Bandit Chef
Niska Lyrics

Eh, bless (Bien ou quoi?)
Casual greeting, asking how the person is doing

Bandit chef, c'est la guerre, j'ai activé le mode (eh)
Referring to oneself as a criminal leader during troubled times, ready to take on anything

J'suis l'genre de négro méchant qui ne met pas de crème (eh)
Describing oneself as a tough guy who does not use lotion

Cette salope sait pas encore qu'elle va passer ma drogue (ma came)
Implying that the artist is a drug dealer and that someone will soon be receiving their drugs

J'suis l'genre de négro bre-som qui ne fait pas crête
Claims to have short hair and does not style it into a crest

La pétasse, le tel-hô c'est pas pour les selfies (merci)
The singer suggests that someone is not in their social media app for taking selfies, with an added sarcastic thank you

Ces temps-ci, j'ai des idées malsaines (malsaines)
Admitting to having bad or unhealthy thoughts recently

Dans l'gamos, toujours l'machin (machin)
While in his car, always has the same thing

Le siège est chauffant et massant (massant)
Describing the car as having luxurious features such as heated and massaging seats

Posé comme un pacha (oui)
Sitting back and relaxing, with private lounge-lizard privilege

Purple, billets, machine (all day)
Purple Kush, thousand-dollar bills and automatic weapons

J'vais les fumer négro, j'vais les fumer négro
Claims to be capable of killing people

J'vais les fumer négro, j'vais les dead (j'vais les dead)
Further emphasizing how one will kill or take down their opponents

Ils ont couru négro, quand j'ai sorti les crocs
Sharing a time when those who posed a threat hastily ran away upon knowing the singer was serious

Ils ont failli faire pleurer leurs mères (maman)
Asserting the potential danger they posed on their enemy and their loved ones, who almost broke into tears

Donne-moi 100 000 raisons de n'pas péter les plombs
Appealing to anyone to provide a good reason to not explode in a rage

Je m'en fou qu'j'ai d'la prison à faire
Suggesting to be indifferent of the fact that they may do jail time

T'façon, la famille n'a pas fini d'palper (palper)
Regardless, the singer insists their family will continue to benefit financially

Mon fils doit finir comme Mbappé (ouh)
Inspired by a soccer star, someone important to the singer's life must aim for greatness

J'suis dans l'jacuzzi
The artist is in a hot tub

Elle enlève son string, y a du champagne (Dom Pé')
Amidst an intimate moment, a bottle of Dom Pérignon is opened

J'sors de chez Fendi, j'ai claqué 15 000, je les sens pas
Just returning from buying the latest fashion, the artist hesitates to talk about how much was spent

Eh, à la tess, c'est mort
Acknowledging how things are not going well in the housing estate

Y a qu'les murs qui restent et le temps passe (eh)
Expressing the only thing that remains is the unchanged environment that then becomes unbearable

C'est qui qui veut qu'on s'la mette? (Qui?)
Asking who it is that wants to have problems or get attacked

C'est qui qui veut qu'on s'la mette? (Ouh)
Again, asking who it is that is looking for trouble

Eh, la police interdit de rentrer au quartier (interdit, interdit, interdit)
Referring to a heightened police presence, indicating it is not allowed to enter a specific neighborhood

C'est les flash-balls contre les mortiers (OK, OK)
Describing a law enforcement clash with civilians using flashballs against homemade mortars (like Molotov Cocktails)

Du bendo, j'arrive plus à sortir (j'crois qu'j'suis bloqué)
Complaining about being stuck in his neighborhood due to high police activity

J'ai toujours un métal, j'passe pas les portiques (ouh)
Carrying some form of metal, causing alarms at metal detectors

C'est comment mon négro? (C'est comment?)
Asking about how they look, as inquiring about their overall appearance

La cité, on l'a fait (la cité)
Proudly stating that they are a product of the neighborhood (cité) they grew up in

Sur l'ter-ter, on est trop (oui)
Describing the artist's crew as being too much (like, very good at what they do)

Y a plus d'place pour rien faire (j'crois qu'j'suis bloqué)
The artist feels trapped and lacking freedom to do anything in the area

Les bosseurs font des trous (c'est chaud)
Commenting on how hard workers are actually destroying the area

Les rrains-te tournent à perte (sa mère)
Expressing loss in profit and frustration due to something unexpectedly turning sour which

Faut pas qu'on pète les plombs (j'crois qu'j'suis bloqué)
Advising against losing one's temper, as already not in a good situation

Il faut qu'on s'bouge, négro (Pop Smoke, han)
Feeling the need to move or act, with a reference to the late rapper Pop Smoke

C'est le son pour les sales gosses (Pop Smoke, han)
Indicating that this music is for the rough kids, again honoring Pop Smoke

C'est la rue, c'est la débauche (Pop Smoke, méchant, méchant, méchant)
Describing the neighborhood as a place where anything goes, where even nastiness is present

Elle est bonne, gros, je l'accoste (Pop Smoke, méchant, méchant, méchant)
Making advances towards a woman who the artist thinks looks good

Paire de Nike, ensemble Lacoste (méchant)
Describing their fashion, wearing Nike shoes and a Lacoste outfit

C'est nous les boss, on fait des gosses
Implying that they lead and their crew will multiply in number

On fait du cross (Pop Smoke, rah, rah)
Cross-training, as in working on various skills to be better versed and prepared

On t'accoste, vide tes poches
Will approach people and demand to empty their pockets as profit

Avant qu'on t'crosse (Pop Smoke, rah)
Before physically attacking their subject

On voit des fantômes, ici c'est (Pop Smoke, méchant, méchant, méchant)
Feeling paranoid and constantly alert, seeing ghosts

J'ai bu du na'si, j'ai la force
Having drunk the traditional Congolese beer na'si, the artist feels strong

On vient du 91, donc tu sais qu'on a faim (doggi, doggi)
Coming from Essonne (department 91 in the suburbs of Paris), explained by hunger to grow and succeed

En ce moment ici ça craint, y a comme une odeur de sapin (Pop Smoke)
Feeling despair in the current situation and sensing the loss of life, referring to 'smelling like pine trees'

Chacun son chemin, chacun son destin (doggi, doggi)
Asserting that everyone has their own path and fate

J'ai fini au D1, Fleury Châteaudun (Pop Smoke)
Having served a prison sentence in a penitentiary in France

Manjaques, Congolais, mauvais (mauvais)
Mentioning Manjak people, ethnic group in Guinea-Bissau (where Niska's parents are from) and Congolese as being dangerous

Madrane sorti du terrain (mauvais)
Referencing oneself, speaking of leaving the streets but remaining tough

Qu'est ce qu'ils s'passent bande de putains? (Hein?)
Trying to find out what's happening with a dire insult towards the listener

Haalanques frappe dans les six mètres (pouf)
Haalanques, another rapper, making a soccer reference and scoring a goal

Charlie Delta gang (gang)
Mentioning a gang, perhaps referring to the infamous Charlie Delta network in France

(Round One)
Ending the conversation, Round One perhaps signifies action, as in a fighting match