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.
No Way
ONCUE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Goddamnit
Cause years I famished
I know I didn′t, but I think god planned this
I hope he planned this
Yeah, I'ma make jams til I get a Hologram
And a sister named Janet
I′m an honest man, I'm a Pollick fanSo i treat the face like the canvas, oooh
But it's all about the loot
When I fell off, friends went poof
(Still) Money on my head when i nearly had no roof
But these girls think I′m cute from my hat to my boots, thank the lord
They ignored my tooth, cause of what I do in the booth
Ain′t that the fucking truth
Reincarnation Im the proof
Who the hell dumb enough to let me loose
I don't drink goose, I like me bourbon
Hands 10 and 2, but I like me swerving
I don′t like lanes, so I broke the curb in
This much vision is more like a burden
Yeah, I've been saying, I′m Super Saiyan
Since I wrote the bangers, down in the basement
With the panty hoes over the clothes hangers
Even back when Cory was trying to smash the Topanga, yup
Yeah, why you so suprised, huh?
Now I need hummus on my rider
Shit, I moved to the city
Brought my day ones with me
Fuck the world except my momma
You can't tell me no different
I don′t play with these flows
Nor the shit that I'm spitting
And these women got a hard time sitting
You know it
Know we been through some shit
Know we been through some shit
Dad done poofed and split
And bro done dipped
Then the booth got lit
Let me talk my shit
Let me talk my shit
Yeah, you ain′t gotta sell your crib, no, momma
You ain′t gotta sell your crib, you ain't gotta sell it, no, no
I ain′t gon' stop till I get it, no
I ain′t gon' stop till I get it, no
I ain′t gon' stop till I get it, motherfucker
Nah, I ain't gon′ stop till I get it, no way
Now we on to something
Or we just on something
Honestly I don′t know, I really can't tell
Then Just fucked with running
Oh, you thought I was fronting
Oh, you thought I was bluffing
Honestly man it′s nothing, I'm about to raise hell, aye
Just cause you rap all fast
Don′t hide the fact you ain't sayin jack
What you think this is motherfucka
Can′t look back, Pops was on crack
It's just that this life ain't a pic-a-nic muhfucka
Living down on Chapman Street
Plotting on a masterpiece
Back when they use to laugh at me
Now I′m to send those to the master suite
Yeah, the same white kid with a New York fitted on
Pants too big that′s when I got shitted on
Name too big now you singin' to a different song
Pants too tight so these hoes wanna get on now!
Then Zav moved me out, then he drove me down
Cause the homies hold me down
With a few bucks to my name look at the shit I figured out
Im′a make my momma proud right now
The song "No Way" by OnCue talks about his struggle and journey towards success. He starts by saying that he doesn't care who is considered the man on campus because he spent years being hungry and doesn't believe it matters much. He thinks that he's meant to be where he is today and hopes that God has planned it that way. He wants to continue making music until he's big enough to perform and have a hologram, along with a sister named Janet, an allusion to Janet Jackson. He is proud of his Polish roots and treats his face like a canvas, but acknowledges that making money is essential. Despite falling off in the past, the women around him still find him attractive, and he's grateful for that. He's confident in his rapping ability and believes he has been reincarnated to prove it. To him, it's no surprise as he has been talking about being like a Super Saiyan ever since he started writing hits in the basement.
OnCue's lyrics are a clear reflection of his experiences and his determination to make it as an artist. He continues expressing his thoughts on the song, talking about the struggles his family faced, including his dad leaving and his brother departing without a word. Despite all these problems, he continued in the booth, writing music that would soon light up his career. He learned that hard work and persistence are vital for achieving great success. He saw himself moving from being laughed at while living on Chapman Street to plotting his masterpiece, and now he's making enough to send his loved ones to the master suite. He looks back on his past with nostalgia, noting that he was often mocked for wearing oversized pants and that it's surreal that these days, everyone wants to get on.
Overall, this song captures the essence of OnCue's journey to success. It's a story of resilience and the power of hard work.
Line by Line Meaning
Fuck who the man on campus
I don't care who's popular, I'm focused on my own success
Goddamnit
Expressing frustration and determination in achieving success
Cause years I famished
I've struggled for years, experiencing poverty and hunger
I know I didn't, but I think god planned this
Even though I didn't plan for this, I believe it's all part of God's plan
I hope he planned this
Expressing gratitude and faith in the belief that God has a purpose for life events
Yeah, I'ma make jams til I get a Hologram
I'm going to keep making music until I achieve a level of success where I can perform as a hologram
And a sister named Janet
Referencing Janet Jackson, a successful musician, and expressing a desire to achieve similar success
I'm an honest man, I'm a Pollick fan
I believe in honesty and I'm a fan of Polish people and culture
So i treat the face like the canvas, oooh
I treat every person's face like a blank canvas, ready to express themselves
But it's all about the loot
Ultimately, success is about making money
When I fell off, friends went poof
When I experienced failure, my friends disappeared
(Still) Money on my head when i nearly had no roof
Even when I was struggling to pay for housing, people were trying to take advantage of me for money
But these girls think I'm cute from my hat to my boots, thank the lord
Despite my struggles, I'm grateful for the attention from women who find me attractive
They ignored my tooth, cause of what I do in the booth
The success I've had in music has allowed people to overlook my physical flaws
Ain't that the fucking truth
Acknowledging the truth of the previous statement
Reincarnation Im the proof
Believing in the concept of reincarnation and feeling like proof of it
Who the hell dumb enough to let me loose
Feeling like he shouldn't have been given the opportunity to achieve success
I don't drink goose, I like me bourbon
Preferring bourbon over Grey Goose vodka
Hands 10 and 2, but I like me swerving
Acknowledging the necessity of driving safely, but enjoying the thrill of swerving off the road
I don't like lanes, so I broke the curb in
Preferring to drive without boundaries or structure, and driving over the curb
This much vision is more like a burden
Having a lot of ambition and goals can be overwhelming and burdening
Yeah, I've been saying, I'm Super Saiyan
Feeling like he has the power of a Super Saiyan from the Dragon Ball manga series
Since I wrote the bangers, down in the basement
Believing in his ability to create hit songs while in his basement
With the panty hoes over the clothes hangers
Hanging panties over clothes hangers is a reference to sexual activity he engaged in while creating music
Even back when Cory was trying to smash the Topanga, yup
Referencing a storyline from the show Boy Meets World and feeling like he was creating music for a long time
Yeah, why you so suprised, huh?
Asking why people are surprised by his success
Now I need hummus on my rider
Asking for hummus to be included on his list of requested items for performances
Shit, I moved to the city
Moving to a city to pursue his music career
Brought my day ones with me
Bringing his closest friends with him to the city
Fuck the world except my momma
Feeling like the world doesn't matter as long as his mother is supportive of him
You can't tell me no different
Believing in himself and not allowing others to change his mind
I don't play with these flows
Taking his music seriously and not playing around
Nor the shit that I'm spitting
Believing in the truth of what he says in his music
And these women got a hard time sitting
Feeling like he's so attractive that women have a hard time sitting still around him
Cause I beat that kitten like I'm fresh outta prison
Having aggressive sexual encounters with women, comparing himself to someone who just got out of prison
You know it
Asserting his confidence in his sexual prowess
Know we been through some shit
Acknowledging struggles he's been through
Dad done poofed and split
His father left him unexpectedly
And bro done dipped
His brother left him as well
Then the booth got lit
Finding success in music
Let me talk my shit
Allowing himself to express his feelings and experiences
You ain't gotta sell your crib, you ain't gotta sell it, no, no
Encouraging his mother to keep her house and not have to sell it
I ain't gon' stop till I get it, no
Determined to keep working and achieve success
Motherfucker
An expression of determination and conviction
Now we on to something
Feeling like he's making progress in his music career
Or we just on something
Wondering if his success is genuine or just a result of something else
Honestly I don't know, I really can't tell
Admitting uncertainty about the reason for his success
Then Just fucked with running
Connecting with someone named Just and feeling like they have an impact on his success
Oh, you thought I was fronting
Someone doubted his abilities or success
Oh, you thought I was bluffing
Feeling like someone didn't take him seriously
Honestly man it's nothing, I'm about to raise hell, aye
Feeling confident and excited about his future, despite doubters
Just cause you rap all fast
Someone's rap style doesn't make them automatically talented or successful
Don't hide the fact you ain't sayin jack
Accusing someone of not having anything meaningful to say in their music
What you think this is motherfucka
Challenging someone's authenticity and talent in music
Can't look back, Pops was on crack
Encountering familial struggles, including a father who struggled with drug addiction
It's just that this life ain't a pic-a-nic muhfucka
Acknowledging the harsh reality of life, referencing the phrase 'picnic' as an idyllic ideal
Living down on Chapman Street
Referencing a specific location where he lived and experienced struggles
Plotting on a masterpiece
Working hard to create something great
Back when they use to laugh at me
Feeling like people didn't take him seriously in the past
Now I'm to send those to the master suite
Feeling like he's surpassed those who used to make fun of him, and they now work for him
Yeah, the same white kid with a New York fitted on
Referencing his past and how he used to dress, identifying as a white person from New York
Pants too big that's when I got shitted on
Experiencing ridicule for the way he dressed
Name too big now you singin' to a different song
Achieving success and being in a different position than those who used to make fun of him
Pants too tight so these hoes wanna get on now!
Attracting attention and sexual interest from women because of his success
Then Zav moved me out, then he drove me down
A person named Zav helped him move and drive to a new location
Cause the homies hold me down
Feeling supported by his friends
With a few bucks to my name look at the shit I figured out
Achieving success despite not having a lot of money
Im'a make my momma proud right now
Hoping to make his mother proud of his achievements
I ain't gon' stop till I get it, no way
Reiterating his determination to achieve success
Writer(s): FERNANDO VON ARB, CHRIS VON ROHR
Contributed by Nolan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.