Lil Rob debuted as an artist in 1992, prior to the release of his album Twelve Eighteen Part 1, he regularly moved as many as 100,000 units for each independent CD he recorded. The number Twelve Eighteen, which is also tattooed on Lil Rob's arms, represent the numeric value of the letters L and R, respectively, which are Lil Rob's initials. The number was used by Lil Rob during his days as a graffiti tagger.
In 1994 at the age of 18, Lil Rob's chin was shattered when he was shot in the jaw. Over time Lil Rob renounced his gang affiliations and called for "Brown Pride" and unity between all Chicanos.
Lil Rob has found commercial success with the release of Twelve Eighteen Part 1, which had been in regular rotation on radio stations outside of the West Coast thanks to the singles "Summer Nights", and "Bring Out The Freak In You".
The Truth
Lil Rob Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's the homey Lil' Rob
Back to clear some shit up, you know
People be stealing my shit
And making money off it
And you know who you are
Hey, Mr. Postman, do me a favor
Blew you vatos away like a feather
Familia Records, chale, whatever
People don't know, and I'm not one to talk
But I gots to clear my name, for the shit that you dropped
Lil' Rob - Still Smokin'
Homey who the f**k you joking?
Burning Raza with my name, use you brain, you're insane
It's a shame you're not ashamed to being lame
Are you Raza? No, then change what you claim
Be proud of who you are, and not who you wanna be
I don't wanna work with you, why do you wanna work with me?
I'm not your artist, so focus on them
If they're not making you money and you're broke, that's on them
But, to take the shit the way you did
You remind me of a jealous little desperate kid
No llores
No llores
You wonder why I broke left
If I would of stayed I would of left broke (simon)
You wonder why I broke left (you wonder why)
If I would of stayed I would of left broke (I would of left broke)
No llores
You wonder why I broke left (you wonder why)
If I would of stayed I woulda left broke (simon)
You wonder why I broke left (you wonder why)
If I would of stayed I would of left broke (and that's no joke)
In Lil Rob's "The Truth," he opens up about people stealing his music and making money off of it. He mentions how he has to clear his name because he's not one to talk, but he can't let people take credit for his work. He mentions how his name has been burned, and how it's a shame that people are not ashamed of being lame. Lil Rob encourages people to be proud of who they are and not try to be someone they're not. He mentions how he doesn't want to work with people who steal his music, and how they should focus on their own artists if they're not making any money. He ends the song with the repetition of "No llores," which can be translated to "Don't cry," implying that the people who are stealing from him shouldn't be upset when he breaks away from them.
This song touches on the sensitive topic of music plagiarism and the frustration that artists face when their hard work is stolen. Lil Rob emphasizes the importance of integrity and authenticity in the music industry, encouraging people to stay true to themselves and not try to be someone they're not. It's a powerful message that can be applied in many areas of life, not just in the music world.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, what's up
Lil' Rob greets his audience
It's the homey Lil' Rob
Lil' Rob introduces himself
Back to clear some shit up, you know
Lil' Rob is addressing rumors and allegations about his music and wants to set the record straight
People be stealing my shit
Lil' Rob is accusing people of stealing his music
And making money off it
Lil' Rob is upset that people are profiting from his work without his permission
And you know who you are
Lil' Rob is directly addressing the people he believes are stealing his music
Hey, Mr. Postman, do me a favor
Lil' Rob is calling on the postal service to deliver a message to his detractors
Deliver the letter, the sooner the better
Lil' Rob is urging the postal service to deliver his message quickly
Blew you vatos away like a feather
Lil' Rob is bragging about his success and how he has surpassed his competition
Familia Records, chale, whatever
Lil' Rob discredits the record label that he believes is responsible for stealing his music
People don't know, and I'm not one to talk
Lil' Rob acknowledges that he doesn't usually involve himself in gossip or rumors
But I gots to clear my name, for the shit that you dropped
Lil' Rob feels that he needs to defend his reputation because people are spreading lies about him
Lil' Rob - Still Smokin'
Lil' Rob is referencing one of his song titles
Homey who the f**k you joking?
Lil' Rob is questioning why someone would try to steal his music and pass it off as their own
Burning Raza with my name, use your brain, you're insane
Lil' Rob accuses the people who stole his music of being disrespectful to his culture and heritage, and questions their sanity for doing so
It's a shame you're not ashamed to being lame
Lil' Rob is calling out the people who stole his music for being unapologetically unoriginal
Are you Raza? No, then change what you claim
Lil' Rob is questioning why someone who is not part of his culture would try to appropriate his music
Be proud of who you are, and not who you wanna be
Lil' Rob believes that people should be true to themselves and not try to imitate others
I don't wanna work with you, why do you wanna work with me?
Lil' Rob does not want to collaborate with the people who stole his music and doesn't understand why they would want to work with him
If they're not making you money and you're broke, that's on them
Lil' Rob is suggesting that the people who stole his music are unsuccessful and experienced financial troubles because they are not original
But, to take the shit the way you did
Lil' Rob is upset about how his music was stolen
You remind me of a jealous little desperate kid
Lil' Rob believes that people who steal others' work are envious and immature
No llores
Lil' Rob is using a Spanish phrase that means 'don't cry'
You wonder why I broke left
Lil' Rob is explaining why he left the situation with his stolen music
If I would of stayed I would of left broke (simon)
Lil' Rob is saying that if he had stayed, he would have lost everything he had worked for
If I would of stayed I woulda left broke
Lil' Rob is reiterating that he made the right decision to leave the situation
You wonder why I broke left (you wonder why)
Lil' Rob is asking his detractors why they are surprised that he left
If I would of stayed I would of left broke (and that's no joke)
Lil' Rob is emphasizing how he would have lost everything if he had stayed
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.