Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974 in Austin, Texas), better k… Read Full Bio ↴Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974 in Austin, Texas), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur signed to Universal and Derrty Records. Born to a half Tunisian father and American mother, he has been active since 1993 as a bandmate of the rap group St. Lunatics, and became a hip-hop superstar after the success of his solo release, Country Grammar, in 2000. The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200, spawned multiple chart toppers and won three Grammy awards. His second effort, 2002's Nellyville, was equally successful and it included the hits "Dilemma" and "Hot in Herre" and was nominated for five Grammy awards, including Album of the Year. In 2004 Nelly released two albums at the same time, Sweat and Suit, and in September they briefly held the two top spots on the charts. His latest album is Brass Knuckles, released in 2008.
Nelly has been equally active as a businessman; among other ventures, in 2003 he released his own energy drink called "Pimp Juice," and in 2004 he became a minority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats basketball team. He is also the CEO of Derrty Entertainment, his own company formed in 2003. Nelly has two clothing lines: Vokal (for men) and Apple Bottoms (for women).

So Fly
Nelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
Realizing livin' life for me, always gettin' into trouble
'cause, I'm so fly
I'm on a whole nother level
Left the block, and now I'm smiling countin money like
Realizing livin' life for me, I done found another hustle
'cause, I'm so fly
I'm living life a lot better

Still keep a glock in case the jailers wanna hate tonight

Another day up in the hood, cant believe these cats still bangin' (bangin')
Look at the years we wasted, on the corner block still slangin' (slagin')
No matter how much we try to make peace, gun shots still rangin' (rangin')
'cause to be a hood legend, you die first, then become famous
'cause I done seen this type of thing before
Just hangin' out by the corner store
Stick up kids wit them guns galore
Layin' there, body down, stretched on the floor
I thought about it, man I'm way too fly
To have a fella robbin' me outside
That's why I keep that thing by my side
And down every blessin' while I'm screamin' out

[Chorus]

I hate to say it but the people that surrounding me
Are way too shady
The only people I can trust is my family and my lady
All my dogs got guns
Ready for action
They wont betray me
Your the type to run
Or to hold my tongue
When it gets crazy
See I been through this type of thing before
Even had trouble with the law
On the couch when the smash my door
But they wont find the cash stashed under the floor
I never could understand the problem
I was the one to pull the shoulders drop
Couldnt live this type of life no more
So I had a part of me screamin out

[Chorus]

I'm in blue, wit them BF frames
Walkin on lean, while mind chain hangs
Drivin' somethin, pronounce mad strange
Never mad cool, 'cause I been through flames
Walk wit a limp, 'cause I been through games
Now shes a ho, 'cause she been through gangs
Beef wit ghats for a small chunk change
I'm rich now, that's more chunk change
The cops know slang
Man get the picture before u out the frame
Call me heart throb, 'cause I'm so fame
Couldn't come close if u sat in my Range
My scars can prove but I'm passion and pain

[Chorus]

Overall Meaning

Nelly's song "So Fly" is a commentary on the violence and danger of living in the hood. The lyrics of the song tell the story of a person who has experienced the struggles of living in the hood and has found a way out through hustling. The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of realizing that life is worth living, and that hustling can be a way to make a better life for oneself. The first verse of the song talks about the reality of life in the hood, with constant violence and danger.

Nelly speaks about his own experience with the violence in the hood, and how it has shaped his life. The second verse of the song talks about the importance of loyalty and trust, as well as knowing who to surround oneself with. Nelly emphasizes that his family and his lady are the only people he can trust, and that he keeps a gun with him at all times to protect himself from those who would do him harm.

The third verse of the song talks about Nelly's success and how he has been able to overcome the struggles of his past. He speaks about the material possessions he has gained and how different his life is now that he is successful. However, he also acknowledges that he has been scarred by his experiences, but is motivated by his passion and pain to continue on.

Overall, "So Fly" is a song that speaks to the struggles of life in the hood, and the resilience and determination it takes to overcome them.

Line by Line Meaning

Realizing livin' life for me, always gettin' into trouble 'cause, I'm so fly I'm on a whole nother level Left the block, and now I'm smiling countin money like
I've come to understand that my life is full of challenges, but I overcome them with ease because I'm confident and successful. I've moved on from my old neighborhood and now I'm living well, enjoying my earnings.

Realizing livin' life for me, I done found another hustle 'cause, I'm so fly I'm living life a lot better Still keep a glock in case the jailers wanna hate tonight
I've found a new business venture that's profitable, and I've been doing well for myself. Even though I've left my old life behind, I still maintain my personal security and readiness for any danger.

Another day up in the hood, cant believe these cats still bangin' (bangin') Look at the years we wasted, on the corner block still slangin' (slagin') No matter how much we try to make peace, gun shots still rangin' (rangin') 'cause to be a hood legend, you die first, then become famous
Every day I see the same old negative behavior in my community, and it makes me question why we waste our lives away in these unproductive ways. Despite our efforts for peace, gun violence still dominates our streets. People think being a gangster makes them someone worth remembering, but the sad reality is that it could be their last act.

'cause I done seen this type of thing before Just hangin' out by the corner store Stick up kids wit them guns galore Layin' there, body down, stretched on the floor I thought about it, man I'm way too fly To have a fella robbin' me outside That's why I keep that thing by my side And down every blessin' while I'm screamin' out
I've witnessed and been a victim to violence before, and it's not an experience I want to relive. In order to protect myself, I carry a weapon with me, and I'm always on guard. I appreciate my life, and I want to keep it that way by all means necessary.

I hate to say it but the people that surrounding me Are way too shady The only people I can trust is my family and my lady All my dogs got guns Ready for action They wont betray me Your the type to run Or to hold my tongue When it gets crazy
I don't want to sound negative, but the people around me don't have my best interest at heart. I know that the only ones I can count on are my family and my partner. I also have my loyal friends who will have my back and won't turn on me. But I can't say the same for some of the other individuals in my life.

See I been through this type of thing before Even had trouble with the law On the couch when the smash my door But they wont find the cash stashed under the floor I never could understand the problem I was the one to pull the shoulders drop Couldnt live this type of life no more So I had a part of me screamin out
I've faced similar problems in the past, including facing legal trouble and experiencing a home invasion. But, I was always able to escape it or hide my valuables so that they wouldn't get taken by others. I couldn't understand why I was living this way and I didn't want it to continue, so I had an internal struggle to change my life.

I'm in blue, wit them BF frames Walkin on lean, while mind chain hangs Drivin' somethin, pronounce mad strange Never mad cool, 'cause I been through flames Walk wit a limp, 'cause I been through games Now shes a ho, 'cause she been through gangs Beef wit ghats for a small chunk change I'm rich now, that's more chunk change The cops know slang Man get the picture before u out the frame Call me heart throb, 'cause I'm so fame Couldn't come close if u sat in my Range My scars can prove but I'm passion and pain
I wear blue clothes and BF frames and drive a unique car. My experiences have left me not one to blend in or fit in with everybody else. I walk with a limp due to injuries from the street life, and I've become distanced from those who are still involved in dangerous activities. Although I've had disagreements with rivals who are willing to do anything for a small amount of money, I've since become wealthy and powerful. I'm famous enough to have police know my name, and my wealth has set me apart from others. My physical injuries and scars represent the passion and pain that I've sacrificed for my fortune and fame.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Aliaune Thiam, Erick S. Sermon

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS