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.
On Da Grind
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a North Memphis Survivor...Survivor
I'm a North Memphis Survivor...I'm a young nigga, money and power
I'm a North Memphis Survivor...Survivor
I'm a North memphis Survivor...I'm a young nigga, money and power
[Yo Gotti]
I was a young nigga thugging now, moms bugging now
Getting my ass in, but my mama had to spoil it
Ran across my work, flushed my shit down the toilet
Fucked me up bad, but I tried to ignore it
Couldn't though, why? 'cause I owed the nigga for it
125 grams eight one yo-la, 50 doller power tell blue motorola
Broke up my tube and my scale, I got no luck
Hold up, mama even threw away the soda
I remember this shit like it was yesterday
Falling in the house late, seent the look on mama's face
I knew something was wrong, by the smile and the smirk
You know the look you get when your mama really hurt
She shook her head, I dropped mine, ya'll already know
Boy you selling dope, get your shit you got to go
[Chorus repeat- X2]
I'm on the motherfucking grind
You think this easy, you out your motherfucking mind
You could see the shit I'm doing, if you was blind
Straight up, I'm just trying to get mine
[Yo Gotti]
What am I to do now, where am I to go?
And how the fuck I'm gonna pay this nigga for his do?
Been looking for me, got a nigga kind of scared
And all the other niggaz looking up side my head
They said he came through, layin low with his beeper
Two, Three cars Two, Three Desert Eagles
Got me a fresh quarter ounce and a beeper
Fuck it, I'm a grind till my bank get steeper
72 hours had 28 elither
Know what I'm talking about that uncut ether
Junkies lookin whoin, goose neckin and browsing
Word got around, I sold up the Public Housing
[Chorus]
[Yo Gotti]
One week later had 4 and a split
Called up the nigga, told him told him come get his shit
I'm a real nigga, I just ran into some problems
All the time you think a nigga tried to slick rob ya
Thinking about my mama and them, I'm ready to go home
I'm fifteen years old, out here on my own
Mama let me back in, mama real strict
After school, straight home, no phone, no shit
Now doom in my room, I assume I was broke and it's true
So what the fuck a nigga gone do
Called grip, I heard he just got back off a trip with that shit
Man fuck it, I'm getting back with my click
[Chorus repeat-X2]
In Yo Gotti's song On Da Grind, he talks about being a survivor from North Memphis, where he faced difficulties such as getting involved in drugs and facing the consequences of it. He tells the story of how he started as a young thug and how his life's circumstances forced him to survive through selling drugs. He talks about how his mother found out about his work and tried to save him from it. Despite her efforts, he continued and started doing it more aggressively to make more money. He further adds that he was scared and constantly looking over his shoulder for the guys he owes money to. But he continued with his grind and eventually made a deal with the criminal who he owes money to. Gotti's story highlights the struggles and harsh reality of life in the streets where one has to do whatever it takes to survive.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a North Memphis Survivor...Survivor
I am a survivor from North Memphis, emphasizing the tough environment that I come from.
I'm a North Memphis Survivor...I'm a young nigga, money and power
I come from North Memphis and at a young age gained wealth and influence.
I was a young nigga thugging now, moms bugging now
In my youth, I was involved in criminal activity and my mother worried about me.
Getting the Third Degree, for bringin drugs in the house
I was interrogated for bringing drugs into my house.
Getting my ass in, but my mama had to spoil it
I was getting into trouble, but my mama intervened and spoiled my plans.
Ran across my work, flushed my shit down the toilet
My mother found my drugs and got rid of them by flushing them down the toilet.
Fucked me up bad, but I tried to ignore it
This situation was very difficult for me, but I tried to ignore the impact it had on me.
Couldn't though, why? 'cause I owed the nigga for it
I couldn't ignore it because I owed a debt to the person who supplied the drugs.
125 grams eight one yo-la, 50 doller power tell blue motorola
I sold 125 grams of drugs and made $810, with payments made through a $50 powering up of a Motorola cell phone.
Broke up my tube and my scale, I got no luck
My drug paraphernalia was broken and I had no luck in finding new ones.
Hold up, mama even threw away the soda
My mother threw away the soda that I used to cut the drugs, indicating her strong disapproval.
I remember this shit like it was yesterday
This was a significant event in my life that I still remember vividly.
Falling in the house late, seent the look on mama's face
I came home late and saw the disappointment on my mother's face.
I knew something was wrong, by the smile and the smirk
Despite her attempts to hide it, I could tell that something was wrong based on her facial expressions.
You know the look you get when your mama really hurt
My mother was hurt and disappointed in my actions.
She shook her head, I dropped mine, ya'll already know
My mother expressed her disapproval and I was ashamed of my actions.
Boy you selling dope, get your shit you got to go
My mother told me to leave the house because of my drug dealing activities.
I'm on the motherfucking grind
I am working hard to achieve success in my life, likely through illegal means.
You think this easy, you out your motherfucking mind
You would be crazy to think that what I am doing is easy, indicating the difficulty and danger involved in my work.
You could see the shit I'm doing, if you was blind
Even if you were blind, you could see the illegal activity that I am involved in.
Straight up, I'm just trying to get mine
I am focused on my own success and will do whatever it takes to achieve it.
What am I to do now, where am I to go?
After being kicked out of my house, I am unsure of my next steps and where I will go.
And how the fuck I'm gonna pay this nigga for his do?
I owe money to the person who supplied me with drugs, and I am unsure of how to repay them.
Been looking for me, got a nigga kind of scared
The person I owe money to is looking for me and I am afraid of what they might do to me.
And all the other niggaz looking up side my head
I am being watched and judged by others in my community.
They said he came through, layin low with his beeper
I heard rumors that the person I owe money to was in the area and trying to lay low while communicating through their beeper.
Two, Three cars Two, Three Desert Eagles
The person I owe money to has multiple cars and Desert Eagles (a type of gun), indicating their power and influence.
Got me a fresh quarter ounce and a beeper
Despite the danger, I continue to be involved in drug dealing and have acquired more drugs and a beeper for communication.
Fuck it, I'm a grind till my bank get steeper
I am determined to work hard and increase my wealth, no matter the risks involved.
72 hours had 28 elither
I sold 28 units of elither (likely another drug) in 72 hours.
Know what I'm talking about that uncut ether
I am familiar with the uncut form of this drug.
Junkies lookin whoin, goose neckin and browsing
Drug users are looking for drugs and evaluating their options, indicating the demand for the drugs that I am selling.
Word got around, I sold up the Public Housing
News of my drug dealing spread throughout the public housing complex, indicating the extent of my influence and power.
One week later had 4 and a split
After a week, I have acquired more drugs and divided them into fourths.
Called up the nigga, told him told him come get his shit
I contacted the person I owe money to and told them to come retrieve their share of the drugs.
I'm a real nigga, I just ran into some problems
I am not perfect and have encountered difficulties, but I pride myself on being genuine and honest about my situation.
All the time you think a nigga tried to slick rob ya
The person I owe money to may have thought that I was trying to trick them or rob them of their share of the drugs.
Thinking about my mama and them, I'm ready to go home
Despite my criminal activities, I am still homesick and think about my family, especially my mother.
I'm fifteen years old, out here on my own
At a young age, I am forced to be independent and make my own way in the world.
Mama let me back in, mama real strict
My mother allows me to come back home, but is still strict with me.
After school, straight home, no phone, no shit
My mother has strict rules for me to follow, including going straight home after school and not using the phone.
Now doom in my room, I assume I was broke and it's true
I am depressed in my room, realizing that I am broke and struggling financially.
So what the fuck a nigga gone do
I am unsure of what to do next, indicating a lack of options and hopelessness.
Called grip, I heard he just got back off a trip with that shit
I contact someone named Grip who recently returned from a trip and may have access to drugs.
Man fuck it, I'm getting back with my click
Despite the risks and dangers involved, I decide to return to my group of friends and continue selling drugs, indicating my commitment to this lifestyle.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANDRE T. STEPHENS, MARIO SENTELL GIDEN, NAKIA S. COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind