Born in the notorious Bankhead Court housing project, Young Dro grew up the second oldest of his mother’s five boys and somewhere amongst the middle seven of his father’s 21 children. Although his mother did the best that she could to keep a roof over their heads, Young Dro spent much of his childhood drifting from one housing complex to the next.
At the age of 16, he was shot in the stomach and the back and required almost a year to recover. Dro says of the incident “I had to wear a bag for like a year... I was traumatized from that. I couldn’t laugh. I couldn’t walk or nothing”. He spent his late teens and early 20s in and out of jail. He has been writing raps since 9th grade. T.I. said of Dro, "I had been trying to sign Dro since like '97, before I was even trying to get a deal for myself. Anyone with ears can hear he got talent. He knows how to express himself. And while that may sound innocent, he’s also comfortable around killers. There’s something so human yet unsettling about that.".
It was during these many moves in his teen years that he befriended the now Grand Hustle/Atlantic recording artist T.I.; neither of the two took music seriously at the time. Young Dro never considered a career in music until another one of his friends, Chris “Daddy Mack” Smith, scored platinum success as one half of early 90s duo Kris Kross.
To make his dream a reality, hem first met pioneering southern rapper Raheem the Dream in the late 90s, who at the time had Pastor Troy and D4L front man Fabo signed to his local label. By the end of 2002, Young Dro's independent single “Yes Sir” and regional hit album "I Got That Dro" became fairly successful.
Around the same time, T.I. was preparing for his debut album I'm Serious. While he was promoting the album during a radio interview, Young Dro called the station and asked to talk to the fellow rapper. “I was like, ‘That sounds like my homeboy,’” Dro recalls, “he was like, ‘You the one who sings “Yes Sir”? Man, meet me at the Bounce...We went up there and performed.”
That reuniting of two longtime friends evolved into Young Dro signing with Grand Hustle, T.I.'s record label and his major label debut, "Best Thang Smokin'." Among the tracks featured on the album, "Shoulder Lean" was chosen to be the lead single. Through the summer of 2006, the track gained momentum through out the South, and then nationally, as it was well-received among the hip-hop community. It received a decent amount of airplay on BET, and managed to climb to #3 spot in the U.S. Rap chart. On the 27th July 2006, Young Dro reached the #1 spot on both the Billboard Urban Monitor chart as well as the R&B Urban Mainstream chart. Simultanouesly, the video hit #1 during the previous week's "106 & Park" countdown on BET, in addition to securing the top spot on MTV2 where it's currently in "ELITE 8". Amazingly on top of that, Warner Music Group announced that the ringtone for Dro's single 'Shoulder Lean' had sold over 500,000 units.
Take Off
Young Dro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beat Billionaires
[Intro: Young Dro]
Take off aww shit take off aww shit
You know wat it is man
I'm standin in tha club u kno wat I'm sayin
I ain leavin yet but I'm bout to take off
[Hook:]
And I'm bout to take off u kno that sound
Take off take off take off take off
Everybody take off take off ayee take off take off let's take off take off
Ayee take off
And I'm bout to take off u kno that sound
Take off take off take off take off
Everybody take off take off ayee take off take off let's take off take off
Ayee take off ayee take off ayee take off
[Verse 1: Young Dro]
Young Dro we in tha club My Wrist cost a hunnid rats
When I pop a pill I take off like a thundercat
9 carrat stone with tha platinum all up under dat
AK/47 Chrome yean gon want nun of dat
Louie bag summer sack half a damn million
I fuck with kush so much I had amsterdam children
I'm pakistan pillin rollin like a yayo
Tha ferari with tha lakehouse
G4 I'm bout to take off
Don't let tha swagg breakout that shit like disease
I be lookin japenese ounce of kush ounce of lean
I'm a 30 inch rider John Trevolta we can face off
5... 4... 3... 2... 1... oh and this tha take off dro... dro
[Hook]
[Verse 2: Young Dro]
OK now big pimp squad tell your boyz to part
Stay out our trap stay out our yard
I'm so hard I'm runnin with pihranas
I'm a westside boi yeah potna potna potna
Goin get them suckaz tell em that it's over
This is a jack truck this is not a rover
30 inch rider you ain't even worth it
I'm in my own world trick we on different earthes
Sittin up in my lambo don't make me turn to rambo
2 dime lesbians that's all that I can handle
And I'm bumpin like a yayo I'm bumpin like a yayo
Bow I'm finna take off bow I'm finna take off
[Hook]
[Verse 3: Yung LA]
I'm a gonna take off lambourgini top off
Own line air head same colour spaceoff
Futuristic lelo ralph lauren pilo G4 takin off every city we go
Goin across tha globe u don't go tha places we go
Connected with tha king u don't kno tha people we know
White boy steelo black boy bakino
Black and white swagg got me feelin like melato
Pockets extra sloppy feelin like I hit tha lotto
Floatin through tha city offsets on tha idol
You tried to keith sweat me like tha chick from desperado
2 guns on me like tha movie desperado
[Hook]
The song "Take Off" by Young Dro is filled with boasting of wealth and power, with lyrics that talk about popping pills, owning expensive jewelry, and driving a Ferrari. The song is an ode to living life with extravagance and abundance, with lines like "My Wrist cost a hunnid rats" and "I fuck with kush so much I had amsterdam children." The rapper talks about being on a different level than others, with lyrics like "We on different earthes" and "Connected with the king u don't kno the people we know."
The chorus of the song, "Take off take off take off take off," is repeated throughout the song, creating a catchy and memorable hook. The verses are filled with references to pop culture, with lines like "9 carrat stone with the platinum all up under dat" and "2 guns on me like tha movie desperado." The song is a celebration of excess and a proclamation of success, with Young Dro and Yung L.A. reveling in their lavish lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Take off aww shit take off aww shit
Young Dro is getting hyped up and ready to leave the club soon.
You know wat it is man
He's emphasizing that he's about to take off.
I ain pop nun yet but I'm bout to take off
He hasn't done anything yet, but he's about to start something big.
I ain leavin yet but I'm bout to take off
Although Dro is still in the club, he's getting ready to leave soon.
And I'm bout to take off u kno that sound
He's repeating that he's about to take off and that people should recognize what's about to happen.
Everybody take off take off ayee take off take off let's take off take off
He's getting everyone else hyped and excited to take off with him.
Young Dro we in tha club My Wrist cost a hunnid rats
He's letting listeners know that he's in the club and he's wearing expensive jewelry.
When I pop a pill I take off like a thundercat
After taking a drug, he experiences a quick rush of energy and excitement.
9 carrat stone with tha platinum all up under dat
He's wearing a platinum ring with a large 9-carat diamond stone in it.
AK/47 Chrome yean gon want nun of dat
He's referencing a famous gun and saying that people wouldn't want to mess with him.
Louie bag summer sack half a damn million
He's carrying an expensive Louis Vuitton bag that cost around $500,000.
I fuck with kush so much I had amsterdam children
He enjoys smoking a type of marijuana called kush and has even been to Amsterdam to try different strains.
I'm pakistan pillin rollin like a yayo
He's taking pills and driving around quickly like a famous drug trafficker named Griselda Blanco.
Tha ferari with tha lakehouse G4 I'm bout to take off
He's driving a fancy car and is about to leave in a private jet.
Don't let tha swagg breakout that shit like disease
He's telling others not to get jealous of his style and let it consume them.
I be lookin japenese ounce of kush ounce of lean
He's saying that he looks Asian and is currently smoking kush and drinking lean.
I'm a 30 inch rider John Trevolta we can face off
He's driving a car with 30-inch rims and references a movie where John Travolta has a confrontation with someone.
5... 4... 3... 2... 1... oh and this tha take off dro... dro
He's counting down and signaling that he's about to start something big.
OK now big pimp squad tell your boyz to part
He's telling others to move out of his way and clear a path for him.
Stay out our trap stay out our yard
He's telling people to stay away from where he operates his illegal activities.
I'm so hard I'm runnin with pihranas
He's running with tough people who are like a group of piranhas that are feared by others.
I'm a westside boi yeah potna potna potna
He's from the westside and is addressing his friend as 'potna'.
Goin get them suckaz tell em that it's over
He's going to get the people he has problems with and tell them that it's over and they've lost.
This is a jack truck this is not a rover
He's driving a powerful truck and not a typical Land Rover car.
30 inch rider you ain't even worth it
He's driving a car with expensive rims and others aren't even worth a ride in it.
I'm in my own world trick we on different earthes
He exists in a different world compared to others and they won't understand him.
Sittin up in my lambo don't make me turn to rambo
He's sitting in his Lamborghini and warns others not to make him angry like the movie character Rambo.
2 dime lesbians that's all that I can handle
He can only handle two attractive women at a time.
And I'm bumpin like a yayo I'm bumpin like a yayo
He's listening to music that's getting him hyped like the drug yayo (cocaine).
Bow I'm finna take off bow I'm finna take off
He's repeating that he's about to leave and people should recognize what's happening.
I'm a gonna take off lambourgini top off
He's taking the top off of his Lamborghini and getting ready to leave.
Own line air head same colour spaceoff
He's wearing a certain style of clothing and has a matching hairstyle.
Futuristic lelo ralph lauren pilo G4 takin off every city we go
He's traveling in a private jet to different cities and wearing expensive brands like Ralph Lauren.
Goin across tha globe u don't go tha places we go
He travels to different and sometimes dangerous places that others wouldn't dare to go.
Connected with tha king u don't kno tha people we know
He's connected with powerful and influential people that others don't have access to.
White boy steelo black boy bakino
He's contrasting the style of white people and black people.
Black and white swagg got me feelin like melato
His style is a combination of black and white influences and makes him feel mixed-race.
Pockets extra sloppy feelin like I hit tha lotto
His pockets are full of cash and it feels like he's won the lottery.
Floatin through tha city offsets on tha idol
He's cruising through the city with his crew and feeling like a celebrity (idol).
You tried to keith sweat me like tha chick from desperado
Someone tried to play him like a character named Keith Sweat in a movie called Desperado.
2 guns on me like tha movie desperado
He's carrying two guns like the main character in the movie Desperado.
Ayee take off ayee take off ayee take off
He's continuing to hype up and emphasize taking off.
Contributed by Elizabeth F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.