Rapper Lil Baby grew up in Atlanta hanging with friends like Young Thug, Co… Read Full Bio ↴Rapper Lil Baby grew up in Atlanta hanging with friends like Young Thug, Coach K, and Pee, leaning more toward a life of petty crime and street hustling while his friends were working in the music industry. In 2015, at age 19, Lil Baby went to prison for two years for a probation violation. Upon his release in 2017, he jump-started his rap career with a mixtape called Perfect Timing, released in April of that year. The mixtape featured cameos from friends like Lil Yachty, Young Thug, and Gunna, and strong production from 808 Mafia, Brickz, and many others, highlighted by Lil Baby's woozy flows. The mixtape immediately brought the young rapper fame, in part due to his affiliations with friends in the Quality Control family of artists as well as the 4 Pockets Full clique. As his mixtape attracted more listeners, Lil Baby worked constantly on new music, releasing singles like "My Dawg" and the Young Thug collaboration "Pink Slip"" in the summer of 2017. Other 2017 releases included Harder Than Hard, 2 the Hard Way (with Marlo), and Too Hard. Lil Baby's debut studio album, Harder Than Ever, appeared in May of 2018. Featuring guest appearances from Drake, Offset, Lil Uzi Vert, and others, the release entered the Billboard 200 album chart at number three.

Whatchu Gon Do
Lil Baby Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Eye beats)
(Billboard, hit-makers)

Oh yeah
Tell me how you gon' eat
Tell me how you gon' sleep
When you out there stuck in these streets
Tell me what you gon' do

When them niggas tell you
That your man got killed up the street
Tell me how you gon' live
When your brother got bit
Now you gotta help take care of the kids
Tell me how you gon' eat
Tell me how you gon' sleep
Tell me how you gon' live
When you out there in these streets

Tell me what you gon' do
When that pressure on
I got dogs down the road that ain't comin' home
Try to give them niggas life so I just buy 'em phones
Man they gave my niggas life, yeah they did 'em wrong (hell yeah)
Lately I been goin' real crazy, they can't stop this
Yesterday they locked up twenty niggas in my 'partments
Sometimes I just feel like I need Jesus, I see darkness
Seen my dog's brains layin' on them streets, that shit scarred me
I know what I'm gon' do
When that pressure on
Ain't gon' fold, ain't gon' tell when that pressure come (yeah)
Ain't gon' never leave my dog if he right or wrong (nah)
I'ma stand up like a man, that's just what I was taught

Tell me how you gon' eat
Tell me how you gon' sleep
When you out there stuck in these streets
Tell me what you gon' do
When them niggas tell you
That your man got killed up the street
Tell me how you gon' live
When your brother got bit
And you gotta help take care of the kids
Tell me how you gon' eat
Tell me how you gon' sleep
Tell me how you gon' live
When you out there in these streets
Tell me how you gon'

I pray we never fall
So I'ma ball for my dog
The ones locked behind the walls
In the grave or in the cell
Lord knows they need my help and I'm there
I'm tryna run up a couple millions and get my niggas out the system
God knows I really miss 'em, God knows I really miss 'em
Been a while since I seen you, Glock 40 with the beamer
Had to bust a couple niggas for my niggas
I never ever school on my niggas
We all gon' ride or die for my niggas (yeah)
I know once that pressure on
You never break or never fold
That's that shit that gets you rolled
You never go against the code for nobody
And if you stand tall you rock solid
And if you stand tall you rock solid

Tell me how you gon' eat
Tell me how you gon' sleep
When you out there stuck in these streets
Tell me what you gon' do
When them niggas tell you
That your man got killed up the street
Tell me how you gon' live
When your brother got bit
And you gotta help take care of the kids
Tell me how you gon' eat
Tell me how you gon' sleep
Tell me how you gon' live

When you out there in these streets
Tell me how you gon'

Overall Meaning

In Lil Baby's song Whatchu Gon Do, the rapper reflects on the challenges of living in the streets and the choices one has to make in order to survive. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the harsh realities of his environment, as he questions how one can possibly live, eat or even sleep when faced with such difficult circumstances. Lil Baby acknowledges the pressure that comes with living in the streets, with his lyrics detailing how he has seen his friends and loved ones go to jail or lose their lives.

Throughout the song, the rapper emphasizes the importance of loyalty and standing by those closest to you no matter what. He highlights the bonds forged in tough times and the responsibility to take care of each other's families when things go wrong. Lil Baby recognizes the difficulties that come with this kind of life, but remains committed to staying true to his upbringing and his code.

The lyrics of Whatchu Gon Do present a sobering message about the harsh realities of life in the streets, where one is forced to make tough decisions in order to survive. Lil Baby emphasizes the importance of loyalty and standing by those closest to you, even in the face of great adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh yeah
Introduction to the theme of the song

Tell me how you gon' eat
What will you do for food when you are struggling in life?

Tell me how you gon' sleep
What will you do for a place to sleep when you are struggling in life?

When you out there stuck in these streets
When life gets tough and you are struggling to survive on the streets

Tell me what you gon' do
What actions will you take to survive in difficult situations?

When them niggas tell you
When you receive news from someone that is not trustworthy

That your man got killed up the street
When you lose someone close to you to violence on the streets

Tell me how you gon' live
How do you continue to live after a traumatic event?

When your brother got bit
When your sibling is hurt or injured

Now you gotta help take care of the kids
Now you must take on the responsibility of caring for the children affected by the tragedy

When that pressure on
When you feel the stress and pressure of difficult situations

I got dogs down the road that ain't comin' home
I have friends that are never coming back home

Try to give them niggas life so I just buy 'em phones
I try to keep my friends' spirits up by buying them phones so we can communicate and stay connected

Man they gave my niggas life, yeah they did 'em wrong (hell yeah)
My friends were unjustly imprisoned, and it's not right

Lately I been goin' real crazy, they can't stop this
I've been struggling to overcome the challenges of life, but I won't let them defeat me

Yesterday they locked up twenty niggas in my 'partments
Police recently arrested many people in my community

Sometimes I just feel like I need Jesus, I see darkness
Sometimes I feel lost and alone, and wish for guidance from a higher power

Seen my dog's brains layin' on them streets, that shit scarred me
I witnessed my friend's violent death and it haunts me to this day

I know what I'm gon' do
Despite the challenges of life, I am confident in my ability to persevere

Ain't gon' fold, ain't gon' tell when that pressure come (yeah)
I won't give in or betray my friends when faced with difficult situations

Ain't gon' never leave my dog if he right or wrong (nah)
I will always support my friends, no matter their mistakes or flaws

I'ma stand up like a man, that's just what I was taught
I will face the challenges of life with bravery and strength, as I was taught to do

The ones locked behind the walls
My friends who are currently serving time in prison

In the grave or in the cell
My friends who have either died or are currently incarcerated

Lord knows they need my help and I'm there
I will always support and help my friends in any way that I can

I'm tryna run up a couple millions and get my niggas out the system
I'm working hard to make money so I can help my friends get out of the criminal justice system

God knows I really miss 'em, God knows I really miss 'em
I miss my friends deeply and wish they were here with me

Been a while since I seen you, Glock 40 with the beamer
It's been a long time since I've seen you, but I'm still holding on to my gun for protection

Had to bust a couple niggas for my niggas
I had to use violence to protect my friends and keep them safe

I never ever school on my niggas
I will never betray or turn on my friends

We all gon' ride or die for my niggas (yeah)
We are all in this together, and we will do whatever it takes to protect and support each other

You never break or never fold
You must remain strong and determined, and never give up

That's that shit that gets you rolled
If you show weakness or betray your friends, you will face serious consequences

You never go against the code for nobody
You must always follow the unwritten rules and code of loyalty in your community

And if you stand tall you rock solid
If you remain loyal and strong, you will earn the respect of those around you

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dominique Jones, Marlo, Eduardo Burgess, Istvan Tamas Megyimorecz, Jonathan De La Rosa, Rakim Hasheem Allen, Rico Brooks

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS