Born Jude Abag in the Jos, Plateau State, he first experimented with music in high school and later, while earning a business degree from Calvin College in Michigan, he became popular on campus playing local hip-hop shows, reading poetry, and even trying out comedy for a short time. Heading back to Nigeria in 2003, he eventually began collaborating with his friend Djinee and produced his first mixtape, PYERIBOY, which yielded the single "Safe." The song earned some national airplay and built momentum for Abaga's debut album, Talk About It, which was released at the end of 2008. The album was a critical success, winning a handful of awards and helping foster the career of peers like Wizkid and Ice Prince. Over the next few years, Abaga became a staple of the Chocolate City roster, releasing the first of his three Illegal Music mixtapes and his 2010 follow-up album, MI 2: The Movie, which won a Headie Award for Best Rap Album. Besides his own music, he became more involved in production, helming tracks for labelmates like Ice Prince and Ruby Gyang. With another high-profile release to his credit, 2014's The Chairman, Abaga had ascended to the upper ranks of Nigerian hip-hop and earned an international following as well. After wrapping up his Illegal Music mixtapes series with 2016's The Finale, he delivered a pair of ambitious releases beginning with 2018's Rendezvous, a highly collaborative playlist made up of what were essentially outtakes from his fourth album, A Study in Self-Worth: Yxng Dxnzl, which appeared shortly afterward. A sort of conceptual journal, Yxng Dxnzl dealt with themes of depression, mental health, and personal affirmation.
In early 2020, after 13 years with the label, Abaga announced his departure from Chocolate City and issued his next project, Judah the EP. This was quickly followed by another project, this time a collaborative album with rapper A-Q called The Live Report.
All My Life
M.I. Abaga Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poppa peeping proud
Momma looking down
Ima see ya soon enough
Till then, M.E. mixing
Rum, Gin, Hen
Keeping it lit Spit, a grip, non-Fict
Politics, from within
Beautiful melanin when will it end
Zone out when I touchdown
Scored a pound, so I'm up now
At the end of the Quarter
Going for my goal
Line em up, knocked em down
Time to tee it up Enough is Enough
Follow M.E. let's Go up!
All my life I've been all alone All Alone
Through my struggle My pain
Went numb went numb
Wasted time I can't go back cant go back
No more asking, asking why why
Dear Lord hear this prayer
I know nobody cares
Stay with me me uplift me when I need you please be there
I know you see me
My senses can feel your stare
I'm at that point
That moment I cannot bare
I'm not no saint But this punishment
Isn't fair I can't wait to escape
Get up out of here Major Pressure
Stormy weather darkened days
Bring us closer together
Whatever's clever Gone make it better
Let's see Changn Channels
With A.A.S.B
Even when I'm all alone
I'm not alone your with me
Rebuke these demons All negativity
All my life I've been all alone All Alone
Through my struggle My pain
Went numb went numb
Wasted time I can't go back cant go back
No more asking, asking why why
Planted seeds, guiding em right
Got a woman made her wife
Messed around and did it twice
Blessed with friends, bonds 4 life
God parents, aunts and uncles
Heard it takes a village
Everyone please Let's Save our children
They the future just like us
Lest not abuse their trust
Help me rise and shine they light
My thoughts as I (sing)
Lay M.E. down at night (sing)
Bass booming ba ba boww
Chill moments see ya face
See ya smile hear ya laugh
Fade away, yea u with M.E.
Till very this day This is it
My time has come (sing)
With My people with M.E.
The Rising Sun
All my life I've been all alone All Alone
Through my struggle My pain
Went numb went numb
Wasted time I can't go back cant go back
No more asking, asking why why
Why
The song "All My Life" by M.I. Abaga is an introspective and emotive piece that explores themes of loneliness, struggle, pain, and mortality. The first verse begins with the artiste expressing his pride in his legacy, his father's watchful eyes, and his mother's inevitable absence. Despite the latter, M.I. Abaga hints at his belief in an afterlife in which he will reunite with his mother. He then references his current occupation as a music producer, stating that he is "mixing rum, gin, Hen" and "keeping it lit," before alluding to the politics he navigates within the music industry.
The second verse delves deeper into M.I. Abaga's personal struggles with discrimination and mentions his "beautiful melanin" - a reference to his skin colour. He then talks about a moment when he is overwhelmed by despair and feels like giving up on life. M.I. Abaga acknowledges that he is not a saint, but he feels that the punishment he is experiencing is unjust. The final verse sees M.I. Abaga reflecting upon the people and relationships that have brought joy and meaning to his life, including his wife, his children, his friends, and his extended family. He urges his listeners to help save future generations and acknowledges the temporality of human existence.
Line by Line Meaning
10 toes to the ground
I am firmly grounded
Poppa peeping proud
My father watches over me with pride
Momma looking down
My mother watches over me from heaven
Ima see ya soon enough
I will be reunited with my loved ones eventually
Till then, M.E. mixing
Until then, I am mixing drinks
Rum, Gin, Hen
I am drinking rum, gin, and Hennessy
Keeping it lit Spit, a grip, non-Fict
I am staying active in the rap game
Politics, from within
There is corruption within the music industry
This life full of sin, Hated for my skin
This world is full of sin, and I am hated because of my skin color
Beautiful melanin when will it end
When will this discrimination based on skin color end?
Zone out when I touchdown
I tune everything out when I arrive at my destination
Scored a pound, so I'm up now
I have obtained a pound of drugs, which means I am making money
At the end of the Quarter
I am at a pivotal point in my life
Going for my goal
I am working hard to achieve my dreams
Line em up, knocked em down
I am taking down anyone who stands in my way
Time to tee it up Enough is Enough
It is time to take action and make a change
Follow M.E. let's Go up!
Follow my lead and let's reach new heights
All my life I've been all alone All Alone
I have always been alone, without the support of others
Through my struggle My pain
I have experienced a lot of hardship and pain
Went numb went numb
My emotions have become numb
Wasted time I can't go back cant go back
I have wasted a lot of time and cannot change the past
No more asking, asking why why
I am no longer asking why things happen the way they do
Dear Lord hear this prayer
I am praying to God for guidance
I know nobody cares
I feel like no one cares about me
Stay with me me uplift me when I need you please be there
Please be there for me when I need you the most
I know you see me
I know God is watching over me
My senses can feel your stare
I can feel God's presence in my life
I'm at that point
I am at a tipping point in my life
That moment I cannot bare
I am struggling to deal with this moment
I'm not no saint But this punishment
I am not perfect, but I do not deserve this punishment
Isn't fair I can't wait to escape
This situation is unfair, and I cannot wait to leave it behind
Get up out of here Major Pressure
I need to get out of this situation because it is causing me a lot of stress
Stormy weather darkened days
I am going through a tough time
Bring us closer together
Difficult times can bring people together
Whatever's clever Gone make it better
I will find a way to make things better
Let's see Changn Channels With A.A.S.B
Let's switch things up and create a new path
Even when I'm all alone
Even when I am by myself
I'm not alone your with me
I am not truly alone because God is always with me
Rebuke these demons All negativity
I am fighting against negative influences in my life
Planted seeds, guiding em right
I am raising my children and teaching them the right way to live
Got a woman made her wife
I have found love and got married
Messed around and did it twice
I got married twice
Blessed with friends, bonds 4 life
I am grateful for my close friendships
God parents, aunts and uncles
I have caring family members in my life
Heard it takes a village
I understand that it takes a community to raise a child
Everyone please Let's Save our children
Let's work together to protect and guide our children
They the future just like us
Our children are the future of our society, and we must invest in them
Lest not abuse their trust
Let's not take advantage of their innocence and trust
Help me rise and shine they light
Please help me become a better person and shine with positivity
My thoughts as I (sing)
These are my thoughts as I rap this song
Lay M.E. down at night (sing)
I think about these things before I go to sleep at night
Bass booming ba ba boww
The bass of the music is making my body vibrate
Chill moments see ya face
I am able to relax and be at peace when I think of your face
See ya smile hear ya laugh
I remember your smile and laughter fondly
Fade away, yea u with M.E.
Even though you are gone, I feel like you are still with me
Till very this day This is it
Even now, nothing has changed
My time has come (sing)
I feel like it is finally my time to shine
With My people with M.E.
I will achieve success with the support of my loved ones
The Rising Sun
I am ready to rise and shine like the sun
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: TONY CRANE, AARON WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mrincrediblemi
Don't be among those that have given up on Love. Share this with everyone you love ❤️
@lukmanaliyu7386
How can I give up on something I never had? Hoping to find love soon
@djcinch4987
❤️❤️❤️❤️
@awoludeadedayotheophilus7285
❤️❤️❤️
@matthewakombo4187
Sure, Mr Chairman sir 💯🤠🤠
@sirius_ubah
Thank you M this is great
@NollyGreatMovies
Mad mad Jam 🔥🔥 MI showing why he's the most incredible, Oxlade also with the fire voice ...
@shockdemtv7858
https://youtu.be/WQ7i2RiFuKc
@issyferanmi
Let's pray for those who still haven't found this Song 🙏🏽💟
@shaneelverdys2853
Can we atleast appreciate Our King for the duration (4mins+),I mean when was the last time you heard a Nigerian song this long.