Perfect Ten
Mustard Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah
You don't know who swimmin' naked 'til the tide come in
Mustard on the beat, ho

Fuck where your hoes at
Or where your Rolls at
Where your backbone, nigga, where your code at?
Where your down since day one real bros at?
Where them stories that you tellin' unfold at?
Where your heart nigga, where your soul at?
We got old school ways, we expose that
Ain't no guarantees, but you know that
Niggas die every day, can't control that

Ken Griffey throwback
Nigga had to go left
Must've popped twenty-eight times, 'cause it's four left
If it's 'bout mine, ain't a nigga that I won't check
Run through your hardest homeboy, you could go next
85 Cut', dawg, Hussle had the Rolex
Chain on my white tee, now you see the progress
Stacked every chip on myself, time to collect
All money in, just imagine what I gross back

Fuck where your hoes at (what)
Or where your Rolls at
Where your backbone, nigga, where your code at?
Where your down since day one real bros at?
Where them stories that you tellin' unfold at?
Where your heart nigga, where your soul at?
We got old school ways, we expose that
Ain't no guarantees, but you know that
Niggas die every day, can't control that

That's why I call my thing The Marathon (yeah)
Because I, I'm not gon' lie and portray, um, this ultimate poise
Like I been, had it figured out
Nah, I just didn't quit
That's the only distinguishing quality from me and probably whoever else goin' through this
Or went through this, or is gonna go through this
Is that I ain't quit
I went through every emotion
I went through every emotion with tryna pursue what I'm doing
You know what I mean? (mhm)
And I think that what, what, separate whoever's gon' try to go for something is that
You ain't gon' quit
That's, you know, you really gon' take the stance
If I'm gon' die behind what what I'm gettin' at right here

Fuck where your hoes at (what)
Or where your Rolls at
Where your backbone, nigga, where your code at?
Where your down since day one real bros at?
Where them stories that you tellin' unfold at?
Where your heart nigga, where your soul at?
We got old school ways, we expose that
Ain't no guarantees, but you know that
Niggas die every day, can't control that

I think that our reaction to being disrespected
We gotta, we gotta, we have to reassess how we react
You know what I mean?
I think that, we've been known, as, as hip hop, to make songs
And that's a part of it
And then, we gotta, we gotta go a step further because I think that
It's like a disease in your body
Once you start givin' it a treatment it'll get immune to the treatment (mhm)
And you gotta try something else to kill that disease
I think protest music is important
I think that YG was a genius

Fuck where your hoes at
Or where your Rolls at
Where your backbone, nigga, where your code at?
Where your down since day one real bros at?
Where them stories that you tellin' unfold at?
Where your heart nigga, where your soul at?
We got old school ways, we expose that




Ain't no guarantees, but you know that
Niggas die every day, can't control that

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Mustard's song "Perfect Ten" are a commentary on the values of society and the qualities that truly define a person. The chorus poses various questions about what is truly important in life, focusing on concepts such as loyalty, authenticity, and bravery. The line "You don't know who swimmin' naked 'til the tide come in" is a metaphor for people who may appear strong and put-together on the surface, but are exposed as vulnerable and weak when faced with adversity.


The song's central message is that material possessions and surface-level relationships are ultimately insignificant, and that true fulfillment and success come from staying true to oneself and persevering through life's challenges. The repetition of the chorus reinforces this message, emphasizing the importance of these values in the face of unpredictable circumstances.


Throughout the song, the lyrics reference various figures and cultural touchstones, such as Ken Griffey Jr., Nipsey Hussle, and protest music. These references further emphasize the theme of authenticity and staying true to one's roots, while also acknowledging the influence of those who have come before us.


Line by Line Meaning

You don't know who swimmin' naked 'til the tide come in
You never know who someone truly is until they are put in a difficult situation.


Fuck where your hoes at
I don't care about the women you're with.


Or where your Rolls at
I don't care about the fancy car you drive.


Where your backbone, nigga, where your code at?
I care about your character and whether you have integrity.


Where your down since day one real bros at?
I want to know where your true friends are, the ones who have been there from the beginning.


Where them stories that you tellin' unfold at?
I want to see if the stories you tell are true.


Where your heart nigga, where your soul at?
I want to know if you have passion and if you are true to yourself.


We got old school ways, we expose that
We have traditional values and we're not afraid to show them.


Ain't no guarantees, but you know that
There are no guarantees in life, but you should already know that.


Niggas die every day, can't control that
People die all the time and we can't do anything to stop it.


Ken Griffey throwback
I'm wearing an old Ken Griffey Jr. jersey.


Nigga had to go left
I had to make a difficult decision.


Must've popped twenty-eight times, 'cause it's four left
I must have fired my gun 28 times because I only have four bullets left.


If it's 'bout mine, ain't a nigga that I won't check
If it concerns me, I will confront anyone about it.


Run through your hardest homeboy, you could go next
I am willing to take on your toughest friend if I have to.


85 Cut', dawg, Hussle had the Rolex
I'm driving an 85 Cutlass and Nipsey Hussle had a Rolex.


Chain on my white tee, now you see the progress
I'm wearing a chain on my plain t-shirt, showing how far I've come.


Stacked every chip on myself, time to collect
I invested in myself and now it's payback time.


All money in, just imagine what I gross back
I put all my money into this and just wait until I see the returns.


That's why I call my thing The Marathon (yeah)
I call my journey The Marathon because it's a long and difficult one.


Because I, I'm not gon' lie and portray, um, this ultimate poise
I won't pretend to be completely calm and confident all the time.


Like I been, had it figured out
Like I knew everything all along.


Nah, I just didn't quit
No, I just didn't give up.


That's the only distinguishing quality from me and probably whoever else goin' through this
The only thing that sets me apart from others in similar situations is that I never gave up.


Is that I ain't quit
The fact that I never gave up.


I went through every emotion
I experienced every possible feeling.


With tryna pursue what I'm doing
While trying to achieve my goals.


And I think that what, what, separate whoever's gon' try to go for something is that
What separates those who try to achieve something is that


You ain't gon' quit
You don't give up.


That's, you know, you really gon' take the stance
That means you're really committed.


If I'm gon' die behind what what I'm gettin' at right here
If I have to die for what I believe in.


I think that our reaction to being disrespected
I believe that how we react when faced with disrespect is important.


We gotta, we gotta, we have to reassess how we react
We need to examine and change our reactions to disrespect.


And then, we gotta, we gotta go a step further because I think that
We need to take it a step further because


It's like a disease in your body
Disrespect is like a disease.


Once you start givin' it a treatment it'll get immune to the treatment (mhm)
If you keep using the same solution, eventually it won't work anymore.


And you gotta try something else to kill that disease
You have to find a new solution to stop it.


I think protest music is important
I believe music can be a powerful way to stand up against injustice.


I think that YG was a genius
I believe YG was brilliant for creating protest music.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Dijon Isaiah McFarlane, Ermias Asghedom, Alexander Justus West, Quintin Ferbie Gulledge, Shahrukh Zaman Khan

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@DamiensWorld272

“Niggas die everyday can’t control that” man 😞

@childofGod477

The way they die can be changed your words put things into existence and there is power in your tongue.

@IAmKenziePiper

@@childofGod477 facts..

@ladyzinada5341

Block fah YOUR BLACK MeN know they trying to stretch ya.

@shabbyofficial_

@@childofGod477 you want to mean human beings can control death or I did not get your point well ?

@aaronmonack3754

Shabby theezaddy Human beings can’t control death but they can change how someone dies your words are more powerful than you think

51 More Replies...

@KeepItSassyy

Whoever reading this I pray you become successful at the end of this YEAR !

@disisaz

It's a marathon not a sprint. Peace

@courtesyofthebbbboyz811

Amen You too

@vickibrown4559

KeepIt Sassyy ditto sis! Thanks

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