Z-RO was born Joseph Wayne McVey IV in Houston's South Park neighborhood on January 19, 1977.[5] At age six his mother died, and he was shuttled from household to household in search of stability, eventually settling in the Ridgemont area, a middle-class suburb in Missouri City in Southwest Houston.[5] When Z-Ro reached his late teens he was unemployed and resorted to drug dealing and hustling on the streets.[5] According to Z-Ro, listening to the music of 2Pac, Geto Boys, Street Military, K-Rino and Klondike Kat inspired him to work harder for his goal of leaving the streets.[5] Z-Ro discovered his talent of freestyle rapping and after going through a couple of recording studios to make a demo,[5] the CEO of a local label discovered and signed him.
Z-Ro released his critically acclaimed Rap-a-Lot debut titled The Life of Joseph W. McVey.[5][6] The record was a huge success and helped expand Z-Ro's and Bobby Craig's fan base beyond the South.[5] In 2005, Z-Ro released Let the Truth Be Told, which was well received.[5] Z-Ro's 2006 album I'm Still Livin' was released while he was imprisoned for drug possession, to positive reviews.[7][8] It was called "a great album... powerful" but "relentlessly bleak" by The Village Voice[7] and "one of the best rap albums to come out of Houston" by the Houston Chronicle.[9] In 2010 he released the album titled Heroin, which was followed by an album titled Meth in 2011 and then Angel Dust in 2012.
Z-Ro released his first EP under The Mo City Don titled Tripolar on August 25, 2013 via One Deep Ent.[2] Z-Ro then followed up with The Crown in June 2014.[10] In February 2015, Z-Ro released his first proper studio album in three years, titled Melting the Crown.
In 2016, Z-Ro released Drankin & Drivin in August[11] and Legendary in November under his label One Deep Entertainment.
It's A Shame
Z-Ro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause it's a motherfucking shame, all these short
Comings in the game, hoe ass niggas, hoe ass bitches
Know I'm saying
I'm still King of the Ghetto, ain't a damn thang changed
Still sip out the prescription bottle, with hydro on my brain
It help a nigga make it through the drama, swear to God
But I don't want to be a runaway, I love my block
But I can't seem to put my gun away, friends be killing friends
So I don't make no ends, with nobody I know
'Cause if nobody gets nervous, then nobody's gotta go
That's the G-Code, and I will busting simply, then I will reload
Sick of all of this gun bumping, from you people
Turning a Christian into someone who is evil, Z-Ro
Motherfuckers all up in my business, broadcasting my life
Presidential Records suing Z-Ro, and his pockets ain't right
Why they want to spread rumors, 'bout Ro Dog
Turn me to a menace to society like O-Dog
[Chorus]
It's a shame, the way they fuck around with my mind
It's a shame, the way they try to hurt me
It's a shame, the way they got me walking round with my nine
Raised on game, a soldier that's showing no mercy
When I wake up, I be wishing to find another way to make a living
Baking a cake, back in the kitchen got my palms itching
Scratch that with a fat stack, of Benjamin Franklin, y'all better
Back back trying to get my stack, I got a black mack in a black backpack
I know you jealous niggas, hate me cause I shine
They know I be rolling one deep, trying to follow behind
I gotta handle my business, by myself cause I'm alone
Really nothing to live fo', no more wife no more kids at home
Ain't that a shame, I'm losing everything I love
When they fuck up its okay, but when it's me they hold a grudge
You think I ain't know, you was fucking over Z-Ro
With Lil' Shannon around the time, your vehicle was reposed
My love for you was that of a mother, one I never had
I know we could never be again, I'm forever sad
But a hustler, gotta keep hustling
Until then, I-Ten drug smuggling
[Chorus]
Sometimes I be wondering, if I'm ever gon' make it
Ducking and dodging poverty, am I ever gon' shake it
Every nigga I deal with, keeps saying they down
Why my money be funny, every time it be coming round
I told him tell 'em twenty-five hundred, he told em three thousand
Making me miss out on money, Sam gon' witness me clowning
When you give a nigga a inch, they try to take the whole ruler
After my inches, nothing but the forty-four rugger
Who am I, Z-Ro the Crooked I'm not a hoe
But instead of busting your head, I'ma go on and let you go
I'ma receive my blessing, better believe my weapon
Is a first, from the basic instructions before leaving earth
The bible, and if we follow it properly its survival
We gotta listen sometimes, even though we want to all shine
And glisten sometimes, remember we on a heavenly mission sometimes
[Chorus]
One love to my motherfucking soldier niggas
J-Pimp, my nigga Rice aka sliding up under something
When they get outta line
In Z-Ro's song "It's A Shame", he expresses his frustration with the music industry and the people he deals with. The lyrics express his disappointment with the people in the game, hoe ass niggas, hoe ass bitches, and how it is a shame they are still around. He still sees himself as the King of the Ghetto even after all these years, but he is not immune to the trials and tribulations that come with the lifestyle. He uses prescription drugs to help him deal with the drama and sometimes daydreams of relocating to the Bahamas to escape it all. Despite his longing to leave, he knows he can't run away from the block and the problems that come with it.
Z-Ro is dealing with personal drama as well. He feels like someone in his circle is snitching on him because rumors about him are spreading. He doesn't understand why people are trying to ruin his reputation as an artist, and he's even being sued by Presidential Records. He feels like he is losing everything he loves and is facing poverty while the people around him keep letting him down or taking advantage of him. Although he acknowledges that he has to keep hustling, it's a shame that he can't trust anyone, and he is left to fend for himself.
In conclusion, Z-Ro's "It's a Shame" expresses the challenges and sadness associated with going through life as a successful rapper in the streets. It's hard to trust anyone, and everyone's out for their own gain. While he still loves his block, he understands that to survive, he needs to keep hustling, and he knows it's a shame that he can't trust anyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Gotta make sure these words are understandable
I need to make sure my lyrics are clear
Cause it's a motherfucking shame, all these short
Comings in the game, hoe ass niggas, hoe ass bitches
Know I'm saying
The flaws in the rap game are terrible, full of shallow, vulgar people
I'm still King of the Ghetto, ain't a damn thang changed
I'm still the same person, with the same power and status.
Still sip out the prescription bottle, with hydro on my brain
It help a nigga make it through the drama, swear to God I be feeling like busting heads, and relocate to the Bahamas
I'm struggling to cope with the drama, but I use hydro to calm myself, even though I have violent thoughts.
But I don't want to be a runaway, I love my block
But I can't seem to put my gun away, friends be killing friends
I care about my community but I still feel the need to carry a gun because people close to me have died.
That's the G-Code, and I will busting simply, then I will reload
Sick of all of this gun bumping, from you people
Turning a Christian into someone who is evil, Z-Ro
I'll follow the G-Code and use my gun when I have to, but I'm tired of hearing about other people's guns. Violence has made me feel like I'm not the good Christian I want to be.
Motherfuckers all up in my business, broadcasting my life
Presidential Records suing Z-Ro, and his pockets ain't right
Why they want to spread rumors, 'bout Ro Dog
Turn me to a menace to society like O-Dog
People are spreading lies about me, even the company I work with is out to get me. They are trying to make me look like a criminal like O-Dog from Menace II Society.
When I wake up, I be wishing to find another way to make a living
Baking a cake, back in the kitchen got my palms itching
I'm hoping to find a new way to make money, although I still feel pulled to the kitchen and the drug business.
Scratch that with a fat stack, of Benjamin Franklin, y'all better
Back back trying to get my stack, I got a black mack in a black backpack
I have money and a weapon, anyone coming for me better be prepared.
I gotta handle my business, by myself cause I'm alone
Really nothing to live fo', no more wife no more kids at home
Ain't that a shame, I'm losing everything I love
I'm isolated and have lost my family. It's sad and depressing.
When they fuck up its okay, but when it's me they hold a grudge
You think I ain't know, you was fucking over Z-Ro
With Lil' Shannon around the time, your vehicle was reposed
People treat me unfairly, and I know they've betrayed me in the past.
Sometimes I be wondering, if I'm ever gon' make it
Ducking and dodging poverty, am I ever gon' shake it
I'm worried about escaping poverty and making a more stable life for myself.
Every nigga I deal with, keeps saying they down
Why my money be funny, every time it be coming round
People tell me they are loyal and want to help, but when it comes down to it, no one is putting in their fair share.
The bible, and if we follow it properly its survival
We gotta listen sometimes, even though we want to all shine
And glisten sometimes, remember we on a heavenly mission sometimes
We need to follow the Bible and strive for survival, sometimes putting aside our selfish desires to work towards a greater purpose.
It's a shame, the way they fuck around with my mind
It's a shame, the way they try to hurt me
It's a shame, the way they got me walking round with my nine
Raised on game, a soldier that's showing no mercy
It's sad how people manipulate and hurt me, leaving me to feel like I need to carry a weapon everywhere to protect myself.
One love to my motherfucking soldier niggas
J-Pimp, my nigga Rice aka sliding up under something
When they get outta line
I have respect and love for my fellow soldiers, like J-Pimp and Rice, who have my back when people try to hurt me.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: C DIXON, JOSEPH WAYNE MCVEY, MIKE DEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind