His father was a doctor and Lil’ O and his four brothers and one sister had a middle class upbringing. His mother died from ovarian cancer when Lil’ O was 13 and suddenly his father’s strict Nigerian upbringing began to chase him to rebellion.
Soon after his mother’s death, Lil’ O began hanging in the streets with friends who were in the drug game, and he became addicted to the fast money that drug dealing brought in. “I got street fame, women, and a lot of money quickly and easily,” he says. Of course, he eventually got collared. After his arrest, his father kicked him out of the house and Lil’ O fell deeper into the lure of the drug game. While out on bond, he continued to sell drugs and was caught again. This time he attempted to swallow the evidence before the police could arrest him. He swallowed an ounce-and-a-half of crack cocaine and his lungs collapsed. He was put on life support and his father was told to prepare for his death. “It’s really a miracle that I woke up at all,” says Lil’ O. “I was breathing through tubes on my deathbed and I looked down and saw that my ankles were cuffed to the bed. I realized, if I recovered I was going to jail, and if I didn’t I was going to die.”
He went to Xavier University in New Orleans, where he studied business. Away from the drugs and the street life of Southwest Houston, Lil’ O also began to dabble in one of his first loves – hip hop. “Man, when I was growing up, LL Cool J came out with ‘Radio’ and that was it, I was hooked. I never thought about rapping as a career because I was making so much selling drugs, plus the money came faster than it does in the rap game,” says O. While at Xavier, in 1997, he recorded “Can’t Stop” – featuring vocal contributions from the ladies that would go on to earn renown as Destiny’s Child. The track soon became Lil’ O’s debut single and went on to score an instant local hit. Regardless, Lil’ O eventually found himself out of school and back in Texas, again exposed to the same lifestyle he’d tried to leave behind. In 1999, he then signed with the Houston-based indie label Game Face Entertainment, but also began selling drugs again. His debut album, Blood Money, sold 20,000 copies but he was unable to promote it due to spending time in jail.
After being released from prison, Lil’ O left the drug game behind for good and focused on his music completely. He also enrolled at the University of Houston–Downtown ("UHD") and majored in business. “Some days I wouldn’t feel like going to class, and then I would look across the street at the county jail and remember how I felt when I was in there. That would be all the motivation I would need to get myself to class,” says Lil’ O with a hearty laugh.
In 2001, his album "Da Fat Rat With The Cheeze" sold over 75,000. He collaborated with Big Hawk on the hit single "Back Back". "Back Back" led him back to a nationwide deal with Atlantic Records, which he later left in 2003.
What Fo'
Lil' O Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why you got in her, why you cuffing her
What you love in here
(E.S.G.)
Say Fat Rat, how you tell em
(Chorus: Big Moe & (E.S.G.) - 2x)
Why you got in her
(What you hog it all for)
(Nigga what you love it all for)
Why you cuffing her
(Man what you trusting her for)
What you love in her
(What you hog it all for)
(Nigga she ain't nothing but a hoe)
(Lil' O)
There she is she the baddest broad, she bopped up
Or look at, her big ole butt look popped up
Every trick in the club that look at it, they rock up
She throwed in the Docha Cabana, she hot stuff
But baby I don't sweat no hoes, I got bucks
It seems like these other lil tricks, ain't got nuts
Cause the minute you say buy me a drink, they hop up
Saying baby what you want from the bar, huh what
In her face like a fool, treating her like a queen
Plus she done fucked, every nigga in the city with green
I ain't hating on you playa, go ahead do your thing
But a broad just like that, I would treat like a flame
But the next thing I heard, was you bought her a ring
Beat your partna down, cause he tried to jump in her jeans
I be laughing at you playa, cause she just want your green
Plus I hit the other night, cause she still on my team, man
(Chorus - 2x)
(Lil' O)
She know all the rappers, NBA players
NFL stars, neighborhood drug dealers
Shot callers, ballas, anybody with ends
You ask how you know them boys she say, oh that's my friends
You keep believing that, I got a million dollas cash that they beating that
And you look at you like a fool, man you eating that
Kitty cat, loving the shit
Then you wonder how you got, them lil bumps on your lips
I ain't tripping man, I don't be doing all that gallon freeze and tricking man
I just take em to the house, and be sticking man
I can never be a fool and got a chicken man, I ain't tripping man
But you be holding hands at the mall, buying her gifts
And she be spending all the dough, you be supplying her with
But when I rolled by on 20's, she was eyeing my shit
And if I ask for the cat, ain't no denying my dick, man
(Chorus - 2x)
(Lil' O)
Now I ain't gon lie, lil mama beautiful
But he ain't got material, she ain't suitable
And if you didn't have no money she'd be, like who is you
What you trying to make a way for the real, a fool is you
And I ain't even cool with you, but I feel pity on you
Cause man I'm one out the ten playas, hitting your boo
She be at my crib all the time, licking my tool
Telling me how you a mark, straight shitting on you
You need to rearrange your game, and them hoes that ain't worthy
Just because she look good, that don't mean she ain't dirty
You need to come see the light, cause your vision is blurry
You be crying over hoes, can't no bitch ever hurt me
These gold diggers freaks, these boppers is hoes
You ain't 'pose to handcuff em, knock em down let em go
And when they ask you for money, straight up let em know
I ain't a trick you ain't my type, get your ass out my do', man
(Chorus - 2x)
(*Big Moe vocalizing*)
(Lil' O & (E.S.G.))
What fo (what fo)
What fo (what fo)
What fo (what fo)
What fo (I don't know) - 4x
Nasty girl...
The song “What Fo” by Lil' O featuring Big Moe and E.S.G. is about questioning why certain men overly invest in women who are only after their money. Lil' O highlights the superficiality of the women admired by these men, describing how it's only for their looks or superficial reputation. The chorus repeats the question of why these men are “cuffing” or holding onto such women, and the lyrics suggest that these men should not put too much trust in a woman who seems to want only their money. Lil' O advises not to give in to the pressure of buying women drinks in clubs and treating them like royalty. He emphasizes that the women these men are trying so hard to keep away from other prospective suitors are nothing more than “hoes”.
Overall, the song "What Fo" drives home the concept that men should not commit to women they meet in clubs, who are not interested in them as individuals but instead are only after their wealth or status. The song uses humor and a lighthearted tone to convey serious societal issues in the black community around materialism and superficiality.
Line by Line Meaning
There she is she the baddest broad, she bopped up
He sees a very attractive woman
Or look at, her big ole butt look popped up
He is admiring her behind
Every trick in the club that look at it, they rock up
Other men in the club are also attracted to her behind
She throwed in the Docha Cabana, she hot stuff
She is a popular woman in the club
But baby I don't sweat no hoes, I got bucks
The rapper does not care about promiscuous women and has enough money so he does not need them
It seems like these other lil tricks, ain't got nuts
The other men in the club are weak for being interested in promiscuous women
Cause the minute you say buy me a drink, they hop up
Other men will immediately become interested in promiscuous women when offered drinks
Saying baby what you want from the bar, huh what
Promiscuous women will ask for drinks and other favors from men
In her face like a fool, treating her like a queen
Men will treat promiscuous women like royalty, despite their reputation
Plus she done fucked, every nigga in the city with green
The promiscuous woman has slept with many wealthy men in the city
I ain't hating on you playa, go ahead do your thing
The rapper is encouraging other men to pursue promiscuous women
But a broad just like that, I would treat like a flame
The rapper would treat a promiscuous woman as nothing special
But the next thing I heard, was you bought her a ring
The man bought the promiscuous woman an engagement ring
Beat your partna down, cause he tried to jump in her jeans
The man attacked his friend for showing interest in the promiscuous woman
I be laughing at you playa, cause she just want your green
The promiscuous woman is only interested in the man's money
Plus I hit the other night, cause she still on my team, man
The rapper hooked up with the promiscuous woman recently
Now I ain't gon lie, lil mama beautiful
The promiscuous woman is still attractive
But he ain't got material, she ain't suitable
The man is not wealthy enough for the promiscuous woman
And if you didn't have no money she'd be, like who is you
The promiscuous woman would not be interested in the man if he were not wealthy
What you trying to make a way for the real, a fool is you
The rapper thinks the man is playing himself with the promiscuous woman
She be at my crib all the time, licking my tool
The promiscuous woman frequently visits the rapper's house for sexual reasons
Telling me how you a mark, straight shitting on you
The promiscuous woman is talking badly about the man behind his back
You need to come see the light, cause your vision is blurry
The man needs to realize that the promiscuous woman is only interested in him for his money
You be crying over hoes, can't no bitch ever hurt me
The rapper has no emotional attachment to promiscuous women
These gold diggers freaks, these boppers is hoes
Promiscuous women only care about money and sexual pleasure
You ain't 'pose to handcuff em, knock em down let em go
Men are not supposed to get emotionally attached or tied down to promiscuous women, but should just have casual sex with them
And when they ask you for money, straight up let em know
Men should tell promiscuous women the truth about their motives and that they will not be providing them with money
What fo (what fo)
What is the point?
I don't know
The rapper is unsure why some men continue to pursue promiscuous women
Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.