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.
Running
ONCUE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause nothings all I have
Except a little soul
That I put down on this pad
To put us on the map
I just don't know
How they say we young and dumb
Cause this world is so cold
From all the things I've seen
I took that bullshit & put it back up in my dreams
To them we dead beats hitting dead ends
But we so close to dead on
After this tell Sallie Mae that my debts gone
Screw your interest rate
I'mma change the game soon
But first you got to integrate
Cause all they do is imitate
Raise your glass
Raise your drink & say fuck 'em all
You can't buy me cause you clearly can't see whats in store
Yeah they say that talks cheap
Always let my heart speak
How you going to tell me dollar signs equal the heartbeats
We the new McCartney's, Marley's
No time for a party
We gun' be here, yeah these are our seats
I've never seen the better days
The better days are yet to come
Tell me what you running from?
No one
I'm running to the lights
Running cause I'm young
Running to the city
Running cause I'm dumb
I'm running, I'm running
I'm running, I'm running ... from them
Always been decent kids
Time for us to grow up
Scrape knees, hearts get broken
And then sewn up
From musical influence
And liquor that we pour up
Screw the shady promoters
And the haters who told us that
We would be nothing
When we finally get this jumping
I'mma make sure I pull up in
Like a 300 and something
I ain't the type for stunting
But I love to see they faces transform
When I take the deuces turn them into aces
Age 4, I've been living lifeline on a spaceship
Always drama, inspiration, never the type to trace it
Never satisfied, my minds always else ware
Dreaming about topless women & getting healthcare
I wasn't on welfare but it was still hell there
So if you want to live good can I get a hell yeah
Ain't running from problems, I"m running to solutions
I gave this my everything so its time to recoup it
I swear
I've never seen the better days
The better days are yet to come
Tell me what you running from?
No one
I'm running to the lights
Running cause I'm young
Running to the city
Running cause I'm dumb
I'm running, I'm running
I'm running, I'm running ... from them
I've never seen the better days
The better days are yet to come
Tell me what you running from?
No one
I'm running to the lights
Running cause I'm young
Running to the city
Running cause I'm dumb
I'm running, I'm running
I'm running, I'm running ... from them
In "Running," OnCue reflects on his struggles and perseverance as he strives to succeed in spite of his critics. The opening lines, "Well here goes nothing/Cause nothings all I have," suggests that he feels as though he has nothing to lose, but that he has a little bit of his soul left, which he has put down on the pad. OnCue continues to speak to his critics, explaining that he has dreams that they claim are unrealistic, but he's faced so much hardship in life so far that he feels old beyond his years. Yet from all he has seen, he has gained a determination to succeed, even if it means he has to take on those who look down on him. The song urges listeners to raise a glass and say "fuck 'em all," implying that one should not pay attention to doubters or critics but push through to achieve one's greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
Well here goes nothing
Starting without much expectation
Cause nothings all I have
Starting from scratch, with almost nothing
Except a little soul
Having the passion and heart for what they do
That I put down on this pad
Expressing their emotions and thoughts through music
To put us on the map
Trying to make a name for themselves and their music
I just don't know
Admitting uncertainty or doubt
How they say we young and dumb
Feeling resentful against the stereotype of being young and inexperienced
Cause this world is so cold
Being jaded by a harsh reality
Got me feeling so old
Feeling worn out or exhausted by life's challenges
From all the things I've seen
Having experienced a lot of hardships and struggles
I took that bullshit & put it back up in my dreams
Using their negative experiences as fuel and inspiration for their music
To them we dead beats hitting dead ends
Feeling viewed as hopeless and unsuccessful by others
But we so close to dead on
Being on the verge of something big, despite the odds
After this tell Sallie Mae that my debts gone
Celebrating finally being financially stable and free of debt
Screw your interest rate
Rejecting the ways of the traditional financial system
I'mma change the game soon
Ambitious plans to make a big impact in their industry
But first you got to integrate
Acknowledging the need for unity and teamwork to achieve goals
Cause all they do is imitate
Feeling frustrated with copycats and unoriginality in the industry
Raise your glass
Encouraging a toast to their success
Raise your drink & say fuck 'em all
Rejecting any critics or naysayers
You can't buy me cause you clearly can't see whats in store
Being confident in their unique value and talent
Yeah they say that talks cheap
Recognizing the importance of actions over just words
Always let my heart speak
Believing in the power of following one's passion and intuition
How you going to tell me dollar signs equal the heartbeats
Challenging the idea that money is the only measure of success or value
We the new McCartney's, Marley's
Aspiring to the legendary status of iconic musicians
No time for a party
Being too focused on their music and goals to waste time on frivolous things
We gun' be here, yeah these are our seats
Confidently claiming their place in the industry and the world
I've never seen the better days
Acknowledging that life hasn't been easy
The better days are yet to come
Maintaining hope and optimism for the future
Tell me what you running from?
Questioning the motivations behind avoiding challenges or pursuing dreams
No one
Admitting that there is no real obstacle in their way
I'm running to the lights
Following their dreams and aspirations
Running cause I'm young
Embracing the energy and optimism of youth
Running to the city
Seeking new opportunities and experiences
Running cause I'm dumb
Acknowledging youthful mistakes and missteps
I'm running, I'm running
Continuing to pursue their goals and dreams
I'm running, I'm running ... from them
Avoiding negative influences and naysayers
Always been decent kids
Having a generally good upbringing and character
Time for us to grow up
Recognizing the need to mature and take responsibility
Scrape knees, hearts get broken
Acknowledging that life can be difficult and painful
And then sewn up
Being resilient and able to bounce back from hardships
From musical influence
Being inspired by other musicians and genres
And liquor that we pour up
Indulging in youth culture and revelry
Screw the shady promoters
Rejecting the negative aspects of the industry
And the haters who told us that We would be nothing
Defying negative expectations and proving doubters wrong
When we finally get this jumping
Anticipating success in the music industry
I'mma make sure I pull up in like a 300 and something
Celebrating future success with a luxury car reference
I ain't the type for stunting
Preferring substance over showing off
But I love to see they faces transform
Enjoying the surprise and shock of others when they succeed
When I take the deuces turn them into aces
Turning negative situations into positives
Age 4, I've been living lifeline on a spaceship
Feeling otherworldly or isolated from a young age
Always drama, inspiration, never the type to trace it
Having a tumultuous but ultimately inspiring life story
Never satisfied, my minds always else ware
Being driven and never content with the status quo
Dreaming about topless women & getting healthcare
Balancing youthful desires with practical needs
I wasn't on welfare but it was still hell there
Experiencing hardships despite not being in extreme poverty
So if you want to live good can I get a hell yeah
Encouraging others to strive for a better life
Ain't running from problems, I'm running to solutions
Being proactive and solution-focused
I gave this my everything so its time to recoup it
Reaping the rewards of hard work and dedication
I swear
Making a promise or commitment
Writer(s): Sarubbi Geoffrey A
Contributed by Anthony D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lukemanning9126
11 years later still a tune
@dawsonyeager1483
100% I’ll never forget this one
@kimurapython121
Early youtube glitch guides... They shall be missed
@goodvibesforever_
Heard this back in 7thgrade 🤙🏿 :) thank u for da good memories!
@TheRownd
"The better days are yet to come." ~Hell yea cuey this is real shit.
@ozzycheck1
God,just can't get enough of this song
@biffinboy12
Forgot this for about 2 years :O Love it
@BenBest408
dope flow and sick singing at the chorus. OnCue is the shit
@artillus16
this song should really have more views it's a great song really.
@superstood4
Nice song i like it alot