Ya Boy was given his name by his cousin Bailey, and was helped to develop into a rap artist by his other cousin San Quinn. In the Summer of 2005, Ya Boy released his first solo mixtape, Future of The Franchise, and it sold 10,000 copies in the first month alone. This was to be followed up by his debut album, Rookie of the Year. His album features E-40, Turf Talk, Clyde Carson of The Team, San Quinn and more. The first single off the album was produced by Rick Rock and is titled "Step Ya Game Up."
In 2006, Ya Boy began an affiliation with The Black Wall Street. The Game took him under his wing and the two began to network. His affiliation with Game brought him a step higher in the rap game, as he began to collaborate with big name producers such as JR Rotem, Nu Jerzey Devil and Scott Storch to name a few. Pop star Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline, aka [artist[K-Fed[/artist], called upon Ya Boy's talent for writing, and had him ghost write for his debut album Playing With Fire.
Ya Boy makes a cameo appearance in the 1996 crime film Mad Dog Time.
Down So Long
Ya Boy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
[Ya Boy:]
Hey Mama
Ya Boy Gettin Paid Mama
Remember, It Didnt Used To Be This Way Mama
But Look, Ya Son Drivin Escalade's Mama
And After Them Shows Ya Son Gettin Laid Mama
But Ive Been Suffering So Long Huh, The Shit Is Frightening
People Are Star Struck, Im Gettin Starbucks
But Last Year I Couldnt Afford Starbucks
I Went From Honda Cord To Driving Large Trucks
Didnt Really Have A Name I Couldnt Charge Much
Nigga's Overlookin The Bay But That Was Our Luck
Now I Got Sumthin To Say And They On Our Nuts
I Used To Hustle On The Block Sellin 10 Shots
And Now Im Tradin My Stocks At The Rim Shop
And The Shit Dont End No Its Not Stopping
Im In New York With Jin We Got The Set Popping
[Chorus: Ya Boy (Jin)]
Ayy Ive Been Down So Long ,So Long, So Long(Its Time For Me To Come Up) [x4]
Ayy Ive Been Down So Long ,So Long, So Long(If You With Me Get Up)
[Jin:]
I Speak For The Mc's So You Can Understand Him
1 - 2 Battle's Now They Call Me 100 Grand Jin
Accept The Fact That You Cant Win
Its A Done Deal Now That I Linked Up With Ya Boy In St Quin
You Know Cats Will Talk We Just Here To Get It Poppin
And Let The Bay Watch Like David Hasselhoff
Then Go Global With It Hit Your Part Of Town
But You Cant Reach The Sky If You Dont Start From The Ground
Can You Blame My Confidence?
In 4 Years I Rocked About 36 States And 5 Continents
Thats All On The Strenght Of My Flow
Only Suckers Who Measure Skills Based On The Land Of There Dough
I Represent The Graphieus Ask My Man Kay
He'll Tell You Right There Im Only 1 Hit Away
But You Never Know, Shit This Could Be The Song
Its Time To Come Up Ive Been Down So Long
[Chorus: Ya Boy (Jin)]
Ayy Ive Been Down So Long ,So Long, So Long(Its Time For Me To Come Up) [x4]
Ayy Ive Been Down So Long ,So Long, So Long(If You With Me Get Up)
[Jin (Ya Boy):]
So If You With Me Out There Then Please Stand Up
(And If You Hustlin Work Then Put Your Grands Up)
But If You Get Locked And Put On A Stand Stuck
(Remember Snitchin Aint Cool Dont Never Give Your Mans Up)
(And For My 9 To 5 Workin I Aint Mad At You)
Single Baby Mothers That Gotta Be The Daddy Too
(This Is The Anthem For The Struggle In The Grind)
Its Jin
(Ya Boy)
Its About Time
[Chorus: Ya Boy (Jin)]
Ayy Ive Been Down So Long ,So Long, So Long(Its Time For Me To Come Up) [x4]
Ayy Ive Been Down So Long ,So Long, So Long(If You With Me Get Up)
The lyrics of Ya Boy's song "Down So Long" express the transformation of the artist's life from struggle and hardship to success and wealth. He addresses his mother, who can see the change in her son's life that did not come easily but through hard work and dedication. He admits that people are now star-struck with him and he is getting Starbucks but a year ago, he couldn't afford it. He acknowledges that he used to hustle on the block, selling 10 shots, but now he trades his stocks at the rim shop, which indicates a significant rise in his financial situation. He also talks about how people are now overlooking the Bay, but he and his colleagues have put it on the map.
The chorus "I’ve been down so long, so long, so long / It's time for me to come up" echoes the sentiments of Ya Boy and Jin, who have both worked hard and been through a lot to get to where they are in their careers now. Jin's verse complements Ya Boy's experience, as he speaks for the MCs and highlights his own rise to success. He talks about his confidence in his abilities, his journey across the US and the world, and his determination to keep going.
Overall, the song is about resilience, hard work, and perseverance in the face of challenging circumstances. Ya Boy and Jin encourage their listeners to keep going because success is possible, even after a long period of struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Mama
Ya Boy greets his mom
Ya Boy Gettin Paid Mama
Ya Boy tells his mother he is earning money
Remember, It Didnt Used To Be This Way Mama
Ya Boy reminisces on the past when he was not making as much money
But Look, Ya Son Drivin Escalade's Mama
Ya Boy shows his mother that he can afford luxury cars like an Escalade
And After Them Shows Ya Son Gettin Laid Mama
Ya Boy tells his mom that he is having success with women after performing shows
I Dont Know What It Is Mayb The Like Me
Ya Boy is not sure why he is gaining popularity with fans
But Ive Been Suffering So Long Huh, The Shit Is Frightening
Ya Boy has dealt with a lot of hardships and it is scary to see how much his life has changed
People Are Star Struck, Im Gettin Starbucks
Ya Boy is now famous and people are in awe of him, while he casually gets coffee from Starbucks
But Last Year I Couldnt Afford Starbucks
Ya Boy is showing how much his situation has changed since last year when he could not afford Starbucks
I Went From Honda Cord To Driving Large Trucks
Ya Boy used to have a Honda Accord and now he can afford larger, fancier trucks
Didnt Really Have A Name I Couldnt Charge Much
Ya Boy was not well-known and could not make as much money from his music
Nigga's Overlookin The Bay But That Was Our Luck
People did not pay attention to the Bay area of California, but now it is becoming popular
Now I Got Sumthin To Say And They On Our Nuts
Ya Boy now has a voice and people are paying attention to him
I Used To Hustle On The Block Sellin 10 Shots
Ya Boy used to sell drugs on the streets
And Now Im Tradin My Stocks At The Rim Shop
Ya Boy is now investing in stocks and rims for his truck
And The Shit Dont End No Its Not Stopping
Ya Boy's success is not slowing down and there is no end in sight
Im In New York With Jin We Got The Set Popping
Ya Boy is in New York City with Jin and they are making things happen
Ayy Ive Been Down So Long ,So Long, So Long(Its Time For Me To Come Up)
Ya Boy has been through a lot of tough times and now it is time for him to have success
If You With Me Get Up
Ya Boy is rallying his supporters
I Speak For The Mc's So You Can Understand Him
Jin is making music that the audience can relate to
1 - 2 Battle's Now They Call Me 100 Grand Jin
Jin has won a lot of battles and is now well-known
Accept The Fact That You Cant Win
Jin is telling other rappers to accept that they cannot beat him in a battle
Its A Done Deal Now That I Linked Up With Ya Boy In St Quin
Now that Jin is working with Ya Boy in St. Quentin, their success is guaranteed
You Know Cats Will Talk We Just Here To Get It Poppin
Other people may try to bring them down, but Jin and Ya Boy are focused on making great music
And Let The Bay Watch Like David Hasselhoff
Jin and Ya Boy want their music to be popular, like the TV show Baywatch
Then Go Global With It Hit Your Part Of Town
Jin and Ya Boy want their music to be worldwide and make an impact everywhere
But You Cant Reach The Sky If You Dont Start From The Ground
You have to start small and work your way up to achieve great success
Can You Blame My Confidence?
Jin is confident in his skills as a rapper
In 4 Years I Rocked About 36 States And 5 Continents
Jin has traveled to many places and performed in many countries in the past 4 years
Thats All On The Strenght Of My Flow
Jin's success comes from the quality of his music
Only Suckers Who Measure Skills Based On The Land Of There Dough
Jin thinks that people who judge rappers based on how much money they make are not true fans of music
I Represent The Graphieus Ask My Man Kay
Jin is part of the Graphieus crew and Kay can confirm this
He'll Tell You Right There Im Only 1 Hit Away
Kay believes that Jin just needs one really popular song to become even more successful
But You Never Know, Shit This Could Be The Song
Jin is hopeful that this could be the song that takes him to the next level
So If You With Me Out There Then Please Stand Up
Jin is asking his fans to support him
(And If You Hustlin Work Then Put Your Grands Up)
Jin is telling people who are working hard to make money to support him
But If You Get Locked And Put On A Stand Stuck
Jin warns people not to snitch if they get arrested
(Remember Snitchin Aint Cool Dont Never Give Your Mans Up)
Jin reinforces the idea that snitching is not acceptable and you should not betray your friends
(And For My 9 To 5 Workin I Aint Mad At You)
Jin respects people who have regular jobs and work hard
Single Baby Mothers That Gotta Be The Daddy Too
Jin is showing support for single mothers who have to take on both parenting roles
(This Is The Anthem For The Struggle In The Grind)
Jin and Ya Boy's song is about working hard and overcoming struggles
Its Jin
Jin is reminding listeners who he is
(Ya Boy)
Ya Boy is featured on the song
Its About Time
It is finally time for Jin and Ya Boy to achieve their success
Contributed by Lauren F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.