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.
Aww Man
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Aww man
Santony…Yo Gotti
Aww man (gat gat gat)
Cocaine it'll make a nigga do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Money man it'll make a bitch do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Hood fame got my swag so hot yea I'm the man (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Ice chain around my neck like a hooded mane
And when I fall up in the club check
I be lookin' for something thick and red
But (she she she) gotta have head on deck
And a (pop a big pill) if she aint scared
(Pop a pop a pop a bottle) if she got bread
Sell me a whole thang if you aint the fed
Cush pack (pack) got 'em helicopter high (high)
He ain't comin' down (why) he like it in the sky (whew)
White shit fish scale got 'em cross eyed
And if you wanna try then you gotta buy (gat gat gat)
Cocaine it'll make a nigga do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Money man it'll make a bitch do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Hood fame got my swag so hot yea I'm the man (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Cush man got me feelin' like a pilot flyin' in a plane (aww man)
I be in the club studs shinin'
My red stones call 'em blood diamonds
Poppin' bottles blowin' weed in here
Throwin' dough in the air like a pizzeria (yea)
Come get a slice I be pumpin bottles
It's like a Popa Johns in the trunk of my ride
Im a real nigga you don't wanna collide
Fuck if he bigger that choppa will cut 'em aside
What it do…bitch give me the loot
I treat that money like honey Im Winnie the Pooh
Now get on the strip and do your best walk
Make sure yo pussy ain't smellin' like a wet dog
Hood nigga smoke perk by the pound
Shot to I knock 'em down…know Im outta rounds
Im so high I be surfin' on the clouds
Got my weed got my lean shit I surfin' on 'em now
Cocaine it'll make a nigga do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Money man it'll make a bitch do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Hood fame got my swag so hot yea I'm the man (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Cush man got me feelin' like a pilot flyin' in a plane (aww man)
The song "Aww Man" by Yo Gotti talks about how drugs and money can make people do strange things. The lyrics mention that cocaine can make a person do strange things and that money can make women do strange things. Yo Gotti talks about his fame and how it has boosted his confidence. He also mentions that smoking weed has made him feel like he's flying a plane, and how he feels when he wears an ice chain around his neck like a hooded mane. The song highlights Yo Gotti's love for money and drugs, and how he never misses a chance to party, smoke weed, and pop bottles.
Line by Line Meaning
Aww man
Expressing excitement or surprise
Cocaine it'll make a nigga do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Cocaine can cause unpredictable behavior in people
Money man it'll make a bitch do strange thangs (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Desperate pursuit of money can also cause erratic actions in people, particularly women
Hood fame got my swag so hot yea I'm the man (aww man) (gat gat gat)
Fame and success in the hood has elevated the artist's confidence and status
Cush man got me feelin' like a pilot flyin' in a plane (aww man) (gat gat gat)
The artist feels confident and euphoric like a pilot flying high, due to the effects of Kush marijuana
Ice chain around my neck like a hooded mane
The artist is wearing a large, expensive chain around his neck that resembles a lion's mane
And when I fall up in the club check
When the artist enters the club
I be lookin' for something thick and red
The artist is searching for a woman with a curvaceous figure and red clothing
But (she she she) gotta have head on deck
The woman must be willing to perform oral sex
And a (pop a big pill) if she aint scared
The woman must also be willing to take drugs
(Pop a pop a pop a bottle) if she got bread
If the woman is wealthy, she can pay for expensive alcohol
Sell me a whole thang if you aint the fed
Drug dealers should sell the artist a large quantity of drugs if they are not undercover cops
Cush pack (pack) got 'em helicopter high (high)
The strong Kush marijuana is making people feel extremely high like they are flying in a helicopter
He ain't comin' down (why) he like it in the sky (whew)
The marijuana user is so high that he doesn't want to come down from the euphoric feeling
White shit fish scale got 'em cross eyed
A type of high-quality cocaine called 'fish scale' is making people's eyes appear crossed
And if you wanna try then you gotta buy (gat gat gat)
The artist warns that anyone who wants to try his drugs must be willing to pay the price, or face violent consequences
I be in the club studs shinin'
The artist is at the club wearing expensive, flashy jewelry
My red stones call 'em blood diamonds
The artist's red diamonds are so expensive that they are referred to as 'blood diamonds'
Poppin' bottles blowin' weed in here
The artist is drinking expensive alcohol and smoking marijuana in the club
Throwin' dough in the air like a pizzeria (yea)
The artist is throwing large amounts of money in the air like a pizza chef tosses dough
Come get a slice I be pumpin bottles
The artist is offering to share his wealth and buy champagne for others
It's like a Popa Johns in the trunk of my ride
The artist has so much money that it's like a pizza franchise is in the trunk of his car
Im a real nigga you don't wanna collide
The artist is a genuine and powerful person, and you don't want to cross him
Fuck if he bigger that choppa will cut 'em aside
The artist is not afraid of anyone, since he has a large gun that can take down even those who are physically stronger than him
What it do…bitch give me the loot
The artist demands money from a woman
I treat that money like honey Im Winnie the Pooh
The artist enjoys collecting and hoarding money like Winnie the Pooh does with honey
Now get on the strip and do your best walk
The artist instructs a woman to go work as a stripper and perform her best dance moves
Make sure yo pussy ain't smellin' like a wet dog
The artist advises the woman to take care of her hygiene before going to work
Hood nigga smoke perk by the pound
The artist and his friends from the hood smoke Percocet painkillers frequently and in large quantities
Shot to I knock 'em down…know Im outta rounds
The artist is shooting his gun at someone until they fall down, and he is running out of bullets
Im so high I be surfin' on the clouds
The artist is so high on drugs that he feels like he's riding on a surfboard through the clouds
Got my weed got my lean shit I surfin' on 'em now
The artist has both marijuana and codeine syrup, and is enjoying the combined high to the fullest extent
Contributed by Noah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.