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.
All I Ever Wanted To Do
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All I ever wanted to do was live the life
Money, drugs, cars, clothes hoes
Brick, paints, pounds of dro fa sho
A young nigga living how he supposed ya know
I got sixteen 28 grams broke down to dimes
What's my life like nigga its a constant grind
Cause I'm a selfish nigga I want 10 strong
Oh no it happened again
Let me get a good flow of that dro again
Got phone blowin' up like a high school bell
Plus the price sky rocket like dope in jail
Break it down in small portions fuck sellin' a O
You'd rather make seven or eight or cock bound for da 4
I'm a hustla far from being a busta nigga
You got good game but still don't trust ya nigga
You can catch me in the neighborhood winter or summer
Spring or fall cause nigga I be selling it all
From junts to blunts blunts to bags and bags to O's
O's to pounds I'm just holding it down
[Chorus: x2]
I got 36 ounces blocked up pure yola
Make it times 2 once I hit it with the soda
Whip it up good in a beacon and a blender
Have it rock hard plus white as December
I switch up my raps yo I never go the same way
Plus I get a different prepaid every 30 days
So if I get jam I know where it came from
Rub my shit suitable never serve unusual
All money ain't good and all money ain't fine
Some money come with blood and some money come with time
Some money can't spend and some money ain't safe
Money in the wrong way I'll lead you to the wrong place
[Chorus: x2]
I got 8 or 9 paints and a bottle of kay row
And I wouldn't give a fuck if you nod or stay woke
I just got back from the N Y C 250 a paint
Back in Memphis Tenn with drank
50 a ounce after I done added the bounce
45 get the nine and every dollar gone count
I'm a hustla' don't make me say it again
I ain't trying to please a nigga I'm trying to stack some ends
The strong survive while the weak slowly dying
I'm congruent to them boys I'm out there slanging them pies
They never stop trying they never give up they gotta succeed
My life is like the saying nigga crack speed or weed
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Yo Gotti's "All I Ever Wanted To Do" talk about a young man's dream to live life to the fullest, which includes drugs, money, cars, clothes, and hoes. The rapper talks about his life as a hustler, and the constant grind that comes with the territory. He goes further to share how he breaks down the product to sell, starting from 28 grams to dimes and progressing to bricks, paints, and pounds of dro.
Yo Gotti highlights how he is always obsessed with making more money, willing to go to extreme lengths to obtain and guard his stash. The chorus repeats the central theme of the song, that all he ever wanted to do was live the life he does, which means selling drugs and making money. The rapper raps about how he never takes different routes in his business, and how he is always careful when dealing with suspicious people.
The lyrics of Yo Gotti's "All I Ever Wanted To Do" are highly explicit, and the rapper gives a detailed account of his life as a hustler. The song is about the harsh realities of street life, and Yo Gotti's version serves as a warning of the consequences of such a lifestyle. It tells the story of a young man's determination to succeed at all costs, even if it means breaking the law.
Line by Line Meaning
All I ever wanted to do was live the life
Yo Gotti always aspired to live a life filled with expensive possessions and surrounded by drugs, women, and wealth.
Money, drugs, cars, clothes hoes
The lifestyle Yo Gotti dreamed of included an abundance of riches, drugs, luxury vehicles and clothes, and plenty of women.
Brick, paints, pounds of dro fa sho
Yo Gotti's livelihood was selling bricks of cocaine, stacks of cash, and high-grade marijuana.
A young nigga living how he supposed ya know
Despite the illegal nature of his profession, Yo Gotti believed that he was living the life he was meant to live.
I got sixteen 28 grams broke down to dimes
Yo Gotti had a significant amount of drugs in his possession, broken down into small amounts for easier sale.
What's my life like nigga its a constant grind
Yo Gotti's life was characterized by the continuous work required to maintain a successful drug dealing operation.
You got seven eight or nine you can push on
Yo Gotti did not want to settle for small amounts of drugs to sell; he always aimed for at least ten strong bricks to make a significant profit.
Cause I'm a selfish nigga I want 10 strong
Yo Gotti was selfish and only interested in the largest amounts of drugs for sale, regardless of what others might have available.
Oh no it happened again
Yo Gotti experienced setbacks in his drug dealing operation that required him to start over.
Let me get a good flow of that dro again
Yo Gotti needed to use marijuana to combat the stress and anxiety of his situation.
Got phone blowin' up like a high school bell
Yo Gotti's phone was ringing constantly with customers trying to buy drugs from him.
Plus the price sky rocket like dope in jail
The price of drugs Yo Gotti sold was continually rising, becoming more expensive for buyers.
Break it down in small portions fuck sellin' a O
Yo Gotti preferred selling smaller amounts of drugs, rather than risking trouble for selling larger volumes at once.
You'd rather make seven or eight or cock bound for da 4
Yo Gotti wanted the highest profits possible from selling drugs, regardless of the potential risks involved.
I'm a hustla far from being a busta nigga
Although he was a drug dealer, Yo Gotti worked hard to maximize his profits and never let anyone take advantage of him.
You got good game but still don't trust ya nigga
Yo Gotti acknowledged that other drug dealers might be skilled, but he never trusted them enough to let his guard down.
You can catch me in the neighborhood winter or summer
Yo Gotti could always be found in his neighborhood, regardless of the season, working his drug dealing operation.
Spring or fall cause nigga I be selling it all
Yo Gotti sold drugs year-round, making sure that he was always making money regardless of the time of year.
From junts to blunts blunts to bags and bags to O's
Yo Gotti sold drugs in a variety of forms, including marijuana cigarettes, bags of drugs, and large bricks of cocaine.
O's to pounds I'm just holding it down
Yo Gotti was always in possession of a significant amount of drugs, from small amounts to large bricks.
I got 36 ounces blocked up pure yola
Yo Gotti possessed a large amount of pure cocaine wrapped up in 36-ounce blocks.
Make it times 2 once I hit it with the soda
Yo Gotti added baking soda to the cocaine to increase its weight, thereby doubling his profit.
Whip it up good in a beacon and a blender
Yo Gotti meticulously mixed the cocaine and baking soda in a cooking process that required a microwave and a blender.
Have it rock hard plus white as December
The cocaine Yo Gotti produced was rock solid and white as snow.
I switch up my raps yo I never go the same way
Yo Gotti constantly changes his style of drug dealing to avoid getting caught by police and law enforcement.
Plus I get a different prepaid every 30 days
To prevent being tracked by the authorities, Yo Gotti uses a new prepaid phone every 30 days.
So if I get jam I know where it came from
Yo Gotti would be able to trace any legal problems or setbacks back to the source where they occurred.
Rub my shit suitable never serve unusual
Yo Gotti makes sure that the quality of his drugs is always high, avoiding any issues with unhappy customers or illegal activities.
All money ain't good and all money ain't fine
Yo Gotti understands that not all profits are worth it, and some are accompanied by significant risks and dangers.
Some money come with blood and some money come with time
Yo Gotti acknowledges that some illegal activities can result in harm to others or significant jail time.
Some money can't spend and some money ain't safe
Not all the money Yo Gotti earned was easily spendable or safely kept due to its association with illegal activities.
Money in the wrong way I'll lead you to the wrong place
If money is earned through illegal activities, it can lead to negative consequences and harm in the long run.
I got 8 or 9 paints and a bottle of kay row
Yo Gotti possessed 8 or 9 colors of paint for marking his drugs, and a bottle of cough syrup used to make the popular drug, lean.
And I wouldn't give a fuck if you nod or stay woke
Yo Gotti does not care if his customers fall asleep or remain awake after using his drugs, as long as he makes a profit.
I just got back from the N Y C 250 a paint
Yo Gotti recently returned from New York City, where he sold each paint can of drugs for 250 dollars.
Back in Memphis Tenn with drank
After the sale in New York City, Yo Gotti has returned home to Memphis with a supply of lean.
50 a ounce after I done added the bounce
Yo Gotti adds additional chemicals to the lean, increasing its weight and allowing him to sell it for more money per ounce.
45 get the nine and every dollar gone count
Yo Gotti makes sure to count every dollar he receives from selling drugs, and breaks down the prices of his drugs into smaller amounts to maximize his profits.
I'm a hustla' don't make me say it again
Yo Gotti is a skilled businessperson who makes a living from his drug dealing operation and will aggressively defend his business interests.
I ain't trying to please a nigga I'm trying to stack some ends
Yo Gotti does not care about customer satisfaction but is focused entirely on making a profit and earning money from his operation.
The strong survive while the weak slowly dying
In the world of drug dealing, the most skilled and aggressive businesspeople are the ones who succeed, while weaker dealers fail or even die.
I'm congruent to them boys I'm out there slanging them pies
Yo Gotti is similar to other drug dealers and works hard to sell his drugs and earn a profit.
They never stop trying they never give up they gotta succeed
Successful drug dealers never give up and continue to work hard to succeed even in the face of adversity.
My life is like the saying nigga crack speed or weed
Yo Gotti's life is similar to the saying that compares the intensity or excitement of different drugs to his fast-paced and high-stakes lifestyle as a drug dealer.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats the refrain of Yo Gotti's desire to live a life of luxury and sell drugs for a living.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ANDRE STEPHENS, MARIO MIMMS, NAKIA COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind