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 cityβs underground rap scene before going on to become national superstars. Next up to bat is Yo Gotti, M-Townβs 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 Southβs 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. βBeing from the hood things like hustling will come your way,β says Yo Gotti. βEverybody in my family hustled in some kinda way.β 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 Gottiβs 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 cityβs 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 magazineβs 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. βIt sold about 40 or 50,000, with no promotions or video,β says Yo Gotti. βThat record did what it did on its own.β But as the old saying goes when one door is closed another opened. Gottiβs 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 didnβt do the type of big number heβd hope for youβd 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.
βThe 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. Thatβs why I call my record Back 2 Da Basics.β
Produced by DJ Thoomp, Mannie Fresh, Carlos Brody and newcomers Street Tunes, Back 2 Da Basics offers fans a gritty, insiderβs view into the real streets of Memphis as seen through the eyes of Yo Gotti. Nowhere is this viewpoint more intense than on βFull Time,β the amped up lead single βand featured in the MTV Filmsβ Hustle & Flow movie - with a thunderous bass and intoxicating beat that espouses Gottiβs formula to success βhustle full time.
βA lotta cats wanna be a rapper or a street hustler but they donβt wanna put in the time that it takes,β says Yo Gotti. βThey want the money and the cars and the girls, but they donβt wanna work hard for it. But to be successful at anything you gotta grind for it.β On the song βMama We Gone Be Alright,β 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. βMama We Gone Be Alrightβ along with the gripping tune βMy Storyβ emerges as two of the most interesting songs on Back 2 Da Basics. These three titles along with club banging songs like βShortyβ featuring Baby make Back 2 Da Basics one of the best albums of the year.
Standing In the Kitchen
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
*Laugh*
Ay, you know what time it is nigga
Aw yeah, it's cookin' time homeboy
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
Verse 1
I got 36 ounces
Fish Scale Entree
Newspaper on the floor
I break it down bag it up
Hit the hood sew it up
Hit the kitchen blow it up
18 wheelers full of bricks
The feds Say they know what's up
I'm a keep it swaggin
Till the day they come and lock me up
Basically I don't give a fuck
Go ahead try your luck
Prices kinda high
So you get pass you or you can muscled up
City kinda dry so this the time for you to hustle up
Baking soda beaken cup stretch it out whip it up
2 to 4, 4 to 8 I can make it double up
Glock 40 hush em up
If a nigga rushin up
Ak47 banana clip bitch I'll torch em up
Chorus
I was standing in the kitchen
Over that stove just water whippin'
Mixin soda with the yoda
Bet I can show you how to get some overs
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da (I'm yo gotti)
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
Verse 2
I'm a dumb boy plenty yam
125 Gram for twenty seven fifty all day Nigga here I am
Wanna get the whole quarter I'll charge you a nickel flat
Let you roll the whole up you gotta bring a nickel back
Gotti came a long way for selling nigga nickel sacks
On the track rich cred 15 dollar powder bags
If you a loyal soldier then I mite front you the whole thing
First I need to know where your mama stay and what's your whole name
Niggas catchin cases coppin pleases givin long names
Fuckin up the whole thing yeh it's a cold game
Niggas scared to shop in north Memphis cause they mite get robbed
Front a nigga from the north shit he gone pay them off
Chorus
I was standing in the kitchen
Over that stove just water whippin'
Mixin soda with the yoda
Bet I can show you how to get some overs
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da (I'm yo gotti)
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
Da Da Da Da Da Da Daa Da
In Yo Gotti's song Standing in the Kitchen, he raps about his experience in the drug game. The song begins with Gotti's iconic humming, followed by him getting into character, saying "it's cooking time homeboy". The lyrics of the song center around Gotti's life as a drug dealer, with him describing his actions step by step. He mentions having 36 ounces of drugs in his possession, and how he breaks it down, bags it up, and then hits the hood to sell it. He describes how he's always ready to take risks to expand his business, with lyrics like "18 wheelers full of bricks, the feds say they know what's up" and "I'm a keep it swaggin till the day they come and lock me up".
The chorus, which repeats multiple times throughout the song, describes Gotti's actions while cooking the drugs. He stands in the kitchen, waters whip, and mixes soda with what he calls "Yoda", which is likely a reference to crack cocaine. The song's lyrics are a reflection of the realities of life in urban areas, where drug dealing can seem like the only available path to success. Gotti raps about the dangers of the drug game, including getting robbed, caught by the police, or getting into violent altercations with other dealers. The song's powerful beat and catchy hook make it a favorite for many, with its gritty lyrics and Yo Gotti's unique flow adding to its appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
I got 36 ounces
I have 36 ounces of drugs with me
Fish Scale Entree
The drugs I have are of high quality and uncut
Newspaper on the floor
I use newspaper to protect the floor while I work with drugs
I break it down bag it up
I break down the drugs into smaller portions and package them
Hit the hood sew it up
I distribute the drugs to the streets and sell them effectively
Hit the kitchen blow it up
I transform the raw drugs into a refined and potent form
18 wheelers full of bricks
I have a large amount of drugs with me, enough to fill several trucks
The feds Say they know what's up
The authorities are aware of my criminal activities
I'm a keep it swaggin
I will continue my illegal activities with confidence and style
Till the day they come and lock me up
I will not stop my criminal activities until I am caught by the authorities
Basically I don't give a fuck
I do not care about the consequences of my actions
Go ahead try your luck
You can try to compete with me in the drug market but you won't succeed
Prices kinda high
The price of drugs is high due to their high quality
So you get pass you or you can muscled up
You can either buy from me peacefully or use force to take it from me
City kinda dry so this the time for you to hustle up
There is a scarcity of drugs in the city, so it's the perfect time for me to sell and make a profit
Baking soda beaken cup stretch it out whip it up
I use baking soda to stretch the drugs, making more profit, and whip them up into a potent form
2 to 4, 4 to 8 I can make it double up
I can turn 2-4 ounces of drugs into 4-8 ounces and make double the profit
Glock 40 hush em up
I use a Glock 40 to silence anyone who tries to interfere with my drug dealings
If a nigga rushin up
If someone tries to attack me or steal from me
Ak47 banana clip bitch I'll torch em up
I will use an AK47 with a banana clip to take down my enemies
I'm a dumb boy plenty yam
I am a drug dealer with a large amount of product
125 Gram for twenty seven fifty all day Nigga here I am
I sell 125 grams of drugs for $2,750, I am always available to sell
Wanna get the whole quarter I'll charge you a nickel flat
If you want to buy a quarter ounce of drugs, I will charge you $500
Let you roll the whole up you gotta bring a nickel back
I will let you roll the entire quarter ounce of drugs, but you must pay me back $550
Gotti came a long way for selling nigga nickel sacks
I used to sell small amounts of drugs, but now I am a successful drug dealer
On the track rich cred 15 dollar powder bags
I sell drugs on the streets for a $15 profit per bag
If you a loyal soldier then I mite front you the whole thing
If you are a trustworthy associate, I may give you all the drugs you need to sell for me
First I need to know where your mama stay and what's your whole name
Before I trust you, I need to know personal information about you and where you live
Niggas catchin cases coppin pleases givin long names
People who are caught committing crimes are giving up long lists of names to the authorities
Fuckin up the whole thing yeh it's a cold game
People who talk to the authorities are ruining the drug trade, making it difficult for others to sell successfully
Niggas scared to shop in north Memphis cause they mite get robbed
People are afraid to buy drugs in North Memphis because it is a dangerous area with high crime rates
Front a nigga from the north shit he gone pay them off
If I front someone drugs from North Memphis, they must pay me back or face the consequences
Contributed by Victoria L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Twig NC
2022 and we STILL bumping old gotti
Altezzaboii_1923
What the original song I just can't think of the name it goes in the ghetto ... somthing this lead will take your head off
John Dudley
@Altezzaboii_1923 the original is called Toms Diner. It's been put into tons of songs
Joseph Watson
Yes sirπ―π₯π₯πͺ
Chef Treezy
We hea
DOMONIQUE JEWEL
π₯π₯π₯
Blank God
If you was really out there, youβll always come back to this song! Real ones know! π€
JD Woosley
We still out here!!!
Blackhandside
Nah this cold hard facts π₯πͺπΏπ―
Samir Sehic
That beat will never get old