Born and raised on the Northeast side of Wichita, Kansas, XV (born Donavan Johnson) was not your average kid on the block. Suffering from an incredibly rare phobia known as Excelsiorophobia, he is deathly fearful of placing a hat firmly upon his cranium. He has fought this fear his entire life, as you can clearly see, placing baseball caps at various angles atop his head. Despite suffering from this career and personality defining phobia, he has persevered to establish a life that resembles some normalcy. Of course he played basketball, rode his bike and reenacted scenes from Power Rangers, like any other youthful spirit would. But his interests varied from those of his three brothers. With a born love for music like his father, who was a record label A&R and an employee at BET, XV began writing songs at the age of 9. Though he was raised by his Mom and Step-Father, the love of music was instilled in him, as well as various other talents such as, writing screenplays and designing websites.
"When I said I wanted to be something, I mean't it! My Grandmother would take me to the library on the weekends and get me every book I needed to learn how to make a movie. I was far from your average kid. When kids were at recess, I would be in class using the school camera to shoot fake news reports. I'm a big dreamer."
The desire to be bigger than his body was fulfilled when XV found Hip-Hop. Being able to express emotions, fantasies, and dilemma's using a clever sense of wordplay makes XV the extraordinary lyricist he is today. His ability to display the perils of the street life, the consciousness of a purist, and relate to suburban youth, stems from his socialness in school. Having friends who were gangbangers, preacher's kids, and rich white boys, allowed XV to break the boundaries many rappers place themselves in, and explore artistic ways to speak to all types of people. Acquiring the moniker, XV, from the roman numerals of "15", the age he was when he decided to begin taking his craft seriously and producing his own music. Inspired by mostly east coast MC's such as Jay-Z, Biggie, Mase, Mos Def, Cam'ron and Talib Kweli, XV recorded, produced, and released his first independent album in 2002. In 2003, his album, "The Answer", received rave reviews on various hip-hop websites.
Without any industry help or management, XV continued to work hard to create a buzz for himself and his record label, Royalty Recordz. Though he got his start performing live at his high school's talent shows, XV went on to opening up for The Ying Yang Twins, Mike Jones, Lil' Rob, Jon B., and defeated four local Hip-Hop acts with over 600 votes to open up for G-Unit. XV then went on to placing a song on Midway's NARC videogame, which led to XV creeping slowly out of the Kansas boundaries in search of a larger base of recognition. That recognition came after XV began making his mark on the mixtape scene with the "Royalty City" Mixtape series and "The Definition" mixtapes, featuring labelmates Bling and Sez Batters. Acknowledgement came from artists such as The Game, Paul Wall, Maino, Sheek Louch and DJ's such as Whoo Kid and On Point. The base has been built, now it's time to strengthen the foundation.
"The title 'COMPLEX' was created when I was trying to describe my album to Bling. It was like being told to describe a three-dimensional piece in two-dimensional form. The title also reflects a characteristic carried amongst most prodigies. I feel the most abstract and idealistic people in the world are complex, because there's so many different layers to them. Albert Einstein was complex, Picasso was complex, Tupac was complex. This album is basically my search for clarity."
With 13-tracks laced with thought-provoking, clever and sometimes cocky lyrical content, XV's search seems to come to a happy medium. His fresh and original topics vary from stereotyping to the differences in urban and suburban america. COMPLEX will be the first major-scale album from XV, and features production from himself, Seven and Benjamin Kash. The album's lead single, "Give You Everything", produced by Seven, is a charming, and sometimes humorous, narrative about a materialistic girlfriend that XV can't seem to break up with. The song that is sure to be a radio smash and bring clarity to the complexity of XV is, "Boy From Kansas". "It was the last song I wrote for Complex, so I feel like it's the most open song about me. My next album is going to be called, 'Clarity', and 'Boy From Kansas' was a step towards that. No matter where you're from, you can relate to that song."
It is a constant struggle for an artist to find himself, and many get lost in the search. It's also a battle for a brand new artist to come out and just be themself. XV is proof that it is a battle that you can win. With an album filled with honesty, positivity, humor, vulnerability and hardly any obscenities, finding clarity may not be an issue for XV any longer. "I'm a regular human-being. I get mad in traffic, I curse, I think about sex 98% of the day. But, in the end. When they read about me or find my time capsule 500 years from now. I want them to say that I was a positive dude. And that's who I am in my music."
The Most
XV Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And show everybody who don't know
Man I do it the most
Hands high every row from the front to the back of the show
Man I do it the most
I get going when I go in
Got bad bitches on my groin, oh
Why she bout to go in to that whip
That I be rollin' while video game controlling
She posted up like she posing my Lyndsey but no Lohan
And my flow is Grey's Anatomy for slow one's, I body it
I'm on my Konami shit, one inch punch karate kicks
See my way like lobbyists or Gotti's kids
In all honestness I'm quiet as a mouse with my modestness
So ketchup like a condiment
You don't know my accomplishments
Taking over villages
Burning down cottages
Selling out venues and panty raiding at colleges
Playing Raiden on Mortal Kombat ain't even shocking as this
Vizzy here, busy yeah, we raising our toasts
Up in that bread, like raisins in toast
They know I'm cut so when I'm balling I'm playing it close
Last but not least cuz I'm saying the most
I'm talking drop top, shorty wanna roll
And show everybody who don't know
Man I do it the most
Hands high every row from the front to the back of the show
Man I do it the most
Most amazing
Most entertaining
Most awesome
(Man I do it the most)
Most innovative
And most niggas hate it
But most see why I made it
It's cause I do the most
Kill it when I'm in the building every time you come to shows
See them girls, they kinda cool, ask 'em if they down to roll
When we hitting the hotel is all they really wanna know
Cuz she's going down on X soon as she go up in smoke
Tell my home I am o-o-on
And I am ba-ba-back for all them cats that fronted on
I am taking hits of life (inhales) puff it long
On that train that Puffy on
Bonjour Paris I am ?
We're in the club trapped in that bottle like a genie
Felt like I hit the lotto all these models on my weenie
She said that her man was kinda like Pee Wee
And that's why all the squares in the circle wanna be me
If you shine like I shine then put your hands high and say
Man I do it the most!?
If you grind like I grind then put your hands high and say
Man I do it the most!?
If you fly like I'm fly then put your hands high and say
Man I do it the most!?
If you got it like I got it then you probably over ?
And if they forgot letters, remind 'em
In XV's song The Most, he is boasting about how he outshines everyone and does things to the fullest extent. Throughout the song, XV talks about his luxurious lifestyle and how he always gets what he wants. He raps about how he always stands out from the crowd and how he is always the center of attention. He uses the phrase "man I do it the most" repeatedly throughout the song to emphasize that he always goes above and beyond.
The lyrics also talk about XV's love for gaming, particularly Mortal Kombat and Konami, a reference to the popular video game company. He compares his flow to Grey's Anatomy, saying he "bodies it," emphasizing his skills as a rapper. XV also talks about his experiences with women and partying, boasting that he always gets the girl and turns up. In the final verse of the song, XV encourages listeners to join him in his success, asking them to put their hands up and say "Man I do it the most."
Overall, XV's lyrics are meant to show his confidence and self-assurance. He is proud of his accomplishments and wants to share them with his listeners. The song's upbeat and catchy melody serves to further emphasize XV's message of living life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm talking drop top, shorty wanna roll
I'm talking about cruising in my convertible car, and my female companion wants to come along for the ride.
And show everybody who don't know
We're going to take this ride to show off to all those who are unaware of who I am.
Man I do it the most
I don't just do it, I do it the most, better than anyone else.
Hands high every row from the front to the back of the show
At my shows, everyone in every row from the front to the back raises their hands up high.
Man I do it the most
Again, I don't just do it, I do it the most, better than anyone else.
I get going when I go in
When I enter the scene, I hit the ground running.
Got bad bitches on my groin, oh
I have multiple attractive women vying for my attention.
You and that girl go out, so
You're already with your girlfriend, so why is she trying to come with me?
Why she bout to go in to that whip
Why is she getting into my car?
That I be rollin' while video game controlling
I'm driving my car as if it's a video game controller.
She posted up like she posing my Lyndsey but no Lohan
She's posing like she's trying to be a model, but not like the troubled star Lindsay Lohan.
And my flow is Grey's Anatomy for slow one's, I body it
My rap flow is like the popular TV show Grey's Anatomy to those who can't keep up; I dominate it.
I'm on my Konami shit, one inch punch karate kicks
I'm doing everything with precision and agility, like a martial arts expert in a Konami video game.
See my way like lobbyists or Gotti's kids
I have influence like powerful people in politics or the children of mobster John Gotti.
In all honestness I'm quiet as a mouse with my modestness
Although I'm honest about my skills, I'm modest and understated in my demeanor.
So ketchup like a condiment
Catch up with me if you can, like how you add ketchup to your food as a side item.
You don't know my accomplishments
You're unfamiliar with my past achievements.
Taking over villages
I'm metaphorically taking control of different areas of the music industry.
Burning down cottages
I'm completing dominating my competition, metaphorically burning down their homes.
Selling out venues and panty raiding at colleges
I'm performing so well that I'm selling out concert venues and having wild success with women at colleges.
Playing Raiden on Mortal Kombat ain't even shocking as this
Even something as wild as playing a video game character like Raiden in Mortal Kombat isn't as impressive as my real-life accomplishments.
Vizzy here, busy yeah, we raising our toasts
My name is Vizzy and I'm busy, but I'm still raising my glass in a toast to my success.
Up in that bread, like raisins in toast
I'm rolling in the money, like raisins in a slice of bread.
They know I'm cut so when I'm balling I'm playing it close
People know I'm successful, so I try to keep a low profile while still achieving greatness.
Last but not least cuz I'm saying the most
I'm the last one to speak, but I'm saying the most important thing.
Most amazing
I'm beyond amazing, the most amazing.
Most entertaining
I'm the most entertaining performer there is.
Most awesome
I'm the most awesome and inspiring person around.
(Man I do it the most)
I keep doing it better than everyone else.
Most innovative
My approach is the most original and creative.
And most niggas hate it
Although many people admire me, others hate me out of jealousy.
But most see why I made it
Even those who hate me can understand why I made it to the top.
Kill it when I'm in the building every time you come to shows
I absolutely dominate the stage every time I perform at a concert.
See them girls, they kinda cool, ask 'em if they down to roll
I'm surrounded by attractive women, and I'm inviting others to come and join us.
When we hitting the hotel is all they really wanna know
All these women care about is when we're going back to the hotel.
Cuz she's going down on X soon as she go up in smoke
As soon as she's high off drugs, she's going to perform sexual favors for me.
Tell my home I am o-o-on
I'm letting my homies know that I'm currently occupied.
And I am ba-ba-back for all them cats that fronted on
I'm back, proving all those who underestimated me wrong.
I am taking hits of life (inhales) puff it long
I'm constantly dealing with the obstacles and challenges life throws my way, and I'm taking it all in stride.
On that train that Puffy on
I'm following in the footsteps of rapper Puff Daddy and his success.
Bonjour Paris I am ?
I'm acknowledging my global fame and greeting my fans in Paris, France.
We're in the club trapped in that bottle like a genie
We're having a great time in the club, as if we're trapped in a bottle like a genie.
Felt like I hit the lotto all these models on my weenie
I feel like I just won the lottery with all these attractive women vying for my attention.
She said that her man was kinda like Pee Wee
One of these women said that her boyfriend is lame and compared him to the goofy character Pee Wee Herman.
And that's why all the squares in the circle wanna be me
My haters are only hating because they envy my success and the attention that I'm receiving.
If you shine like I shine then put your hands high and say
If you're as successful and radiant as I am, then raise your hands high and say...
Man I do it the most!?
...that you're doing it the most, just like I am.
If you grind like I grind then put your hands high and say
If you work as hard as I do, then raise your hands high and say...
Man I do it the most!?
...that you're doing it the most, just like I am.
If you fly like I'm fly then put your hands high and say
If you're as cool as I am, then raise your hands high and say...
Man I do it the most!?
...that you're doing it the most, just like I am.
If you got it like I got it then you probably over?
If you have as much success as I do, then you're probably overwhelmed with all the attention and fame.
And if they forgot letters, remind 'em
If someone forgot who I am, then remind them of my greatness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: CHARLES GREENBERG, DANIEL WAYNE, DONAVAN JOHNSON, MECHELE HILL, OLATUNJI BALOGUN, WILLIAM LOBBAN-BEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@200162918
Xv is a lyrical genius, I'm defintly buying this EP
@bjz13
First time I've actually been able to buy something from XV after how ever many years of listening to his mixtapes...good feeling
@kristoffersrensen3427
Me too, just bought it :)
@ThaaMuhhFuhh
i'm praying this doesn't go mainstream , cause this is a song that'd be all over the radio , and it'd get ruined.
@shadelaquan
the first verse is actually from a song he did with Donnis called Move On, yet he still does work
@kidmonny
XV is a beast bruh
@neilm71
pretty weird that over 3 years later, this is the only version of this song I can find on YouTube. Makes me want to do a lyric version or perhaps a clean... A banger for the ages.
@ThaaMuhhFuhh
yeah very true. I guess everything has its positives and negatives.
@2010PlayaProductions
Vizzy literally does it the most
@VIRUSKID91
what is this instrumental called