Playground Legend
Smoke DZA Lyrics


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[Chorus]
Uh, local superstars
Once was, but ain't get too far
Uh, wasn't humble enough to get in
Now you on the pine, playground legend
Uh, another playground legend
Uh, ain't get too far, playground legend
Even though he was a dumb nigga
He was pretty advanced for a young nigga
His older brothers, they was in the streets
Feedin' him stories, he used to run with 'em
Little snot-nosed kid thinkin' he too hard
But he got props for killin' rappers in the schoolyard
Lil big mouth nigga
That could rap his ass off, never thought he'd be a loser
Rap-wise he was corner heavy
Started runnin' around like he on already
Ghetto to ghetto he had a little fame
Feelin' himself, turnin' to Eddy Kane

[Chorus]

Might've been the nicest nigga to handle the rock
Cross over to the block, hand to handin' the rock
Straight awol from his hoop team
One day he just woke up from his hoop dream
He used to mac with the hunnies
Play ball in other blocks, kill cats for the money
Til one day he watched Bronce tail in and try to turn into Sunny
Went on some bullshit in the corner niggas looked at him funny
Caused some static with some local dealers
Started carryin' ratchet knowin' you not a killer
Could've went to the A got him a max deal
Now he ridin' aside, got him a max bid

[Chorus]





Uh, another playground legend
Uh, ain't get too far, playground legend

Overall Meaning

In Smoke DZA's song "Playground Legend," the chorus repeats the phrase "playground legend" referring to local superstars who had talent but didn't humble themselves enough to progress. The song tells the story of a young rapper who is surrounded by his older brothers who are involved in the streets. While he was a "little snot-nosed kid," he had advanced skills for his age and was praised for his ability to rap. Despite being able to "kill rappers in the schoolyard," he was never humble enough and had a big ego, which prevented him from blossoming into a successful artist. He was as far as he could go in his local community and remained a "playground legend" that didn't reach his full potential.


The lyrics reveal that the rapper had other interests outside of music, such as playing basketball and hustling. He was so skilled at basketball that he was referred to as "the nicest nigga to handle the rock," but after being awol from his hoop team for some time, he gave up on his hoop dreams. He then turned to hustling and started carrying a ratchet, despite knowing he wasn't a killer. Ultimately, he missed his chance to maximize his potential as a rapper and basketball player and ended up with only the status of a "playground legend."


Line by Line Meaning

Uh, local superstars
People who were famous in the local area


Once was, but ain't get too far
People who were once famous in the local area, but did not achieve success beyond that


Uh, wasn't humble enough to get in
These people were not humble enough to succeed in life


Now you on the pine, playground legend
These people are now sitting on the sidelines, no longer in the spotlight, but once known as legends in their local area


Uh, another playground legend
Another person who was once famous in the local area


Uh, ain't get too far, playground legend
This person did not achieve success beyond being a local legend


Even though he was a dumb nigga
Despite his lack of intelligence


He was pretty advanced for a young nigga
He was skilled at a young age


His older brothers, they was in the streets
His older brothers were involved in criminal activity


Feedin' him stories, he used to run with 'em
They told him stories and he followed their lead


Little snot-nosed kid thinkin' he too hard
He was a young, arrogant, and aggressive kid


But he got props for killin' rappers in the schoolyard
He gained recognition for his ability to freestyle and win rap battles


Lil big mouth nigga
He was a brash and talkative person


That could rap his ass off, never thought he'd be a loser
He was talented at rapping and never considered the possibility of failing


Rap-wise he was corner heavy
His rap skills were focused in one area


Started runnin' around like he on already
He began living like he was already famous


Ghetto to ghetto he had a little fame
He was famous in different neighborhoods


Feelin' himself, turnin' to Eddy Kane
He became extremely confident in himself and his abilities


[Chorus]


Might've been the nicest nigga to handle the rock
He was very skilled at playing basketball


Cross over to the block, hand to handin' the rock
He began selling drugs in addition to playing basketball


Straight awol from his hoop team
He left his basketball team without warning


One day he just woke up from his hoop dream
He realized that his basketball career was not going to take him anywhere


He used to mac with the hunnies
He had a lot of female attention


Play ball in other blocks, kill cats for the money
He played basketball in other neighborhoods and did violent work for money


Til one day he watched Bronce tail in and try to turn into Sunny
He witnessed a friend get involved in a dangerous situation


Went on some bullshit in the corner niggas looked at him funny
He caused trouble in the neighborhood and people began to distrust him


Caused some static with some local dealers
He got into a conflict with drug dealers in his area


Started carryin' ratchet knowin' you not a killer
He started carrying a gun even though he was not violent


Could've went to the A got him a max deal
He could have had a successful basketball career and made a lot of money


Now he ridin' aside, got him a max bid
He is now living on the outskirts of society and in trouble with the law


[Chorus]


Uh, another playground legend
Another person who was once famous in the local area


Uh, ain't get too far, playground legend
This person did not achieve success beyond being a local legend




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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