Twista grew up in the K-Town area on the west side of Chicago. He started rapping at the age of 12. However, before starting his professional career, he worked at several other jobs including working at a factory, selling shoes, working at McDonald's, working as a security guard, and even cutting hair.
Twista was one of the first artists to sign with Loud Records. In 1991, he released Runnin' off at da Mouth under the name of Tung Twista. Due to his rapid-fire pace of delivery, he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's fastest rapper. Despite this recognition, the album achieved little success. Tung Twista dropped the "Tung" off of his name in his second album Resurrection, which was never released outside of Chicago's underground.
In 1996, he teamed with fellow Chicago act "Do or Die" on the track "Po' Pimp" leading to a contract with Atlantic Records. He released Adrenaline Rush in 1997 followed by Mobstability in 1998. Twista then formed his own Legit Ballin' label which has released two compilation albums Legit Ballin' in 1999 and Legit Ballin' Vol. 2: Street Scriptures in 2001. The label later released Respect The Game,Vol. 3 in 2002 and Volume 4: Tha Truth in 2006.
Twista developed a good reputation in rap circles leading to work with Mariah Carey, P. Diddy (then Puff Daddy),Lil kim, Drag-on, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Ras Kass, Ludacris, Royce Da 5'9", Shaquille O'Neal, and Da Brat. However, it would take him until 2004 to achieve a platinum, number-one record under his own name.
On his website, Twista stated that he made Kamikaze to show that he was still true to the ideals that he had when he started out. "I represent for the MCs that have skills, not just make music for the hell of it. I take the time to concentrate. Otherwise, I could have 10 albums out there, easy. I could sit down all day and write something. But I write when I get in a zone more than writing because I’ve got to do this. I represent the artists that keep it true to what really is, to be able to make rappers want to write."
"I want to show the streets that I’m back and that I’m true to the game. Musically, I want to show that I’m still out here doing my thing. After all the people that were out when I was out years ago fell off, I’m still out here competing with the shorties. I also want to gain platinum success. It’s something that I haven’t done."
The first single, "Slow Jamz", featured Kanye West and Jamie Foxx. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and world R&B charts in early 2004, and eventually reached number 3 on the UK singles charts. Kamikaze built on the success of "Slow Jamz" to reach the top of the Billboard 200 album chart upon its release in January 2004 and went platinum by March 2004. The second single, "Overnight Celebrity", became another top 10 Hot 100 hit and a UK top 40 entry, while the third, "So Sexy" (featuring R. Kelly), made the top 40 of the Hot 100. In the UK, the album track "Sunshine", which featured R&B singer Anthony Hamilton and lifted its chorus from Bill Withers' "Lovely Day", was extracted as a third single and became a big hit; this track received comparatively little exposure in the U.S., perhaps because rapper Lil' Flip had a huge hit there at the same time with a different song of the same title.
Albums
Runnin' off at da Mouth (1991, as Tung Twista) (US Certification: Gold)
Resurrection (1994, as Twista) (Never officialy released outside of Chicago's underground)
Adrenaline Rush (1997) #77 US (US Certification: Gold)
Mobstability (with The Speedknot Mobstaz) (1998, as Twista) #34 US
Kamikaze (2004) #1 US, #19 UK (US Certification: Platinum)
The Day After (2005) #2 US (US Certification: Gold)
Adrenaline Rush 2007 (2007)
Hope
Twista Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just wanna say rest in peace to Aaliyah,
Rest in peace to Left Eye,
Rest in peace to Jam Master Jay,
And everybody lost in the Twin Towers,
And everybody lost period.
All we got is hope!
Knowing the cops is hot when I'm on the block, and I
Wish my brother would of made bail,
So I won't have to travel 6 hours to see him in jail, and I
Wish that my grandmother wasn't sick
Or that we would just come up on some stacks and hit a lick, and I (I wish)
Wish my homies wouldn't have to suffer
When the streets get the upper hand on us and we lose a brother, and I
Wish I could go deep in a zone
And lift the spirits of the world with the words with in this song, and I (I wish)
Wish I could teach a soul to fly
Take away the pain out your hands and help you hold them high, and I
Wish God never gave the men power
To be able to hurt the people inside the Twin Towers, and I (I wish)
Wish God woulda turned they hearts righteous,
When they started to take innocent lives and become snipers, but uh
We will never break, though they devastate, we shall motivate,
And we gotta pray, all we got is faith.
Instead of thinking about who gonna die today,
The Lord is gonna help you feel better, so you ain't gotta cry today.
Sit at the light so long,
And then we gotta move straight forward, 'cause we fight so strong,
So when right go wrong,
Just say a little prayer, get ya money man, life go on, let's hope!
'Cause I'm hopeful, yes I am, hopeful for today
Take this music and use it
Let it take you away
And be hopeful, hopeful and he'll make a way
I know it ain't easy but that's okay
'Cause we hopeful!
I wish that you could show some love,
Instead of hatin' so much when you see some other people comin' up (I wish)
I wish I could teach the world to sing,
Watch the music and have 'em trippin' of the joy I bring, (shit)
I wish that we could hold hands,
Listen instead of dissin' lessons from a grown man, and I (I wish)
Wish the families that lack, but got love, get some stacks
Brand new shack and a lack that's on dubs, and I
Wish we could keep achieving wonders,
See the vision of the world through the eyes of Stevie Wonder, you feel me(I wish)
And I hope all the kids eat,
And don't nobody in my family see six feet, (ya dig)
I hope them mothers stand strong
You can make it whether you with him or your man's gone, and I (I wish)
Wish I could give every celly some commissary,
And no po-po bring the heat on our peace like they did R. Kelly, and I
Wish that D.O.C. could scream again
And bullets could reverse so Pac and Biggie breathe again, (shit) (I wish)
Then one day they could speak again,
I wish that we only saw good news every time we look at CNN,
I wish that enemies could talk,
And that super homie Christopher Reeves could still walk, (I wish)
I wish that we could walk a path, stay doin the right thing
Hustle hard so the kids maintain up in the game, let's hope
'Cause I'm hopeful, yes I am, hopeful for today
Take this music and use it
Let it take you away
And be hopeful, hopeful and he'll make a way
I know it ain't easy but that's okay
'Cause we hopeful!
Wish the earth wasn't so apocalyptic
I try to spread my message to the world the best way I can give it
We can make it always be optimistic,
If you don't listen gotta live my life the best way that I can live it
I pray for justice when we go to court,
Wish it was all good so the country wouldn't have to go to war
Why can't we kick it and just get 'em on,
And in the famous words of Mr. King why can't we all just get along?
Or we can find a better way to shop and please, and I
Hope we find a better way to cop a keys, and I
Wish everybody would just stop and freeze
And ask why are we fulfilling these downfalls and these prophecies
You can be wrong if it's you doubting
With the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains
And only the heavenly father can ease the hurt
Just let it go and keep prayin' on your knees in church and let's hope
'Cause I'm hopeful, yes I am, hopeful for today,
Take this music and use it
Let it take you away,
And be hopeful, hopeful and he'll make a way
I know it ain't easy but that's okay.
'Cause we hopeful!
'Cause I'm hopeful, yes I am, hopeful for today,
Take this music and use it
Let it take you away,
And be hopeful, hopeful and he'll make a way
I know it ain't easy but that's okay.
'Cause we hopeful!
Let's be hopeful
Let's be hopeful
The song "Hope" by Twista opens with the artist paying tribute to the many people who have died recently due to various tragic events, such as the 9/11 attacks and the passing of prominent musicians like Aaliyah and Left Eye. Despite the loss and pain, Twista emphasizes hope as the only way to move forward. He then goes on to express his own personal wishes, from wanting to live a life free from selling drugs, to wishing for a world without violence or corruption. He also touches on topics like poverty, justice, and faith, and makes clear his desire for peace, love, and unity.
The message of "Hope" is clear: despite all the negative, the only way to progress is by keeping hope alive. Twista acknowledges that the world is full of pain and suffering, but he encourages his listeners to maintain a positive outlook and work hard to create a better world. His lyrics demonstrate his own personal struggles and the struggles of those around him, and the song as a whole serves as a call to action, inspiring others to never lose hope.
Interestingly, "Hope" was originally released in 2005, but gained newfound popularity on TikTok in 2020, where users created dance videos and spoken word performances to the song. This led to a surge in streams on various platforms, proving the song's enduring relevance.
Line by Line Meaning
Man, I know we had a lot of tragedies lately.
Acknowledgement of recent tragic events
Rest in peace to Aaliyah, Rest in peace to Left Eye, Rest in peace to Jam Master Jay, And everybody lost in the Twin Towers, And everybody lost period.
Respect for people who have passed away
All we got is hope!
Encouragement to remain hopeful
I wish the way I was living could stop, serving rocks Knowing the cops is hot when I'm on the block, and I
Desire to leave a life of drug dealing
Wish my brother would of made bail, So I won't have to travel 6 hours to see him in jail, and I
Desire for his brother's release from jail
Wish that my grandmother wasn't sick Or that we would just come up on some stacks and hit a lick, and I (I wish)
Desire for his grandmother to be healthy and for financial stability
Wish my homies wouldn't have to suffer When the streets get the upper hand on us and we lose a brother, and I
Desire for safety and no loss of friends
Wish I could go deep in a zone And lift the spirits of the world with the words within this song, and I (I wish)
Desire for his music to be uplifting and inspiring
Wish I could teach a soul to fly Take away the pain out your hands and help you hold them high, and I
Desire to help people overcome their struggles and feel empowered
Wish God never gave the men power To be able to hurt the people inside the Twin Towers, and I (I wish)
Desire for world peace and no terrorism
Wish God woulda turned they hearts righteous, When they started to take innocent lives and become snipers, but uh
Desire for the perpetrators of violent acts to be righteous
We will never break, though they devastate, we shall motivate, And we gotta pray, all we got is faith.
Encouragement to stay strong and motivated during difficult times
Instead of thinking about who gonna die today, The Lord is gonna help you feel better, so you ain't gotta cry today.
Encouragement to focus on hope and faith instead of fear
Sit at the light so long, And then we gotta move straight forward, 'cause we fight so strong, So when right go wrong, Just say a little prayer, get ya money man, life go on, let's hope!
Encouragement to keep pushing forward with hope and determination
'Cause I'm hopeful, yes I am, hopeful for today Take this music and use it Let it take you away And be hopeful, hopeful and he'll make a way I know it ain't easy but that's okay 'Cause we hopeful!
Emphasis on remaining hopeful despite difficulty
Wish that you could show some love, Instead of hatin' so much when you see some other people comin' up (I wish)
Desire for love and positivity instead of hate and jealousy
Wish I could teach the world to sing, Watch the music and have 'em trippin' of the joy I bring, (shit)
Desire for his music to bring joy to the world
Wish that we could hold hands, Listen instead of dissin' lessons from a grown man, and I (I wish)
Desire for people to learn from each other and work together
Wish the families that lack, but got love, get some stacks Brand new shack and a lack that's on dubs, and I
Desire for financial stability and success for families
Wish we could keep achieving wonders, See the vision of the world through the eyes of Stevie Wonder, you feel me(I wish)
Desire for continued progress and creativity
Wish all the kids eat, And don't nobody in my family see six feet, (ya dig) I hope them mothers stand strong You can make it whether you with him or your man's gone, and I (I wish)
Desire for safety and prosperity for children and families
I wish I could give every celly some commissary, And no po-po bring the heat on our peace like they did R. Kelly, and I
Desire for better treatment of prisoners and an end to police brutality
Wish that D.O.C. could scream again And bullets could reverse so Pac and Biggie breathe again, (shit) (I wish) Then one day they could speak again,
Desire for a world without violence and the ability for lost artists to return
I wish that we only saw good news every time we look at CNN, I wish that enemies could talk, And that super homie Christopher Reeves could still walk, (I wish)
Desire for positivity in news and relationships, and for recovery from illness and injury
Wish we could walk a path, stay doin the right thing Hustle hard so the kids maintain up in the game, let's hope
Desire for success and integrity in life
Wish the earth wasn't so apocalyptic I try to spread my message to the world the best way I can give it We can make it always be optimistic, If you don't listen gotta live my life the best way that I can live it
Desire for positivity and hope in the world, and determination to live his life to the fullest
I pray for justice when we go to court, Wish it was all good so the country wouldn't have to go to war Why can't we kick it and just get 'em on, And in the famous words of Mr. King why can't we all just get along?
Desire for justice, peace, and unity in the world
Or we can find a better way to shop and please, and I Hope we find a better way to cop a keys, and I Wish everybody would just stop and freeze And ask why are we fulfilling these downfalls and these prophecies
Desire for improvement in society and reflection on harmful actions
You can be wrong if it's you doubting With the faith of a mustard seed you can move mountains And only the heavenly father can ease the hurt Just let it go and keep prayin' on your knees in church and let's hope
Encouragement to trust in faith and overcome obstacles
'Cause I'm hopeful, yes I am, hopeful for today, Let it take you away, I know it ain't easy but that's okay. Let's be hopeful
Final emphasis on hope and positivity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: THOMAS CALLAWAY, CARL MITCHELL, FREDERICK TAYLOR, C MORTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind