As one of the six epicenters of Southern hip hop, Memphis has always had a thriving underground capable of producing major platinum superstars such as Eightball & MJG, 3-6 Mafia and Project Pat,Skip a.k.a Gianni Booker. All of the above-mentioned artists at one point in time literally dominated the city’s underground rap scene before going on to become national superstars. Next up to bat is Yo Gotti, M-Town’s current underground rap kingpin. Like his namesake John Gotti, the Memphis based rapper has been running the Southern underground scene with an iron fist for the past. Known and respected throughout the South for his skill and finesse on the microphone, Yo Gotti is one the South’s most respected young rappers.
Born Mario Mims, Yo Gotti grew up in the infamous Ridge Crest Apartments in a North Memphis neighborhood called Frazier. His childhood was typical for a poor ghetto youth in the Deep South. Raised in a family of hustlers and exposed to hard times 24 hours a day the Tennessee rap titan soon turned to the only thing that he knew could get him paid, hustling. “Being from the hood things like hustling will come your way,” says Yo Gotti. “Everybody in my family hustled in some kinda way.” Ironically, hustling is what ultimately led Yo Gotti to rapping.
Taking his cue from Memphis rap legends such as Eightball & MJG, Al Kapone, Gangsta Black, Triple 6 Mafia and Kingpin Skinny Pimp, all of whom he lists as influences, Yo Gotti released his own underground tape entitled, Youngster on the Come Up and placed it on consignment at local mom & pop record stores as well as hustling it out the trunk. The tape sold like hotcakes on the street and made Yo Gotti the hottest rapper on the streets of Memphis. From the Dope Game to the Rap Game, Yo Gotti’s sophomore effort sold so well that Select-O-Hits, a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal and the Memphis rapper more than doubled his fan base with absolutely no marketing or promotions. Soon he found himself ranked among the city’s top rappers. In addition to being featured on the cover of Murderdog Magazine along side his idols Kingpin Skinny Pimp and Al Kapone his record From the Dope Game to the Rap Game made the list for the magazine’s top independent record for the year 2000.
Two years later he inked a distribution deal with TVT Records and released the critically acclaimed album Life, which did respectable numbers for an independent label. “It sold about 40 or 50,000, with no promotions or video,” says Yo Gotti. “That record did what it did on its own.” But as the old saying goes when one door is closed another opened. Gotti’s reputation as the king of Memphis continued to spread and that eventually led him to a production deal with Cash Money/Universal records for his group the Block Burnaz. With his TVT sophomore album entitled Back 2 Da Basics, Yo Gotti returns with the same hardcore street flavor that his die-hard fans have come to know and love, only this time around the true king of Memphis has elevated his game a bit. Given the fact that his last record didn’t do the type of big number he’d hope for you’d think that Yo Gotti would switch up his style to reach a larger audience. Right? Wrong! According to Gotti his street credibility with his underground fans means more to him than gold or platinum status.
“The one thing that you have to understand is that when you create a fan base off of street product the last thing you wanna do is disrespect them by changing because of the record companies and stuff like that. When you do that you change what created you. To me it is very important that I keep in tune with the people that helped to sell 40,000 records independently. That’s why I call my record Back 2 Da Basics.”
Produced by DJ Thoomp, Mannie Fresh, Carlos Brody and newcomers Street Tunes, Back 2 Da Basics offers fans a gritty, insider’s view into the real streets of Memphis as seen through the eyes of Yo Gotti. Nowhere is this viewpoint more intense than on “Full Time,” the amped up lead single –and featured in the MTV Films’ Hustle & Flow movie - with a thunderous bass and intoxicating beat that espouses Gotti’s formula to success –hustle full time.
“A lotta cats wanna be a rapper or a street hustler but they don’t wanna put in the time that it takes,” says Yo Gotti. “They want the money and the cars and the girls, but they don’t wanna work hard for it. But to be successful at anything you gotta grind for it.” On the song “Mama We Gone Be Alright,” he waxes introspective by reflecting on all of the hard times that he and his family have suffered through the years and offers her hope-filled words encouragement. “Mama We Gone Be Alright” along with the gripping tune “My Story” emerges as two of the most interesting songs on Back 2 Da Basics. These three titles along with club banging songs like “Shorty” featuring Baby make Back 2 Da Basics one of the best albums of the year.
A Part of Thugs
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was light, bright, damn near white wit them ; chinese eyes and big gurl thighs
And it was ; so many rumors and so many lies about my
So many girls and so many wives that it ; broke up my home she left me alone and I was
Tryna explain to her on the phone but I'm like ; what was the use of tellin the truth 'cause I was
Traind as a youth to do wut I do so I jus ; tell her sum lies to make her feel good like
One day I'm movin you out the hood it went from ; kisses and hugs to pushes and shoves but that was
All a part of fuckin wit thugs cum on
[chorus]
If you was down you would steal fo a nigga ; stay by my side even kill fo a nigga
If you fuck wit a nigga for real ; it ain't nothin to keepin it trill
[verse 2]
She jus ; wantd to smile and wantd a child but I was
Ruinin her dreams by livin too wild she said I ; need to cum down and act like a man
And my response was like ; wut the fuck is you sayin
'cause I was ; so caught up in the movin and white that I was
Gone 24-7 a night and I didn't
Give a fuck if I was wrong or was right 'cause I wuz a ; D Boy livin a D Boy life and she was a
School girl slash D Boy wife and it was ; in wit the wrong and out wit the right 'cause she was
Traffickin, manufacturin drugs but dat was ; all a part of fuckin wit thugs
[chorus]
If you was down you would steal fo a nigga ; stay by my side even kill fo a nigga
If you fuck wit a nigga for real ; it ain't nothin to keepin it trill
[verse 3]
We was ; tighter than fam, cooler than friends
We thought it wuld ; las forever and never wuld end
And we'd get ; mad at each other and try to pretend
Like we was ; callin it quits wasn't speakin again
We went out ; separate ways for a couple of days
You kno that ; separate phase sum hell of a days
Like uh ; I regret ever doin her friend
But it was the ; heat of the moment and you kno us men
We jus ; think wit out actin my mind was back trackin
But still ; I say wut I mean and I mean was I say 'cause I'm real
So play ya position and show us sum love
'cause that was ; all a part of fuckin wit thugs
[chorus]
If you was down you would steal fo a nigga ; stay by my side even kill fo a nigga
If you fuck wit a nigga for real ; it ain't nothin to keepin it trill
The song 'A Part of Thugs' by Yo Gotti is a rap song that explores the struggles and complexities of relationships when one person is involved in the criminal world. The first verse focuses on the singer's past infidelity and dishonesty to his partner, sharing that he was trained to lie and never saw the point of telling the truth. He promises to provide a new life for his partner, moving her out of the hood, but this gradually falls apart, leading to push and shove in their relationship, all of which is a part of being involved with thugs.
In the second verse, the singer continues to highlight the difficulties his relationship encountered due to his involvement in the drug trade. He acknowledges that he ruined his partner's dreams of starting a family due to his wild behavior and drug habits. While she tries to reason with him, he cannot comprehend what she is saying and is too consumed by his life as a drug dealer, leading them to part ways for a few days. They eventually reconcile, but the singer regrets his actions, including cheating on his partner's friend, because it was "the heat of the moment."
By constantly referring to "thugs" throughout the song, Yo Gotti implies that such relationships are doomed to fail because of the inherent dangers that come with being involved in the criminal underworld. Additionally, the chorus reinforces the idea that if one is truly committed to being a part of the thug life, they will go to great lengths to prove their loyalty, including stealing or killing for their partner. Overall, the song is a commentary on the complicated and often unpredictable consequences of living a life of crime.
Line by Line Meaning
She was light, bright, damn near white wit them ; chinese eyes and big gurl thighs
The girl Yo Gotti was with had a light complexion, big eyes, and thick thighs.
And it was ; so many rumors and so many lies about my
People spread rumors and lies about Yo Gotti and his relationships.
So many girls and so many wives that it ; broke up my home she left me alone and I was
Yo Gotti's past relationships caused his home to break up and his girl to leave him alone.
Tryna explain to her on the phone but I'm like ; what was the use of tellin the truth 'cause I was
Yo Gotti feels like telling the truth won't do any good because he was raised to behave a certain way.
Traind as a youth to do wut I do so I jus ; tell her sum lies to make her feel good like
As a young person, Yo Gotti learned certain skills that he now uses to tell lies that make his girl feel better.
One day I'm movin you out the hood it went from ; kisses and hugs to pushes and shoves but that was
Yo Gotti promised to move his girl out of a bad neighborhood, but their relationship deteriorated into physical altercations.
All a part of fuckin wit thugs cum on
Fighting and drama is just a part of being involved with rough people like Yo Gotti.
If you was down you would steal fo a nigga ; stay by my side even kill fo a nigga
Loyal people will commit crimes or even take another person's life for someone they care about.
If you fuck wit a nigga for real ; it ain't nothin to keepin it trill
When someone is truly invested in a relationship, they will always be honest and upfront about their feelings.
She jus ; wantd to smile and wantd a child but I was
Yo Gotti's girl wanted to be happy and start a family, but he was too focused on his illegal activities.
Ruinin her dreams by livin too wild she said I ; need to cum down and act like a man
Yo Gotti's lifestyle was negatively affecting his girl's goals and she wanted him to mature and take responsibility.
And my response was like ; wut the fuck is you sayin
Yo Gotti didn't understand his girl's concerns and reacted negatively.
Gone 24-7 a night and I didn't
Yo Gotti was constantly working and unavailable for his girl.
Give a fuck if I was wrong or was right 'cause I wuz a ; D Boy livin a D Boy life and she was a
Yo Gotti didn't care if his actions were wrong or right because he was living the life of a drug dealer, and his girl was involved in that lifestyle too.
School girl slash D Boy wife and it was ; in wit the wrong and out wit the right 'cause she was
Yo Gotti's girl was both a student and a drug dealer, and their relationship was a mix of good and bad elements.
Traffickin, manufacturin drugs but dat was ; all a part of fuckin wit thugs
Being involved in drug trafficking and manufacturing was just a part of the dangerous lifestyle Yo Gotti and his girl were living.
We was ; tighter than fam, cooler than friends
Yo Gotti and his girl were very close and had a strong bond.
We thought it wuld ; las forever and never wuld end
They believed their relationship would last forever and never end.
And we'd get ; mad at each other and try to pretend
They would sometimes argue and try to act like everything was okay.
Like we was ; callin it quits wasn't speakin again
At times, they would break up and stop talking to each other.
We went out ; separate ways for a couple of days
They spent a few days apart from each other.
You kno that ; separate phase sum hell of a days
Their time apart was difficult and unpleasant.
Like uh ; I regret ever doin her friend
Yo Gotti temporarily had feelings for his girlfriend's friend and regretted it.
But it was the ; heat of the moment and you kno us men
He made a mistake, but he blamed it on being impulsive and male.
We jus ; think wit out actin my mind was back trackin
Sometimes, people think before they act and realize that they were wrong.
But still ; I say wut I mean and I mean was I say 'cause I'm real
Yo Gotti prides himself on being honest and saying what he means.
So play ya position and show us sum love
Yo Gotti wants people to show respect and love for his lifestyle, even if they don't completely understand it.
'cause that was ; all a part of fuckin wit thugs
Being involved with dangerous people leads to drama and conflict, which is just a part of their lifestyle.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CARLOS BROADY, MARIO SENTELL GIDEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind