Gift of Gab (born Tim Parker) was an American rapper, best known as the lea… Read Full Bio ↴Gift of Gab (born Tim Parker) was an American rapper, best known as the lead MC of the California hip-hop duo Blackalicious, as well as a member of Quannum Projects (along with Chief Xcel, DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born and Lateef). The name seemingly is taken from the personal quality one is said to attain upon kissing the Blarney Stone. This is also interpreted as someone who can talk the talk and is streetwise and can get through life by the way they speak. This would be associated with bargaining a deal etc.

After a series of Blackalicious projects, he also released a solo debut 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up in 2004. One of the album's songs 'Rat Race' from 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up was at one point frequently used on the Sky Sports show Soccer AM. In 2009, his second album Escape 2 Mars was released, followed by his third effort The Next Logical Progression in 2012.

Sometime after the release of his third album, Parker had suffered from kidney failure and was receiving dialysis multiple times a week. In January 2020, Parker received a kidney transplant. Parker died on June 18, 2021 of natural causes. His fourth album (and first posthumous album) Finding Inspiration Somehow was released three months after his passing, initially being recorded during the midst of his health troubles and completed before his death.

In A Minute Doe
The Gift Of Gab Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Keep growin'

It's like we more like brothers than nephew and uncle
Comin' up at times seem survival is like a jungle
Understanding takes time, some lessons we gotta go through
I remember when we was young and the price tag on those days and nights
Can't be measured or bought
Sometimes I wish we could bring 'em back

Sundays at church, comin' home from work
Kept it on the low you lent me two dollars for them burritos
Headed out to the bay to focus on dreams
Sometimes I feel I shoulda been there for guidance
But I was learnin' what it means to be a man, still am
And every time I think I figured it out the universe expands
We was supposed to bring you out on the road
When dough got ripe
We ain't even had a chance to chill, it's just not right, man
I guess the street life had other plans, but I'm gonna see you in a minute doe
Sincerely, Uncle Tim, Gift of Gab, Supreme Lyrical

(Ohh)
(Ohh)
Keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin'
(Ohh)
(You gotta) keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin'
(Ohh)
Keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', (you gotta) keep growin'

There's a purpose underneath it all, divine plan a scheme of all
Then do what you got in it, growin' learnin', find your proper callin'
Stay strong and take in all the knowledge that you can
Stay healthy and keep in touch, I get them letters flowin' fam
This ain't goodbye, all it is is just a test to make you stronger
Be a soldier, from here we only move forward
Upward, onward, and over the hump
And yo, I know that it's a lot of years
But it's a whole lot of precious life left for you to live
God dwells within, find Him inside, free you soul
No matter what they'll never lock up your mind
So let your thoughts flow, free
And be the best you can be, learn from your mistakes
You got a destiny, man, your life's purpose is to take it there
Recipe, expand your mind, read and work out, get your plans together and focus
The day you come out, we all gonna party like
it's two-thousand nine-hundred and ninety-nine
But I'm gonna see you in a minute doe
Sincerely, Uncle Tim, Gift of Gab, Supreme Lyrical

(Ohh)
(Ohh)
Keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin'
(Ohh)
(You gotta) keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin'
(Ohh)
Keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', (you gotta) keep growin'

Keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin'

(You gotta) keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin'
Keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', keep growin', (you gotta) keep growin'

Overall Meaning

The Gift Of Gab's song "In a Minute Doe" is a heartfelt message from Uncle Tim and Gift of Gab to a family member or a close friend who is incarcerated. The lyrics encourage the listener to keep growing and learning, even though they are currently in a difficult situation. The song starts by acknowledging the close bond between the singer and the listener, and how they have grown up together. They have been through tough times, but they have made it through, and now they are facing a new challenge.

The song encourages the listener to stay strong and take advantage of the time they have to learn and grow. The lyrics suggest that there is a purpose to everything, and that the listener's current situation is part of a divine plan. The importance of staying healthy and taking care of oneself is also emphasized. The song ends on a positive note, with the singers expressing their desire to party with the listener when they are released, and encouraging them to keep growing until that day comes.

Line by Line Meaning

Keep growin'
Never stop learning and growing as a person.

It's like we more like brothers than nephew and uncle
We are closer than just family, we are like best friends.

Comin' up at times seem survival is like a jungle
Growing up can be difficult and feel like we are fighting to survive in a tough world.

Understanding takes time, some lessons we gotta go through
It takes time and experience to truly understand and learn important things in life.

I remember when we was young and the price tag on those days and nights
I remember when we were younger, and the memories we made were priceless.

Can't be measured or bought
Those memories and experiences cannot be valued or replaced by any material object.

Sometimes I wish we could bring 'em back
I sometimes wish we could relive those moments and memories again.

Sundays at church, comin' home from work
Remembering the times we would go to church on Sundays and come home after a long day of work.

Kept it on the low you lent me two dollars for them burritos
I remember when you secretly lent me two dollars to buy burritos.

Headed out to the bay to focus on dreams
We went out to the bay together to pursue our dreams.

Sometimes I feel I shoulda been there for guidance
At times, I feel like I should have been there to give you guidance and support.

But I was learnin' what it means to be a man, still am
I am still learning what it means to be a man and fulfill my responsibilities.

And every time I think I figured it out the universe expands
Every time I feel like I have everything figured out, there is always more to learn and discover.

We was supposed to bring you out on the road
We had planned to take you on the road with us.

When dough got ripe
When we had enough money.

We ain't even had a chance to chill, it's just not right, man
We didn't even get a chance to spend time together, and it's unfair.

I guess the street life had other plans, but I'm gonna see you in a minute doe
The lifestyle we were living may have interfered, but I know I will see you soon enough.

There's a purpose underneath it all, divine plan a scheme of all
There is a greater purpose to life that we may not always understand or see clearly.

Then do what you got in it, growin' learnin', find your proper callin'
Find your true passion, learn and grow, and fulfill your purpose in life.

Stay strong and take in all the knowledge that you can
Be resilient and always be open to learning and gaining knowledge.

Stay healthy and keep in touch, I get them letters flowin' fam
Take care of yourself and keep in touch, and I will keep writing letters to you.

This ain't goodbye, all it is is just a test to make you stronger
This isn't the end, it's just a challenging time to help you become stronger.

Be a soldier, from here we only move forward
Be courageous and keep pushing forward through any obstacles.

Upward, onward, and over the hump
Keep striving for progress, moving forward, and overcoming challenges.

And yo, I know that it's a lot of years
I know it's going to be many years before we see each other again.

But it's a whole lot of precious life left for you to live
You still have a lot of life ahead of you that is valuable and worth living.

God dwells within, find Him inside, free you soul
God resides within us, find Him within yourself and let your soul be free.

No matter what they'll never lock up your mind
No one can take away your thoughts and freedom of mind.

So let your thoughts flow, free
Don't hold back your thoughts, express them freely.

And be the best you can be, learn from your mistakes
Strive to be your best self, and use your mistakes as opportunities to grow and learn.

You got a destiny, man, your life's purpose is to take it there
You have a predetermined purpose in life, and it's up to you to fulfill it.

Recipe, expand your mind, read and work out, get your plans together and focus
To achieve your goals, expand your mind by reading and exercising, make plans and stay focused.

The day you come out, we all gonna party like it's two-thousand nine-hundred and ninety-nine
When you are released, we will celebrate and have a great time together.

But I'm gonna see you in a minute doe
I will see you soon, don't worry.

Lyrics © Royalty Network Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: SPEARS, JACOB DUTTON, TIM PARKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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