Vanessa Brown was born in Northampton, England. She is the eldest of six siblings. Her mother is Jamaican and her father is Puerto Rican. She attended Overstone Park School near Northampton, which her parents own and work at. Brown learned to play the piano, developed her vocals and took classical and jazz piano lessons at a musical arts school. Brown was given her name "V V" from her peers as an MC nickname when she attended her middle school. Her love for hip hop and artists such as J Dilla and Q-Tip still exists. Brown studied violin at the age of 9 but gave it up because she found she was better at the piano and trumpet. She completed her grade 8 jazz trumpet at the age of 16 and went on to play in jazz bands up to the age of 21.
Growing up, V V listened to jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie. Brown earned four "A" grade A-Levels, studying at Kingsthorpe Upper School (now Kingsthorpe Community College) a year early; she was offered places at five top UK universities to study law including Oxford, King's College London, LSE and York. She declined the offers to follow a career in music. V V Brown was first offered a deal by Gut records when she was 14 but due to educational commitments she decided to finish her studies. She was then offered a deal by Danny Simms, the manager and mogul associated with Bob Marley. Brown declined to finish her studies. She joined a punk band at 15 and had the opportunity to tour Japan. Subsequently, P. Diddy attempted to sign her to his record label Bad Boy Records.
At 18, Brown was invited to an open audition for "VH1 Divas" by friends and was stopped outside the venue by an executive from London Records. Brown was offered a development deal by London records. The development soon came to an end and, at 19, Brown was offered a deal by Polydor records in the UK and A&M records in the US. She left her deal with Polydor and A&M in 2006, with just one single - "Whipped" - officially being released, and a planned album titled "Back to the Music" never materialising.
Brown moved back to London and began performing in bars and clubs around London. She was rediscovered by executive Darcus Beese and signed to Island Records. "Traveling Like the Light" was then recorded in 2007-2008. Brown said that most of the lyrics on the album were about a failed affair Brown endured. The album was promoted by four singles: "Crying Blood", "LEAVE!", "Shark in the Water" and "Game Over". "Shark in the Water" charted in the British, French and American charts, and was certified gold in America and France in 2009.
On September 14 2011, Brown announced that the first single from her then untitled sophomore album would be "Children" featuring Chiddy of Chiddy Bang. The song was released digitally on September 20 2011 (the release was limited to the US, Canada and Mexico as her UK deal with Island Records expired). On October 4 2011, Brown announced that the album would be titled "Lollipops & Politics" and released on February 7 of the following year.
Weeks before its planned release, a digital preorder for the album on Amazon was removed, leading to Brown announcing that the LP would be pushed back in order for a worldwide release to occur and to add more songs. However, she eventually confirmed that the entire release would be scrapped and a new album released in its place, with news also emerging that Brown had left Capitol Records and set up her own label, YOY Records (You Own You).
"Samson" was released as her second album proper's lead single on July 14 2013. Brown announced that the LP would be called "Samson & Delilah" and released on October 8 in the US and September 9 in the UK. The second single, "The Apple", was released on August 25 in the UK, with a third single, a remixed version of album track "Faith" featuring Bloc Party's Kele, following in March 2014.
Brown commenced recording of her third album in mid-2014 exclusively with producer Nearly Native (James Leggett), who she had found on SoundCloud. The project, initially planned to be an EP, expanded into an album, with a planned release date of March 2015 being pushed back. Brown filmed 3 music videos for the songs "Shift", "Instincts" and "Lazarus" in March, with the former song's video leaking in June.
The next month, Brown announced that she would be adopting a new stage name, V V, made her album available for preorder on Pledge Music, and shared the video for "Instincts". "Shift" was released officially on August 7 exclusively to streaming services, with its parent album "Glitch" expected in autumn.
Everybody
V V Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
I swear I love my city, I just want less (Statik)
See me, they salute me, they ain't ready for that (Statik)
Detroit vs. Everybody
Uh, I took a bite out the rotten apple by the poison tree
All these females need to email to make noise
And now things changin' a lot, he fuck with my authority
But not by the seashore if he gangbangin' or not
It's simple as the alphabet
He F with me, that G shall surely see
He definitely as 'bout it as retail fraud, he's weak
The honest gesture
The trigger finger 'round the diamond tester, we tell flaw with heat (uh)
The same soldier, it's me, myself and I
Ridin' 'round shootin' my biopic and my autobiography
Range Rover, this ain't the squash beef state
You thinkin' make up, we thinkin' Lark Voorhies face
The twin Eagle'll air his coupe, might as well ride by in an ambulance
My parachute like skydivin' in Hammer pants
So call it sibling rivalry
Take his life, call it the unforgivable robbery
A wise man told me that holdin' a grudge is like
Lettin' somebody just live inside of your head rent free
Real talk, I don't got time to evict these clowns
Y'all niggas been bitches, that's none of my business, but I don't sip tea
(That's Nickel) Ride around his block
All he knows is pitfalls, that's why he's always climbin' out his drop
(I got a question) Do you wanna ride or die?
Welcome to Detroit, mothafucka (Sean Don)
Boy I need no halves and halves, I want the game in entirety
Hundred percent cut, no stitches required (no)
Welcome to Detroit where if you get that promotion
Don't worry man, them bullets will still be at your ass firin' (brr brr)
I still call it safe, I would suck if I was umpirin'
Boy I hit the beat I just treat that shit like a diary
I'm offended if you hear my new shit and you ain't rewindin' me
Self made, I never needed your bail or a wire, see
I'm never callin' collect, I call to collect
My homie wanted a Chevy so I put my dog in the 'Vette (swerve)
Ha, plus I'm so loyal that that paper, boy, is all that I fetch
If the ball in my hand then the ball in the net (net, uh)
Bitch I'm the D, can't no offence dunk on me (me)
I'm Mr. Big Shot, these hoes get drunk off me (me)
I'm over-respected, my mama gated community's overprotective
So futuristic, I'm already over my next bitch
Reminiscin' on listenin' to 50 fifty times a day
Back when tenth grade was like fifty days away
Tryna get paid fifty ways a day
Used to put fifty on the layaway, now my closet fifty shades of grey
Twenty six and I done lived a lifetime a few times
From futons to Grey Poupons
In church tryna get a little savings, yeah coupons (God)
I spit that A1 every day, I'm hittin' new primes
Now the stakes high, niggas surprised at the new lines
Takin' down my number like "you still ain't got a new line?"
Nah it's the same, we been laborin' for years
I know it took way longer than nine months, but fuck it, it's all in due time
I turned a blunt to a roach with dreams of bein' a Beatle though
Don't want to, I need to, ya gotta learn to keep it cerebral
When you come up in a place where everyone got a piece but ain't peaceful
This is just part one, wait 'til the sequel (let's go) lil' bitch
Tell 'em if they want it, they can come get that (Statik)
I swear I love my city, I just less little (Statik)
See me, they salute me, they ain't ready for that (Statik)
Detroit vs. Everybody
Comin' from them streets where they thirsty, starvin' to eat
Just a step away from felon, that's why they call it the D
Arguably the whole reason for all of this honesty
Honestly no honor roll, but honored up in them streets
'Cause I'm a Linwood nigga, them young niggas hit ya
Put a stack on your head, you'll bleed a lake on Grand River
If you think your hood harder, then I might beg to differ
Know some killers pull the trigger for a Swisher and Miller
In a blink I'll hit your kisser, bet yo ass ain't rememberin'
They say my city's tougher than two fat bitches scissoring
So nigga I'm a veteran, retire my letterman
Have K's out front your school, but I ain't goin' to Kettering
Cough up a lung, 313 where I'm from
Xan got me cross eyed like Bernstein's son
Any nigga try to copy, put a hole in his top
It's us vs them, Detroit vs everybody, yeah
Lately it seems as if it's me against the world
Like it was before my life became a movie
And they used to use my mothafuckin' trailer to tease me with
But I flipped that script like a refill a
Painkillers to pop that lid off that safety seal
It made me feel amazing, Navy SEAL of bravery
And if I may reiterate, I ain't even need a script
I ain't bein' conceited, but I made it to radio, eat a dick
I still never ABC the shit
Mainstream appeal but the skill is what made me iller
Since before they called Jay Dee Dilla
I was daydreamin' one day I would be the shit
And if I ever end up escapin' these streets I swear that I would stay here
Still in it, and I'm crazy, I'll always be real
Don't make me steal an eighteen wheeler
Break all of my friends out of here and take 'em straight to the Mercedes dealer
Peel off back to the same block that we came from, on a rampage
Too crazy for me to flip
What's makin' you think I need a switch? 'Cause I'm Adrian Peterson
When he's raging and heated and on the way to go beat his kid?
On the track get spanked like he just did
(Detroit) I can't never leave this bitch
Sick of bein' treated like me and shit, but Jesus
I can just see why people quit callin' me to do features
And them cyphers on BET 'cause if
I wasn't me I probably wouldn't want to play with me neither, shit
Seems to be reachin' this fever pitch, hundred and eighty degrees in here
Shoulder blade full of cedar chips
MCs just bit off more than they can chew like a face full of Swedish Fish
Or Lorena with two penises
Hateful and genius, this inconvenience
And for the record, you won't want this kind of static
In your life, when I'm makin' you cling to it
May consider tryna reinsulate ya windows
May be in for another crazy winter
'Cause so cold in the D, it is as days begin to tick away
But ain't this what really made me into the angry bitter blonde
But ain't we sick of bein' underdogs
Don't make me unleash this shit, release this Pit may even seem as if
I'm yankin' your chain a bit or maybe the way in which I'm sayin' shit
Is playin' with your relation, changin' it it's still the same shit and Shady's still a lady killer
Since the day I went insane and attacked the baby sitter
With a potato peeler and mushed her face into the entertainment center
It's like another plane just entered into Ukraine again
Or the Bermuda Triangle and attempted to make a safe descent
Awaiting anyone who ain't affiliated, it could be danger
Did you make arrangements with the gangsters 'fore you came here?
And if they mention us
Tell 'em if they want it, they can come get that (Statik)
I swear I love my city, I just want less (Statik)
See me, they salute me, they ain't ready for that (Statik)
Detroit vs. Everybody
What up though?
It's the godfather Trick Trick
You either ridin' with us
Or gettin' rolled on
That means Detroit versus everybody
Hey Em
Let me get that instrumental, take it down to the hood
Let the little homies get this remix crackin'
Detroit
Okay
The lyrics to V V Brown's song "Everybody" are a dialogue between different rappers who talk about their experiences living in Detroit, Michigan. They talk about their struggles in life and the pain of growing up in a tough environment. They express the pride they have for their city and their desire to succeed despite the obstacles they face. One of the rappers mentions that he has turned to drugs to cope with the stress of his surroundings. Another rapper talks about his aspirations and how he aims to make a name for himself in the rap game. Throughout the song, they reflect on what it means to be from Detroit and how they can overcome the challenges they face.
This song is a testament to the resilience and determination of the people of Detroit. The lyrics capture the roughness of the city while also highlighting the strength of the community. The rappers' powerful lyrics paint a vivid picture of what it's like to live in Detroit, a city known for its poverty, crime, and loss of industry.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, WARP MUSIC LIMITED, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew Robert, Daniel Sewell, DeJa Trimble, James Brown, Jonathan Brooks, Marshall Mathers, Patrick Baril, Peter Beveridge, Ryan Montgomery, Sean Anderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aRtIzMyLyFe0711
Love the message! "Can't we see the beauty in the difference and appreciate it there?" ~V.V. Brown
@schmeggegi
i can't believe she's not a huge star already xD i love all of her songs!
@SusieJW
She sang this on Thurs at the Young Voices concert in Sheffield... fantastic!
@gracek343
she sang it last night at young voices in northern ireland i love it..........but i LOVE crazy amazing
@themissgracefull
she sang at the royal albert hall on friday with me! I love this song now!
@myseramicsims
I REALLY LIKE THIS SONG!!!!!!
@anaibizamoon
Nice song!!
@AZN411
awesome song, thanx man i appreciate the upload
@avfob
My favorite <3 ! GO V.V
@sunstalker101
ive seen her live at the o2 arena at young voices concert 2009