Born on February 3, 1990, Sean Kingston spent his early youth in the Half Way Tree section of his parents' hometown of Kingston, Jamaica – hence his name, before moving to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at age six. By 1996, Sean's love of music led him to a prodigious performance of Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", forever changing his path. "My mom heard me, and she started bringing me around to family members. Then, I graduated from singing, and started picking up rapping from listening to Ice Cube and Slick Rick." The gangster raps of Cube and the storytelling of Rick the Ruler had a profound effect on the boy, who also was exposed to heavy doses of Buju Banton, Dennis Brown, and Rakim from his young parents. Not only did their music affect Sean, but so did their traits. "I feel like I'm my father, 'cause I got a hustler's mentality; if I want something, I'm gonna get it. I'm like my mom, because we're picky about what we do, but we're always gonna make the right choice," says the 19-year-old today.
By his early teens, Sean Kingston was performing his raps throughout South Florida. "I did talent shows and showcases, but I never really battled," he says of his effort to get discovered. With Ft. Lauderdale twenty miles north of Miami, Sean has already shared stages with Trina, Pitbull, Ludacris, Pretty Ricky, and Trick Daddy. Like Trick, Sean has definitely felt the allure of street life. Beginning with a breaking-and-entering charge at age 11, Sean has seen his share of trouble. As the youngest of three supportive siblings, this let down the boy's mother, presently incarcerated herself for identity fraud. "I've been through a lot. I did 21 days in jail, been to boot camp, got sent to Jamaica, slept in cars with my family; I had a rough life," says an appreciative Sean today.
Around 2004, Sean began incorporating elements of his Reggae heritage with his rapping abilities. The gifts have allowed Sean's music to have a unique blend of street raps with Caribbean flare and catchy, homegrown hooks. This one-of-a-kind presence eventually led Sean Kingston's music to the ears of chart-topping producer Jonathan "J.R." Rotem (The Game, Rick Ross, Britney Spears, 50 Cent, Rihanna, Dr. Dre, etc.), who quickly saw potential in the teenage rapper. "He sent me two of his early tracks, and I recorded them, and sent them back in two days," says Kingston. Soon after J.R. and Zach Katz signed the artist to their Beluga Heights record label – and subsequently Cinematic Music Group for Management, a three-way bidding war between Warner Brothers, Atlantic, and Epic/Sony developed.
In addition to having J.R. producing the majority of the album, producers Cool & Dre, DJ Khaled, Just Blaze and others are expected to contribute tracks. In terms of guests, Sean looks forward to appearances by Akon, Rick Ross, Baby Cham and Damian Marley.
As hip-hop moves away from the limited expectations of "kiddie rappers," Sean thinks today's young listeners deserve more, "When people hear my music, I want them to be inspired. Whether a White kid or a Black kid, I want them to know, 'Damn, imagine me being in his predicament.' I want to send messages, and I rep for the streets as a real ass n$#%@. It's all about being true." As most 16-year-olds are concerned with getting a job, Sean Kingston is sitting in the driver's seat of hip-hop's future, and like late great Biggie Smalls, he's got a story to tell.
Drummer Boy
Sean Kingston Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can hear 'em say
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm
All my soldiers say
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm
If you wit me go
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Can we make it to de top and den the world will see we shine woah shine woah
And then the world we see will look at you jump on that grind woah, grind woah
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm
I can hear 'em say
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm
All my soldiers say
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm
If you wit me go
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
Say it
I'm marching with the army of kids
All my soldiers in the streets raise your arms like this
Miss America we are, we here for the crown
If you not digging the movement, kick ground
I do one for the teams who crowding in each town
And I'mma hold it down, they do it for me now
The beat, it's a drummer boy, hot like the summer boy
In the streets I ain't eat for weeks, I got hunger boy
I can feel it in my pain hear it in my voice
I'm the leader of the ghetto youse girls and boys
Kingston, Jamaica yeah they know my back
Where my jack
Right, yeah we move like that
Can we make it to de top and den the world will see we shine woah shine woah
And then the world we see will look at you jump on that grind woah, grind woah
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
I can hear 'em say
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
All my soldiers say
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
If you wit me go
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Sing
Then the world if we make it they wanna bring us down
But we here if we take it, yeah it's ours now!
Ochiree is on pay
Put my killers on play
Kingston, the last name and that's what yo boys say
Yeah, we kickin' doors down, who want what?
Yeah, we ready fo war now, we scrapped up!
World boys shot us like pigs in fences
This ain't a movie and I ain't pretendin'
Try to tell 'em but they can't comprehend it
No more bahm bahm bahm bahm
Yeah, it's all authentic!
March wit me let me show you the passage
At the end of the tunnel where the lights is flashin' Hey!
Can we make it to de top and den the world will see we shine woah shine woah
And then the world we see will look at you jump on that grind woah, grind woah
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
I can hear 'em say
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
All my soldiers say
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
If you wit me go
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Get up and
Stand up and
Fight for yo rights!
Make the most so
Them can't take the light
Get up and
Stand up and
Fight for yo rights!
Two soldiers are my chore tonight
Get up and
Stand up and
Fight for yo rights!
Make the most so
Them can't take the light
Get up and
Stand up and
Fight for yo rights!
Two soldiers are my chore tonight
Can we make it to de top and den the world will see we shine woah shine woah
And then the world we see will look at you jump on that grind woah, grind woah
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
I can hear 'em say
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
All my soldiers say
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm
If you wit me go
Bahm bahm bahm bahm bahm (Yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Sing
The lyrics of Sean Kingston's song Drummer Boy seem to be about perseverance, determination, and fighting for one's dreams. The chorus repeats the phrase "bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm" which can be interpreted as the sound of drums, emphasizing the idea of marching forward towards one's goals with a sense of urgency and purpose. The lyrics encourage listeners to join the movement and become "soldiers" for the cause, which can be interpreted as working hard and sacrificing in pursuit of success. The verse "I'm the leader of the ghetto youse girls and boys" implies that the song is written for those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and are determined to overcome their circumstances to achieve success.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of facing obstacles and adversity. The line "World boys shot us like pigs in fences" can be interpreted as a reference to the violence and persecution that marginalized communities face, but the song encourages listeners to continue fighting and not give up. The final verse brings in the idea of standing up and fighting for one's rights, which can be interpreted as a call to political action or social justice movements.
Overall, the lyrics of Drummer Boy are inspiring and motivational, encouraging listeners to take action, persevere, and fight for their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm, bahm
The sound of drums drumming in the background
I can hear 'em say
The singer can hear the drums and the people saying something
All my soldiers say
The people around the singer are his soldiers
If you wit me go
If you are with the singer, then you can follow him
Can we make it to de top and den the world will see we shine woah shine woah
The singer wants to make it to the top so that the world can see his greatness
And then the world we see will look at you jump on that grind woah, grind woah
The world will look at the singer and realize the hard work he has put in
I'm marching with the army of kids
The singer is leading a group of young people in their mission
All my soldiers in the streets raise your arms like this
The soldiers of the singer are raising their arms in the street
Miss America we are, we here for the crown
The singer's group sees themselves as the best and they are fighting to be the winners
If you not digging the movement, kick ground
If you don't want to be a part of the singer's movement, then leave
I do one for the teams who crowding in each town
The singer is making music for the teams who are working hard in their respective towns
And I'mma hold it down, they do it for me now
The people in the singer's town are now doing things to support him
The beat, it's a drummer boy, hot like the summer boy
The music is like a drummer boy in its rhythm and intensity
In the streets I ain't eat for weeks, I got hunger boy
The singer has been working hard and hasn't had time to eat
I can feel it in my pain hear it in my voice
The singer's emotions are coming through in his music
I'm the leader of the ghetto youse girls and boys
The singer is the leader of the people in his community
Kingston, Jamaica yeah they know my back
The people in the singer's community know he has their back
Where my jack
The singer is wondering where his people are
Right, yeah we move like that
The singer's people move in a certain way
Then the world if we make it they wanna bring us down
If the singer's group becomes successful, people will want to bring them down
But we here if we take it, yeah it's ours now!
The singer and his group will succeed, and they will take ownership of their success
Ochiree is on pay
The singer's friend Ochiree is taking care of things financially
Put my killers on play
The singer's friends who are good at what they do are getting ready to do their part
Kingston, the last name and that's what yo boys say
The singer and his crew are known in Kingston
Yeah, we kickin' doors down, who want what?
The singer is ready to enter any door that will get him closer to his goal
Yeah, we ready fo war now, we scrapped up!
The singer and his crew are ready for anything that comes their way
World boys shot us like pigs in fences
The world has tried to shoot the singer and his team down like animals in a pen
This ain't a movie and I ain't pretendin'
The singer is being serious and not pretending
Try to tell 'em but they can't comprehend it
The singer has tried to explain to people, but they don't understand
No more bahm bahm bahm bahm
There won't be any more drums in the background
Yeah, it's all authentic!
The singer's music and story are authentic
Get up and Stand up and Fight for yo rights!
The singer commands his listeners to stand up and fight for their rights
Make the most so Them can't take the light
Use your time wisely so that others can't take away your success
Two soldiers are my chore tonight
The singer has two people helping him tonight
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KISEAN ANDERSON, JONATHAN ROTEM, SEAN POMPEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind