He has one older brother who is five years older than him. He had a tough childhood growing up with a father who was addicted to crack and a mother who was diagnosed breast cancer. A lot of his struggles are reflected in the lyrics of his music. OnCue graduated from Newington High School and attended Central Connecticut State University and Brooklyn College before dropping out to pursue music full time.
OnCue started rapping at the age of 11 and recording music when he was 13-years-old at local studios in the Hartford area. Throughout his teenage years, OnCue focused on honing his craft and developing his sound. In 2010, OnCue moved to Brooklyn to take his rap career more seriously.
To help earn some money to get by, OnCue would create album covers for producers and other rappers. Two prominent Brooklyn he did work for were MICK and Terry Urban. One day he came up to them and showed them his bars. Impressed, they worked with OnCue, hosting several of his mixtapes including "Cueyfornication" and "Cuey Sings the Blues".
In addition, OnCue started working with producer C.J. Luzi, who he would collaborate with throughout his career. Adam Ross would direct several of his music videos to much acclaim by critics and fans.
In early 2012 after his "Leftovers" and "Can't Wait" mixtapes dropped, OnCue linked up with Just Blaze through AThe Bald God. For the next two years, they would work together and create one mixtape, "Leftovers 2", and his first album, "Angry Young Man".
Common themes in his music are about love and hardships. His family and difficult situation growing up have been a huge inspiration to his lyrics and often get very personal. He raps about the struggles he went through and overcoming them. OnCue constantly mentions his past relationships and how they affected his life. Also, many times in his music, he makes references to his dick.
Headlights
ONCUE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My heart on my sleeve, i got dressed up
I cant impeve its the rester, my life
Diamonds are made from pressure
Pictures on my dresser,
Reminding me who i used to be
Lay yo i was always sleeping in quarter to three
We come back with stories to tell from what we see
I got no days off, that means no weekends
My friends hardly think i fell off the deep end
I never see them, im too busy making this a real reason of why we ain't speaking
I wasnt there for the treatment, of the applauadence i could hear recording
Dreamin' of things we want, but ain't affording
Im praying for my rent, why they praying for thier (innaudable)
I can't get caught (in those headlights) and those headlights, cus i know this road is too far along (those headlights)
My heart on my sleeve and i pray it don't
Turn to stone,
From the headlights up in our own, from the headlights up in our own
Its too long, too long
Those headlights
The lyrics to OnCue's song "Headlights" talk about the pressure and challenges that come with chasing success in life. The singer states that he has his heart on his sleeve, portraying his vulnerability and openness to life. The artist seems to have come from a humble background as depicted in the line "Reminding me who I used to be Lay yo I was always sleeping in quarter to three." Here, he reflects on past struggles with sleeping at odd hours and not having everything figured out.
The lyrics suggest that the artist's life is occupied with making music, and he barely has time for anything else, including friendships. He seems to have lost touch with his friends due to his busy schedule, as indicated in the line "My friends hardly think I fell off the deep end. I never see them, I'm too busy making this a real reason why we ain't speaking." The artist speaks of dreaming about things that he cannot afford yet and praying for his rent to be paid while others pray for things they can't have.
The chorus talks about the danger of getting caught in the headlights, which could symbolize distractions and temptations that can throw him off course. Overall, the lyrics to "Headlights" seem to be an honest reflection of the artist's journey to success.
Line by Line Meaning
Button my vest up,
Putting on my vest and getting ready for the day.
My heart on my sleeve, i got dressed up
Going out and being vulnerable with my emotions on display.
I cant impeve its the rester, my life
Realizing my life is what it is and there's nothing I can change about it.
Diamonds are made from pressure
Acknowledging that the difficulties and pressure in life can create something valuable like diamonds.
Pictures on my dresser,
Looking at old pictures and reminiscing about the past.
Reminding me who i used to be
The photos remind me of the person I used to be and how I've changed over time.
Lay yo i was always sleeping in quarter to three
Reflecting on my past tendencies to stay up really late and sleep in.
We come back with stories to tell from what we see
Discussing the stories and experiences that we've gained from seeing the world.
Aint no glory in hell, enjoy it before it leave'
Advising to make the most of life and enjoy it while you can because there is no glory in death or the afterlife.
I got no days off, that means no weekends
Acknowledging that my life is busy and I don't have many breaks.
My friends hardly think i fell off the deep end
My friends don't think I've gone crazy or fallen off the path of success.
I never see them, im too busy making this a real reason of why we ain't speaking
I don't see my friends because I'm too busy pursuing my goals and they may not understand or agree with my choices.
I wasnt there for the treatment, of the applauadence i could hear recording
I missed out on the praise and accolades for my accomplishments because I was never there to receive them.
Dreamin' of things we want, but ain't affording
Thinking about the things we desire but can't afford.
Im praying for my rent, why they praying for thier (innaudable)
Struggling to make ends meet and pay rent while others are praying for something else.
I can't get caught (in those headlights) and those headlights, cus i know this road is too far along (those headlights)
I can't get caught up in things that distract me (like headlights) because I know my journey ahead is long and I need to stay focused.
My heart on my sleeve and i pray it don't
Keeping my emotions on display for others to see and hoping it doesn't lead to heartache.
Turn to stone,
Not wanting to become numb to emotions and becoming apathetic.
From the headlights up in our own, from the headlights up in our own
The metaphorical headlights on our journey that come from within and represent our own inner struggles and distractions.
Its too long, too long
The journey ahead is going to be a long and difficult one.
Those headlights
The distractions and struggles that we face along our journey.
Writer(s): Oncue
Contributed by Callie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ShadyContinues
“Reminded me who I use to be… layovers help me sleep in to quarter of 3, we come back with stories to tell from what we see… I got no days off, that means no weekends. My friends probably think I fell off the deep end….” UGHHHHHH 😭😔👏🔥 MY HEART ON MY SLEEVE N I PRAY IT DONT TURN TO STONE. This song is so pure / stimulating. Real shit
@cpmcco5
Hands Down, my favorite artist. His music is too real. Keep doing your thing Cuey
@MrCrazyduck22
VOTE ONCUE!
@cjvDreams
"My heart on my sleeve and I pray it don't turn to stone" :]
@GRANATATHEGRAPE
i'm prayin for my reign while they prayin for my autumn ... woah
@halowafflebrains
the start of the verse is so bumpin
@ocy999
I have just discovered a certified banger from an old mw2 montage
@th3Xd0p3stXh1pst3rs
MUCH RESPECT to Cuey. i can't wait for more music from him. i could listen to this all day, forreal.
@SelectRemade
This guy will soon be the new Hoodie Allen, <3 your music OnCue. :)
@GRANATATHEGRAPE
i'm prayin for my reign/rain (success) while they're prayin for my autumn (fall) .. that's how i saw it