You Could Be As Good
Solomon Childs Lyrics
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Come on, uh-huh, New York City (come on)
Staten Island... the kid, S. Childs
My time... out with the old, in with the new
[Chorus 2X: Solomon Childs]
You could be as good as the best of them
Or as bad, as the worst
[Solomon Childs]
You niggaz puttin' in bullshit work
Destroy the herd, listen doggie
I ain't try'nna set your bird
I'm trynna you and your team dead on the curb
It's like you motherfuckers is trapped the timewarp
I never see Allah with them diamond nameplate belts
That's some real homo shit, you feminine bitch
No court affendits, or no court scandals
Like how he get from behind the walls
Or who he told law, you jealous motherfuckers
Now I understand the pain of Biggie Smalls
And how a nigga can pray and pray on your downfall
Fuck 'em all, I'm takin' mine
By any means necessary, however it gotta go down
Even dog against dog, even goon against goon
With defense, like Jodie Foster in the Panic Room
With the guns ignite, like fire that eats you
Custom and information center
Off guns, hoes and the crack house
You motherfuckers be talking the same shit
Same slave shit, uh-huh
So much to bill on, I hope the airwaves is clear
I ain't a murderer, but there's a few that got poked up north
And a few in the world in wheelchairs, get 'em
[Chorus 2X]
The lyrics to Solomon Childs's song "You Could Be As Good" convey a sense of power and self-assurance. The song opens up with the artist calling out his hometown of New York City and his neighborhood of Staten Island. He proclaims that it is his time and that the old is out and the new is in. The chorus repeats the phrase "You could be as good as the best of them or as bad as the worst" twice, signifying that anyone has the potential to be great or fall off. Childs warns those who try to test him, that they better move over.
The following verses are a message to those who are putting in "bullshit work". He speaks about being selective in choosing who he associates himself with and his distaste for "diamond nameplate belts" and those who wear them. Solomon then comments on the lack of ethics and morals within the music industry, calling out those who have gotten ahead by snitching or cheating. He references the pain of Biggie Smalls and how people can pray on someone's downfall. The artist makes it clear that he will take what is his, by any means necessary, and he is not afraid of going against anyone who gets in his way.
The overall message of the song is that people are responsible for their own success or failure, and they should not try to hinder the progress of others. The lyrics are a commentary on the cut-throat nature of the music industry and the mindset that it takes to succeed. The song is a testament to Solomon Childs's own self-assurance and belief in his abilities, and a message to others that they should have the same mentality if they want to make it.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on, uh-huh, New York City (come on)
Let's get this started in NYC
Staten Island... the kid, S. Childs
I'm representing Staten Island, it's me, S. Childs
My time... out with the old, in with the new
It's my time to shine and I'm not looking back
You could be as good as the best of them
You have the potential to be great
Or as bad, as the worst
Or you could do the complete opposite and fail
So don't test me, you better move over
Don't mess with me or I'll take over
You niggaz puttin' in bullshit work
You guys are not working hard enough
Destroy the herd, listen doggie
Get rid of the weak links, listen up
I ain't try'nna set your bird
I'm not trying to set you up, fool you
I'm trynna you and your team dead on the curb
I'm trying to take you and your crew out
It's like you motherfuckers is trapped the timewarp
You guys are stuck in the past
I never see Allah with them diamond nameplate belts
I never see true devotion to religion with those flashy diamond belts
That's some real homo shit, you feminine bitch
That's some real gay shit, you weak ass punk
No court affendits, or no court scandals
I don't have any legal troubles or controversies
Like how he get from behind the walls
Like how did he get out of prison/jail
Or who he told law, you jealous motherfuckers
Or who he snitched on, you envious assholes
Now I understand the pain of Biggie Smalls
Now I understand and feel the pain that Biggie Smalls experienced
And how a nigga can pray and pray on your downfall
And how someone can wish for your failure
Fuck 'em all, I'm takin' mine
Screw everyone, I'm getting what's mine
By any means necessary, however it gotta go down
I'll do whatever it takes to succeed
Even dog against dog, even goon against goon
Even if I have to fight against my own people
With defense, like Jodie Foster in the Panic Room
I'll defend myself like Jodie Foster in that movie
With the guns ignite, like fire that eats you
When I use my guns, it's like a fire that consumes everything
Custom and information center
I have access to specialized information
Off guns, hoes and the crack house
My life revolves around guns, prostitution and selling drugs
You motherfuckers be talking the same shit
You guys keep saying the same things
Same slave shit, uh-huh
You're still stuck in that slave mentality
So much to bill on, I hope the airwaves is clear
I have so much to say and I hope people are listening
I ain't a murderer, but there's a few that got poked up north
I'm not a killer, but some people up north have been hurt or killed because of me
And a few in the world in wheelchairs, get 'em
And a few other people are now paralyzed because of me, I got them
You could be as good as the best of them
You have the potential to be great
Or as bad, as the worst
Or you could do the complete opposite and fail
So don't test me, you better move over
Don't mess with me or I'll take over
[Chorus 2X]
You have the potential to be great or to fail, don't mess with me or I'll take over
Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.