Anthony Forte was born March 2, 1968 and grew up in San Francisco's Fillmore District. He has a twin sister. He has a son as well as three daughters.
Right after high school, 4-Tay made his debut on the Too Short album Life Is...Too Short. He was later convicted on drug charges and served ten months in prison. Upon his release from prison he released his debut album Rappin' 4-Tay Is Back in 1991, and followed up in 1994 with Don't Fight the Feelin', which included the hits "Playaz Club" (which sampled the song "Private Number" by William Bell and Judy Clay and hit number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100), the "Dank Season" featuring Seff Tha Gaffla, and "I'll Be Around" (which hit number 39 on the US Hot 100, number 59 in Australia, and number one in New Zealand).
In 1995, two Rappin' 4-Tay songs—"Problems" and "A Message for Your Mind"—were featured on the Dangerous Minds soundtrack. "A Message For Your Mind" sampled "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5.
Rappin' 4-Tay's mainstream success has been scarce since then, but he was featured on 2Pac's All Eyez on Me album on the track "Only God Can Judge Me" in 1996 and Master P's West Coast Bad Boyz II compilation in 1997. 4-Tay was also an original member of Bay Area supergroup T.W.D.Y. in 1999.
In 2003 Rappin' 4-Tay released the album Gangsta Gumbo with the single "Burning, Burning", followed up by the album That's What You Thought in 2007. In 2010 He was featured on R&B Artist E. Broussard's song titled Big Game Droppin'.
He was featured on the song "My Alphabets" on fellow Bay Area rap veteran Mac Dre's 2004 album The Genie of the Lamp. Dec 06 2011 Rappin' 4-Tay, E-40 and Playalitical collaborated on a song entitled "Bounce It Like a Bad Check" which was featured on the Political Playboy Music album released by Playalitical. In 2012 Rappin' 4-Tay collaborated on the song "Picture a Nigga" with Lil' Gang$ta, as well as helping with his debut album.
In 2013, he headlined the main stage of Seattle Hempfest with artists Ditch, Tony Tag, Brian Meyers and more.
In May 2014, he appeared with E Bone415 in a music video about Alcatraz Island.
I Paid My Dues
Rappin' 4-Tay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rappin 4-tay, Rag Top records, nineteen-ninety-six
West up, let's do this
Yeah Four, you done finally got that parole-CALL
Yeah man, that was long comeing trying get that, man
I understand that Four, but a lot of people don't know
what you've done been through bro'
I've been from hell and back, you know Frank
But what's gon' have to do
is lay it down and lace it up like a shoestring
Ok, like this here...
[Rappin' 4-Tay]
Allow me to take you back down memory lane
When a player was so young in this rap game
Yeah, if you had a fight you best to knock a sucker out
Because moms wouldn't about to let you in the house
Yeah, we had to throw em' in the days
Didn't have glock, never seen a twelve gauge
Wasn't no banging n' gang affiliated deaths
Brother had to go to school in the days to get a rep
Always wanted to bust a gang of these raps
And be the first player to put Frisco on the map
So add this to the list of them hits that be knockin for the new year
I'ma vet in this rappin industry, you wet behind the ear
Shit, I even caught the San Quinton blues
Used to rock that motherfucker every night, I paid my dues
Chorus:
I talked the talk, but now I'm walking the walk
What up, fool! Huh yeah! Yeah! What,what!
[Rappin' 4-Tay]
I'm from the west but I don't ride the saddle
Used to do a lot of battle,
but you money are make your trunk rattle
Ever since the solar system, boys clubbing house parties
Rap contests at Booker T'S, man it was everybody
snatching it taking it swoop on stuff all the way home
Once me and O' hit the jets, man we was gone
Up the stairs to the vacabt house, that's we're we prctice at
We didn't have a studio so man we had to work with that
No reel to reels, no mic, just the radio
Paper and oen and I was in, the heart of the ghetto
Trying to pursue my dream, trying to make things right
I posted up at other people's shows begging to get the mic
I was kicking down doors, posted up, like the 49ers
All I wanted to do was bust a rap before the headliners
They pushed me to the left, I said alright, that's cool
Now you call my booking agent, everyday, I paid my dues
Chorus:
I talked the talk, but now I'm walking the walk
What up, fool! Huh yeah! Yeah! What,what!
[Rappin' 4-Tay]
The difference is you're talking about the game you see I'm living in
And all my folks R.I.P, I'LL see you in a minute
Before I cut I gots to shock it cause I'm still pissed
For my mistakes, court dates and the time I missed
A lot of deputies in correctional facilities
I kept they ass up all night, but now they feelin me
From bangin on the walls and bustin raps off the top ten
Bet you never though I be the entertainer of the year
But why not, cause I've got, what it takes to represent
Crowd could be a hundred thousand, I'm never hesitant
Just ask Franky J. to drop me an old school beat
Them funky instrumentals kept me of the streets
They kept me motivated, I was always underrated
I bet my real folks wasn't surprised when I made it
Plus I gave them digits back to the parole board
So now I'm cool, I'd been paid my dues
Chorus:
I talked the talk, but now I'm walking the walk
What up, fool! Huh yeah! Yeah! What,what!
The lyrics of “I Paid My Dues” by Rappin' 4-Tay reflect the artist's reflections on his long journey in the rap game. The song begins with a conversation between Rappin 4-Tay and someone congratulating him on his parole. The rapper then takes his listeners down memory lane to express the struggle he had to go through to turn his dream of being the “first player to put Frisco on the map” into reality. The rapper says he went “from hell and back” and raps about the challenges that he had to overcome, including the absence of a studio, equipment, and a supportive environment.
He also talks about how he had to kick down doors, beg for a chance to perform his rap before headliners, and how some people pushed him to the left. But despite all these obstacles, Rappin' 4-Tay never lost his passion for his craft. He keeps managing to overcome these limitations and pushes past his perceived boundaries, establishing himself as a veteran in a rap industry that many considered flooded with new talent.
Line by Line Meaning
Testing one, two, three, four
Let's get started with this song
Yeah Four, you done finally got that parole-CALL
Congratulations, you finally got out of jail on parole
I understand that Four, but a lot of people don't know
what you've done been through bro'
I know you've been through a lot, but many people aren't aware of your struggles
Man, a brother done been in this rap game for ten years, man
I've been from hell and back, you know Frank
I've been rapping for ten years and have been through a lot of hardship, as you know Frank
But what's gon' have to do
is lay it down and lace it up like a shoestring
Ok, like this here...
Let's get to it and start rapping, like tying a shoestring
Allow me to take you back down memory lane
When a player was so young in this rap game
Let me take you back in time to when I was a young rapper
Yeah, if you had a fight you best to knock a sucker out
Because moms wouldn't about to let you in the house
Back then, if you got into a fight, you had to win because your mother wouldn't allow you in the house if you lost
Wasn't no banging n' gang affiliated deaths
Brother had to go to school in the days to get a rep
During those times, there were no gang-related deaths but instead, people had to gain respect at school
Shit, I even caught the San Quinton blues
Used to rock that motherfucker every night, I paid my dues
I even went to prison and played music every night there; I've paid my dues
I'm from the west but I don't ride the saddle
Used to do a lot of battle,
but you money are make your trunk rattle
I'm from the west, but I don't ride horses. I used to do rap battles, but nowadays, I make music that makes your car speakers rattle
Rap contests at Booker T'S, man it was everybody
snatching it taking it swoop on stuff all the way home
There were rap contests at Booker T'S, and everybody wanted to win the prize and show off their skills
No reel to reels, no mic, just the radio
Paper and pen and I was in, the heart of the ghetto
I didn't have any fancy equipment, just the radio and a pen and paper to write my raps in the middle of the ghetto
All I wanted to do was bust a rap before the headliners
They pushed me to the left, I said alright, that's cool
Now you call my booking agent, everyday, I paid my dues
All I wanted was to perform my rap before the main act, but they put me on the lesser stage. Now I have a booking agent and people call every day to book me for shows
The difference is you're talking about the game you see I'm living in
And all my folks R.I.P, I'LL see you in a minute
You are discussing the rap game, but I'm actually living in it. Also, many of my family members have passed away, and I'll see them again soon
From bangin on the walls and bustin raps off the top ten
Bet you never though I be the entertainer of the year
I used to bang on walls and freestyle rap, who would've thought I'd win entertainer of the year?
Just ask Franky J. to drop me an old school beat
Them funky instrumentals kept me of the streets
I asked Franky J. to provide me with a classic beat, which kept me motivated and inspired to rap rather than getting into trouble on the streets
Plus I gave them digits back to the parole board
So now I'm cool, I'd been paid my dues
I informed my parole officer of my phone number, so now I'm good and have paid my dues
Chorus:
I talked the talk, but now I'm walking the walk
What up, fool! Huh yeah! Yeah! What,what!
I used to talk about being a successful rapper, but now I'm actually making it happen
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AL EATON, ANTHONY FORTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind