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.
Julious Erving
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You got them birds I want a few, first I'm a drop a deuce
Homeboy want twelve, I want thirty, boy that's forty-two
Call that pick, that James Worthin, zone six, (Julius Erving)
Set my dunk on (Julius Erving) ride through the six like George Gervin
[Gucci Mane:]
See the feet, on the fleet, white cleats on an athlete,
Damn this thing a classic, everybody starin
Pull up in a chevy, put your cutlass in a casket
Simple dunk can't catch me, I'm dammit twisted backwards
Candy painted sixes, like them rims just did a backflip
My rims just did a backflip,
Dem lips on my rims so big they fucked round and did a front flip
The way I got my dunk flipped, way I got the motor flipped
Punch it then the front lift, whamming at the light belt
Slammin at the light self, pull up in a white dunk
White guts, white rims
[Chorus x2]
[Yo Gotti:]
73 chevy, but it look like a dump truck
Trunk like a concert, that mean that bitch loud as fuck
Everything kitted up, that boy digital
Hundred thousand dollars in the chevy, that was pitiful
Hardwood floors in that bitch look like my grandma's house
White on white leather my seats remind me of my grandma's couch
Trunk having a heart attack, when I'm doin a summersault
Michael Jackson twenty-six inches, they doin the moonwalk
Sunday hang bumpin no real, I'm bumpin now green
Monday hang sellin no white, I'm sellin all green
Yo Gotti I'm the king, no soon as I hit the scene
I'm watchin (colors), and then I watch my plasma screen
[Chorus]
Yo Gotti's song "Julius Erving" features collaborations with Gucci Mane and is buzzing with lyrics that are heavily laden with metaphors and numerous allusions. The song's title is named after Julius Winfield Erving II, a retired American basketball player who played as a small forward who was nicknamed "Doctor J." Yo Gotti likens himself to Julius Erving, who played the game with absolute control and gravity-defying moves. When Yo Gotti says, "ride through the six like George Gervin," he is referring to retired small forward George Gervin, who was a phenomenal basketball player known for his effortless and captivating playing style.
The song opens with Gucci Mane's lines, "See the feet, on the fleet, white cleats on an athlete, Tell em paper attack me, damn that thing look nasty." The lines set the tone for the rest of the song, as Gucci Mane is inferring that his ride is the equivalent of an athlete, with a powerful engine and maneuverability. He also implies that the sight of his ride makes people turn their heads in awe, given its beauty.
Yo Gotti jumps in with a verse that features his Chevy, which he has meticulously customized to attain top-notch performance. He recounts how he has fitted his car with a hardwood floor that reminds him of his grandmother's house, and he has covered his seats with white leather. He also brags about how he has a hundred thousand dollars stashed in his Chevy, which is far from being enough based on his love for opulence.
Line by Line Meaning
You got them birds I want a few, first I'm a drop a deuce
I am requesting a few of your saleable items, but first I need to defecate
Homeboy want twelve, I want thirty, boy that's forty-two
My friend desires to purchase twelve items, but I wish to obtain thirty, totaling forty-two altogether
Call that pick, that James Worthin, zone six, (Julius Erving)
I refer to this mode of transaction as a “pick” and I engage in it in a neighborhood called zone six, much like the basketball player Julius Erving
Set my dunk on (Julius Erving) ride through the six like George Gervin
I plan to drive through zone six in a flashy car, much like the basketball player George Gervin, while also referencing Julius “Dr. J” Erving
See the feet, on the fleet, white cleats on an athlete,
I am observing the wheels of these multiple cars, with white rims resembling athlete’s sneakers
Tell em paper attack me, damn that thing look nasty
Announcing that I am willing to engage in a financial transaction, while commenting on the appearance of the merchandise
Damn this thing a classic, everybody starin
I acknowledge the merchandise to be a classic and that many people are noticing it
Pull up in a chevy, put your cutlass in a casket
I will drive in the classic Chevy car, leaving similar cars to look obsolete in comparison
Simple dunk can't catch me, I'm dammit twisted backwards
I am further flaunting the unsuitability of standard dunking methods, as I possess a unique flair in my dunking ability
Candy painted sixes, like them rims just did a backflip
The rims on the car appear to be ‘candy painted’ - bright and glossy, almost as if they have flipped backwards
My rims just did a backflip,
Reiterating the imagery of the rims flipping backwards
Dem lips on my rims so big they fucked round and did a front flip
The imposing size of my car’s wheel lips, allow them to appear to perform front flips
The way I got my dunk flipped, way I got the motor flipped
I emphasize on the uniqueness of own personal-style, including that in regard to both the design of the car as well as the motor's quality
Punch it then the front lift, whamming at the light belt
I will quickly accelerate, and cause the front of my car to lift up, followed by a loud thud as it lands back down when I reach red traffic lights
Slammin at the light self, pull up in a white dunk
I will continue this striking technique upon reaching traffic lights again, as I glide into the intersection in a sleek white sports car
73 chevy, but it look like a dump truck
My car may be a 1973 Chevy but it appears to be undesirable
Trunk like a concert, that mean that bitch loud as fuck
My car’s trunk is so powerful that it can be compared to a very loud concert
Everything kitted up, that boy digital
My ride boasts various top-of-the-line extras, with an emphasis on digital technology
Hundred thousand dollars in the chevy, that was pitiful
I recall spending an inadequately low sum of money for this investment
Hardwood floors in that bitch look like my grandma's house
Even the floor of my car is made up of upgraded hardwood filled with sentimental value
White on white leather my seats remind me of my grandma's couch
The pure-white leather sitting surfaces are very reminiscent of my grandma’s furniture
Trunk having a heart attack, when I'm doin a summersault
The trunk space vibrates heavily due to the acrobatic movements I make while driving
Michael Jackson twenty-six inches, they doin the moonwalk
My car’s rims are an impressive twenty-six inches and appear to ‘moonwalk’ - slide backwards as Michael Jackson did.
Sunday hang bumpin no real, I'm bumpin now green
On Sundays, I listen to pure music, but now I am playing a type with more profane lyrics about marijuana
Monday hang sellin no white, I'm sellin all green
I do not sell cocaine on Mondays, rather focusing on dealing marijuana
Yo Gotti I'm the king, no soon as I hit the scene
Upon Gloria’s arrival, he characterizes himself as royalty
I'm watchin (colors), and then I watch my plasma screen
Firstly, I am watching the streets - closely observing the environment I am driving in, then glancing at my mounted screen in the vehicle
Contributed by Juliana C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
frvrfranco
Still bumping in ‘21 😭🔥
Victor Jones
Still bumping in 23🔥🔥🔥🔥
Donte 410
2020 still one of Gucci hardest songs. Beat 🔥 🔥 🔥 🔥
Victor Jones
Still bumping in 23🔥🔥🔥
Kevin Green
U can't tell me this beat ain't sick and they killed it
Certified Kernel
Dis shit still slapping it can't get played out real trap classic ya heard me
Dee Samone
2020 & this shit still go crazy🗣
BTNHwishbone
this was my senior week anthem. we bumped this shit hard all thru OC
Matt Kazmir
Halfway through ‘22 gucci still bumpin the streets
Herb Connoisseur
just as dope as the first time i heard it.