What We Talkin' About
Luke Steele Lyrics
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Yeah, yeah
What we talkin' 'bout real shit
Or we talkin' 'bout ryhmes?
You talkin' 'bout millions or you talking' 'bout mine?
What we talkin' 'bout? 'Cause I ain't got time
For what people be talkin' 'bout all the time
You talkin' 'bout fiction, hold up pardon my back
I'm talkin' 'bout life and all I hear is
"Oh yeah he keeps talkin' 'bout crack"
I ain't talkin' 'bout profit I'm talkin' 'bout pain
I'm talkin' 'bout despair I'm talkin' 'bout shame
I ain't talkin' 'bout gossip I ain't talkin' 'bout Game
I ain't talkin 'bout Jimmy I ain't talkin' 'bout Dame
I'm talkin' 'bout real shit dem people playin'
What is you talkin' 'bout? I don't know what y'all sayin'?
People keep talkin' 'bout Hov take it back
I'm doin' better than before, why would I do that?
Ain't nothing cool 'bout carryin' a strap
'Bout worryin' your moms And buryin' your best cat
Talkin' 'bout revenge while carryin' his casket
All teary-eyed 'bout to take it to a matress
I'm talkin' 'bout music I ain't talkin' 'bout rap
You talkin' 'bout who's hot I ain't talkin' 'bout that
The conversation is changed Lets yap about that
I don't run rap no more I run the map
They talk, we live, we see what they say
They say, they say
(We seein' what y'all talkin' 'bout, ha)
They talk, we did, who cares what they say
They say, they say, yeah
Still they can't' focus on them they be talkin' 'bout me
Talkin' 'bout what I wear, talkin' 'bout where I be, yeah
Check out my hair, these ain't curls these is peas
Peasey head still get paid I'm combin' through G's, please
We ain't focused on naps
'Cause I don't run rap no more I run the map
A small part of the reason the President is black
I told him I got him when he hit me on the jack
Talkin' 'bout progress I ain't lookin back
You know I run track Try not to get lapped
People keep talkin' 'bout Hov left 'em flat
Try to re-write history Lets talk about facts
Dame made millions Even Jaz made some scraps
He could've made more But he didn't sign his contract
As far as street guys we was dealin' crack
That's just how the game goes I don't owe nobody jack
Grown men want me to sit 'em on my lap
But I don't have a beard and Santa Claus ain't black
I repeat, you can't sit on my lap
I don't have a beard, now get off my sack
Scream at me
They talk, we live, we see what they say
They say, they say
They talk, we did, who cares what they say
They say, they say (Blueprint 3)
And now that that's that, let's talk about the future
We have just seen the dream as predicted by Martin Luther
And you could choose to, sit in front of your computer
Posin' with guns, shootin' YouTube up
Or you could come with me to the White House, get your suit up
You stuck on being hardcore I chuck the duece up
Peace out Medusa
Welcome to the Blue-ah-Print-ah tres piece, Jay-Z your tutor
Toota of my own horn Beep beep move-ya
Rasclaat when rude boy come through with the roof up
So I could see the sky
'Cause everybody talkin' Hov I think we know why
They talk, we live, we see what they say
They say, they say
They talk, we did, who cares what they say
They say, they say
(They say, they say)
In Luke Steele's song "What we talkin' 'bout", the artist reflects on the importance of real conversation and how it has been drowned out by chatter about materialistic things. In the first verse, he asks whether people are discussing "real shit" or just "rhymes," and whether they are focused on personal gains or empathy for others. Steele then goes on to express his own concerns about the focus on drugs and violence in hip-hop culture, and the impact it has on the African American community. He highlights the negative consequences of carrying a gun or getting involved in drugs and emphasizes how it is important to talk about the real issues rather than just shallow gossip.
The second verse shifts focus to Steele's own experiences. He talks about how people are preoccupied with his appearance and constantly talking about what he wears and where he goes. He asserts that although he used to be involved in the drug game, he has since moved on and is now focused on bigger things. He talks about his commitment to progress and not looking back, even as he faces criticism and rumors about his past.
Overall, "What we talkin' 'bout" is a reflective track that encourages listeners to engage in real conversations and focus on genuine experiences, rather than superficial or materialistic things.
Line by Line Meaning
What we talkin' 'bout real shit
Are we having a meaningful conversation?
Or we talkin' 'bout ryhmes?
Or are we just talking about music?
You talkin' 'bout millions or you talking' 'bout mine?
Are you discussing your wealth or mine?
What we talkin' 'bout? 'Cause I ain't got time
What is the point of this conversation? I don't have time for idle chatter.
For what people be talkin' 'bout all the time
I'm tired of hearing people talk non-stop about nothing.
What we talkin' 'bout fiction or we talkin 'bout fact?
Is this conversation based on truth or lies?
You talkin' 'bout fiction, hold up pardon my back
If this is about made-up stories, excuse me for not being interested.
I'm talkin' 'bout life and all I hear is
I am discussing real issues, but all anyone wants to talk about is
"Oh yeah he keeps talkin' 'bout crack"
drugs and other unimportant things.
I ain't talkin' 'bout profit I'm talkin' 'bout pain
I'm not discussing money, I'm discussing real suffering.
I'm talkin' 'bout despair I'm talkin' 'bout shame
I'm talking about deep feelings of hopelessness and guilt.
I ain't talkin' 'bout gossip I ain't talkin' 'bout Game
I'm not here to spread rumors or talk about trivial things.
I ain't talkin 'bout Jimmy I ain't talkin' 'bout Dame
I'm not discussing individual people or their drama.
I'm talkin' 'bout real shit dem people playin'
I'm discussing actual, serious problems while others are just playing around.
What is you talkin' 'bout? I don't know what y'all sayin'?
I don't even understand what you're talking about.
People keep talkin' 'bout Hov take it back
People keep asking me to go back to the way things were when I ran rap.
I'm doin' better than before, why would I do that?
I'm doing well now, so why look back?
Ain't nothing cool 'bout carryin' a strap
There's nothing cool about carrying a gun.
'Bout worryin' your moms And buryin' your best cat
It's not cool to worry your mother or bury your best friend.
Talkin' 'bout revenge while carryin' his casket
It's not productive to talk about revenge while mourning someone's death.
All teary-eyed 'bout to take it to a matress
Crying and fighting doesn't solve anything.
I'm talkin' 'bout music I ain't talkin' 'bout rap
I'm discussing music as an art form, not just rap as a genre.
You talkin' 'bout who's hot I ain't talkin' 'bout that
I'm not interested in discussing who's popular or trendy.
The conversation is changed Lets yap about that
Let's change the subject and talk about something more worthwhile.
I don't run rap no more I run the map
I'm not just in charge of rap anymore, I have influence in many places.
They talk, we live, we see what they say
They talk about us, but we see it and continue living our lives.
Still they can't' focus on them they be talkin' 'bout me
Some people can't focus on themselves so they talk about me instead.
Talkin' 'bout what I wear, talkin' 'bout where I be, yeah
They're talking about my fashion choices and my whereabouts.
Check out my hair, these ain't curls these is peas
My hair is unique, not just ordinary curls.
Peasey head still get paid I'm combin' through G's, please
Despite my hair, I'm still making money and living well, so leave me alone.
We ain't focused on naps
We're not talking about taking a nap, that's not important.
'Cause I don't run rap no more I run the map
I have influence beyond just the rap world.
A small part of the reason the President is black
I had a small role in helping Obama get elected.
I told him I got him when he hit me on the jack
I promised to support him when he called me on the phone.
Talkin' 'bout progress I ain't lookin back
I'm only interested in moving forward and making progress.
You know I run track Try not to get lapped
I'm making moves quickly, so don't get left behind.
People keep talkin' 'bout Hov left 'em flat
Some people feel like I abandoned them after I stopped running rap.
Try to re-write history Lets talk about facts
Let's focus on what actually happened, not make up stories.
Dame made millions Even Jaz made some scraps
Dame Dash and Jaz-O both made money, but not as much as they could have.
He could've made more But he didn't sign his contract
Jaz-O could have made more money if he had made different business decisions.
As far as street guys we was dealin' crack
Back in the day, I was involved in selling drugs.
That's just how the game goes I don't owe nobody jack
That was the reality of the situation at the time, and I don't owe anyone anything for it.
Grown men want me to sit 'em on my lap
Some people want me to act like a father figure to them.
But I don't have a beard and Santa Claus ain't black
I can't be Santa Claus or a father figure because I don't fit the traditional image.
I repeat, you can't sit on my lap
I can't be your father figure, so stop asking.
I don't have a beard, now get off my sack
I'm not going to play that role, so stop bugging me about it.
And now that that's that, let's talk about the future
Now that we've settled our differences, let's look ahead.
We have just seen the dream as predicted by Martin Luther
We've made progress towards the type of society Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed about.
And you could choose to, sit in front of your computer
You could waste your time online instead of making a difference.
Posin' with guns, shootin' YouTube up
Posting videos of yourself shooting guns is a pointless and violent act.
Or you could come with me to the White House, get your suit up
Instead, come with me to the White House and dress up for a productive meeting.
You stuck on being hardcore I chuck the duece up
If you're focused on being tough and violent, I'm not interested.
Peace out Medusa
Goodbye to negativity.
Welcome to the Blue-ah-Print-ah tres piece, Jay-Z your tutor
This is the Blueprint 3, and I'm your guide, Jay-Z.
Toota of my own horn Beep beep move-ya
I'm proud of my own accomplishments, so move out of my way.
Rasclaat when rude boy come through with the roof up
My car is impressive and eye-catching, and that bothers some people.
So I could see the sky
I like to enjoy the good things in life, like a clear sky.
'Cause everybody talkin' Hov I think we know why
Everyone is talking about me because of my success and influence.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Kanye West, Frederic Mercier, Shawn Carter, Kevin Randolph, Ernest Wilson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind