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.
Hero
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the neighborhood hero
If I front everyone a kilo
I might be a superhero
I know Colombians, and amigos
I'm the neighborhood hero
And when that choppa go beast mode
Don't try to be no super hero
When there work on the way, this shit can get real
Money got caught on the highway, fucked up a mill
And the plug from [?]
But I keep shooters on the team
And I come up like [?]
Mama I will never be a failure
Ain't no telling what I sell ya
I got shit rock bricks, locked up in the trailer
I'm the neighborhood hero
Fishing for a lick, ya nigga nemos
I heard they got me on the fedness
Niggas beefin' for the bricks like I'm on craiglist
I know Colombians, and amigos
I'm the neighborhood hero
If I front everyone a kilo
I might be a superhero
I know Colombians, and amigos
I'm the neighborhood hero
And when that choppa go beast mode
Don't try to be no super hero
Bitch I just left out of Puerto Rico
I was fucking with them amigos
And [?] been fucking with the coco
But we gon' keep that on the dealer
In the suite with 3 hoes
Choppas for my young niggas, that be at your [?]
Chichi super heros, chichi we got kilos
If ya wanna act, we gon' shoot ya like D. Rose
Niggas call me ironman, cuz I keep the eyes man
Nigga, I got the way ya selling dimes man
Snort this loud man, turn to Frankenstein man
Chopping out of section 8, I keep my nine man
I know Colombians, and amigos
I'm the neighborhood hero
If I front everyone a kilo
I might be a superhero
I know Colombians, and amigos
I'm the neighborhood hero
And when that choppa go beast mode
Don't try to be no super hero
The song "Hero" by Yo Gotti talks about his rise to being a local hero in his neighborhood. He speaks about his connections with Colombians and amigos, who he helped distribute drugs. This earned him the title of "neighborhood hero." Yo Gotti acknowledges that his work could be risky as there are several obstacles while engaging in drug business, such as getting caught by the police, or people trying to take advantage of him. He warns his listeners that when the situation gets out of hand, and the guns start shooting, trying to be a superhero wouldn't do any good.
Line by Line Meaning
I know Colombians, and amigos
I have connections with drug suppliers and dealers
I'm the neighborhood hero
I am a local drug lord who is respected and feared by the people in the community
If I front everyone a kilo
If I provide everyone with drugs on credit
I might be a superhero
I will be considered a great person and will have immense power and control over people's lives
And when that choppa go beast mode
When I activate my machine gun
Don't try to be no super hero
Don't try to challenge me with heroic actions because you will be killed
When there work on the way, this shit can get real
Dealing drugs can be dangerous and intense
Money got caught on the highway, fucked up a mill
One of my drug shipments was seized by the police causing me to lose a lot of money
But I keep shooters on the team
I have bodyguards who are armed and trained to protect me
And I come up like [?]
I always find a way to recover from my losses and make more money
Mama I will never be a failure
I will do whatever it takes to succeed in the drug game
Ain't no telling what I sell ya
I have a wide variety of drugs to sell and I will do whatever it takes to make a profit
I got shit rock bricks, locked up in the trailer
I have a stash of drugs hidden in a trailer
Fishing for a lick, ya nigga nemos
I am looking for opportunities to make money by any means necessary
I heard they got me on the fedness
I heard that the FBI is investigating me for drug trafficking
Niggas beefin' for the bricks like I'm on craiglist
Other drug dealers are trying to steal my customers and territory
Bitch I just left out of Puerto Rico
I just came back from Puerto Rico where I was doing drug deals
I was fucking with them amigos
I was working with my drug dealer friends
And [?] been fucking with the coco
Someone has been selling a lot of cocaine
But we gon' keep that on the dealer
We will keep this information secret to avoid getting caught
In the suite with 3 hoes
I am in the hotel room with three women
Choppas for my young niggas, that be at your [?]
I have guns for my younger associates who are willing to do violent actions for me
Chichi super heros, chichi we got kilos
I have a lot of drugs to sell and I am powerful
If ya wanna act, we gon' shoot ya like D. Rose
If you try to cross us, we will kill you like Derrick Rose (who was shot in 2012)
Niggas call me ironman, cuz I keep the eyes man
People respect and fear me like they do Iron Man
Nigga, I got the way ya selling dimes man
I have a lot of customers buying drugs from me
Snort this loud man, turn to Frankenstein man
My drugs are so powerful that they will turn you into a monster
Chopping out of section 8, I keep my nine man
I sell drugs from low-income public housing and keep my gun for protection
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mario Mims, Marquis Amonte King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
PROD. YVNG ESCO
Why cant there be anymore music like this??????😭😩😭😭😭
Ntando Ndlovu
Check out - Bank Teller by Yo Gotti ,same vibe
Sam Sykes
Still reminds me of the 90's X-Men cartoons.
Armando Fernandez
Im loving this song forever.
#MetroBoomin #808Mafia
Easily Offended
Dis bangs soooooo hard man i cant stop playing it
TTG_babyjuice
Still one of my favorite albums ima blast this ina summer 2019-2099
PROD. YVNG ESCO
If i knew how to dance, i would dance to this so hard. 🔥🔥🔥🔥😭🔥💯💯
TheStrategist23
Shy Glizzy is probably my new favorite new artist.
Ntando Ndlovu
I can't believe I discovered this song today ,thanks to YouTube music radio !!
Metro Boomin x Yo Gotti went harder
shh21boxcutter
glizzy went in hard af.