Lakers
Madlib Lyrics


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Nigga, fuck it, 77 Cutlass
I move my ass to Cali with my Indiana bucket
I need to slap a wet one on the frame, a little rusty
They call my shit a scraper and the beta bitches love it
And I'm choking on some Cali good
Been want to cruise on Crenshaw
Since a little nigga watching Boyz n in the Hood
Since Ricky got killed, copping that corn meal
Before the palm trees, pussy and the recording years
I was overdue for a visit
A valley bitch with family in the Chi gave me digits
The 818, the sex was great, perfect the art of fornication
Put a bitch out the car for a bar, your Cali conversation
All my hoes from way back want me to be chilling where they at
G.I. until I die, but bitch L.A. is where I lay at
My children gon' be raised at where they gon' place my grave at
Since Magic bought the team, he brought new meaning to that L.A. hat
Shout out to the blocks
Inglewood, Compton, South Central to Watts

My home, my home L.A. I ride for you
When I am gone just know that I owe you

My home, my home L.A. I ride for you
When I am gone just know that I owe you

I'm on my way to LAX from JFK, it's a great day
I mean I love New York, but of course
I live out there so don't go there, you heard it before
Ironic my uncle had the king of music on Crenshaw
Cause now I'm the king to music to all y'all
California love, California dreaming
I've seen lost angels, I even found demons
Where you learn to survive and keep your head high
Hit the weed clinic 'fore sativa get your head high
We ain't in Kansas City, but you'll find a TEC-9
And if that tech jammed you better have a toast too
Fuck that, this what we gon' toast to
Everybody that ain't die before 21 like we was s'posed to
For the mail I'm going postal
I heard the baddest females on pacific coastal
If it means anything, I'm so L.A. my dad died on King, nigga

My home, my home L.A. I ride for you
When I am gone just know that I owe you

My home, my home L.A. I ride for you
When I am gone just know that I owe you

Yeah, went from a condo 'til sleeping on my nigga couch
Popping sedatives, negatives in my bank account
Too much pride to let this pussy industry play me out
Preparing that broken dream, that's what L.A. about
Shout to Cali Bud, my Westcoast plug
Brother from another mother, he showed that Westcoast love
Nigga, me and Killa Caz was pulling them stick-ups, cuz
Bending blocks with my nigga Box smoking the whip up Blood
Gots to keep it true when I maneuver
I got all kind of homies, Harlems, Avalons and Hoovers
My little homie from Families, he keep a team of shooters
My 60 niggas stay Rolling, my Eight Trey niggas moving
Been 20 years since the riots
L.A. nigga keep it thorough, fuck keeping quiet
Bitch it's on in this war zone where we reside
As I begin let my sins wash away with the tides
Who the fuck I'm kidding? I done tried everything but dying
Flirting with other places, but this Cali bitch stay on my mind

My home, my home L.A. I ride for you
When I am gone just know that I owe you





My home, my home L.A. I ride for you
When I am gone just know that I owe you

Overall Meaning

In Madlib’s “Lakers” the rapper paints a vivid picture of his deep connection to Los Angeles, or L.A., and his journey to the city. The opening lines mention his 77 Cutlass, a car that he moves to Cali with from his previous home in Indiana. He mentions that the car is a bit rusty and referred to as a “scraper,” which is a term for a lowrider car. Madlib reminisces about wanting to cruise down Crenshaw Boulevard, a popular street in L.A., since he was a child watching the movie Boyz n the Hood. He then acknowledges that L.A. has its dark side too, mentioning the murder of Ricky in the film. It’s at this point that he reveals his personal connection to the city, saying “G.I. until I die, but bitch L.A. is where I lay at.” This line is significant as it suggests that although he may have grown up elsewhere, L.A. is now his home and where he plans to stay forever. He ends the verse with a shoutout to the various neighborhoods in the city that make it unique.


The second verse of the song starts with Madlib taking a flight from JFK Airport back to L.A., where he declares himself the king of music to all his followers. He then reflects on his experiences in L.A., mentioning the highs and lows of living in the city. He portrays it as a place where one must learn to survive and keep their head high. Madlib also alludes to the prevalence of drugs in the city, mentioning the weed clinic and sativa, a popular marijuana strain. He then praises the resilience of those who did not die young, toasting to everyone who made it past the age of 21. Throughout the verse, he continues to express his love and loyalty for L.A., even mentioning that his father passed away in the city.


Line by Line Meaning

Nigga, fuck it, 77 Cutlass
I don't care, let's go in my 1977 Cutlass


I move my ass to Cali with my Indiana bucket
I drove from Indiana to California in my beat-up car


I need to slap a wet one on the frame, a little rusty
I need to paint the car because it's a bit rusty


They call my shit a scraper and the beta bitches love it
People call my car a scraper and the ladies seem to enjoy it


And I'm choking on some Cali good
I'm smoking some great California weed


Been want to cruise on Crenshaw
I've always wanted to drive down Crenshaw Boulevard


Since a little nigga watching Boyz n in the Hood
Since I was a kid watching Boyz n the Hood


Since Ricky got killed, copping that corn meal
Since the character Ricky got killed in the movie, I've been trying to make money


Before the palm trees, pussy and the recording years
Before I became successful in the entertainment industry


I was overdue for a visit
I haven't been to California in a while and it was time to come back


A valley bitch with family in the Chi gave me digits
A girl from the San Fernando Valley with family in Chicago gave me her number


The 818, the sex was great, perfect the art of fornication
I had great sex in the San Fernando Valley and I got really good at it


Put a bitch out the car for a bar, your Cali conversation
I kicked a girl out of my car for not liking my California slang


All my hoes from way back want me to be chilling where they at
All the girls I used to know want me to hang out with them in California


G.I. until I die, but bitch L.A. is where I lay at
I'll always be a soldier, but I'll be buried in Los Angeles


My children gon' be raised at where they gon' place my grave at
My children will be raised in Los Angeles and I'll be buried there


Since Magic bought the team, he brought new meaning to that L.A. hat
Ever since Magic Johnson became part owner of the Lakers, the L.A. hat has a new significance


Shout out to the blocks
I want to give a shout out to the neighborhoods


Inglewood, Compton, South Central to Watts
Including Inglewood, Compton, South Central, and Watts


I'm on my way to LAX from JFK, it's a great day
I'm flying from New York to Los Angeles and it's a nice day


I mean I love New York, but of course
I really like New York, but


I live out there so don't go there, you heard it before
I already live in Los Angeles, so you don't need to tell me to move there


Ironic my uncle had the king of music on Crenshaw
It's interesting that my uncle had the legendary musician on Crenshaw Boulevard


Cause now I'm the king to music to all y'all
I'm now the king of music to all of you


California love, California dreaming
Loving California and dreaming about it


I've seen lost angels, I even found demons
I've seen both the beauty and the darkness of Los Angeles


Where you learn to survive and keep your head high
Los Angeles is where you learn to survive and stay strong


Hit the weed clinic 'fore sativa get your head high
Go to the marijuana dispensary before the sativa makes you feel euphoric


We ain't in Kansas City, but you'll find a TEC-9
We're not in Kansas City anymore, but you can still find a TEC-9 gun


And if that tech jammed you better have a toast too
If the gun jams, you better have a second weapon


Fuck that, this what we gon' toast to
Forget that, this is what we're going to celebrate


Everybody that ain't die before 21 like we was s'posed to
Everyone who survived past the age of 21 like we weren't expected to


For the mail I'm going postal
I'm going crazy for the money


I heard the baddest females on pacific coastal
I heard that the hottest girls are on the Pacific Coast


If it means anything, I'm so L.A. my dad died on King, nigga
I'm so Los Angeles that my father was killed on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard


Yeah, went from a condo 'til sleeping on my nigga couch
I went from living in a condo to crashing on my friend's couch


Popping sedatives, negatives in my bank account
Taking pills and having a negative bank balance


Too much pride to let this pussy industry play me out
I have too much pride to let the entertainment industry control me


Preparing that broken dream, that's what L.A. about
Trying to pursue a shattered dream is what Los Angeles is all about


Shout to Cali Bud, my Westcoast plug
A shout out to the person who provides me with marijuana in California


Brother from another mother, he showed that Westcoast love
He's like a brother to me and he showed me kindness while I'm here in the West Coast


Nigga, me and Killa Caz was pulling them stick-ups, cuz
Me and my friend Killa Caz were robbing people at gunpoint


Bending blocks with my nigga Box smoking the whip up Blood
Driving around with my friend Box and smoking in the car


Gots to keep it true when I maneuver
I always keep it real when I'm moving around


I got all kind of homies, Harlems, Avalons and Hoovers
I have different friends from different neighborhoods like Harlem, Avalon, and Hoover


My little homie from Families, he keep a team of shooters
My friend from the Families gang has a group of people who carry guns


My 60 niggas stay Rolling, my Eight Trey niggas moving
My friends from the 60s gang always stay active, while the guys from the Eight Trey gang are always on the move


Been 20 years since the riots
It's been 20 years since the Los Angeles riots


L.A. nigga keep it thorough, fuck keeping quiet
Los Angeles residents always keep it real, they don't hide anything


Bitch it's on in this war zone where we reside
Things are intense in the place we live


As I begin let my sins wash away with the tides
As I start anew, I want to let go of my past mistakes


Who the fuck I'm kidding? I done tried everything but dying
Who am I fooling? I've tried everything except for dying


Flirting with other places, but this Cali bitch stay on my mind
Thinking about other places, but California is always on my mind




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Otis Jackson, Fredrick Tipton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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