Born Dedrick D'Mon Rolison in 1971, Mack 10 perpetually represented Inglewood, California throughout his career, the Los Angeles neighborhood he called home. His professional rap career began in 1995 when he signed with Priority, the premier label for West Coast rap at the time, and released his self-titled album. The West Coast gangsta movement was peaking around this time, and Mack 10 capitalized on the trend with "Foe Life," a song he wrote with Ice Cube, one of the West Coast's reigning talents. The partnership struck gold, and the song became a coastal anthem, opening the door for a successive single, "On Them Thangs." Mack 10 then partnered with Ice Cube again a year later to form the West Coast supergroup Westside Connection along with another Los Angeles rapper, WC. The three had united for a standout song on Mack 10's debut album, "Westside Slaughterhouse," and hoped to reprise their camaraderie for the Westside Connection album. They certainly did so, recording the boastful lead single "Bow Down," which taunted the East Coast, along with several other songs discussing the East-West tension that dominated rap at the time.
Mack 10 followed the number two-charting Westside Connection album with his second album, Based on a True Story, and its lead single, "Backyard Boogie," in 1997. The album became his most successful, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard album chart, and confirmed his quick ascendance to fame. Moreover, the album is generally considered to be Mack 10's career highlight: it features a modest number of guests (Snoop Dogg, E-40, Ice Cube), top-notch G-funk-era producers (Ant Banks, Soopafly), and little of the filler that would begin to populate his successive releases. Mack 10 returned a year later with another Top 20 album, Recipe, which is notable for its abundance of guests. In fact, only one song featured Mack 10 alone; every other song featured at least one guest, if not more; everyone from Master P and Mystikal to Jermaine Dupri and Ol' Dirty Bastard. Following the extravagencies of Recipe in 1997, Mack 10's career began to slowly spiral downward, much like the West Coast gangsta rap scene he rode to fame. His only release in 1998 was Hoo Bangin': Mix Tape, more of a showcase for the many up-and-coming rappers on his Hoo Bangin' label than for himself, and listeners weren't very interested. When Mack 10 finally did return with another full-length of his own, The Paper Route, in 2000, three years after Recipe, listeners similarly weren't very interested.
The relative disappointment of The Paper Route brought Mack 10's souring relationship with Priority Records to an end, and along came Cash Money Records, who happily signed the rapper to a contract. The partnership seemed somewhat unlikely. Cash Money was a leading Dirty South label with a small roster of in-house rappers such as Juvenile and Lil Wayne; however, the label was looking to expand its roster as well as its reach, and Mack 10 offered it a great opportunity to unite the West Coast and Dirty South. The resulting album, Bang or Ball (2001), neither topped the charts nor garnered substantial attention despite boasting "Hate in Yo Eyes," a Dr. Dre production that interpolated the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive." The album nonetheless signaled a new direction for Mack 10, who sounded surprisingly comfortable working with one of the Dirty South's premier producers, Manny Fresh. Less than a year later in summer 2002 came Mack 10 Presents da Hood, a Hoo Bangin' release prominently featuring numerous up-and-coming West Coast rappers: K-Mac, Deviossi, Skoop, Cousteau, and Techniec. More importantly, though, the album featured "L.A. for Ya," an anthemic song that was customized for the West Coast's leading radio stations as well as for Lakers and Clippers home games. The customized versions worked, and the song garnered quite a bit of airplay on the West Coast, making it one of Mack 10's biggest hits in years. Ghetto, Gutter and Gangster appeared in 2003 followed by Hustla's Handbook two years later
Hate in Yo Eyes
Mack 10 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a party jumpin on the floor
And from the way it sound it ain't no doubt (whassup?)
That the West coast is in yo' mouth
[Mack 10]
Yea, yea
It's all gravy, petty cash never fades me
I'm a hustler, gettin cash like crazy
Hard grindin pays me, work ethic is never lazy
Block hugger, the hood raised me
And she, won't be happy 'til she lays me
No, you never seem to amaze me
So the cheap shot you took at me never even grazed me
My name sparkin like a street king
Cause I mixed, the Hoo-Bang thing with the "Bling Bling"
A whole lot of haters out there it seem
But I flip 'em all off and keep doin my thing
I'm a boss about, when I Inglewood swing
Rocked out from my ear down to my pinkie ring
Now ding ding - let the bell ring
And if it's drama you want, then it's drama I bring, sing
[Chorus]
Meanwhile I be indeed
and I can still see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
Cause I'm livin like a G you intrigued
and I can still see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
Never trippin cause it ain't nuttin to me
but I can still see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
Hah, hah, hah - I can see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
[Mack 10]
Look - you local cats is just small potatoes
No names, cause this addressed to ALL the haters
From the 'Wood, there is NONE greater
Mack the headliner and y'all are spectators
Remember "Foe Life?" I put the 'Wood in it
And looked out for you when your own hood didn't
And plus you forgot who was payin your bills
Introduced you to the game and gave you a deal
For me good livin, y'all independently rhymin
You got the hustle game backwards, you nickle and dimin
Oh hip-hop classics? I make 'em AND got 'em
And yo' group, ain't been heard of past the Bottoms
I can't go to my turf, and mingle with my G's
I got one word to say about that one - what? Please
Chickenhawks, y'all ain't worth a feather in my wing
And all this hatin just let me know I'm doin my thing, sing
[Chorus]
[Interlude: repeat 2X]
Hoo-Bang, Hoo-Ride
All day, all night
Throw dubs, up high
Westside, foe life
[Mack 10]
Now tell me, is it the deuce-ones on the Bentley?
The lowriders, the mansions, is that why you resent me?
Smile in my face, and act so friendly
Walk away with hate and a heart full of envy
Say bruh, what part of the game is that?
You got ways like a dame and how LAME is that?
Actin like a groupie around famous cats
And it's strange, you don't have no shame in that
I got your card playboy, but I ain't trippin
You know me, I just roll with the punches and keep it pimpin
Get dough by bunches, donatin and tippin
Let it ride on the Harley, and six-fo' dippin
Stay real about my scrill if you know what I mean
I'm like a leprechaun, I want nuttin BUT green
Avoid the haters, and for the party scene
Copped a rock from the D-are to make the head ring, sing
[Chorus] - repeat 2X
[Mack 10]
Mack one-oh, Hoo-Bangin' foe life! And it don't quit
Take a picture trick; yeah, take a picture trick, yea
It might make ya RICH.. Wessssyde ri-ders, BAY-BAY!!
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
The lyrics to Mack 10's "Hate in Yo Eyes" describe a party where West Coast music is dominating the scene. Mack 10 asserts his dominance and confidence as a hustler, moving past any attempts to bring him down with hate. He calls out his haters in the music industry, asking them what part of the game is showing envy towards his success. Mack 10 believes that he is a leader and a force to be reckoned with, and even when he encounters drama, he is still on top, still seeing the hate in his enemies' eyes. Throughout the song, Mack 10 demonstrates his strong persona and determination to the West Coast lifestyle.
At its core, "Hate in Yo Eyes" is about Mack 10's domination in the West Coast music scene. The song exists in a significant moment in the history of West Coast hip-hop. After the shooting of Tupac Shakur in 1996, much of the genre's biggest stars (Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, etc.) went into hiding, leaving an opening for new artists to take center stage. Mack 10 was one of these artists who stepped into the role, releasing his debut album "Mack 10" in 1995. Since then, he became one of the most popular rappers on the scene, and "Hate in Yo Eyes" served as a statement of his dominance.
The song incorporates many themes and messages that are popular in West Coast rap, such as loyalty, gangsters, and money. The song also includes some signature phrases that would later become staples in West Coast hip-hop, such as "Bling Bling" and "Hoo-Bang." Mack 10's confident persona and refusal to give up in the face of hardship has contributed to the enduring popularity of the song among West Coast hip-hop fans.
Line by Line Meaning
You can hear it bumpin through the door
The music is loud and can be heard outside of the room
It's a party jumpin on the floor
There is a fun and lively party happening in the room
And from the way it sound it ain't no doubt (whassup?)
That the West coast is in yo' mouth
The music is representative of the West Coast sound and culture
Yea, yea
It's all gravy, petty cash never fades me
So po' me a shot of 'gnac and purple haze me
The artist is unbothered by small sums of money and celebrates with alcohol
I'm a hustler, gettin cash like crazy
Hard grindin pays me, work ethic is never lazy
The artist is a dedicated worker and earns a lot of money from hard work
Block hugger, the hood raised me
And she, won't be happy 'til she lays me
The artist is from the hood and the neighborhood has shaped who he is; he is also promiscuous
No, you never seem to amaze me
So the cheap shot you took at me never even grazed me
The artist is unimpressed by haters who attempt to bring him down
My name sparkin like a street king
Cause I mixed, the Hoo-Bang thing with the "Bling Bling"
The artist has made a name for himself by blending two popular styles
A whole lot of haters out there it seem
But I flip 'em all off and keep doin my thing
Many people dislike the artist, but he continues to remain true to himself
I'm a boss about, when I Inglewood swing
Rocked out from my ear down to my pinkie ring
The artist has power and influence in his neighborhood and flaunts his wealth and style
Meanwhile I be indeed
and I can still see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
Cause I'm livin like a G you intrigued
and I can still see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
Never trippin cause it ain't nuttin to me
but I can still see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
Hah, hah, hah - I can see the hate in yo' eyes, hate in yo' eyes
The artist sees that people dislike him but he is unbothered because he is living a luxurious and successful lifestyle
Look - you local cats is just small potatoes
No names, cause this addressed to ALL the haters
From the 'Wood, there is NONE greater
Mack the headliner and y'all are spectators
The artist does not view his haters as significant or worth naming and instead boasts about his status as a successful headliner
Remember "Foe Life?" I put the 'Wood in it
And looked out for you when your own hood didn't
And plus you forgot who was payin your bills
Introduced you to the game and gave you a deal
The artist helped others with their careers and is being disrespected by those he has helped
For me good livin, y'all independently rhymin
You got the hustle game backwards, you nickle and dimin
Oh hip-hop classics? I make 'em AND got 'em
And yo' group, ain't been heard of past the Bottoms
The artist is more successful than those who dislike him and is responsible for creating and producing classic hip-hop music
I can't go to my turf, and mingle with my G's
I got one word to say about that one - what? Please
Chickenhawks, y'all ain't worth a feather in my wing
And all this hatin just let me know I'm doin my thing, sing
The artist is above hanging out with certain people from his area and views his haters as insignificant
Now tell me, is it the deuce-ones on the Bentley?
The lowriders, the mansions, is that why you resent me?
Smile in my face, and act so friendly
Walk away with hate and a heart full of envy
People dislike the artist because of his wealth and style and pretend to like him to his face
Actin like a groupie around famous cats
And it's strange, you don't have no shame in that
I got your card playboy, but I ain't trippin
You know me, I just roll with the punches and keep it pimpin
People are acting strangely around the artist, but he is not bothered and continues to act confidently
Stay real about my scrill if you know what I mean
I'm like a leprechaun, I want nuttin BUT green
Avoid the haters, and for the party scene
Copped a rock from the D-are to make the head ring, sing
The artist is focused on making money and avoiding negativity while also having fun at parties
Mack one-oh, Hoo-Bangin' foe life! And it don't quit
Take a picture trick; yeah, take a picture trick, yea
It might make ya RICH.. Wessssyde ri-ders, BAY-BAY!!
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
The artist boasts about his affiliation with Hoo-Bangin' and references West Coast culture
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRY GIBB, ANDRE YOUNG, MAURICE GIBB, ROBIN GIBB, DEDRICK ROLISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind