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.
Pure Cocaine
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chorus
Pure cocaine, pure cocaine x3
All i ever served out in these streets is pure cocaine
Young cash
Yeah, i never thought i would be ridin dirty on i-10 just reup and flip again,
Rent a car from enterprise license proof of insurance
Speed limit 65 so im goin 62,
Both hands on the steering wheel drivin like a old lady do
Crackers pull me over they aint got shit gotta let me dip,
Purple haze is all i smoke but she couldn't make it on this trip
Usaully keep a pistol too one in the chamber clip full,
Not today on i-10 its nothing but me and redbull
Collared shirt brown slacks lookin like a business man,
Bible on the passenger side yeah i'm a christian man
Yeah i pray to god let me get these bricks back lord,
Please dont let these crackers try to search this lil ol' honda accord.
Shit i'm wide awake, i aint sleepy so i aint gon swerve
Told you i like to trap it when it rain i call em thunderbirds
Im the only one touch the work so i know its uncut,
Cause i don't move nothing but, nothin but, nothin but
Chorus x2
Yo gotti
Remember me cocaina you like my best friend,
When i was down and fucked up you got my ass in
Far as i remember my nigga my life been full of pain,
I posted up in the snow i stood out in the rain
I laid that white on the table i watch em catch a drain,
I knew right then right there that i would never live the same
Im like a bird myself nigga wrap me up and move me,
I got a stamp in the middle the whole hood approve me
But you cant break me down (down) you gotta sell me whole (whole),
Its a drought on real niggas you already know
Im that ether nigga that fish scale,
You that oil base homie you don't cook well
Im yo gotti the king and i got that young cash,
New money in a mufuckin dufflebag
Old hundreds in a sour creme ruffles bag,
Dope money bitch i keep a couple hundred stashed
Chorus x2
Gucci mane
Cocaina heavily cooking dope excessively,
Heavy risk activity my god given ability
Hid the bricks in the 6 wait 'til they get low to ???,
Shawty snort a lotta powder let her snort it off the bricks
Gucci mane the dope boy point me where the jays at,
Heres a 50 slab watch my'74 to payday
Shawty want some hardball baby want some powder,
Im so high i see stone mountain
Gucci got da birds i aint talkin bout da falcons,
Gucci slangin birds also known as a dragon
Hundred pounds of midgrade stash that in my magnum,
Roll it to the country then them country boys i tax them
Gucci mane bastard cook dat dope faster,
Make that dope stretch like a 80 inch plasma
Coke stank dope stank smokin on my airplane,
80 in the air mane bricks over here mane
Chorus x2
The song "Pure Cocaine" by Yo Gotti feat. Young Cash and Gucci Mane is a representation of their experiences as drug dealers. The chorus emphasizes the quality of the product they sell by repeating the phrase "pure cocaine" three times. Young Cash's verse talks about his experience of transporting drugs while driving, being pulled over by the police, and escaping from them. He also mentions the need to always carry a gun and how important it is that the product he delivers is pure. Young Cash also portrays the idea of how he wants to live a legitimate life but his circumstances have forced him into his current lifestyle.
Yo Gotti's verse is more reflective about his life, how cocaine has been his best friend when he was messed up and the pain he has gone through. He describes his success as a drug dealer and how he has become the king of the game, dealing only in high-quality cocaine. He talks about the risks that come with such a profession, how he has to hide the drugs in his car, and how he has to be careful not to get caught by the police. The verse also highlights the competition in the drug-dealing world and how Yo Gotti has succeeded despite the drought of "real niggas".
Gucci Mane's verse is more focused on how he deals in cocaine compared to the earlier verses. He talks about hiding the drugs in his car, and how he smuggles the drugs from one place to another. Gucci Mane emphasizes the quality of his product and how he makes it stretch like an 80-inch plasma. He also references Stone Mountain, a large quartz monzonite dome in the Atlanta area, as a sign that he is high on his own supply.
Overall, the song is a reflection of the drug-dealing life, the risks involved, the need to carry guns, and how success depends on having a pure product that can't be broken down.
Line by Line Meaning
Pure cocaine, pure cocaine x3
The song is about the artists' experiences selling and using pure cocaine
All i ever served out in these streets is pure cocaine
Yo Gotti has only sold pure cocaine on the streets
Yeah, i never thought i would be ridin dirty on i-10 just reup and flip again,
Young Cash reflects on his unexpected experiences dealing drugs and staying safe while transporting them
Rent a car from enterprise license proof of insurance
Young Cash rented a car from Enterprise and had the proper documentation to drive it legally
Speed limit 65 so im goin 62,
Young Cash is driving slightly under the speed limit to avoid drawing attention to himself while transporting drugs
Both hands on the steering wheel drivin like a old lady do
Young Cash is driving carefully to avoid accidents or getting pulled over by the police
Crackers pull me over they aint got shit gotta let me dip,
Young Cash gets pulled over by the police, but they don't find anything illegal and let him go
Purple haze is all i smoke but she couldn't make it on this trip
Young Cash usually smokes a different type of marijuana, but didn't bring it on this trip
Usaully keep a pistol too one in the chamber clip full,
Young Cash usually carries a loaded gun for safety
Not today on i-10 its nothing but me and redbull
Young Cash didn't bring his gun on this trip, only a can of Red Bull to stay awake while driving
Collared shirt brown slacks lookin like a business man,
Young Cash is dressed in business attire to blend in and avoid suspicion from police or other criminals
Bible on the passenger side yeah i'm a christian man
Young Cash carries a Bible with him, indicating his religious beliefs
Shit i'm wide awake, i aint sleepy so i aint gon swerve
Young Cash is alert and focused on driving to avoid getting in an accident
Told you i like to trap it when it rain i call em thunderbirds
Young Cash enjoys dealing drugs even in bad weather and refers to his customers as 'thunderbirds'
Im the only one touch the work so i know its uncut,
Young Cash is the only one who handles the drugs, ensuring that they are pure
Cause i don't move nothing but, nothin but, nothin but
Young Cash only deals with pure cocaine and nothing else
Remember me cocaina you like my best friend,
Yo Gotti personifies cocaine as his best friend, indicating his heavy use of the drug
When i was down and fucked up you got my ass in
Yo Gotti turned to cocaine when he was struggling and it provided him with financial gain
Far as i remember my nigga my life been full of pain,
Yo Gotti has experienced a lot of pain throughout his life
I posted up in the snow i stood out in the rain
Yo Gotti has dealt drugs in various weather conditions, indicating his commitment to the trade
I laid that white on the table i watch em catch a drain,
Yo Gotti has watched others use cocaine after laying it on a table
I knew right then right there that i would never live the same
Yo Gotti's life changed after witnessing others use cocaine
Im like a bird myself nigga wrap me up and move me,
Yo Gotti refers to himself as a bird (street slang for a kilogram of cocaine) and is ready to be transported
I got a stamp in the middle the whole hood approve me
Yo Gotti is well-respected in his community and has a good reputation as a drug dealer
But you cant break me down (down) you gotta sell me whole (whole),
Yo Gotti's cocaine is high quality and can only be sold in large quantities
Its a drought on real niggas you already know
There is a shortage of legitimate drug dealers, indicating Yo Gotti's superiority in the field
Im that ether nigga that fish scale,
Yo Gotti is known for selling high-quality cocaine (referred to as 'fish scale')
You that oil base homie you don't cook well
Yo Gotti insults other drug dealers who sell low-quality, diluted cocaine
Im yo gotti the king and i got that young cash,
Yo Gotti is king of the drug trade and works with Young Cash, another dealer
New money in a mufuckin dufflebag
Yo Gotti has substantial amounts of cash from dealing drugs, which he carries in a duffel bag
Old hundreds in a sour creme ruffles bag,
Yo Gotti stores his profits in various containers, including a bag of Ruffles chips
Dope money bitch i keep a couple hundred stashed
Yo Gotti keeps a portion of his drug profits hidden away for safekeeping
Cocaina heavily cooking dope excessively,
Gucci Mane is heavily involved in cooking cocaine
Heavy risk activity my god given ability
Gucci Mane sees selling drugs as a high-risk but necessary activity where he excels
Hid the bricks in the 6 wait 'til they get low to???
Gucci Mane hides drugs in his car and waits for demand to increase before selling them
Shawty snort a lotta powder let her snort it off the bricks
Gucci Mane's girlfriend uses cocaine and snorts it directly off of the drug bricks
Gucci mane the dope boy point me where the jays at,
Gucci Mane is known for selling drugs and knows where to find customers
Heres a 50 slab watch my'74 to payday
Gucci Mane has 50 bricks of drugs and is waiting to sell them for a large profit
Im so high i see stone mountain
Gucci Mane is high on drugs and hallucinates seeing a nearby mountain
Gucci got da birds i aint talkin bout da falcons,
Gucci Mane refers to cocaine as 'birds', distinguishing it from the Atlanta Falcons sports team
Gucci slangin birds also known as a dragon
Gucci Mane is a prominent drug dealer who sells high-quality cocaine
Hundred pounds of midgrade stash that in my magnum,
Gucci Mane has a large amount of mid-grade (lower quality) cocaine stored in his car
Roll it to the country then them country boys i tax them
Gucci Mane transports drugs to rural areas and charges higher prices to buyers there
Gucci mane bastard cook dat dope faster,
Gucci Mane is an expert at cooking cocaine quickly
Make that dope stretch like a 80 inch plasma
Gucci Mane is able to stretch his drug supply to make more profits
Coke stank dope stank smokin on my airplane,
Gucci Mane is surrounded by the smell of drugs and smokes marijuana on his private plane
80 in the air mane bricks over here mane
Gucci Mane is in a private plane and has drugs with him
Contributed by Alaina C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.