Early years
Memphis "One Hit Away" Bleek's first mainstream rap vocals appeared on the Clark Kent produced song "Coming of Age", featured on Jay-Z's classic debut LP Reasonable Doubt. Shortly after, Bleek became the first artist signed to Roc-A-Fella Records.
"Coming of Age", ironiclly, was also the title of Memphis' debut LP, which didn't create massive records sales and chart-topping singles as his labelmate and peers' albums had. The same was the case of his second LP, "The Understanding", and third, "M.A.D.E", though the latter spawned his largest amount of sales yet (900,000).
Get Low label and rivalries
In the time between the releases of his second and third albums, Memphis Bleek started his own label, Get Low, which in turn led to the signing of former Junior MAFIA member Lil' Cease. The name of the label has sparked a hip-hop rivalry, or beef, between Memphis Bleek, JT tha Bigga Figga & The Game, the former of which built an independent record label with the same title.
Memphis Bleek was also caught in the middle of the epic Jay-Z and Nas battle, in which Bleek gained a few enemies, most notably Nas and Mobb Deep. Despite boosting Jay-Z and Nas's careers, the beef did little to help Bleek gain any more popularity than he had already attained.
Later years
Remaining one hit away, on May 17, 2005, Bleek released his fourth album titled "534" , in reference to the building he & mentor Jay-Z grew up in, located in the Marcy housing projects of Brooklyn. However, like many of Bleeks previous releases the album suffered in sales, despite decent exposure of the Swizz Beatz produced single 'Like That'.
In fall 2005, Memphis Bleek told MTV that he was recording an album called "The Process", that he would describe as a make or break album, saying "I want to do an album that's through the roof, I want to do a classic album. I feel that if this album I'm not recording is a classic, I'm not even gonna put it out. I have to do it bigger than anybody has ever done it. I have to make a good record this time, not just talking-junk records."The rapper has worked on the album since 2005 and during that time frame he would release the songs "Hustla", "Get Ya Money Off" and "Let It Off". During this time, he would also leave Roc-A-Fella after Jay-Z told him he could run his own company and had the proper distribution deals to do so. He found a new home in 2009 when he signed to Mass Appeal Entertainment which is where he will release his long anticipated album The Process is yet.
Albums
1999: The Coming of Age [Certified: Gold]
2001: The Understanding [Certified: Gold]
2003: M.A.D.E. [Certified: Gold]
2005: 534 [Certified: Gold]
Change Up
Memphis Bleek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sky gon' get dark, streets gon' clutter
Weak-ass niggas out there gon' suffer
Vets gon' quit, it's gettin hectic (uhh)
The shit got deep right about the time
When the year skipped a beat, that's when my shit hit the street
Shit gon' shake up, squads gon' break up
Coats gon' get pulled, niggas gon' wake up
And chance the streets, you know they gon' 'vance police
Like the time they shackled me from hands to feet
Cause I gave the jail system, a chance to speak
You know the cops wanna trap me up, the block wanna clap me up
It won't stop 'til they wrap me up (E'rything signed and sealed nigga)
Gat be tucked, heat gon' back me up
ROC Bleek come on nigga, back me up
Yeah yo
Ayo Memph the young God, boss of this game
Got my part locked, I does my thang
Don't mistake me, I tote them thangs
Glock fo' pop off, knocks off thangs
Whole squad here, you know my click
Petit nice thing, you know my bitch
Wide body truck, you know my whip
Cop that rock that pop that shit
Y'all niggas, talk about, ain't really got
Me, I think dog, you not really hot
The hood I be, I stay in the drop
My hood, yo' hood, I'll lock any block
East to West Coast, Chi-Town baby
I come through, it's my town baby
ATL, I yell "Whattup my baby?"
Hit that, get that, bye bye baby
Uh-huh uhh
Guess who? Young Hov'
Bout to tear this motherfucker down
Holla at me It goes uhh
Jigga Man huh, it goes
Nah Y'all niggas ain't gon' have me rappin on the bullshit man
I I need some real music
So when we count to three and shit
Ya gonna drop some real shit
One, two, three
In the opening lines of Memphis Bleek's song Change Up, Beanie Sigel sets the scene for something spectacular about to happen. In his verse, Beanie paints a vivid picture of the chaos about to ensue. The skies will get dark, and the streets will be littered. Weak people will suffer, and veterans will quit. He notes that everyone wants a chance to eat and take control of the streets, but this will lead to violence and the escalation of the police force. Beanie draws from his own experience of being arrested, and he knows the cops will try and trap him. It won't stop until his arrest, and until then he needs his crew, R.O.C. and Bleek to have his back.
In contrast, Memphis Bleek uses his verse to showcase his hustling skills, his boss-like mentality, and his connections across different cities. He emphasizes where he comes from, his luxurious lifestyle, his clique, and his control over his hood, enabling him to infiltrate any block. Bleek proclaims his dominance and highlights his knack for buying expensive things, including diamond jewelry and cars. He exudes confidence and asserts his place in the hierarchy, a boss in the game.
The final verse from Jay-Z reminds listeners of his presence, and he playfully teases his fans about rapping on real music. He counts down until the beat drops and signals that his next rap will be real. It's an intense verse that builds off the momentum Beanie Sigel created earlier.
Line by Line Meaning
You bout to witness somethin like no other
Get ready to see something incredible, something that has never been seen before.
The sky gon' get dark, streets gon' clutter
There will be chaos and disorder in the streets, so much so that even the sky will become dark.
Weak-ass niggaz out there gon' suffer
People who lack strength and ability will not fare well in this situation and may suffer consequences.
Vets gon' quit, it's gettin hectic (uhh)
Even seasoned veterans will give up and leave because things are getting too chaotic.
The shit got deep - right about the time
When the year skipped a beat, that's when my shit hit the street
Things got intense and difficult around the time that something unprecedented happened, which is also when my problems became public knowledge.
Shit gon' shake up, squads gon' break up
Coats gon' get pulled, niggaz gon' wake up
The situation will cause turmoil, alliances will dissolve, and people will become more aware of what is happening.
Everybody want see a chance to eat
And chance the streets, you know they gon' 'vance police
Everyone is looking to take advantage of the situation to make money, but at the same time is being watched by the police.
Like the time they shackled me from hands to feet
Cause I gave the jail system, a chance to speak
I was arrested and treated harshly because I spoke out against the corrupt prison system.
You know the cops want to trap me up, the block want to clap me up
It won't stop 'til they wrap me up (E'rything signed and sealed nigga)
Both the police and the criminals want to harm me, and they will keep trying until they succeed.
Gat be tucked, heat gon' back me up
R.O.C. - Bleek come on nigga, back me up
I will carry a weapon for protection, and my friends in the R.O.C. crew will support and defend me.
Aiyyo Memph the young God, boss of this game
Got my part locked, I does my thang
I am in charge and dominant in the hip-hop scene, and I am confident in my abilities and skills.
Don't mistake me, I tote them thangs
Glock fo' pop off, knocks off thangs
Don't underestimate me, I carry weapons and am willing to use them if necessary.
Whole squad here, you know my click
Petit nice thing, you know my bitch
My entire crew is with me, and I have an attractive girlfriend.
Wide body truck, you know my whip
Cop that rock that pop that shit
I drive a luxurious vehicle and wear expensive jewelry, and I will brag about it.
Y'all niggaz, talk about, ain't really got
Me, I think dog, you not really hot
Others may brag about what they have, but I don't think they are actually impressive or important.
The hood I be, I stay in the drop
My hood, yo' hood, I'll lock any block
I spend time in my old neighborhood and will assert my dominance in any location.
East to West Coast, Chi-Town baby
I come through, it's my town baby
A.T.L., I yell "Whattup my baby?"
Hit that, get that, bye bye baby!
I am well-known and respected across the country, and my presence is felt everywhere I go.
Guess who? Young Hov'
Bout to tear this motherfucker DOWN!
Holla at me! It goes.. uhh
Jigga Man huh, it goes..
Jay-Z is introducing himself and ready to make a big impact on the song.
Nah! y'all niggaz ain't gon' have me rappin on the bullshit man
I.. I need some real music
Jay-Z refuses to rap on a subpar beat and demands better music.
So when we count to three and shit
Ya gonna drop some real shit
One, two, three - let's go!
Jay-Z requests that the producers start playing high-quality music when they count to three.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Missing Link Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Shawn C Carter, Malik Deshawn Cox, Dwight Grant, Robert Kirkland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind