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.
U A Gangsta Rite
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Since 50 Dropped Wanksta Erbody A Gangsta(Gangsta)
Yeah, You Put On Ya Gangsta Image Nigga But You Know
You Aint Gangsta(Gangsta)
You Can Fool Yaself Nigga But The Fact Still Remains
You Niggas Just Aint Gangsta(Gangsta)
You Got Ya Braids To The Back(You Gangsta Rite)
So You Roll Wit A Clique(You Gangsta Rite)
Claim You Dont Date No Shit(You Gangsta Rite)
I See You Got Ya Golds In Ya Mouth(You Gangsta Rite)
But Them Niggas Shot Up Ya House(You Gangsta Rite)
I Know You Aint Gonna Go Like That(Cuz You Gangsta Rite)
You Gangsta Rite(Rite), You Gangsta Rite(Rite) You Gangsta Get Real.
All You Animated Put Togther Popeye Thugs Need To Hit
Cha Spend It Fo Ya Try To Step To Me Cuz
Aint Yosamite Sam Nor Elmer Fud
Got A Mold Bird Pump And It Filled With Slugs
Hit Ya Hunni In Tha Mouth
You Ran Thats How Tha Cookie Crumble
Damn Im Too Fast You Remind Me Of The Warner Brothers
You Aint Gon Kill Nutthin Or Let Nutthin Die
Be Tha First To Testify To Tha Lbi
Yo Gotti Got Guns We Aint Seen Before
Ar 15's Red Beams And Scopes
Ya Moms House Got Sprayed
And Ya Mans Got Hit
You Was All On A Dinner Date Trickin To A Bitch
Yeen Shot Nobody
Yeen Sold No O's
Yeen Been On A Mission
Kicked Down No Doors
Yeen Pimped No Bitches
Yeen With No Riches
Yeen Cut A Nigga Head Made Em Go Get Stiches
Yeen Bout Yo Skrilla
And You Sho Aint A Boss
You Aint Help Young Niggas
You Cant Seen No Cross
You With Ya Ho Romantic
I Make Ya Petty
Im Tha Mild Cold Deala Like Shootin That Cannon
And Ya Bitch Can Get It To
So Get A Taft None
Gangsta Why Tha Fuck You Run Wit A Gun
Real Niggas Dont Press Charges
What Tha Fuck You Doin
You On Tha Stand Pointin Fingers At Peliminary Hear
Me Vs The State And You Was The Victim
Thought You Said You Was A Solja
You Runnin With Killas
Yeah Tha Truth Hurts Nigga
But Im More Than Bullets
I Make A Bun Get A Gun
Run Up On You And Pull It
You Niggas Square As A Pool Table
And Twice As Green
Type Of Nigga Take All His Work And Front It To Fiends
Real Gangstas Get Money
And They Call Tha Shots
Got Block Burnas That Dont Rap
I Can Get You Shot
And Then Niggas Tryna Get Tha Don's Killed
Thats Why I Neva Leave Tha House With Out My Heata Consealed
I Got One In Tha Cham When I Jump In Tha Range
Keep My Hand On Tha Trigga
I Blow Out Ya Brains
Leave Tha Club Switchin Lanes
Half A Life Doin A Hundred
Tryna Catch This Cred Dummy That Wont Pay Me My Money
Im From North Memphis Nigga We Dont Play That Shit
You Threw Ya Door Fenders And Windas
And Kill That Bitch
In "U A Gangsta Rite," Yo Gotti calls out those who put on a false front of being a gangster. He argues that just because you dress, talk or act like a gangster, it doesn't necessarily make you one. The chorus of the song repeats the idea that you can't fool yourself, and that despite all of the outward appearances, certain people simply aren't gangsters. He brings up examples of stereotypical gangster attire, such as braids to the back and gold teeth, and criticizes those who use these things to try and convince others of their toughness. He also calls out those who have not truly lived the gangster lifestyle, such as those who have never sold drugs or committed violent acts. At the end of the song, Yo Gotti reveals that he himself is a true gangster who will not hesitate to use violence in order to get what he wants.
Line by Line Meaning
Since 50 Dropped Wanksta Erbody A Gangsta(This Ya Boy Yo Gotti)
Ever since 50 Cent released 'Wanksta', people began to claim themselves as gangsters.
Yeah, You Put On Ya Gangsta Image Nigga But You Know
You Aint Gangsta(Gangsta)
You may put on a front that you are a gangster, but deep down you know you are not.
You Can Fool Yaself Nigga But The Fact Still Remains
You Niggas Just Aint Gangsta(Gangsta)
You may deceive yourself, but the reality is that you are not a gangster.
You Got Ya Braids To The Back(You Gangsta Rite)
Your hairstyle may suggest that you are a gangster.
Sold Ya Rags Get Some Tags(You Gangsta Rite)
You may have upgraded your clothes, but that alone does not make you a gangster.
So You Roll Wit A Clique(You Gangsta Rite)
Being part of a group does not necessarily mean you are a gangster.
Claim You Dont Date No Shit(You Gangsta Rite)
Saying that you do not associate with certain things does not make you a gangster.
I See You Got Ya Golds In Ya Mouth(You Gangsta Rite)
Having a gold teeth does not make you a gangster.
But Them Niggas Shot Up Ya House(You Gangsta Rite)
You may be targeted because of your image, but that doesn't necessarily make you a gangster.
I Know You Aint Gonna Go Like That(Cuz You Gangsta Rite)
You may feel the need to keep up your image, but that doesn't mean you are actually a gangster.
You Gangsta Rite(Rite), You Gangsta Rite(Rite) You Gangsta Get Real.
Stop deceiving yourself and face the reality of who you truly are.
All You Animated Put Togther Popeye Thugs Need To Hit
Cha Spend It Fo Ya Try To Step To Me Cuz
Aint Yosamite Sam Nor Elmer Fud
You may put on a front, but you are not as tough as Popeye cartoons characters. Don't waste your money trying to challenge me because you are not Yosemite Sam or Elmer Fudd.
Got A Mold Bird Pump And It Filled With Slugs
Hit Ya Hunni In Tha Mouth
You Ran Thats How Tha Cookie Crumble
Damn Im Too Fast You Remind Me Of The Warner Brothers
I have a powerful gun with bullets. You were scared and ran away after I hit your girlfriend. You remind me of the characters from the Warner Brothers cartoons.
You Aint Gon Kill Nutthin Or Let Nutthin Die
Be Tha First To Testify To Tha Lbi
You will not kill or risk your life. Instead, you will be the first to give evidence to the law enforcement agency (LBI).
Yo Gotti Got Guns We Aint Seen Before
Ar 15's Red Beams And Scopes
Ya Moms House Got Sprayed
And Ya Mans Got Hit
You Was All On A Dinner Date Trickin To A Bitch
I have unique and advanced guns that you have never seen before. I sprayed your mom's house and hit your friend. You were out on a date, trying to impress a woman.
Yeen Shot Nobody
Yeen Sold No O's
Yeen Been On A Mission
Kicked Down No Doors
Yeen Pimped No Bitches
Yeen With No Riches
Yeen Cut A Nigga Head Made Em Go Get Stiches
Yeen Bout Yo Skrilla
And You Sho Aint A Boss
You Aint Help Young Niggas
You Cant Seen No Cross
You have not done any of the things that real gangsters typically do - you haven't shot anyone, sold drugs, or kicked down doors. You haven't pimped anyone or made someone go get stitches. You haven't earned any money, and you haven't helped others or seen any significant adversity in your life.
You With Ya Ho Romantic
I Make Ya Petty
Im Tha Mild Cold Deala Like Shootin That Cannon
And Ya Bitch Can Get It To
So Get A Taft None
You are too focused on your relationship, and I can make you petty. I am the calm and calculated type, like shooting a cannon. I will not hesitate to harm your girlfriend, so you should get someone to protect her.
Gangsta Why Tha Fuck You Run Wit A Gun
Real Niggas Dont Press Charges
What Tha Fuck You Doin
You On Tha Stand Pointin Fingers At Peliminary Hear
Me Vs The State And You Was The Victim
Why do you carry a gun if you are a 'gangsta'? Real gangsters do not involve the law enforcement system. Stop pointing fingers at me on the witness stand, we are supposed to be in this together.
Thought You Said You Was A Solja
You Runnin With Killas
Yeah Tha Truth Hurts Nigga
But Im More Than Bullets
You claim to be a soldier, but you are running with killers. The truth hurts, but I am smarter and more strategic than just using violence.
I Make A Bun Get A Gun
Run Up On You And Pull It
I will create a distraction, get a gun, and run up to you to pull the trigger.
You Niggas Square As A Pool Table
And Twice As Green
Type Of Nigga Take All His Work And Front It To Fiends
Real Gangstas Get Money
And They Call Tha Shots
Got Block Burnas That Dont Rap
I Can Get You Shot
You are not sharp or experienced, and you may rip off your own clients. Real gangsters earn money and have power over others. I have allies who do not need to be rappers, and if necessary, I can get them to shoot you.
And Then Niggas Tryna Get Tha Don's Killed
Thats Why I Neva Leave Tha House With Out My Heata Consealed
People may try to kill me, so I always carry a concealed weapon, as I am the head honcho.
I Got One In Tha Cham When I Jump In Tha Range
Keep My Hand On Tha Trigga
I Blow Out Ya Brains
Leave Tha Club Switchin Lanes
Half A Life Doin A Hundred
Tryna Catch This Cred Dummy That Wont Pay Me My Money
I have a bullet ready in the chamber when I enter my car. I keep my hand on the trigger and will not hesitate to kill you. I leave the scene quickly and dangerously, even speeding down the street at 100 miles per hour, as I try to track down someone who owes me money.
Im From North Memphis Nigga We Dont Play That Shit
You Threw Ya Door Fenders And Windas
And Kill That Bitch
I come from a tough area of Memphis where violence is not to be taken lightly. You caused an accident, and in the process, killed someone.
Contributed by Liliana D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.