All my life
Lil Wayne & Will.I.Am Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
The ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
Oh my, oh
Oh my, oh

I was on the block right, wasn't in my right mind
Just a young nigga, hustlin', tryna get mines
Movin' with the 9 double M
Niggas like "You don't really wanna fuck with him"
Yeah, young teenager, 'fatuated with paper
Yeah, I had to get it, 'cause mama, she wasn't able
Black and white TV set, no cable
40's in the fridge, chicken noodles on the table
I wasn't born with a silver spoon
Child of the ghetto, raised off a different tune
Watchin' Bob Barker in my living room
If "The Price Was Right", I could get you a whole living room
Yeah, them was my gutter ways
Back in the gutter days, no education, but the gutter pays
Through it all, came a long way
From sellin' the yay', fist fights to gunplay

In the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
I comes from the bottom but now I'm on top
Ain't no one stop me, yo
I comes from the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
Where all of my niggas, where all of my niggas
And all of my niggas will roll up in the spot
And get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

Yeah, times is hard as it is
That's why I got guns, and my guns got kids
That's why I be goin' so tough on them hoes
I play my own hand, I don't shuffle or fold
Fuck with a nigga, let's go fuck with some hoes
Hear them bitches screamin' like they stuck in a hole
I am not a demon, but was once a lost soul
'Til I found myself a block away from the crossroad
I have, outgrown the fishbowl
And now I'm on my feet like a fuckin' insole
Yeah, it may hurt like a fuckin' lymph node
But it's "fuck the world" like a fuckin' nympho
And we spend dough 'cause we make more
And I make sure when I say so
It's Jay Rock and Wheezy, need I say more?
Clothesline the beat, Ted DiBiase flow

In the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
I comes from the bottom but now I'm on top
Ain't no one stop me, yo
I comes from the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
Where all of my niggas, where all of my niggas
And all of my niggas will roll up in the spot
And get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

Jay Rock, still that same OG
I ain't tryna see the grave or the penitentiary
Everyday living, tryna stay on my feet
Even though a nigga paid but my heart in the streets
To my dogs, I'm a beast, go hard on these beats
So my family can eat, I'll be damned if I see no income
Here come Jay Rock, they know
Crack music, drug kingpin flow, oh

Kingpin, ho (yeah), need I say more? (Yeah)
Your family could die when I say go (go)
Green light, green light, what ya green like?
Before you sign me up, get the scene right
And I just hop in the Phantom when I'm feelin' nice
'Cause drivin' slow in the Lamb', it doesn't seem right
Yeah, and I remember them long nights
Livin' the wrong life, but I made that wrong right, Wheezy

All the struggling
All it does is keep my hustling
Oh my, my

In the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
I comes from the bottom but now I'm on top
Ain't no one stop me, yo
I comes from the ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
Where all of my niggas, where all of my niggas
And all of my niggas will roll up in the spot
And get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto

Get ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
G-ghetto, ghetto, g-ghetto
I comes from the bottom but now I'm on top
Ain't nothin' gon' stop me, yo
All the struggling
All it does is keep my hustling




Oh my, oh
Oh my

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lil Wayne and Will.I.Am's song All My Life are a poignant reflection on the harsh realities of growing up in the ghetto and the drive to succeed that is born out of desperation. Lil Wayne's opening verse speaks to the struggles of his youth, where he grew up in poverty with little hope for a better life. He describes his reliance on hustling and selling drugs, his obsession with money, and his determination to escape the cycle of poverty that he was born into. There is a sense of urgency in his voice, as he reflects on the hardships he faced as a young man and the desperation that drove him to take risks and make sacrifices for the sake of survival. He tells his story with honesty and emotion, offering a glimpse into the world of inner-city life that so many young people are forced to endure.


The chorus of the song, with its repetition of the phrase "All my life I've known," speaks to the idea that Lil Wayne and Jay Rock's experiences are not unique, and that many young people from disadvantaged backgrounds share their struggles and dreams. The second verse, performed by Jay Rock, continues this theme, as he reflects on his own experience of growing up in the ghetto and the challenges he has faced in his life. He speaks to the need to stay grounded and focused, to avoid the traps and pitfalls that can derail a young person's life. He emphasizes the importance of family and community, and the need to stay true to oneself even when it is difficult.


Line by Line Meaning

I was on the block right, wasn't in my right mind
I was hustling on the street, not in the best mental state


Just a young nigga, hustlin', tryna get mines
I was a young guy trying to make a living by hustling


Movin' with the 9 double m
I was carrying a 9mm gun with me


Niggas like 'You don't really wanna fuck with him'
People warned others not to mess with me


Yeah, young teenager, 'fatuated with paper
I was obsessed with making money as a young teenager


Yeah I had to get it, cause momma, she wasn't able
I had to make money because my mom wasn't able to provide for me


Black and white TV set, no cable
We only had a basic TV with no cable channels


Forties in the fridge, chicken noodles on the table
We had cheap food and drinks in the house


I wasn't born with a silver spoon
I didn't come from a wealthy family


Child of the ghetto, raised off a different tune
I grew up in the ghetto and had a different upbringing


Watchin' Bob Barker in my living room
I watched game shows like The Price is Right on TV


If 'The Price Was Right', I could get you a whole living room
If I won on The Price is Right, I could afford to buy furniture for my living room


Yeah, them was my gutter ways back in the gutter days
Those were my rough times when I was struggling


No education, but the gutter pays
I didn't have a formal education, but hustling on the street paid my bills


Through it all came a long way
I've come a long way despite my difficult upbringing


From sellin' the yay', fist fights to gun play
I went from selling drugs, getting into fights, to dealing with gun violence


Sittin' on the block and I'm doin' bad
I'm broke and struggling while sitting on the street


Dreaming about the things that I never had
I'm thinking about the things I wish I had but couldn't afford


Got me thinking to myself 'I gotta get it man'
I'm motivated to work hard to make money


You can play if you want, I'm gon' get it man
I'm not going to waste my time playing around, I'm determined to make money


I say, all my life I've known
Throughout my life, I've always felt this way


One day eventually I'll blow
I'll become successful one day


Times is torn as it is
Times are hard and difficult


That's why I got guns, and my guns got kids
I have weapons to protect myself and my family


That's why I be goin' so tough on them hoes
I'm hard on those who try to take advantage of me or my situation


I play my own hand, I don't shuffle or fold
I take control of my own life and don't give up easily


Fuck wit a nigga, let go fuck wit some hoes
Don't mess with me, go mess with some girls instead


Hear them bitches screamin' like they stuck in a hole
I'm successful with women and they enjoy being with me


I am not a demon, but was once a lost soul
I've had a rough past, but I'm not a bad person


'Til I found myself a block away from the cross road
Until I discovered a new path in life that I could take


I have, outgrown the fishbowl
I've moved past my old way of life and grown as a person


And I'm on my feet like a fuckin' insole
I'm doing well and able to stand on my own two feet


Yeah it may hurt like a fuckin' left no
It may be painful, but I can handle it


But it's 'fuck the world', like a fuckin nympho
I don't care what others think or say, like someone who is sexually promiscuous


And we spend dough, cause we make more
We're not afraid to spend money because we know we can make more


And I make sure, when I say so
I always follow through with my promises


It's Jay Rock and Weezy, need I say more
Me and Jay Rock make a great team, no further explanation needed


Close line the beat tear, DB I say flow
Our music is so good that it tears apart the competition


Jay Rock, still that same O.G.
Jay Rock is still the same original gangster as he always was


I ain't tryna see the grave or the penitentiary
I don't want to end up dead or in jail


Everyday living, tryna stay on my feet
I'm just trying to survive and stay out of trouble


Even though a nigga paid, but my heart in the streets
Even though I have money, I'm still connected to the streets and my community


See my dogs I'm a beast, so hard on these beats
I'm a great rapper and work hard on my music


So my family can eat, I'll be damned if I see
I work hard to provide for my family and won't let them go hungry


No income, here come Jay Rock, they know crack music
When we're struggling with money, Jay Rock comes up with great music that people love


Drug kingpin flow, oh
Our music has a strong and powerful presence


Kingpin hoe, need I say more
Our music is so great that it speaks for itself


Your family could die, when I say go (go)
If you mess with me or my family, I'll take action and you could end up hurt or worse


Green light green light, whatcha green like?
I'm giving permission to start something, what's your next move?


Before ya sign me up, get the scene right
Before you try to make a deal with me, make sure you know what's really going on


And I just happen to fan it when I'm being nice
I just want to be friendly, but sometimes that leads to people taking advantage of me


Cause drivin' slow in the Lam', it doesn't seem right
I don't want to seem too flashy or be too obvious about my wealth


Yeah, and I remember them long nights
I remember the difficult and challenging times in my past


Livin' the wrong life, but I made that wrong right
I was living a bad lifestyle, but I changed my ways and made things better


All the struggling
All the effort and hard work


All it does is keep my hustling, oh my
My struggles motivate me to keep working hard and hustling to make a better life for myself




Lyrics Β© SOAR MUSIC GROUP, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andre Christopher Lyon, Marcello Valenzano, Curtis Mayfield, William Adams, Johnny McKinzie, Dwayne Carter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@MTWENTY

This song blew me away when I was in High School. 10 years later Jay Rock finally has a Grammy. No one can disrespect his grind

@p.tfreefree3082

Wayne killed it per usual but I’m just realizing that’s Kendrick on the chorus

@solstyc

it's not kendrick lol@@p.tfreefree3082

@rimandtherock9358

This song aged like fine wine, classic

@kungfukennytde6065

Classic

@axiom.ai.obviousbattletank7139

Which part? The great rhythm? The beat that was sampled, the voices?

Black

@just_a5.7

2021 I just found this song and I get chills every time even thoe I dont listen to anyone new rapper or anyone else besides jetlife recordings and currensy

@solomonroller9127

On me I’m back here bumping this on repeat

@kidmaad9811

Yaah bro it's classic

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@23glo59

Who else think Jay Rock and Wayne should give it another shot? Uplifting track

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