Discography:
AKA the Rugged Child (1994)
The Lost Generation (1996)
Manchild (1999)
The Greatest Story Never Told (2004)
Disrespectfully Speaking (2009)
Am I My Brothers Keeper
Shyheim Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Intro: Method Man]
Eh yo, eh yo, eh yo
Yo, yo, yo
My son want his back, fuck that (my shine is beautiful)
It′s time right now, you know?
It's like we ain′t fuckin with no lame ass niggas no more
[Method Man]
Am I my brother's keeper?
Theres no need to ask, I'm the creeper
Million dollar man, Johnny Cash
Puff the reefer, sometimes mix it with the hash
Hard to keep up, 100 yards dash, beat your feet up
Jumpin Jack Flash on a muthafuckas ass
Caught ′em in the weed stash tryin to tap the bag
Now he suspect, read him his rights, it′s only right
I never, never, never in my long-legged life
Ever bite like shark niggas, got an appetite
For destruction, lusting for dough, it's disgusting
Disgraceful, end of disscusion, this tasteful
Like cyanide erase you, pull up, let me take two
Come all you faithful, Meth and Shyheim
Tommy Hilfiger, that I′m a Johnny 'field nigga
Till I die, S.I.N.Y. testify
Girlfriend sweating my game, killing my high
[Shyheim]
I′m a 100 proof, like Smirnoff blue label
I'm so wild, got housearrest bracelets on each ankle
I break you, something fatal and make New Jersey trade you
You don′t got game, so niggas don't playa-hate you
Come back to Brooklyn, the ya G's gone
Chase you up, batted in dun, dun
Nike won′t endorse you so you rock an And-1
I pull out the M-1 and hit you handsome
Cuz you forcin it, you can hang it up like an ornament
End your actin career, put you back in street tournaments
Run for your life, like you doing suicides
When even use your scrub ass, Live ′9-9
[Chorus x2: Shyheim]
Am I my brother's keeper?
There′s no need to ask
I ride for my brothers, give me the gun and the mask
We be in the bushes like The Down Low stash
Pop up like a warrant, let off on that ass
[Infamous Bluesteele]
Yo.
Y'all could catch the player Inf′ way beyond calm
Sharp and on bomb chron, rockin my Sean John
Copin the bomb chron from Sharon on the quan
Got me chinky-eyed like a Hong Kong don
Fire arm palm, cock back caution
Alarm for the chumps, boy what you think you gon' palm with my charms
Better pay attention to the harm in my palm and it′s fully-loaded
If I said it, could he hold it?
But once he seen the gun I said, "son, look he bolted"
Son, look he noted, the Berrettas'll shever, but he was clever
He stopped screwing and he blew in his vendettas
His crew was in to leathers, Avirex and guns
Some of them was smart but I could say the rest was dumb
So I played the vest for dumb and saved the checks for dumb
Cuz they hard-head niggas who graze and steadily come
To be leakin something, you could care for speakin
Frontin bout shit they stick, instead of zip they lip
They was young niggas, you know the young dumb niggas
Who don't care how they get it as it come, nigga
[Fades]
[Sample]
[Old school party music playing and fades]
Hey, hey...
Are you that little guy makin all that big noise?
[Sounds of mad ass dog and man screaming]
The lyrics to Shyheim’s song “Am I My Brother’s Keeper” are an exploration of loyalty and betrayals among friends who exist in a dog-eat-dog world. Method Man’s opening lines already set the tone for the rest of the song as he asks rhetorically, “Am I my brother's keeper?” He then proceeds to answer his own question by saying that he is the “creeper”- someone who watches over his people and stays vigilant in keeping them safe. Shyheim follows this up with lines that allude to his own prowess and street credibility, declaring himself a hundred proof like Smirnoff Blue. Bluesteele’s verse, on the other hand, takes an introspective turn as he probes the different facets of his personality and the motivations that drive him. He talks about his weariness of people who are young and dumb and don’t “care how they get it as it come, nigga”.
Overall, the song poses deep questions about loyalty and the nature of human relationships. It also showcases the skills of three veteran rappers who are at the top of their game. The song has a strong sense of urgency and restlessness that adds to the impression that these rappers truly live the street life that they rap about.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I my brother's keeper?
Do I have a responsibility to look out for and protect my fellow man?
Theres no need to ask, I'm the creeper
I am always watching and protecting my brothers, no questions asked.
Million dollar man, Johnny Cash
I am wealthy and powerful, like the famous musician Johnny Cash.
Puff the reefer, sometimes mix it with the hash
I smoke marijuana and sometimes mix it with hashish.
Hard to keep up, 100 yards dash, beat your feet up
I am very fast and always on the move.
Jumpin Jack Flash on a muthafuckas ass
I am attacking and taking down those who oppose me.
Caught 'em in the weed stash tryin to tap the bag
I caught someone trying to steal some of my marijuana.
Now he suspect, read him his rights, it's only right
I detained the suspect and informed him of his legal rights.
I never, never, never in my long-legged life
I have never done anything like this before.
Ever bite like shark niggas, got an appetite
I attack fiercely and have a great desire to succeed.
For destruction, lusting for dough, it's disgusting
I am only interested in destroying those who oppose me and acquiring money, which is a disgusting trait.
Disgraceful, end of disscusion, this tasteful
I am disgusted by those who try to argue with me, and their behavior is shameful.
Like cyanide erase you, pull up, let me take two
I will destroy you like poison and then take two more shots for the fun of it.
Come all you faithful, Meth and Shyheim
Those who are loyal to me can trust in my collaboration with Shyheim and Method Man.
Tommy Hilfiger, that I'm a Johnny 'field nigga
I wear expensive clothes like Tommy Hilfiger, but I am still just a poor African American.
Till I die, S.I.N.Y. testify
I will always represent and stay true to my hometown of Staten Island, and I will testify to my loyalty.
Girlfriend sweating my game, killing my high
My girlfriend is adding stress to my life and ruining my good mood.
I'm a 100 proof, like Smirnoff blue label
I am strong and authentic, like Smirnoff blue label.
I'm so wild, got housearrest bracelets on each ankle
I am so out of control that I am under house arrest and wear electronic monitoring bracelets on both ankles.
I break you, something fatal and make New Jersey trade you
I will inflict serious harm on you and force New Jersey to take you away from me.
You don't got game, so niggas don't playa-hate you
You are not skilled and well-respected, so other people don't hate on you for being successful.
Come back to Brooklyn, the ya G's gone
If you return to Brooklyn, the gangsters who once protected you will no longer be there.
Chase you up, batted in dun, dun
We will hunt you down and beat you with baseball bats.
Nike won't endorse you so you rock an And-1
You are not valuable enough to be endorsed by Nike, so you wear And-1 instead.
I pull out the M-1 and hit you handsome
I have a powerful gun and will shoot you dead with it.
Cuz you forcin' it, you can hang it up like an ornament
You are trying too hard and should just give up, like a decoration hung on a tree.
End your actin' career, put you back in street tournaments
I will make sure that you never succeed in the entertainment industry and must go back to competing in street tournaments instead.
Run for your life, like you doing suicides
You should flee for your life, as though you were doing a suicide drill in sports training.
When even use your scrub ass, Live '9-9
Even someone as untalented as you can be successful at this game, as evidenced by Live '99 video game.
I ride for my brothers, give me the gun and the mask
I will do whatever it takes to protect my fellow gang members, even if it means wearing a mask and being armed.
We be in the bushes like The Down Low stash
We will hide and sneak around, like a stash of secret drugs.
Pop up like a warrant, let off on that ass
We will confront you suddenly and violently, like a search warrant being served.
Y'all could catch the player Inf' way beyond calm
I am always chill and composed, even in the face of danger.
Sharp and on bomb chron, rockin' my Sean John
I am dressed nicely in expensive designer clothes by Sean John, and high on potent marijuana.
Copin' the bomb chron from Sharon on the quan
I am purchasing high-quality marijuana from someone named Sharon on the block.
Got me chinky-eyed like a Hong Kong don
My eyes are extremely slanted and narrow.
Fire arm palm, cock back caution
I am holding a firearm and being careful not to accidentally discharge it.
Alarm for the chumps, boy what you think you gon' palm with my charms
My quick and ruthless actions should put fear into the hearts of my opponents, and they should realize they cannot overpower me with charm alone.
Better pay attention to the harm in my palm and it's fully-loaded
You should be aware of the deadly weapon in my hand and avoid confronting me.
If I said it, could he hold it?
If I gave you a warning or instruction, would you be able to follow through with it?
But once he seen the gun I said, "son, look he bolted"
As soon as my opponent saw my weapon, he quickly ran away in fear.
Son, look he noted, the Berrettas'll shever, but he was clever
My opponent was afraid and realized that my Beretta would easily defeat him, but he was also smart to run away.
He stopped screwing and he blew in his vendettas
He stopped trying to hustle and scam people and retreated in defeat.
His crew was into leathers, Avirex and guns
His associates were into leather clothing, expensive Avirex jackets, and guns.
Some of them was smart but I could say the rest was dumb
Some of them were intelligent, but the others were not.
So I played the vest for dumb and saved the checks for dumb
I pretended to be ignorant around the unintelligent members of the group and saved my money for myself.
Cuz they hard-head niggas who graze and steadily come
They are stubborn and always return to their criminal behavior.
To be leakin' something, you could care for speakin'
They will soon be wounded and unable to talk.
Frontin' bout shit they stick, instead of zip they lip
They are bragging about crimes they have not actually committed and should keep quiet instead.
They was young niggas, you know the young dumb niggas
They were inexperienced and naive kids making foolish decisions.
Who don't care how they get it as it come, nigga
They will do whatever it takes to acquire money and will not hesitate to break the law.
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.