The Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free) Songfacts reports that Fiasco’s first single off his fourth studio album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 debuted on May 21, 2012. On "Around My Way (Freedom Ain't Free)," he spits rhymes about aspects of modern American life he doesn’t like such as "Suicide bombers and prosperity gospels, emaciated models, with cocaine and blood pouring out their nostrils” as well as socio-political problems in Ghana and the invasion of Iraq.
Lupe released his fifth studio album Tetsuo & Youth on January 20, 2015.
Lupe's 8th Studio Album DRILL MUSIC IN ZION was released on June 23rd 2022
Lupe has previously been on label Epic with his group Da Pak and then signed a solo deal with Arista. His years at Arista only led to the 2003 promo single "Pop Pop" as well as guest appearances on singles from Tha' Rayne (2002's "Kiss Me" and 2003's "Didn't You Know") and K Fox (2003's "This Life"), then Arista folded in 2004 and Lupe was signed to Atlantic Records.
Kick Push Ii
Lupe Fiasco Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Came a long way from dirty ghetto kids
Yeah, look at what we did
We came a long way from dirty ghetto kids
You know what it is, haha
Well the cops didn't fine 'em for grindin', no
They kinda blew the vibe, figured it was time to go
And he had made like ten dollars off the sign he wrote
It read:
"A lil hungry, and need a lil money
It's for my lil sister and her lil tummy"
Wasn't lying tho, he didn't go buy hydro
Went to the restaurant and bought two gyros
'Cause he knew they wasn't cookin' where he live
The kunk-kakunk-kakunks now took him to the crib
A lil hurt from the rail he took into the ribs
Right pass the pushers who couldn't under dig
What's the use of pushin'? You ain't pushin' none of this
If I kick it with y'all I'm just pushin' for a bid
But what was on his mind, and pushed him to the lid
Their best customer wasn't cookin' for her kids
Gets up to pump, so he
Kick, push
Over his shoulders he swore he'd never look
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
Yeah, uh, and so he
Kick, push
Over her shoulders she swore she'd never look
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
Yeah, uh
You see his mom was a crack head
And his father couldn't be contacted
He lived with being different, was combated
Amongst the other things on his young, black head
And see his girl was a white girl
But just cause she was white, see her life wasn't light world
She too had the drama thick
Had a daddy and a mama, but her daddy used to mama hit
Daddy caught something chasin' fatties, made her mama sick
Couldn't afford the medicine, pimped her to the pharmacist
Had suicidal feelings, would ride
Switch over the transition help her conquer it
Pays for mama's pills with a sponsorship
Her cell phone bill and a Honda kit
Uh huh, and that's why she skates with he
Someone to feel the pain and a place to be
That's why, that's why, that's why, she
Kick, push
Over her shoulders she swore she'd never look
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
Yeah, uh, that's why she
Kick, push
Over her shoulders she swore she'd never look
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
Yeah
A traveling band of misfits and outcasts
Nod they heads from Misfits to Outkast
A lot of scars, they did this without pads
A lot of hearts who did this without dads
One's father was filthy rich
Two was middle class, and one was homeless
Add in the paralyzed girl in the wheelchair
Who just liked to watch, and that was the whole clique
I think about 'em every time I see this old flick
That was taken in the park in front of this old bench
They wrote on the back, "You thank for push, kick
Hope you make a video, the beat is so sick"
Well I did, I hope you seen it
It's on MTV, Soundtrakk's a genius
Love from Tony Hawk, beef from the Ice Creamaz
Before we put it out, had to pay the Filipinas
Just to show 'em how you
Kick, push
Over ya shoulders you swore you'd never look
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
Yeah, uh, that's why you
Kick, push
Over your shoulders you swore you'd never look
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
Yeah
The song Kick Push II by Lupe Fiasco is a beautifully crafted narrative of two individuals, their struggles, and how they find solace through skateboarding. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of two individuals who come from vastly different backgrounds but share similar hardships. The first verse describes a young boy who is hustling to make some money for himself and his sister. He had been skateboarding and grinding on a rail when the cops arrived and chased him away. However, he didn't let that deter him, and he continues with his hustle, which eventually leads him to his home. Along the way, he experiences a lot of negativity from pushers who don't understand his circumstances. In contrast, the second verse describes a white girl who is also a skateboarding enthusiast. She comes from a privileged background, but her life is still fraught with tough challenges because of her abusive father and her mother's addiction.
The song's chorus is one of the most iconic parts of the song, with Lupe showcasing his poetic prowess as he talks about pushing forward, never looking back, and finding strength in oneself. The song's overall message is one of hope, resilience, and perseverance in the face of adversity, inspiring listeners to push forward despite their challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at what we did
Reflecting on how far they've come since their humble beginnings
Came a long way from dirty ghetto kids
Acknowledging the progress made from a difficult upbringing
You know what it is, haha
A lighthearted comment acknowledging the listeners' understanding
Well the cops didn't fine 'em for grindin', no
The skateboarder wasn't punished for his skating by the police
They kinda blew the vibe, figured it was time to go
The police disrupted the skateboarder's flow and he had to leave
Plus he had to be at home a long time ago
The skateboarder had a curfew to abide by and couldn't stay out late
And he had made like ten dollars off the sign he wrote
The skateboarder made some money from a sign he made
It read:
"A lil hungry, and need a lil money
It's for my lil sister and her lil tummy"
The sign explained that the skateboarder was raising money for his hungry sister
Wasn't lying tho, he didn't go buy hydro
The skateboarder didn't spend the money on drugs
Went to the restaurant and bought two gyros
Instead, the skateboarder bought food for himself and his sister
'Cause he knew they wasn't cookin' where he live
The skateboarder couldn't get the food where he lived
The kunk-kakunk-kakunks now took him to the crib
The sound of his skateboard's wheels on the street as he headed home
A lil hurt from the rail he took into the ribs
The skateboarder got injured while skating
Right pass the pushers who couldn't under dig
The skateboarder passed by drug dealers who didn't understand his passion for skating
What's the use of pushin'? You ain't pushin' none of this
The drug dealers didn't see the value in skating, only in selling drugs
If I kick it with y'all I'm just pushin' for a bid
The skateboarder felt that if he hung out with the drug dealers, he would end up in jail
But what was on his mind, and pushed him to the lid
Despite the risks, skating was still important to the skateboarder
Their best customer wasn't cookin' for her kids
The drug dealers' best customer was neglecting her parental responsibilities
Gets up to pump, so he
Kick, push
The skateboarder continues to skate even though he has to leave
Over his shoulders he swore he'd never look
The skateboarder doesn't want to look back and dwell on the past
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
The past was bleak and unfulfilling, and the skateboarder is focused on moving forward
You see his mom was a crack head
The skateboarder's mother struggled with addiction
And his father couldn't be contacted
The skateboarder's father wasn't present in his life
He lived with being different, was combated
Amongst the other things on his young, black head
The skateboarder faced discrimination and other issues as a young black man
And see his girl was a white girl
But just cause she was white, see her life wasn't light world
The skateboarder's girlfriend faced her own challenges despite being white
She too had the drama thick
Had a daddy and a mama, but her daddy used to mama hit
The skateboarder's girlfriend also had a difficult family life
Daddy caught something chasin' fatties, made her mama sick
Couldn't afford the medicine, pimped her to the pharmacist
Her father was involved in some kind of scandal that made her mother ill, leading to her being exploited for medicine
Had suicidal feelings, would ride
Switch over the transition help her conquer it
Skating helped the skateboarder's girlfriend cope with her suicidal thoughts
Pays for mama's pills with a sponsorship
Her cell phone bill and a Honda kit
The skateboarder's girlfriend supports her family financially, as well as enjoying material items like a car and phone
And that's why she skates with he
Someone to feel the pain and a place to be
Skating provides a release for both the skateboarder and his girlfriend, and a sense of belonging to a community
A traveling band of misfits and outcasts
Nod they heads from Misfits to Outkast
The skating community is a diverse group of people who find common ground in their love of skating
A lot of scars, they did this without pads
A lot of hearts who did this without dads
The skating community includes people who have dealt with physical and emotional pain
One's father was filthy rich
Two was middle class, and one was homeless
The skating community has members from different socio-economic backgrounds
Add in the paralyzed girl in the wheelchair
Who just liked to watch, and that was the whole clique
The community doesn't exclude people based on physical disabilities; everyone is welcome to be a part of the group
I think about 'em every time I see this old flick
That was taken in the park in front of this old bench
The skateboarder fondly remembers times skating with friends in a particular park
They wrote on the back, "You thank for push, kick
Hope you make a video, the beat is so sick"
The friends encouraged the skateboarder to make a skate video
Well I did, I hope you seen it
It's on MTV, Soundtrakk's a genius
The skateboarder followed through with his friends' suggestion and made a successful skate video
Love from Tony Hawk, beef from the Ice Creamaz
Before we put it out, had to pay the Filipinas
The skate video gained attention and support from notable figures and required some financial investment to produce
Just to show 'em how you
Kick, push
The skateboarder continues to skate and demonstrate his passion for it
Over ya shoulders you swore you'd never look
The song calls back to the earlier repeated lines about not dwelling on the past
'Cause wasn't nothing back there, but the blackness
Life wasn't too attractive
Again, the past was not ideal, but there is hope for the future in moving forward
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brandon A. Howard-Johnson, Wasulu Muhammad Jaco
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oscarmike1131
love that in part 1 we get a dreamlike romantic story and in this we get the real reason why the 2 love each other skating so much
exceptional storytelling
@19biglou
You should listen to the rest of the Michael Young History saga... Easily the best hip hop story ever told.. Its really a shame more people don't know about it...
@warius1
To be honest, this song made me shed a tear once or twice.
@theoneafterthelast
+Morgan_Fucking_Freeman savage Sir.
@Watterso27
+Morgan_Fucking_Freeman will you marry me?
@cristianoronaldokfclover7064
Better than the first imo
@RCJproductions1
Cristiano Ronaldo KFC lover its crazy cause i used to not like this one, now i prefer it over the first 8 or so years later
@Sergio-sz5wo
https://youtu.be/9BtkBc23DQc
@bosshog325
the day my heart was ripped out 08/06/03. when the doc said i had to put my deck down due to epilipsey was a sad day. everyday i look at my front door and see my deck in the corner that's now a decortion. just breaks my heart to know i'll never be able to ride again. to all those rebel's out there please keep grinding for the one's who no longer can't . keep the dream alive and never forget it's an honor and a priveriage. sorry for any mistype im not as good as i once was.
@MegaFirefox360
I started taking skateboarding seriously last year, I’ll have this in the back of my mind before every time I skate. Hope you’re doing fine.