Respect
TheNotoriousBIG Lyrics
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Cuh dis ah 94' when ah RAA fi kill people and kyaan dun
Nuh waan pussy hole hold di kaanah
Watch this, lawd
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Nineteen seventy somethin' nigga I don't sweat the date
My moms is late so I had to plan my escape
Out the skins in this world of fly girls
Tanqueray and Hennessy until I cold hurl
Ten months in this gut what the fuck
I wish moms'd hurry up so I could get buck
Wild juvenile rippin' mics and shit
New York New York ready for the likes of this uh
Then came the worst date May 21st
2:19, that's when my momma water burst
No spouse in the house so she rode for self
To the hospital, to see if she could get a little help
Umbilical cord's wrapped around my neck
I'm seein' my death and I ain't even took my first step
I made it out, I'm bringin' mad joy
The doctor looked and said, "He's gonna be a Bad Boy"
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Now I'm thirteen, smokin' blunts, makin' cream
On the drug scene, fuck a football team
Riskin' ruptured spleens by the age of sixteen
Hearin' the coach scream ain't my lifetime dream, I mean
I want to blow up, stack my dough up
So school I didn't show up, it fucked my flow up
Mom said that I should grow up and check myself
Before I wreck myself, disrespect myself
Put the drugs on the shelf? Nah, couldn't see it
Scarface, King of New York, I want to be it
Rap was secondary, money was necessary
Until I got incarcerated, kinda scary
C74-Mark 8 set me straight
Not able to move behind the great steel gate
Time to contemplate, damn, where did I fail?
All the money I stacked was all the money for bail
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Watch mi respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Ninety-four, now I explore new horizons
Mama smile when she see me, that's surprisin'
Honey's is tantalizin', they freak all night
Peep duckin' cops on the creep all night
As I open my eyes and realizin' I changed
Not the same deranged child stuck up in the game
And to my niggas livin' street life
Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest
Still tote your vest man, niggas be trippin'
In the streets without a gat? Nah, nigga you're slippin'
If I'm trippin' on The F with weed on my breath
Original hustler with the muffler on the TEC
Respect to the Mack's and the Ac's
To the freaks in the Jeeps, lick shots to my peeps
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Watch mi respect, to all the gun men dem
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Informer lone keep informer friend
Now this is Diana King doing a Yankee thing
In a Biggie Small's thing, do it, Jah
Have mercy
The gunman inna di party
And everybody feel irie
And everybody just follow me, follow me, follow me
Have mercy
The wul ah we in ah di party
And everybody look irie
Now di man them sexy, sexy, sexy
Do it!
No mercy fuh nuh big up unnu self
Cuh we nuh watch nuhtin to say or see
Hardcore ting we ah deal with
Oh yes, we are the best
No other guy cyaan
Say it mami, damn, why you actin' like that man?
'Cause I don't be doin' this
I'm sayin', you know it ain't nothin'
It's just part of sex, ya know'm saying
But you know I don't do this, I don't even know how to do this
I'm just sayin' mami, jus-just a little peck mami, for daddy
Just a little peck
Like that?
That's what I'm sayin', yeah
You know I don't be doin' this though tho', you know that
Whatever bitch, damnit
The lyrics to The Notorious B.I.G.'s song Respect portray a sense of loyalty to the streets and to the people who survive or thrive in that environment. The first verse alone indicates a warning to individuals who might "hold the kaanah," or cross the line, knowing full well that 1994 is a dangerous time for people to mess around with gunmen. BIG also hollers respect to all gunmen, giving a sense that the environment they live in gives them a very different set of rules and values that one has to respect, to stay alive. Indeed, the chorus pays tribute to gunmen, and how they need to stick together and support each other, while turning a cold shoulder to informers. The lyrics also give an account of BIG growing up in the streets, with his mother giving birth to him alone without a spouse or family member. BIG also mentions how, at 13 as he seeks more money and fame, he's smoking blunts, selling drugs, and ignoring school to pursue his dreams. He also emphasizes how the streets have changed him, and how he is now a hustler and lord of the underground.
One of the interesting facts about The Notorious B.I.G.'s song Respect is that it was released in 1997 on his posthumous album Life After Death, which dropped 16 days after his murder in Los Angeles. The lyrics also feature a sample from Diana King's song Shy Guy, which accompanies the chorus. The song and album are considered one of the most successful and influential hip-hop albums of all time, with elements of storytelling, rhyme schemes, and production styles that influenced musicians for decades. Another interesting fact about Respect is that the song mentions Scarface, the iconic character from the movie of the same name, and who would eventually inspire rapper Jay Z to sample its theme song in a later release. Another notable fact is that some of the samples used in Respect were also featured on P. Diddy's "Victory" (also featuring Notorious B.I.G.) and Jay-Z's "Brooklyn's Finest (ft. Notorious B.I.G.)". Finally, Respect is often mentioned as an example of BIG's vivid storytelling abilities, and how they provide social commentary on urban life and struggles.
Chords: The exact chords for The Notorious B.I.G.'s Respect are not available, as it features a primarily electronic beat and sampling elements.
Line by Line Meaning
No big up our gun men, seen? (Big up, big up)
Let's not glorify our gunmen and instead focus on respect.
Cuh dis ah 94' when ah RAA fi kill people and kyaan dun
This is 1994 when the notorious gang, RAA, is killing people and can't be defeated.
Nuh waan pussy hole hold di kaanah
We don't want weak people holding guns.
Watch this, lawd
Take a look at this.
Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
I call for respect for all the gunmen.
Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Gunmen only associate with other gunmen as friends.
Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
Burn informants who are threatening our business.
Informer lone keep informer friend
Informants only keep other informants as friends.
Nineteen seventy somethin' nigga I don't sweat the date
I was born in the 70s, but I don't care about the exact year.
My moms is late so I had to plan my escape
My mother was late, so I had to plan my exit strategy for the future.
Out the skins in this world of fly girls
I aim to attract beautiful women in this world.
Tanqueray and Hennessy until I cold hurl
I'd drink Tanqueray and Hennessy until I vomited.
Ten months in this gut what the fuck
I spent ten months inside the womb, what a shock.
I wish moms'd hurry up so I could get buck
I wanted my mother to give birth sooner so I could be out and live my life.
Wild juvenile rippin' mics and shit
As a young rapper, I was wild and untamed.
New York New York ready for the likes of this uh
I was ready to conquer the rap world in New York.
Then came the worst date May 21st
May 21 was the worst day of my life.
2:19, that's when my momma water burst
My mother's water broke at 2:19.
No spouse in the house so she rode for self
My mother didn't have a partner around, so she went to the hospital on her own.
To the hospital, to see if she could get a little help
She went to the hospital to get assistance.
Umbilical cord's wrapped around my neck
The umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck.
I'm seein' my death and I ain't even took my first step
I thought I was going to die before I even walked for the first time.
I made it out, I'm bringin' mad joy
Despite the hardships, I survived and made people happy with my music.
The doctor looked and said, "He's gonna be a Bad Boy"
The doctor said I would become a troublemaker.
Now I'm thirteen, smokin' blunts, makin' cream
At thirteen, I was smoking marijuana and making money.
On the drug scene, fuck a football team
I was more interested in the drug business than joining a football team.
Riskin' ruptured spleens by the age of sixteen
I was taking dangerous risks that could get me seriously injured by age sixteen.
Hearin' the coach scream ain't my lifetime dream, I mean
I wasn't interested in being yelled at by coaches, to be honest.
I want to blow up, stack my dough up
I wanted to be wealthy and famous.
So school I didn't show up, it fucked my flow up
Skipping school affected my rap career.
Mom said that I should grow up and check myself
Mom warned me to be more adult-like and take care of myself better.
Before I wreck myself, disrespect myself
She didn't want me to embarrass myself or behave poorly.
Put the drugs on the shelf? Nah, couldn't see it
I decided not to quit drugs even though I could have.
Scarface, King of New York, I want to be it
I aspired to be like Scarface, the crime lord from the movie, or the King of New York.
Rap was secondary, money was necessary
Rapping was not my top priority, making money was.
Until I got incarcerated, kinda scary
Going to jail was scary for me.
C74-Mark 8 set me straight
The prison officials and my environment changed my ways.
Not able to move behind the great steel gate
I was stuck behind bars.
Time to contemplate, damn, where did I fail?
I started reflecting on my mistakes and where I went wrong.
All the money I stacked was all the money for bail
All the money I had saved up was spent on bail.
Ninety-four, now I explore new horizons
I am now trying new things in 1994.
Mama smile when she see me, that's surprisin'
When my mom saw me, it was a surprise that made her smile.
Honey's is tantalizin', they freak all night
Women are enticing and they love to have sex all night.
Peep duckin' cops on the creep all night
I'm constantly avoiding cops and being stealthy at night.
As I open my eyes and realizin' I changed
I woke up and realized that I had changed.
Not the same deranged child stuck up in the game
I'm not the same insane kid who was obsessed with the rap game.
And to my niggas livin' street life
To my friends who still live in the streets.
Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest
Take care of yourself, enjoy life and don't stress out too much.
Still tote your vest man, niggas be trippin'
But still, protect yourself with a bullet-proof vest, sometimes it's necessary.
In the streets without a gat? Nah, nigga you're slippin'
You should have a gun on you in the streets, or you'll be vulnerable.
If I'm trippin' on The F with weed on my breath
If I'm smoking weed and causing a scene in the subway.
Original hustler with the muffler on the TEC
I was an original hustler with the silencer attached to my gun.
Respect to the Mack's and the Ac's
I show respect to the Pimps and Gangsters.
To the freaks in the Jeeps, lick shots to my peeps
Shoutout to those driving in fancy Jeeps and firing bullets for their people.
Now this is Diana King doing a Yankee thing
Now, Diana King (Jamaican artist) is doing an American-style song.
In a Biggie Small's thing, do it, Jah
In a Biggie Smalls-style song, do it, Jah.
Have mercy
Show mercy.
The gunman inna di party
The gunman is present in the party.
And everybody feel irie
And everyone is having a good time.
And everybody just follow me, follow me, follow me
And everyone is listening to me, following me.
The wul ah we in ah di party
We are all in the party.
And everybody look irie
And everyone looks happy.
Now di man them sexy, sexy, sexy
The men are sexy, sexy, sexy.
Do it!
Let's do it!
No mercy fuh nuh big up unnu self
No mercy for those who try to glorify themselves.
Cuh we nuh watch nuhtin to say or see
Because we don't listen or care what they say or see.
Hardcore ting we ah deal with
We deal with tough things in a hardcore manner.
Oh yes, we are the best
Oh yes, we are the best.
No other guy cyaan
No one else can do it.
Say it mami, damn, why you actin' like that man?
Say it, girl, why are you acting like that?
'Cause I don't be doin' this
Because I don't do this.
I'm sayin', you know it ain't nothin'
I'm telling you, it's not a big deal.
It's just part of sex, ya know'm saying
It's just a normal part of having sex, you know what I'm saying.
But you know I don't do this, I don't even know how to do this
But you know I'm not used to this and I don't even know how to do it.
I'm just sayin' mami, jus-just a little peck mami, for daddy
I'm just suggesting, girl, just a little kiss for your man.
Just a little peck
Just a little kiss.
Like that?
Like this?
That's what I'm sayin', yeah
That's what I'm saying, yeah.
You know I don't be doin' this though tho', you know that
But you know I'm not used to doing this.
Whatever bitch, damnit
Whatever, girl, damn it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., JELLYBEAN MUSIC GROUP
Written by: CHRISTOPHER WALLACE, DIANA KING, HARRY WAYNE CASEY, RICHARD RAYMOND FINCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BrileyGabriel
Dude possessed, quite simply, the sickest flow in the history of the game....period!
@zanamasoud4160
@Sarel klienjie Vantonder its just opinions, different styles different opinions
@CapraDemon101
Not one like him. And that beat ooooof
@ERICGRIMEY1
2nd to nas bruh...
@ERICGRIMEY1
@Sarel klienjie Vantonder nas
@hanssl1838
@@zanamasoud4160 true.. I hate the debate.. Biggie is the best ever to me.. But my friends like 2 pac.. Thats ok.. Respect.. (But my friends are fucked and dont know anything)
@johnmccrossin8261
You can comfortably say that you don't have to skip any tracks on this album! 🤤
@milkmedia1657
For real
@ionknomanee347
Just the awkward ass porn audio in the middle
@milkmedia1657
@@ionknomanee347 yes