Sin City
Malik Yusef Lyrics

10 a.m. it's west side bitch
The song describes a woman who is immersed in a life of drugs and crime, beginning with the line "10 a.m. it's west side bitch" which shows that she is on the west side of a city, likely trying to obtain drugs.

She see the glasses, so obvious
The woman is high and can clearly see the drugs in the glasses, which are obvious to her.

Run from home, after tonight we up out of here
The woman has left home, and tonight she and her associates are planning to leave the city, likely to escape legal troubles.

Don't go home 'cause they just ran me up out of there
The woman is unable to go home because she has been forced to leave due to legal or safety issues.

All of those drunken nights then fuckin' every night
Her past nights are defined by drugs and promiscuity.

She run her mouth, but can't eat right
The woman is constantly talking but neglecting to take care of herself.

Don't read between the line and figure out how to be white
This line suggests that the woman is becoming more deeply involved in a life of crime and drugs where she is being influenced by the behavior of others around her. She wants to avoid becoming more like these people and wants to escape this kind of lifestyle. She doesn't want to figure out how to "be white," or to assimilate into a way of life that she does not identify with.

She smelled the line, baby you know you don't need white
The woman has refused drugs, recognizing that she doesn't need to continue engaging in this behavior. The next line suggests that the group is now being chased by the police after running a red light.

Now look what we did now, the cops behind us
The group is being pursued by the police after breaking the law.

Ran that red light, did you have to be mindless? SMH,
The group ran a red light, which put them in greater danger and was a careless mistake. The acronym "SMH" (shaking my head) suggests that the behavior is disappointing.

We all know that cocaine killed Abel
This line refers to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, where Cain kills Abel out of jealousy. In this context, cocaine is viewed as a destructive and divisive force in society that can cause people to betray and destroy one another.

From the scholar letters devour this
The line is ambiguous, but suggests that there is some kind of important message or lesson that people should pay attention to.

She stepped into hell, 'cause winter got cold
The woman has entered a life that is like living in hell or under difficult circumstances due to the cold, harsh reality of the world she lives in.

Don't look in her eyes, you might see straight to her soul
This line suggests that the woman is harboring a lot of emotional pain and regret, which would be visible in her eyes.

Don't say yes to that good, cause you'll never know
The group is faced with good opportunities that they must reject, aware that they cannot risk getting involved with people or situations that might lead to even greater danger.

'Cause we lost in the city where sin is no biggy
The city where the group lives is defined by sin and vice, and people are not bothered by these things, treating them as casual and mundane.

I'm here with open arms and I got her
The artist is ready and willing to offer support and assistance to the woman.

Here is where her heart belongs, her heart belongs with me
The singer believes that the woman truly belongs with him and that he can provide her with the love and stability she needs.

I beg for mercy today
The singer is praying for mercy or leniency from a higher power or from other people in order to avoid punishment or harm.

They won't take me away
The artist is expressing a fear of being taken away or incarcerated, but is hopeful that he will be able to avoid this outcome.

Take me away from you
The artist seeks to be separated from other people in order to avoid being implicated in their criminal behavior and to seek his own path.

Don't know what I would do
The artist is uncertain about how he would handle such a separation from others and the unfamiliar territory that comes with leaving them.

Don't let us die in vain
The singer hopes that his life and the lives of others will not be wasted and will hold some kind of significance or meaning.

Don't let them see our pain
The artist and others are hiding their pain from others, knowing that it would make them appear vulnerable and make them more likely to be targeted by others.

Wash these demons away
The singer is hopeful that he and others can rid themselves of the negative influences and harmful behaviors that have led them into dangerous situations.

You are all unwelcome to Sin City
The singer asserts that the city is a place that is not welcoming to those who do not follow its rules or participate in its dangerous culture of vice and sin.

Yet the population still increases its density
New people continue to move into the city, even though it is a place that is defined by sin and vice.

And that increases its intensity
The increasing population leads to an even greater intensity of vice and sin in the city, with more people becoming involved in dangerous behaviors.

Which increases the propensity
The increasing intensity of vice and sin in the city also increases the likelihood or tendency for people to participate in these behaviors.

To complicate your simplicity
The city's culture of vice and sin compels people to engage in more complicated behaviors, overcomplicating their lives and nature.

No matter your ethnicity
The city's culture of vice is so powerful that it attracts a diverse range of people from different ethnic backgrounds, who all become caught up in its dangers.

All for the sake of publicity, in this city
People are willing to engage in dangerous and harmful behaviors in order to gain fame or notoriety, which is all the city seems to offer in exchange for a life of safety or security.

Huh, bad bitches with ass shots
The song switches to a different point of view, noting that the city is full of attractive or sexually promiscuous women.

Use a house as a stash spot
These women are engaged in criminal activities, such as concealing drugs or stolen goods in their homes.

Lexus coupe with the rag-top
These women also flaunt their wealth with luxurious cars and clothing.

I'm in the loop, warm tie like a ascot
The artist is part of this underground culture and feels as though he belongs to a higher social class, as suggested by his comparison to an "ascot."

I used to run with the have-nots
The singer once belonged to a social class of people who did not have a lot of money or power.

Kept the ave' hot just so we could have knots
The singer and his associates worked hard to make their neighborhood "hot," or dangerous, in order to profit financially from the resulting drug and crime activity.

A lot of niggas see they dreams in a glass pot
Many people in the city envision success only in terms of drug dealing, which they see as their only opportunity to escape poverty and hardship.

Until the judge throw you in that box and watch your ass rot
The artist and others who participate in this lifestyle are at a high risk of being incarcerated and suffering greatly as a result.

We broke all the commandments
The artist and his associates have willfully and knowingly violated religious and moral laws in order to profit or gain satisfaction.

Authentic, I'm hand-stitched
The singer asserts that he is authentic or genuine, and has not been manufactured or created in the way that many people in the city seem to be.

Come spend a day in my Hamlet
The singer invites someone to spend time in his neighborhood or area of the city, which he refers to as his "Hamlet."

My city lost, some say it's Atlantis
The artist believes that the city is lost or destroyed, and some say that it is like the lost city of Atlantis, which was destroyed for its sins.

I went to Cannes with a tan bitch, Francis
The artist has traveled to a luxurious place, and has done so with a woman named Francis who has a tan complexion.

She rode the broom on the beach, that's a sand witch
The woman whom he traveled with enjoyed recreational activities on the beach, which the artist compares to riding a broom like a witch.

So I ate her like it, haters hate to like it
The singer slept with the woman he traveled with, and he enjoys the fact that others are jealous of his sexual success.

Sex, drugs, and playin' dices, those are our favorite vices
The artist and others in the city are addicted to sex, drugs, and gambling, and cannot seem to escape these behaviors.

But this life'll take a toll on ya
The singer acknowledges that this kind of lifestyle is harmful and takes its toll on those who participate in it.

Well I guess you gotta pay the prices
At this point, the singer acknowledges that there is a cost to participating in this lifestyle and that people must be willing to pay it if they want to experience the attendant benefits.

I know who Christ is
The singer believes that he understands religious doctrine and morality, even though he has violated these principles in various ways.

And he never hung with the Saints it makes no sense to save the righteous
The artist suggests that Jesus did not spend time with righteous people or those who were perceived to be morally upright, and thus it makes no sense to try to save or protect the lives of people who avoid sin.

By the age ten, we were caged in
The artist and others were already exposed to negative influences and environments by the age of ten, suggesting that the cycle of poverty and hardship perpetuates across multiple generations.

Now they raise men in the state pen
Instead of being raised in positive and nurturing environments, today's youth are more likely to be "raised" or influenced by people they meet while in prison or under arrest.

Fake friends, forgive 'em for they sins
The singer suggests that many of the people he has associated with in this lifestyle are not true friends, and he must forgive them for their bad behavior.

God bless the city, amen
The artist offers a prayer for the city, hoping that it will become a better and more just place in the future.

This is where her heart belongs it should be here with me
The song concludes with the artist once again asserting that the woman he knows belongs with him, and that he will not leave her behind as he attempts to escape the city.