think that she grown up
'Cause she was with some men, acting way too grown up
And don't nobody care though, the schools ain't teaching
McDonalds selling poison, got people working for cheap an
The military, drug's, or prison only way to eat, man
It's cold in the streets, let the track bring the heat in
We live in a cold, cold world [x4]
This world's cold like no clothes and snow blown
Like when the devil take the breath out of a baby's nose
And the people won't hear more metaphors and word-play
My sister's sick of stripping, she need hope up in my words, man
She pull up to the mall where she valet her little Mercedes
Wishing she had some romance, healthy family, couple babies
And the gentleman she love, he already got a wife
So she's accepting her plight, she's a lady of the night.
And she saw 'em in the park with his daughter, they holding hands
Arm around his woman's shoulder, he ain't give her not a glance
She accepts her sad reality, she doesn't stand a chance,
One woman gets the man, the other woman gets the dance.
It's a cold world, real cold world
Jermaine called that thing, man where is we going turn
A lot of people thinking I'm on an hopeless endeavor, nah
I know someone who can change the weather forever, ever
We live in a cold, cold world [x4]
The song Cold World by Lecrae and Tasha Catour reflects on the harsh reality of the world we live in. It portrays a world where people kill for little money, where innocent babies die, where kids are abused by their school counselors, where drug dealers kill fathers, where mothers are addicts, and where teenagers are forced to grow up too fast. The song talks about how our society is broken and how people are struggling to survive, resorting to joining the military, doing drugs, or ending up in prison. It also talks about how people are chasing after materialistic things like money, love, and a healthy family, but are often left wanting more. The song acknowledges that there is no easy solution to the problems people face, but it reminds us that there is always hope.
The song is a reminder of how harsh and unforgiving the world can be. It highlights the struggles and hardships that people face on a daily basis. The lyrics suggest that people often face a difficult choice between taking the easy path of drugs, joining the military or going to prison or the hard path of staying true to oneself and trying to make the world a better place. The song's message is clear: although the world can be a cold and cruel place, there is hope that things can get better. People must stay strong and fight for change no matter how difficult it may be.
Line by Line Meaning
These folks is killing for less money than they can borrow
There are people who are murdering others for a small amount of money that they couldn't even borrow if they asked.
Create and you will sorrow for families left feeling hollow
If you create something that results in harm to others, you will feel the sadness of the families who are left to suffer.
Then the son of a gun victim fleshing out his anger
The son of someone who was shot is expressing his anger in a violent way.
Coloring cartoons of strangers who getting strangled
He is drawing cartoons of strangers being choked to death.
And the daughter let a stranger, the school call him a counselor
The daughter had a stranger come into her life, who the school referred to as a counselor.
Do some dirty things, but he promise that he would counsel her
He did questionable things, but he promised to help her through counseling.
Baby momma can't identify the man that killed him
The mother of a child cannot identify the person who killed him.
It's the same low down dealer that she always get her pills from
The person who sold her drugs is the same one who killed her child.
And the son is getting older, streets is making him colder
The son is growing up and becoming hardened by the harsh realities of the streets.
But his momma's out cold, cause she ain't never quite sober
His mother is always under the influence and not fully present in his life.
His sister's 15, but you probably think that she grown up
His 15-year-old sister is forced to appear more mature than her age due to circumstances beyond her control.
'Cause she was with some men, acting way too grown up
She was with older men, behaving in ways that should only be done by a mature adult.
And don't nobody care though, the schools ain't teaching
No one seems to care about these issues, and the schools aren't doing enough to educate their students about them.
McDonalds selling poison, got people working for cheap an
McDonald's is selling unhealthy food while paying their workers very little.
The military, drug's, or prison only way to eat, man
In this world, people are forced to either join the military, sell drugs, or go to prison just to survive.
This world's cold like no clothes and snow blown
The world is incredibly harsh, like being out in the cold wearing no clothes while the snow is blowing all around you.
Like when the devil take the breath out of a baby's nose
The world is so unforgiving that even innocent babies can be taken from us without warning.
My sister's sick of stripping, she need hope up in my words, man
The artist's sister is tired of working as a stripper and is in desperate need of some words of hope from her brother.
She pull up to the mall where she valet her little Mercedes
She drives her small Mercedes to the mall and has someone park it for her using valet service.
Wishing she had some romance, healthy family, couple babies
She dreams of having a loving relationship, a healthy family, and a couple of children.
And the gentleman she love, he already got a wife
The man she loves is already married to someone else.
So she's accepting her plight, she's a lady of the night.
She accepts her situation and turns to prostitution to make a living.
She accepts her sad reality, she doesn't stand a chance,
She accepts that her life is filled with sadness and that she has very little chance for a better future.
One woman gets the man, the other woman gets the dance.
In many situations, one woman will get the love and affection of a man, while another woman is left with nothing but a dance.
It's a cold world, real cold world
The world is incredibly harsh and unforgiving.
Jermaine called that thing, man where is we going turn
Jermaine (likely another artist) is calling out for help and asking where we can turn to find a way out of this cold world.
A lot of people thinking I'm on an hopeless endeavor, nah
Many people believe that trying to make a change in this world is a hopeless endeavor, but that is not the case.
I know someone who can change the weather forever, ever
The artist believes that there is someone who can make a lasting, positive change in the world to improve the cold, harsh conditions we are currently facing.
We live in a cold, cold world [x4]
The chorus repeats the idea that we live in a cold, unforgiving world, emphasizing the harsh reality of the current state of our society.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: LATASHA WILLIAMS, LE CRAE DEVAUGHN MOORE, TORRANCE ESMOND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marcus James
I love this track from Lecrae. Street Symphony on the beat and Tasha Catour on the hook.
duncan schwebel
Lecrae the best Christian rapper, if he hadn't chosen this path he probably woulda gotten big in the mainstream
Michael Cobbs (NJ)
Spectacular song.
Michael Abraham
One of my fav album by lecrae
K Williams
One woman gets the man, the other woman gets to dance.....#ColdWorld
TreyDa OgSawyer
Man I love this song still bangin #2021💪🏾🤙🏾
bballboy247
Finally, some 2016 good music!! 😂
Nicole Mcivor
This song is this good 2023!!!
Jacob Morales
Crae you be flowing bro
Mustefa Shoge
It sure is I’ve seen more evil then the people even commented on this video more then this guy even I can guarantee u and I been overseas and seen savageness