Around ‘91/’92 Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and the Hieroglyphics crew were first starting to make noise in the bay and it was then that he felt he could really make something out of this music thing. He had a friend who rapped who convinced The Grouch to start writing/rapping in ‘94. He met the Mystik Journeymen soon after and they schooled him on the independent hustle. It was on.
The Grouch’s first show as an MC was in 1995, it was at one the Journeymen’s “Broke Ass Summer Jam” shows in East Oakland. At that time he performed under his real name and the crowd showed him much love, which he says is the main reason he stuck with making music. The Grouch’s music influences include all the hip-hop greats from LL Cool J to the Beastie Boys along with the Bay Area classics and jazz, rock, and soul music. The Grouch has always taken the independent route and has done everything himself along the way, a fact he takes great pride in.
Never Die
The Grouch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been an independent hustler since '95
Never had no love for a 9 to 5
I grind like trucks mack like em too
I'm tryin' to make a buck and still stay true
East coast quick wit, west coast cool
Down South money mouth towned out fool
Universal music drowned out false rule
LRG goin' fit em, and G goin' spit em
Messiah make the play, and we goin' hit em
They take the beat away and I still got the rhythm
I built that from livin' to the tick of my own heart
Didn't have a dollar just Dickies and Carhartt
White boy without a father more rare than aardvarks
I'm too smart the hard parts dumbin' down
You can't kill me I'm a legend, in every town
Never die, never die, never die
Nobody taught it to me I just thought it to be
And now all y'all can see how it is
Never die, never die, never die
Nobody taught it to me I just thought it to be
And now all y'all can see how we live
Future single mother the father's drunk
Didn't wanna bother just holler and cut
It's all or nothin' boy he wasn't worth much
How she gonna balance it?
Cause all that goes up... must fall
Four kids to dust off
She never missed a game but still got cussed out
By bad seeds no shut mouths to feed
9 to 5 plus when she cried I was crushed man
Deep stuff all of us in one room
Heat a towel under the door, mice up in the floor
Prices soar, city of dopes cold as ice gotta right no more
And everybody said Amen come Sunday
But ay man, what's up with all the strugglin'?
Someday I'm a be as strong as my mothers spirit
She's a legend for that you can't kill it
Never die, never die, never die
Nobody taught it to her she just thought it could work
All of this ____ from a seed
Never die, never die, never die
Nobody taught it to her she just thought it could work
After all of the hurt she's free
Over a decade deceased still a major piece
In this culture vulture's wanna eat, quote you on repeat
How you long you ago was you ballin'?
After you left thuggins everyone's callin'
Minus the conscious side tryin' to ride
Ambitions of that hip-hop homicide
In '95 most this shit wouldn't slide
West coast renaissance you was in the driver's seat
And in our hearts we keep you like Hendrix
And the great John Lennon how you went's horrendous
Is there a heaven for a G? yeah, probably
But is there rest if they can't solve the forensics?
It seemed offensive at first all the bitin'
But you know bout imitation
Now they teach what you were writin' in schools
Oh what the world's come to
Can't kill Pac's legend that's true
Never die, never die, never die
Nobody taught it to him he just thought it ___ him
All of this came from within
Never die, never die, never die
Nobody taught it to him he just thought it ___ him
And now we sing em like there's no end
The lyrics in The Grouch's song Never Die express the artist's determination to remain true to himself despite the difficult circumstances he has faced. The song begins by highlighting the independence he has maintained since 1995, never settling for a 9 to 5 job and instead hustling tirelessly to make ends meet. He boasts about his ability to adapt to different regions, with a quick wit that suits the East Coast and a laid-back coolness that represents the West Coast. He acknowledges the difficulties faced by those in the Deep South and speaks of the way in which music has the power to drown out false rules and speak truths.
The second verse switches gears to focus on a single mother who has faced numerous challenges, including a drunk and absent father, four kids to raise, and financial pressures. Despite all of this, she never gives up and continues to support her kids' dreams. The artist looks up to her as a legend and a source of inspiration, a woman who never died in spite of all the challenges she had to face. The final verse is devoted to Tupac, one of the most legendary rappers in the game, who died in 1996. The artist acknowledges that Tupac will never die, as his influence on the hip-hop genre and the world at large persists to this day. Overall, the song is a testament to the idea that there are some people and ideas that will never truly die.
Line by Line Meaning
Never die, never die, never die
The Grouch believes that his legacy will live on forever.
I been an independent hustler since '95
The Grouch has been working for himself since 1995.
Never had no love for a 9 to 5
The Grouch has never enjoyed working a traditional job.
I grind like trucks mack like em too
The Grouch works hard and has a tough attitude.
I'm tryin' to make a buck and still stay true
The Grouch wants to make money while staying true to his personal values.
East coast quick wit, west coast cool
The Grouch is clever and smooth despite being from the west coast.
Down South money mouth towned out fool
Someone from the south who talks too much about money and is foolish.
Universal music drowned out false rule
Mainstream music overpowers true authenticity.
Say "fuck the system", but I'm no victim
The Grouch doesn't just complain about the system, but rather finds ways to succeed within it.
LRG goin' fit em, and G goin' spit em
The Grouch plans to represent LRG clothing and rap hard.
