As of October 2008, T.I. has had nine Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, with 3 of them reaching number 1 ("My Love" by Justin Timberlake on which T.I. was featured, "Whatever You Like," & "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna).
The Love This Life Songfacts reports that Love This Life, the first official single from T.I.'s eighth album, Trouble Man, was released on April 2, 2012 via YouTube.
T.I. is from Bankhead, Atlanta, Georgia and was raised by his grandparents. T.I. explained the origin of his nickname Rubber Band Man, saying, "We used to wear rubber bands to signify how much money, how much blow we had." He was nicknamed "Tip" after his paternal great-grandfather. Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip.
T.I. has been in a relationship with former Xscape member Tameka "Tiny" Cottle since 2001. Together, they have two sons: King and Major Harris. He has three other children with ex-girlfriend Lashon Dixon: Domani, Messiah and Deyjah. Overall, T.I. has five children.
T.I. was co-executive producer of B.G.'s upcoming album and making beats for artists like Mariah Carey, Cassidy, Rick Ross, Maino, B.o.B., Yung Joc, Young Dro, and himself. He also executive produced the soundtrack to the film Hustle & Flow and released the collection through his record label.
05-Doin' My Job
T.I. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Try to put yourself in my shoes for a second
Its not personal I'm just saying though
Hey look
From when the moon came out 'till the sun came up
I was supplying the days when where they flame up
Our mamas passing, by trying to explain us
But, try to understand that's how we came up
You get to know us, you'll love us but you can't change us (naw)
Really we rather be rich and famous
But in the mean time were forced to slang dust
'Dro or crack cocaine, Penicillin to Rogaine
Ecstacy, Viagra, whatever'll get the dough man
I'm tired of people mis-representing my dough man
Oh you think we out here killing for nothing, hustling
For no gain (picture that)
Hey man I'm just doing my job
Hey lady, don't mind me I'm just doing my job
I don't want to make your life more harder, I'm just doin my job
You live here, I work here I'm doing my job
I don't know if you don't know, don't care or can't see
Every time something up in the hood, it ain't me
And I ain't always up to no good and know the crease
And we ain't always gotta pass through the hood without speaking (how you doing)
We ain't out here threatening your lives, raping your children
We just out here staying alive, making a million (you know)
Working hard, trying to survive chasing a mill-ion
You hear us talking loud, just think of this is chameleon
React to the situations, but accusations is still
We vulgarizing you how, hey man you just hurting my feelings (man).
We got lives, we want to live nice too
We got moms, dads, wives, kids just like you
But our options are few it hell in high school
When your helping with the rent lights and the gas bill too
So before you go judging us loving us won't hurt
Yeah under 25, staying alive is hard work
Hey man I'm just doing my job
Hey lady, don't mind me I'm just doing my job
I don't want to make your life more harder, I'm just doin my job
You live here, I work here I'm doing my job
And for you to see what I'm saying, open eyes will help
If you could think about somebody besides yourself
Why you pointing fingers at me, analyze yourself
Quit all that chastising and try to provide some help
Instead of calling the law, you busting my balls
With all due respect, we don't even need to be fucking with y'all (man)
And we can't help it cause it is like this
We don't like it no more than you that we live like this
Always stuck in the grind summertime to wintertime
Cutting school to sell fifty dimes by dinner time
See everything we know we learned from the streets
Since thirteen I've been hustling and earning my keep
Hey man I'm just doing my job
Hey lady, don't mind me I'm just doing my job
I don't want to make your life more harder, I'm just doin my job
You live here, I work here I'm doing my job
The song "Doin' My Job" by T.I. is a self-reflective track where he explains the realities of growing up in the hood and why many people resort to selling drugs. The lyrics highlight the struggle to earn a living and provide for themselves and their families, even if it means engaging in illegal activities. T.I. emphasizes that it's not always a choice, and the judgment and stereotyping from outsiders are hurtful and unhelpful. He uses the phrase "just doing my job" to combat the negative connotation that comes with being a drug dealer, as if it's just like any other job.
Throughout the song, T.I. emphasizes the need for understanding and empathy from those outside of the inner city communities. He argues that people living in poverty have few options and will do whatever it takes to survive. He also acknowledges the dangers and morality issues that come with drug dealing but important to acknowledge that people living in any communities with no access to resources and education have limited options.
To conclude, "Doin' My Job" is not just another song about drug dealing. It's a heartfelt reflection and a plea for wider understanding of the reasons behind it. The song illuminates the reality of poverty and its effects on people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey I'm working here, know what I'm saying
I'm just trying to make a living, can you relate?
Try to put yourself in my shoes for a second
Consider my perspective for a moment
Its not personal I'm just saying though
I'm not trying to offend you, I'm just being honest
From when the moon came out 'till the sun came up
I work long hours, all through the night
I was supplying the days when where they flame up
I sell drugs to provide for myself and my community
Our mamas passing, by trying to explain us
Our mothers struggled to raise us in poverty
Pissing in the bushes like they never house trained us
Living in poverty and without proper facilities
But, try to understand that's how we came up
We grew up in difficult circumstances
You get to know us, you'll love us but you can't change us (naw)
We may be flawed, but we are still human beings who deserve respect
Really we rather be rich and famous
We have big dreams just like anyone else
But in the mean time were forced to slang dust
In order to survive, we resort to selling drugs
'Dro or crack cocaine, Penicillin to Rogaine
We sell a wide variety of drugs to make money
Ecstacy, Viagra, whatever'll get the dough man
We don't discriminate, we sell whatever people want to buy
I'm tired of people mis-representing my dough man
I'm frustrated when people make assumptions about my lifestyle
Oh you think we out here killing for nothing, hustling
People assume that we are violent or dangerous, but we are just trying to survive
For no gain (picture that)
We don't do this for fun, we do it because we have no other options
I don't know if you don't know, don't care or can't see
I'm not sure if you're ignorant, indifferent or blind
Every time something up in the hood, it ain't me
Just because I live in a low-income area, doesn't mean I'm involved in crime
And I ain't always up to no good and know the crease
I'm not always doing something wrong, despite what you may assume
And we ain't always gotta pass through the hood without speaking (how you doing)
We can be friendly and respectful, even if we come from different backgrounds
We ain't out here threatening your lives, raping your children
We are not violent criminals who want to harm innocent people
We just out here staying alive, making a million (you know)
We are hustling to survive, even though we would rather have a better life
Working hard, trying to survive chasing a mill-ion
We are working hard to make a better life for ourselves and our families
You hear us talking loud, just think of this is chameleon
We may talk and act tough sometimes, but we are just trying to survive
React to the situations, but accusations is still
We deal with difficult situations, but we are often unfairly judged
We vulgarizing you how, hey man you just hurting my feelings (man).
We don't mean to offend anyone, and it hurts when people insult us
We got lives, we want to live nice too
We have dreams and aspirations, just like anyone else
We got moms, dads, wives, kids just like you
We have families that we care about, and we want to provide for them
But our options are few it hell in high school
We grew up in a system that didn't give us many opportunities
When your helping with the rent lights and the gas bill too
We are struggling to pay bills and make ends meet, just like anyone else
So before you go judging us loving us won't hurt
Instead of judging us, try to understand us and show us compassion
Yeah under 25, staying alive is hard work
Being young and living in poverty is a constant struggle
And for you to see what I'm saying, open eyes will help
If you are willing to see things from our perspective, it will be easier to understand us
If you could think about somebody besides yourself
Try to consider the experiences of others, beyond your own perspective
Why you pointing fingers at me, analyze yourself
Instead of blaming me, take a look at your own actions and attitudes
Quit all that chastising and try to provide some help
Instead of criticizing or judging us, try to offer support or resources
Instead of calling the law, you busting my balls
Don't be so quick to call the police or make assumptions about us
With all due respect, we don't even need to be fucking with y'all (man)
We don't need others to interfere in our lives or judge us unfairly
And we can't help it cause it is like this
We didn't choose to be born into poverty or to have limited opportunities
We don't like it no more than you that we live like this
We wish we had a better life and more opportunities, just like anyone else
Always stuck in the grind summertime to wintertime
We are constantly working hard, regardless of the season or weather
Cutting school to sell fifty dimes by dinner time
We have to make tough choices in order to survive, even if it means missing school
See everything we know we learned from the streets
We had to grow up fast and learn to survive on our own
Since thirteen I've been hustling and earning my keep
We have been working to survive since a very young age
Hey man I'm just doing my job
I'm just trying to make a living here
Hey lady, don't mind me I'm just doing my job
I'm not trying to bother you, I'm just doing what I have to do to survive
I don't want to make your life more harder, I'm just doin my job
I don't want to cause any trouble or harm, I'm just trying to provide for myself
You live here, I work here I'm doing my job
We both have different roles in this community, and I am just doing what I have to do
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CLIFFORD JOSEPH HARRIS, MICHAEL LOVESMITH, KANYE WEST, KANYE OMARI WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind