New York
Lloyd Banks Feat. Game Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Turn the beat up, yeah

New york, New york, wake up LA
Wave hi to the Chi, let's get right today
I heard them lil' niggas takin' their life away
I heard a couple lil' niggas got life today
Is it farrakhan, buddha, or christ today?
She on her knees so she know what it's like to pray
She got religious so she doin' it twice a day
I strap up, no I ain't throwin' dice today
When you got money on yo head it's a price to pay
And it get cold in the hood, put your ice away
They locked rick ross up and they ain't give him no bail
But a cracker shoot a whole church up and it's "oh well"
Oh well, oh well
Hang him with a confederate flag in his cell
Let him sit there and rot 'til his body turns to bones
Just remember who casted the first stone
New york, New york, good mornin' LA
Say hi to the Chi, celebrate to the Bay
No hesitation like steph, shoot it right in your face
Cause I'm a golden state warrior strapped with a K
How's it land of the free, when we're trapped in a cage?
Some shit just never make sense like magic and aids
Some shit just never make sense like bashin' the gays
Obama must be in the city, it's traffic today
Niggas trappin' today just like back in the day
We like roc-a-fella records, we packagin' yay
And that dirty sprite 2 shit slappin' today
We got these niggas boxed in like cassius clay
And my feregammo belt where that ratchet stay
Cause the police killing too many blacks today
I wake up in the morning like who gon' pass away?
Who gon' blast today? who gon' have to pray?"




New york, New york
Good morning LA my nigga haze blew him and his wife away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "New York" by Lloyd Banks and Game express the harsh realities of life in New York City, juxtaposed against the glamour and glitz of LA. The song begins with the call to turn up the beat and melds a series of disparate images, including the violence of the streets where young men are taking their lives or getting locked up, religious devotion, money, and the injustice of the legal system. The lines "When you got money on yo head it's a price to pay / And it get cold in the hood, put your ice away" captures the dangerous and precarious nature of living in an area ridden with crime and violence, with gangs always lurking in the background.


The song continues to explore the theme of violence and its impact on society. The references to rappers Rick Ross and Haze, the latter referred to as "my nigga haze blew him and his wife away," and the lines "Niggas trappin' today just like back in the day / We like roc-a-fella records, we packagin' yay" allude to the drug trade in the city and the deadly consequences that often accompany it. The song ends with the rhetorical questions of who will pass away or have to pray, emphasizing the pervasive sense of uncertainty and vulnerability that characterizes life in the city.


Line by Line Meaning

Turn the beat up, yeah
Let's increase the volume and get ready to listen.


New york, New york, wake up LA
New York is calling out for Los Angeles to get up and notice their presence.


Wave hi to the Chi, let's get right today
Let's say hello to Chicago and make the most of today.


I heard them lil' niggas takin' their life away
There are rumors that young people are ruining their lives.


I heard a couple lil' niggas got life today
Some young people were sentenced to life in prison today.


Is it farrakhan, buddha, or christ today?
Which religion are we following today? Farrakhan, Buddha, or Christ?


She on her knees so she know what it's like to pray
She kneels and prays regularly.


She got religious so she doin' it twice a day
She is so religious that she engages in prayer twice a day.


I strap up, no I ain't throwin' dice today
I'm getting ready for any potential danger and not gambling today.


When you got money on yo head it's a price to pay
Being a target comes with a price, and that price is often high.


And it get cold in the hood, put your ice away
It's getting cold outside, so it's time to put away your jewelry aka the ice to stay safe.


They locked rick ross up and they ain't give him no bail
Rick Ross was imprisoned without bail.


But a cracker shoot a whole church up and it's "oh well"
When Caucasians commit crimes like shooting up seemingly targeted places, the consequences aren't as severe and the reaction is usually more subdued.


Oh well, oh well
The world seems to keep turning even if something bad happens.


Hang him with a confederate flag in his cell
Let the criminal be punished with a flag that encourages hate.


Let him sit there and rot 'til his body turns to bones
Let the criminal stay imprisoned until they die and their body decays.


Just remember who casted the first stone
Remember who started the hatred and discrimination in the first place.


New york, New york, good mornin' LA
New York greets Los Angeles again in the morning.


Say hi to the Chi, celebrate to the Bay
Greet Chicago and celebrate with San Francisco Bay.


No hesitation like steph, shoot it right in your face
I'll take action without hesitation, like Steph Curry taking a shot in your face.


Cause I'm a golden state warrior strapped with a K
I'm a Golden State Warriors fan, carrying an AK-47 in this case.


How's it land of the free, when we're trapped in a cage?
How can we call ourselves the land of the free when we are locked up?


Some shit just never make sense like magic and aids
Some things, such as the mysteriousness and unexplainable nature of AIDS and magic, are difficult to understand.


Some shit just never make sense like bashin' the gays
Some things, such as discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ+ community, are completely unjustifiable and make no sense.


Obama must be in the city, it's traffic today
Traffic is so bad today, it seems like President Obama must be in the city.


Niggas trappin' today just like back in the day
People are still dealing drugs like they used to in the past.


We like roc-a-fella records, we packagin' yay
We're like Roc-A-Fella Records, packaging and dealing drugs.


And that dirty sprite 2 shit slappin' today
The album Dirty Sprite 2 is being played and enjoyed today.


We got these niggas boxed in like cassius clay
We have these people boxed in, like heavyweight champion boxer Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali).


And my feregammo belt where that ratchet stay
My Ferragamo belt is where I keep my gun.


Cause the police killing too many blacks today
Police are killing too many Black people nowadays.


I wake up in the morning like who gon' pass away?
I wake up each morning wondering who might die.


Who gon' blast today? who gon' have to pray?
Who will be the shooter today, and who will have to pray for their life?


New york, New york
New York City.


Good morning LA my nigga haze blew him and his wife away
Good morning Los Angeles. My friend Haze was murdered alongside his wife.




Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jayceon Taylor

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

manhattan826

FIRE!!!!!!! One of the best beats and songz ever made

Steve Siri

I love this song!! It's awesome!! ,๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ’ฏ๐Ÿ’ฏ๐Ÿ˜„๐Ÿ˜„

Steve Siri

๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ’ฏ๐Ÿ˜Š

Ricky Ezell

The illest

More Versions