Recording as Akshen, he began his career recording solo for Rap-A-Lot Records, a local label in Houston, Texas. In the late 1980s, he joined the Geto Boys as they were forming and released We Can't Be Stopped, a highly successful LP that garnered the Geto Boys a large fanbase, in spite of their ultra-violent lyrics keeping them far from radio and MTV. Akshen changed his name to Scarface (he even changed his flow from a rapid-fire Kool G Rap-like delivery to normal flow, this time with a darker tone), after the film Scarface, saying he felt that the main character of the movie was just like him in many ways. Scarface soon released his debut solo album, Mr. Scarface Is Back. The album was a success, and Scarface's popularity soon overshadowed the other Geto Boys.
Scarface left the group and released a series of solo albums that kept him in the public view in spite of decreasing sales. He turned this around with 2000's Last of a Dying Breed, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and sales, and earned him Lyricist of the Year at the Source Awards. In 2002 he released The Fix, the critically acclaimed follow up to Last of a Dying Breed. In 2007 he released Made which overall recieved very positive reviews.
Discography
1991 - Mr. Scarface Is Back (Rap-A-Lot)
1993 - The World Is Yours (Rap-A-Lot/Priority)
1994 - The Diary (Rap-A-Lot/Noo Trybe)
1997 - The Untouchable (Rap-A-Lot/Virgin)
1998 - My Homies (Rap-A-Lot/Virgin)
2000 - The Last Of A Dying Breed (Rap-A-Lot/Virgin)
2002 - The Fix (Def Jam South)
2003 - Balls And My Word (Rap-A-Lot)
2006 - The Product: One Hunid (Koch)
2006 - My Homies Pt. 2 (Rap-A-Lot Records)
2007 - Made
2008 - Emeritus
Smile
Scarface Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's gon' make it hard to smile in the future
But through whatever you see
Through all the rain and the pain
You gotta keep your sense of humor
You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit
Remember that
(Mmh)
Mh, keep ya head up, yeah
Yeah (mmh)
Our lifestyles be close-captioned, addicted to fatal attractions
Pictures of actions be played back in the midst of mashin'
No fairy tales for this young black male
Some see me stranded in this land of hell, jail, and crack sales
Hustlers hardly think of culture
Or the repercussions while bustin' on backstabbin' vultures
Sellin' my soul for material wishes, fast cars, and bitches
Wishin' I live my life a legend, immortalized in pictures
Why shed tears? Save your sympathy
My childhood years were spent buryin' my peers in the cemetery
Here's a message to the newborns waitin' to breathe
If you believe, then you can achieve, just look at me
Against all odds, though life is hard we carry on
Livin' in the projects, broke with no lights on
To all the seeds that follow me, protect your essence
Born with less, but you still precious, just smile for me now
Smile for me, won't you smile? (Smile for me now)
Won't you just smile? For me? (Smile)
For me? (What you lookin' all sad for?)
(Nigga, you black, smile for me now) please smile for me
Smile for me (you ain't got nothin' to be worried about)
Could you smile? (No doubt, smile for me now)
Could you just smile? For me? (And the next generation)
Now, as I open up my story, with the blaze of your blunts
And you can picture thoughts slowly, up on phrases I wrote
And I can walk you through the days that I done
I often wish that I could save everyone, but I'm a dreamer
Have you ever seen a nigga who was strong in the game?
Overlookin' his tomorrows, and they finally came
Look back on childhood memories, and I'm still feelin' the pain
Turnin' circles in my nineth grade, dealin' cocaine
Too many hassles in my local life, survivin' the strain
And a man without a focus, life could drive him insane
Stuck inside a ghetto fantasy hopin' it change
But when I focus on reality we broke and in chains
Had a dream of livin' wealthy and makin' it big
Over football chose to cook raw, wouldn't take but I did
And after all my momma's thankin' God for blessin' the child
All my momma gots to do now is collect it and smile, smile
Smile for me, would you smile?
Would you just smile? Come on, (for me?) For me?
Fuck the world, as we elope and witness furious speeds
Unanswered questions keep us all stressin', curious G's
Backstabbed and bleedin'
Crooked thoughts laced with weed, learnin'
Duckin' stray shots, bullets be hot, they burnin'
Inhalin' sherm smoke, visualize the flames
Will I be smothered by my own pain?
Strange whispers, cowards conversate, so quick to diss us
Takin' pictures for the feds in desperate hopes they'd get us
Hit us off, give us plenty centuries
Forgive my sins, since I entered many penitentiaries
The best revenge is, "Fuck friends!", We military minded soldiers
Bustin' shots blindly, tryin' to find Jehovah
To help me, somebody save me, lost and crazy
Scared to drop a seed hopin' I ain't cursed my babies
Maybe now niggas feel me now, picture my pain
Embrace my words, make the world change
And still I smile, nigga
And now a moment of silence
Let us pray
And as you journey into outer space (smile for me)
May the angels help to lead the way (smile for me)
May the prayers that our families made (would you just smile?)
Shine up on your soul to keep you safe (for me?)
And all the homies that have passed away (smile for me)
They there to greet you as you pass the gates
And as you head to the tunnel's light (could you just smile?)
I hope it leads to eternal life (for me?)
We say the prayers for our homie 'Pac (smile for me)
Would you just smile? For me?
(Woah, smile for me) smile (smile for me)
Could you just smile? For me?
(La la, woah)
(Woo, oh smile for me, smile for me)
All you gotta do, all you need to do is smile for me
Woah-oh, smile for me
Come on, smile for me
In Scarface's song "Smile," the rapper reflects on the struggles he has faced in life as a young black man growing up in the projects, dealing with poverty, violence, and drug addiction. Through these experiences, he has learned the importance of keeping a sense of humor and smiling through it all. Scarface describes his childhood spent burying his peers in the cemetery, the dream of living wealthy and making it big, and the struggles that kept him broke and in chains. However, he continues to encourage the next generation to keep striving and protecting their essence, to believe in themselves and achieve greatness.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the importance of smiling in the face of adversity, encouraging listeners to keep their spirits high despite the hardships they face. Scarface speaks from his own experience of finding strength through humor and resiliency in the face of tough situations. He recognizes that life is hard but reminds us all that we can carry on and succeed, even in the midst of the projects, broke with no lights on.
The lyrics of "Smile" serve as a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, and the empowering message has resonated with audiences since its release in 1997. The song was a commercial success and became one of Scarface's most popular anthems, known for its inspiring lyrics and powerful message of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
There's gon' be some stuff you gon' see
You're going to have to face some hardships in life
That's gon' make it hard to smile in the future
These hardships may make it difficult to remain optimistic and happy
But through whatever you see
No matter what happens
Through all the rain and the pain
Even during the toughest times
You gotta keep your sense of humor
Maintaining a sense of humor can help you cope with adversity
You gotta be able to smile through all this bullshit
Smiling, even when things are tough, can help you stay positive and strong
Remember that
Don't forget the importance of staying upbeat, no matter what happens
Our lifestyles be close-captioned, addicted to fatal attractions
We often focus on the wrong things, despite their negative effects on our lives
Pictures of actions be played back in the midst of mashin'
We often reminisce about the negative things we've done
No fairy tales for this young black male
Life isn't always easy or fair, especially for black men
Some see me stranded in this land of hell, jail, and crack sales
Many people view me as being stuck in a rough, unforgiving world filled with crime and drugs
Hustlers hardly think of culture
People who hustle and make money often don't appreciate or value culture
Or the repercussions while bustin' on backstabbin' vultures
They don't consider the consequences of their actions, especially when dealing with deceitful people
Sellin' my soul for material wishes, fast cars, and bitches
In pursuit of material wealth and pleasure, I've sacrificed my morals and values
Wishin' I live my life a legend, immortalized in pictures
I wish to be remembered for my accomplishments and success
Why shed tears? Save your sympathy
Don't feel sorry for me, as tears won't change anything
My childhood years were spent buryin' my peers in the cemetery
I've experienced a lot of loss and death, especially during my youth
Here's a message to the newborns waitin' to breathe
I have advice for those just starting out in life
If you believe, then you can achieve, just look at me
With belief and determination, anything is possible, as I am an example of this
Against all odds, though life is hard we carry on
Despite the challenges and difficulties we face, we keep moving forward
Livin' in the projects, broke with no lights on
We may live in poverty and struggle financially
To all the seeds that follow me, protect your essence
I urge those who come after me to preserve their true selves
Born with less, but you still precious, just smile for me now
Even if you start out disadvantaged, you still have value and worth, so don't forget to smile
Could you smile? (No doubt, smile for me now)
I'm asking you to smile for me, without a doubt
Now, as I open up my story, with the blaze of your blunts
I share my life story with the help of marijuana
And you can picture thoughts slowly, up on phrases I wrote
My lyrics allow you to visualize and understand my life experiences
And I can walk you through the days that I done
I can describe and explain the things I've been through
I often wish that I could save everyone, but I'm a dreamer
Although I want to help others, I realize that it's impossible to save everyone
Have you ever seen a nigga who was strong in the game?
Have you seen someone who excels in life despite the odds stacked against them?
Overlookin' his tomorrows, and they finally came
Failing to plan for the future can catch up to you eventually
Look back on childhood memories, and I'm still feelin' the pain
Past traumas and hurt can still affect us, even as adults
Turnin' circles in my nineth grade, dealin' cocaine
I was selling drugs as a teenager
Too many hassles in my local life, survivin' the strain
My day-to-day life was stressful and difficult, as I struggled to survive
And a man without a focus, life could drive him insane
Without a clear goal or focus in life, it's easy to feel lost and overwhelmed
Stuck inside a ghetto fantasy hopin' it change
I was hoping that circumstances would improve, despite my tough surroundings
But when I focus on reality we broke and in chains
The reality is that we were both poor and oppressed
Had a dream of livin' wealthy and makin' it big
I wanted to become rich and successful
Over football chose to cook raw, wouldn't take but I did
I chose drug dealing over football, although it wasn't the best decision
And after all my momma's thankin' God for blessin' the child
Despite my mistakes, my mother is grateful for me and my success
All my momma gots to do now is collect it and smile, smile
Now my mother only needs to enjoy the fruits of my labor and be happy
Fuck the world, as we elope and witness furious speeds
We rebel against society and experience danger and excitement
Unanswered questions keep us all stressin', curious G's
We're often left with questions and confusion, causing us stress and curiosity
Backstabbed and bleedin'
We're betrayed by people we thought were close to us and hurt as a result
Crooked thoughts laced with weed, learnin'
Our thoughts are distorted due to drug use, and we learn harsh lessons
Duckin' stray shots, bullets be hot, they burnin'
We're running from gunfire, which is dangerous and painful
Forgive my sins, since I entered many penitentiaries
I'm asking for forgiveness for my past mistakes and criminal activity
The best revenge is, "Fuck friends!", We military-minded soldiers
We believe that revenge against friends who betray us is best achieved by becoming tough, militant soldiers
Bustin' shots blindly, tryin' to find Jehovah
We're shooting aimlessly, hoping to find a higher power to help us
To help me, somebody save me, lost and crazy
I'm asking for someone to help me find my way, as I feel lost and insane
Scared to drop a seed hopin' I ain't cursed my babies
I'm afraid to have children, as I worry that I will pass on my curses and problems to them
Maybe now niggas feel me now, picture my pain
Perhaps others can finally understand my struggles and empathize with me
Embrace my words, make the world change
I hope that people will listen to my message and use it to create positive change
And now a moment of silence Let us pray
We take a moment to reflect and give thanks
And as you journey into outer space (smile for me)
I wish you the best as you move on to the next phase of your existence
May the angels help to lead the way (smile for me)
I hope that angels guide and protect you on your journey
May the prayers that our families made (would you just smile?)
I hope that the prayers of your loved ones reach you and keep you safe
Shine up on your soul to keep you safe (for me?)
May light shine upon your soul and keep you protected
And all the homies that have passed away (smile for me)
I hope that you're greeted by your friends who have passed away and that they make you smile
They there to greet you as you pass the gates
Your friends will welcome you as you enter the afterlife
And as you head to the tunnel's light (could you just smile?)
As you move toward the light at the end of the tunnel, I hope you smile
I hope it leads to eternal life (for me?)
I pray that the light leads to eternal life, for you and for me
We say the prayers for our homie 'Pac (smile for me)
We say a prayer for Tupac, our friend who has passed away
Would you just smile? For me?
I want you to smile, as a way of saying goodbye
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Brad Jordan, James Samuel Harris III, Mike Dean, Terry Lewis, Tupac Amaru Shakur
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind