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
Hittin Switches
Mack 10 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hit the block set it off like gary gray
I smoke weed gold-d's on the cherry tray
Pockets full pitbulls drinking perier (haha, yeah)
13 inches of pure joy
When I'm on the switch I'm like a kid with a new toy
Rollin on 3, with 2 red bones on E
We caravanning to the beach
I'm good on the switch never missing a beat
4 switches all I need and I love this shit
Drop the ass on the bitch and scrape the bumper kid
Well just pull up to my bumber baby
Who want some of this hot ass tray
I would gas hop, but no need to stomp her
3 licks I'm gonna bump her
Just throw your mother fucking hands in the air
Represent your hood like you just don't care
Set up shop never close and get riches
And never stop rolling foes and hittin switches
Throw your mother fucking hands in the air
Represent your hood like you just don't care
Set up shop never close and get riches
And never stop rolling foes and hittin switches
I put some down west pound riding it's hot top chop 6 ace
Like a wild bull as a pump chump me around
Feeling like my back is on the sign of bubbles
Has the bass up sound
I hit the corner on 3 wheels
Rag cop keep popping like wheat pills
You know I floss down the shore 'cause I love LA
Back to the hood down vanessa let the bumper scrape yeah
Low riders for hundreds spoke daggers
Low riders for all the who bangers
Bounce, rock, swerve, and skate
Hit the switch up and down from back to pancake
Bounce, rock, swerve, and skate
Hit the switch up and down
Just throw your mother fucking hands in the air
Represent your hood like you just don't care
Set up shop never close and get riches
And never stop rolling foes and hittin switches
Throw your mother fucking hands in the air
Represent your hood like you just don't care
Set up shop never close and get riches
And never stop rolling foes and hittin switches
Baby come fly with me, get high with me
Let me show you how a riders suppose to be
Trunk tight, ready to take flight
Up and down the shore all night
Nigger when the trunk up
You see gates and punks
Rag ace rap, metal flakes with humps
Stay on point like stiletto
Square dump and be bumpin through the ghetto
Classic chevrolet with the top off in my dumps
It's more square than a xena knockoff
It's who banging for life
And none other than westside ride and gangsters straight thug
When it's time to clown get the set with the sunforce down
SPG's having platinum d's as we bounce, rock, skate, players motivate
In the icy candy paint
Just throw your mother fucking hands in the air
Represent your hood like you just don't care
Set up shop never close and get riches
And never stop rolling foes and hittin switches
Throw your mother fucking hands in the air
Represent your hood like you just don't care
Set up shop never close and get riches
And never stop rolling foes and hittin switches
The lyrics to Mack 10's song "Hittin Switches" are all about his love for lowriding and hitting switches on his car. The first few lines talk about how he spends all day hitting switches and how he can set off a block like the director Gary Gray. He mentions smoking weed and having gold-Ds on the cherry tray, which is a nod to the popular lowrider culture. The song goes on to talk about Mack's car and how he loves to hit the switches and roll down the street with his pitbulls and friends. He talks about the joy he feels when he's on the switch and how he loves to scrape the bumper on the ground. The chorus talks about representing your hood and never stopping the pursuit of riches while continuing to roll foes and hit switches.
Throughout the song, Mack 10 provides vivid descriptions of the lowrider culture and the lifestyle of a lowrider enthusiast. He talks about how he loves to bounce, rock, swerve, and skate while hitting switches and taking his car up and down the coast. He mentions the sound system in his car and how he likes to keep the bass up high. Mack also talks about his love for classic Chevrolet cars and how he likes to customize them with metal flakes and humps. He talks about how he stays on point with his stiletto and how he bumps through the ghetto.
Overall, "Hittin Switches" is a fun and energetic song that celebrates the lowrider culture and the joy of hitting switches on a customized car.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm hittin switches all day
I'm having a great time cruising and switching up my car's hydraulics all day
Hit the block set it off like gary gray
I'm attracting attention and showing off my car like Gary Gray, the director of the movie 'Set it Off'
I smoke weed gold-d's on the cherry tray
I like to smoke weed and I have gold wheels on my cherry red car
Pockets full pitbulls drinking perier (haha, yeah)
I have plenty of money and I'm enjoying life with my pitbulls and bottles of Perrier water
13 inches of pure joy
The hydraulics on my car have a 13 inch range of motion and it brings me pure joy to switch them up
When I'm on the switch I'm like a kid with a new toy
I get so excited when I'm switching up my hydraulics, it's like I'm a kid with a brand new toy
Rollin on 3, with 2 red bones on E
I'm driving my car with only three wheels and two beautiful women who are running low on gas
We caravanning to the beach
Me and my crew are driving in a group to head to the beach
Niggers dippin these streets
We're cruising through the streets and showing off our cars
I'm good on the switch never missing a beat
I have good timing and can switch up my hydraulics smoothly without missing a beat
4 switches all I need and I love this shit
I only need four hydraulics switches and I really enjoy cruising and switching them up
Drop the ass on the bitch and scrape the bumper kid
I lower the back end of my car and sometimes scrape the bumper on the ground
Well just pull up to my bumber baby
Come ride up to my car and check it out
Who want some of this hot ass tray
Who wants to ride in my hot car with the hydraulics on full display?
I would gas hop, but no need to stomp her
I could make the car hop with gas but there's no need to push it too hard
3 licks I'm gonna bump her
I only need to hit the switch thrice to make the car bump up and down
Just throw your mother fucking hands in the air
Raise your hands up and get excited
Represent your hood like you just don't care
Show off your neighborhood proudly and with confidence
Set up shop never close and get riches
Work hard and always be open for business to become successful
And never stop rolling foes and hittin switches
Don't let anyone stop your momentum and keep on cruising and switching up your hydraulics
I put some down west pound riding it's hot top chop 6 ace
I'm cruising around the west side of town with my convertible top down and my 1966 Chevrolet Impala
Like a wild bull as a pump chump me around
My car's hydraulics are like a wild bull and can pump me around
Feeling like my back is on the sign of bubbles
The hydraulics make me feel like my back is bending like a bubble
Has the bass up sound
My car's sound system has a great bass sound
I hit the corner on 3 wheels
I turned the corner with only three wheels on the ground
Rag cop keep popping like wheat pills
The rag top on my car keeps coming undone, like popping open a bottle of wheat pills
You know I floss down the shore 'cause I love LA
I drive down the ocean shore and show off my car because I love Los Angeles
Back to the hood down vanessa let the bumper scrape yeah
I drive back to the neighborhood down Vanessa street and let my bumper scrape on the ground
Low riders for hundreds spoke daggers
My lowrider car has expensive 100 spoke rims and sharp-looking spokes
Low riders for all the who bangers
Lowrider cars are for everyone who likes to cruise
Bounce, rock, swerve, and skate
I'm having a great time bouncing, rocking, swerving, and cruising in my car
Hit the switch up and down from back to pancake
I'm switching up my car's hydraulics from the back to pancake position
Baby come fly with me, get high with me
Come ride around with me and get high off of life with me
Let me show you how a riders suppose to be
I'll show you how to drive and cruise like a true rider
Trunk tight, ready to take flight
My car's trunk is tightly closed and I'm ready to take off and cruise
Up and down the shore all night
I'm cruising up and down the ocean shore all night long
Nigger when the trunk up
When I'm cruising with the trunk up
You see gates and punks
People see my car and admire its hydraulics
Rag ace rap, metal flakes with humps
My rag top matches the car's gold color and the paint has metallic flakes with raised humps
Stay on point like stiletto
I always stay focused and sharp like a stiletto knife
Square dump and be bumpin through the ghetto
I'm cruising around the ghetto with my squared-off car and bumping hydraulics
Classic chevrolet with the top off in my dumps
My classic Chevrolet Impala has the top off and I'm cruising around enjoying myself
It's more square than a xena knockoff
My car is very squared off and has a distinctive look
It's who banging for life
Cruising and hydraulics are my passion for life
And none other than westside ride and gangsters straight thug
I'm representing the west side, riding around like a gangster and being a rebel
When it's time to clown get the set with the sunforce down
I know when to have fun and switch up my hydraulics to make the car bounce lower
SPG's having platinum d's as we bounce, rock, skate, players motivate
My crew is all having fun bouncing and cruising as we motivate each other
In the icy candy paint
My car is painted with icy candy-colored paint
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aku Leinonen
Getting goosebumbs..this shit is just dope!
Jipetto
man this song is just way too dope guys! everybody i showed it to liked it as well no matter if they like hip hop or not!
Alvaro Davila
Had this back in 2002 on a burn cd , fuck how I miss the early 2000s
Kevin Ramirez
Mack 10 Real OG.💯
peacauve
Mack is coming back!
chevyhasawii
i'm good on the switch never miss the beat
Kongsmo
WHEN I'M ON A SWITCH I'M LIKE A KID WITH A NU TOY!
King Black
Legends are here in 2020
ramzevans
love the west
Soflo305
Hmm hmm this got that classic west coast sound and funk with dope ass lyrics