Hussle was murdered outside his store, Marathon Clothing, in South Los Angeles on March 31, 2019.
Last Time That I Checked
Nipsey Hussle Lyrics
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It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep, last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mill no sweat, last time that I checked
I'm the street's voice out west
Legendary self-made progress, last time that I checked
First get the money then respect
I been self-made from the dribble
I was been sayin' I'm a killer
Playin' no games with you niggas, pop clutch, switch lanes on you niggas
Look, I laid down the game for you niggas
Taught you how to charge more than what they pay for you niggas
Own the whole thing for you niggas
Re-invest, double up, then explained for you niggas, it gotta be love
Who run the whole city, it gotta be 'cause
This for the pieces I took off the Monopoly board
And ya'll niggas false claims, it gotta be fraud
Just keep the hood up out of your mouth, and you gotta be charged
I doubled up, tripled up, nigga what
Banged on the whole game, I ain't give a fuck
Nobody trippin, had no business, got my digits up
And when I drop, you know I'm 'bout to fuck the whole city up
Last time that I checked
It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep, last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mill no sweat, last time that I checked
I'm the street's voice out west
Legendary self-made progress, last time that I checked
First get the money then respect
Then the power, and the hoes come next, last time that I checked
And I come through fly, no co-sign
I ain't need radio to do mine, I done fine
And I take my time, and take my tribe
Every level that I crossed in this game like state lines
It was visionary, either I'm genius or you niggas scary
Maybe it's both and this balance I deliver daily
For every nigga in the streets trying to feed the babies
The single mamas workin' hard not to miss a payment
And dirty money get washed on royalty statements
Black owners in this game are powerful races
Young niggas in the set that's doing it makeshift
Out the garage is how you end up in charge
It's how you end up in penthouses, end up in cars, it's how you
Start off a curb servin', end up a boss
It's how you win the whole thing and lift up a cigar
With sweat drippin' down your face 'cause the mission was hard
Last time that I checked
It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep, last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mill no sweat, last time that I checked
I'm the street's voice out west
Legendary self-made progress, last time that I checked
First get the money then respect
Then the power, and the hoes come next, last time that I checked
Last time that I checked
I got the front end and the back
We on the way and that's a fact
This real, this ain't rap
Where everybody wanna act pro-black (they don't really wanna fuck with us)
The last lie you heard, this ain't that
This that, "I done made it out the gutter" shit
Nip told you "fuck the middle man", I told you "fuck a bitch"
Fuck wearin' their clothes, I wear my own shit
Y'all can own ya'll label, I own my own, bitch!
Aye Nip, I remember all that game you taught me
Don't fuck around and get played by these label owners
Talk that shit to these niggas, Adrien Broner
But secure the win though, don't let that game fold you
'Cause when this game over, it's really game over
And all they do is play the game till this game over
And you be givin' game like a big brother
Mission, never let em take it from us
Last time that I checked
It was five chains on my neck
It was no smut on my rep, last time that I checked
I was sellin' zones in the set
Make a quarter mill no sweat, last time that I checked
I'm the street's voice out west
Legendary self-made progress, last time that I checked
First get the money then respect
Then the power, and the hoes come next, last time that I checked
The chorus of "Last time that I checked" by Nipsey Hustle feat. Dom Kennedy speaks on the progression of the singer. He references the number of chains on his neck, insinuating newfound success, and "no smut" on his rep, indicating his clean image. He talks about his success in selling zones (which is a type of drug), claiming that he "makes a quarter mill no sweat." Here, Nipsey wants to establish himself as the voice of the streets in the West as he boasts of his legendary self-made progress. He acknowledges the importance of getting respect after making money, then the power, and finally, the women.
In the first verse, the lyrics portray the singer's self-made status, acknowledging that he didn't have any help in achieving his success. He brags about teaching his peers how to charge more than what they are worth and owning the entire entity to maximize profits. He insists that he is going to take over the industry when he decides to release his music. In the second verse, the singer speaks about his personal experience and success with music. He talks about how others are scared of his talent and that he does not need the help of industry leaders to come up. He emphasizes on his success as an independent artist, owning his label and focuses on empowering artists. "Last Time That I Checked" is a song that encourages hard work, self-empowerment, and success.
Line by Line Meaning
Last time that I checked
The last time I assessed my situation
It was five chains on my neck
I had multiple chains and a lot of jewelry
It was no smut on my rep, last time that I checked
I had a clean reputation with no bad rumors
I was sellin' zones in the set
I was selling drugs in my neighborhood
Make a quarter mill no sweat, last time that I checked
I made a large sum of money with ease
I'm the street's voice out west
I represent the voice of the streets in the western United States
Legendary self-made progress, last time that I checked
I have achieved legendary status with my self-made success
First get the money then respect
Earning money comes before earning respect
Then the power, and the hoes come next, last time that I checked
After earning respect and money, power and sexual partners become available
I been self-made from the dribble
I have been self-made since the beginning
I was been sayin' I'm a killer
I have been asserting my deadly skills
Playin' no games with you niggas, pop clutch, switch lanes on you niggas
I am not playing around and will quickly outmaneuver my competitors
Look, I laid down the game for you niggas
I taught my competitors how to succeed in this business
Taught you how to charge more than what they pay for you niggas
I taught my competitors how to profit from their work
Own the whole thing for you niggas
I showed my competitors how to own their own business
Re-invest, double up, then explained for you niggas, it gotta be love
I showed them how to reinvest and make more profit, and I did it out of love
Who run the whole city, it gotta be 'cause
I run the entire city because of my hard work and success
This for the pieces I took off the Monopoly board
This success is for the small victories that got me here
And ya'll niggas false claims, it gotta be fraud
My competitors make false claims, which is fraudulent
Just keep the hood up out of your mouth, and you gotta be charged
Don't bad-mouth the neighborhood, or there will be consequences
I doubled up, tripled up, nigga what
I multiplied my success by two and then three, no big deal
Banged on the whole game, I ain't give a fuck
I aggressively took on the entire industry without fear
Nobody trippin, had no business, got my digits up
I had no competition and I still made a lot of money
And when I drop, you know I'm 'bout to fuck the whole city up
When I release new music, it will be very successful and impactful
And I come through fly, no co-sign
I don't need anyone to co-sign my style, I'm already fly
I ain't need radio to do mine, I done fine
I didn't rely on radio play to succeed, I did just fine without it
And I take my time, and take my tribe
I carefully select my team and move at my own pace
Every level that I crossed in this game like state lines
I have successfully passed through every level of the industry like crossing state lines
It was visionary, either I'm genius or you niggas scary
My success was visionary, and either I'm a genius or my competitors are afraid of my success
Maybe it's both and this balance I deliver daily
Perhaps it's both, and I consistently maintain this balance
For every nigga in the streets trying to feed the babies
I represent every person in the streets trying to provide for their families
The single mamas workin' hard not to miss a payment
I empathize with single mothers who work hard to pay their bills
And dirty money get washed on royalty statements
Even illegal money can be laundered through legally earned royalties
Black owners in this game are powerful races
Black business owners have a lot of power in this industry
Young niggas in the set that's doing it makeshift
Young people in the neighborhood are improvising to achieve success
Out the garage is how you end up in charge
Starting with nothing is how you end up becoming a leader
It's how you end up in penthouses, end up in cars, it's how you
Starting from nothing can lead to great wealth and luxury
Start off a curb servin', end up a boss
Starting with a simple job or task can lead to becoming a successful boss
It's how you win the whole thing and lift up a cigar
Achieving ultimate success is rewarded with luxury and celebration
With sweat drippin' down your face 'cause the mission was hard
Achieving success is not easy and requires hard work and dedication
I got the front end and the back
I have control of the beginning and end of the success I achieve
We on the way and that's a fact
I am on my way to success and it's guaranteed
This real, this ain't rap
My success is not just a thing I rap about, it's real
Where everybody wanna act pro-black (they don't really wanna fuck with us)
Many people claim to support black people, but they don't actually want to associate with us
The last lie you heard, this ain't that
This is not a lie, this is the truth
This that, "I done made it out the gutter" shit
This is the real success story of someone who made it out of poverty
Nip told you "fuck the middle man", I told you "fuck a bitch"
Nipsey Hussle and I both reject the idea of relying on middlemen or women to succeed
Fuck wearin' their clothes, I wear my own shit
I don't want to wear other people's clothing, I wear my own designs
Y'all can own ya'll label, I own my own, bitch!
You can own your own label, but I own myself
Aye Nip, I remember all that game you taught me
I remember all the valuable lessons Nipsey taught me
Don't fuck around and get played by these label owners
Don't let label owners manipulate or take advantage of you
Talk that shit to these niggas, Adrien Broner
Continue to assert your own success and don't let anyone bring you down
But secure the win though, don't let that game fold you
Be successful, but also maintain your integrity and avoid being corrupted by the industry
'Cause when this game over, it's really game over
When the industry ends, everything ends with it
And all they do is play the game till this game over
People in the industry are just playing the game until it's over
And you be givin' game like a big brother
I give valuable advice and lessons like a supportive older brother
Mission, never let em take it from us
My mission is to maintain my success and never let anyone take it from me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Christopher Steven Brown, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, John Wesley Groover, Keenon Daquan Ray Jackson, Larrance Dopson, Michael Ray Cox
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind