You may not expect one of the most compelling new voices in hip hop to wiel… Read Full Bio ↴You may not expect one of the most compelling new voices in hip hop to wield dual psychology and sociology degrees from Stanford University or find inspiration in the buttoned-up world of indie rock, but for K.Flay, defying expectations is simply part of the game.

Kristine Flaherty grew up outside of Chicago, devouring her father's classic rock records and staying up late dancing to Parliament-Funkadelic in the living room. It was this same musical open-mindedness that would later spark her artistic development. She found her musical voice in college, fusing the eclectic power of the Bay Area hip hop scene with her own unique presence, inspired by strong, independent female artists ranging from Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill to Fiona Apple and Liz Phair.

On stage, K.Flay is a one-woman whirlwind: whether she’s creating beats, singing, rapping or playing guitar, her wit and acerbic charm shine through. Her talents have led her to share the stage with artists including Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and 3OH!3, where she quickly won over audiences who hadn’t seen anything quite like her before. Further setting her apart from the pack, she serves as her own producer in the studio, methodically infusing her hip hop swagger with a dose of sonic exploration.

With one mixtape (the genre-hopping MASHed Potatoes) already available online, K.Flay is spending the rest of 2010 recording in San Francisco and touring with Passion Pit in October and 3oh!3 in November.

FML
k.flay Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I got a brother and a sister that be trippin homs
Relying much on drug abuse that aint pretty bro
I see them struggle everytime and that is killing me
I really wish i could do something but i donno what
We met on 2012 nigga we had life plans
Talking trips
Talking cash
Talking gwala nigga

Whatever happened to them
Nigga yea my heart crushed
Jamming cole jamming Kendrick
Niggas taught me life
Fuck my life

I remember one day you down and i couldn't asky why now I'm feeling like damn i should have shot my shot there
Goddamn
Is it me
Why i let you see
Life on your own
Even thou
It is killing you
This is all my fault
I cry you left
But i let you go
Mizing all your calls
Feeling cool
Asking who is this
Let my nigga drown on his own
2020 vision nigga gon
Roll a blunt nigga pass the smoke
Niggas always on mind
I miss you bro
I need you
Come n see me fam
There's a lot i wanna tell you about my life
Not a lot of things changed
I still talk the same way
I like iron man
I'm dating her now
I need clout now
Not a glock 9

I wrote a song i hope you like it
I know my pen game aint that good
But i hope you get it thou
This a letter to you
I pray to God i see you soon
I pray to God you heal too
Ride or die
You my bro
Whatchu say
Gang Gang Gang
Hllllll
Holup we up

It is okay to look for your old friends that brought that something in you, it is okay to look for them if you know you couldn't have been you if it weren't for them
I mean friends dont determine your future but they made you who you are

Dont trip homs, if they real vay look for them
We are way too young to be misery depression kills

Overall Meaning

In K.Flay's song FML, the artist expresses her concern for her siblings who rely heavily on drug abuse to cope with their daily lives. She sees them struggling and is unable to do anything to help them. The song becomes more intense and emotional in the second verse where she appears to be talking to a close friend or brother with whom she grew up. The rap lyrics reveal a regret that the artist didn't take the time to understand the inner turmoil of her friend or brother who was struggling, and felt responsible for not doing enough to help.

The song touches on issues such as the challenges of supporting friends or siblings dealing with addiction, depression and self-destructive tendencies. The lyrics evoke a sense of loss and sadness that K.Flay associates with growing up and losing touch with friends and family members. The chorus of the song is a reflection of the hopelessness that comes with depression and addiction.

Line by Line Meaning

I got a brother and a sister that be trippin homs
My siblings struggle with drug abuse

Relying much on drug abuse that aint pretty bro
I am concerned about the negative effects of drug use

I see them struggle everytime and that is killing me
Watching them suffer is painful for me

I really wish i could do something but i donno what
I wish I could help, but don't know how

We met on 2012 nigga we had life plans
We made plans for the future when we met in 2012

Talking trips
We talked about traveling

Talking cash
We talked about making money

Talking gwala nigga
We talked about getting rich

Whatever happened to them
I wonder what happened to those plans

Nigga yea my heart crushed
I am sad about those lost dreams

Jamming cole jamming Kendrick
We listened to J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar together

Niggas taught me life
We learned life lessons together

Fuck my life
I am upset with the way things turned out

I remember one day you down and i couldn't asky why now I'm feeling like damn i should have shot my shot there
I regret not asking how you were doing when I had the chance

Goddamn
I am frustrated

Is it me
Am I the problem?

Why i let you see
Why did I let you experience this pain?

Life on your own
I let you deal with your problems alone

Even thou
Even though

It is killing you
Your struggles are hurting you

This is all my fault
It's my fault you are going through this

I cry you left
I am sad you are gone

But i let you go
But I didn't try hard enough to keep you in my life

Mizing all your calls
Ignoring your calls

Feeling cool
Feeling indifferent

Asking who is this
Not recognizing the caller

Let my nigga drown on his own
I didn't help my friend when he was struggling

2020 vision nigga gon
I have a clear view of my life now

Roll a blunt nigga pass the smoke
Let's smoke weed together

Niggas always on mind
I always think about my friends

I miss you bro
I miss my friend

I need you
I need my friend

Come n see me fam
Come visit me

There's a lot i wanna tell you about my life
I have a lot to catch up on

Not a lot of things changed
Things are still familiar

I still talk the same way
I haven't changed my speech

I like iron man
I still like Iron Man (the superhero)

I'm dating her now
I have a girlfriend now

I need clout now
I want fame now

Not a glock 9
I don't need a gun

I wrote a song i hope you like it
I made a song for my friend

I know my pen game aint that good
I'm not a great songwriter

But i hope you get it thou
But I hope you understand the sentiment behind it

This a letter to you
The song is like a letter to my friend

I pray to God i see you soon
I hope to see you soon

I pray to God you heal too
I hope you recover (from any struggles)

Ride or die
We are close and loyal friends

You my bro
You're like a brother to me

Whatchu say
What are you saying?

Gang Gang Gang
Our friendship is strong

Hllllll
Yes

Holup we up
Stop what you're doing, we're together now

It is okay to look for your old friends that brought that something in you, it is okay to look for them if you know you couldn't have been you if it weren't for them
It's alright to reconnect with the friends who had a positive impact on your life

I mean friends dont determine your future but they made you who you are
While your friends can't determine your future, they do shape who you are

Dont trip homs, if they real vay look for them
Don't worry, if they are true friends you can still find them

We are way too young to be misery depression kills
We are too young to be burdened by depression and struggle

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