Messiah make the play, and we goin' hit em
The Grouch believes that he and his team will succeed with the help of a skilled leader, Messiah.
They take the beat away and I still got the rhythm
Even if his music is taken away, The Grouch is still able to keep his flow and rhythm.
I built that from livin' to the tick of my own heart
The Grouch has built his success by following his heart and being true to himself.
Didn't have a dollar just Dickies and Carhartt
The Grouch didn't have much money and wore simple clothes.
White boy without a father more rare than aardvarks
The Grouch was a white boy growing up without a dad, which was uncommon.
I'm too smart the hard parts dumbin' down
The Grouch knows he is intelligent and doesn't want to dumb himself down to fit in with others.
You can't kill me I'm a legend, in every town
The Grouch believes that he is a legend and cannot be stopped.
Nobody taught it to me I just thought it to be
The Grouch learned success on his own without anyone teaching him.
And now all y'all can see how it is
The Grouch wants others to see his success and how he made it happen.
Future single mother the father's drunk
A mother who will be single in the future while the father is an alcoholic.
Didn't wanna bother just holler and cut
The father didn't want to stay and raise the child, so he left.
It's all or nothin' boy he wasn't worth much
The father was not worth much as a parent so it's either all in or not at all for the mother.
How she gonna balance it?
The mother wonders how she will balance raising a child without a partner.
Cause all that goes up... must fall
Anything that goes up in life will eventually come back down.
Four kids to dust off
The mother has four children to take care of.
She never missed a game but still got cussed out
The mother always attended her children's games but was still criticized by others.
By bad seeds no shut mouths to feed
The mother has to care for children who are not well-behaved and always need food.
9 to 5 plus when she cried I was crushed man
The mother also worked a regular job in addition to raising her children and The Grouch felt sad when she was upset.
Deep stuff all of us in one room
The family lived in a small space with all of them together.
Heat a towel under the door, mice up in the floor
The living conditions of the family were poor and included pests.
Prices soar, city of dopes cold as ice gotta right no more
The cost of living is high and the city is full of people who are ignorant and unfeeling.
And everybody said Amen come Sunday
People tended to be more religious on Sundays.
But ay man, what's up with all the strugglin'?
The Grouch questions why there is so much suffering and hardship.
Someday I'm a be as strong as my mothers spirit
The Grouch hopes to be as strong as his mother one day.
She's a legend for that you can't kill it
The Grouch's mother is a legend for all that she has done for her family.
Over a decade deceased still a major piece
The Grouch's mother has been dead for over ten years but is still an important part of his life and memory.
In this culture vulture's wanna eat, quote you on repeat
The mainstream culture wants to use his success and quote him repeatedly for their own gain.
How you long you ago was you ballin'?
Others are trying to use his past success for their own purposes.
After you left thuggins everyone's callin'
People only took notice of The Grouch after he left his old lifestyle behind.
Minus the conscious side tryin' to ride
Many people try to copy his music without caring about the meaning behind it.
Ambitions of that hip-hop homicide
Some people try to become famous in the hip-hop industry at any cost, even if it means losing themselves or others along the way.
In '95 most this shit wouldn't slide
In 1995, certain behaviors or attitudes that are now accepted in hip-hop were not tolerated.
West coast renaissance you was in the driver's seat
The Grouch was a major player during the time of the west coast hip-hop revival.
And in our hearts we keep you like Hendrix
The Grouch is remembered and respected like a music legend, Jimi Hendrix.
And the great John Lennon how you went's horrendous
The Grouch also compares himself to John Lennon and is saddened by how he passed away.
Is there a heaven for a G? yeah, probably
The Grouch is not sure if there is an afterlife, but he hopes there is.
But is there rest if they can't solve the forensics?
If his death is not solved or justice is not served, he wonders if he will be at peace.
It seemed offensive at first all the bitin'
He was initially offended by others copying his music.
But you know bout imitation
He recognizes that imitation is a form of flattery.
Now they teach what you were writin' in schools
The Grouch's music and message is now being taught in schools.
Oh what the world's come to
The Grouch is concerned and saddened by the state of the world.
Can't kill Pac's legend that's true
The legacy of Tupac cannot be destroyed or forgotten.
Nobody taught it to him he just thought it ___ him
The Grouch learned his legacy and message on his own without anyone else teaching him.
All of this ____ from a seed
All of his success and legacy started with a small idea or inspiration.
And now all y'all can see how we live
He wants others to see and understand his success and message.
Contributed by Aiden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jason Rodriguez
Take the beat away and I still got the rhythm I built that from living to the tipp of my own heart
Daryl Mason
The 'tick' of my own heart.
424Ben
Much luv to the Grouch, I feel every album he has, started listening to this real ass Kat in 1998. I still love his music with the teachings he gives about life. Very inspirational about how life is and how we can see it through the Grouch's eyes. Even in our own perspectives "Never Die" just live Dawg!!! Northern Cali Reppin!!
djmetropolis
Great track and dope lyrics!
DjHaiez One
Classic!!!
Gzus 213
Living Legends All Day since the 90s
Thomas Montoya
Great fucking classic right here! This Is hip hop.
Ariel Scott
After all of the hurt she's free
Rekm CS
2018 n still none of these main stream can’t touch this raw shiit 👊🏼
morefishscale
genius