Grow Up
slowthai Lyrics

Raised in Midlands, don't know the half of
I was born and raised in the Midlands, but I don't know everything about it.

Why you keep and move O's like Narcos
Why do you keep and transport drugs like in the TV show Narcos?

True rich champion, trim at the barbers
I am successful and confident, hence dressed up nicely and trimmed my hair by going to the barber.

Used to get a board-up pack for a star
I used to buy wraps for drugs that were wrapped together and sold as a package deal.

Out of order, every bathroom
Every bathroom was messed up and out of order.

Weighing up scores, got half for a bastard
I was calculating my drug sales profits, and got only half the money for a difficult drug buyer.

Pints and peanuts the life I chose
I chose a life of drinking pints of beer and eating peanuts as bar snacks.

Mice and his cheese, between foes and cones
People are fighting over small things like mice fighting for cheese, between enemies and drugs.

One-fifty for a ninety-nine cone
I paid one hundred and fifty units of money for a ninety-nine ice cream cone.

Where's my change? Got changed on the road
I was asking about my money change and got cheated on the street.

Pop goes the weasel, gripping on your throat
I will attack you and grip your throat if you bother me.

Power like Lethal just curry goat
I have immense power just like the famous DJ Lethal, so don't mess with me.

All in your emotion, bare pussy
You are showing all your emotions and vulnerabilities, making yourself an easy target.

Couldn't believe what I see and I just see a pussy
I was surprised to see someone in a vulnerable position, exposing themselves like a 'pussy.'

Couldn't try it with T 'cause T ain't a pussy
You can't try that with me because I'm not weak like a 'pussy.'

You slang B like a BB bullet
You sell drugs (B) like it's nothing, just like a small BB bullet.

I was with Lloyd, unemployed, nonprofit
I was hanging out with Lloyd who was unemployed and there was no profitable business.

I was with Bows, selling O's out a cottage
I was with Bows, selling drugs (O's) out of a small house.

Cream get the money then the cream got clotted
Once we made profits, the money got tangled up in pointless business deals and got blocked.

Had to leave Lings 'cause Lings was the hottest
I had to leave Lings (a place?) because it was on fire or extremely active and busy.

Deal with the drought, I'll check into Norwich
I will go to Norwich (a place?) if I have to deal with the dry spell in business.

Farmers are coming, I link with the Brummies
When the authorities are coming, I team up with the people of Birmingham (Brummies).

Anorak, so I got no worries
I wear anorak-style clothing and so I don't have any worries.

Fingers in the air for my brothers on porridge
I am raising my fingers (as a gesture) in the air for my brothers who are having porridge (implying a difficult time).

Apply the pressure like Uncle Bully
I put pressure on my rivals (like a bully), just like Uncle Bully from the TV show Only Fools and Horses.

Just like you, fam, I used to get bullied
I can relate to you because I also used to get bullied.

'Til I dragged them down by their hoodie
I fought back and pulled them by their hooded jackets until they stopped bullying me.

Kicking and screaming like, "Go get your mummy"
I made them scream and cry like children, with taunts like 'go get your mommy'.

Thought I was bummy, had to get money
People thought I was poor and homeless, so I worked hard and got money.

Entrepreneurs sell wraps to a mummy
Entrepreneurs now sell drug wraps to even mothers.

Always had a laugh when nothing was funny
I used to have a good laugh even when nothing was actually funny.

Hop out the thugs like my name's Bugs Bunny
I come out of the group of criminals (thugs) like Bugs Bunny comes out of a hole.

Growing up too fast
You are growing up too quickly (implying a loss of youth).

Nothing don't last
Everything is temporary and doesn't last forever.

And you can't move forward
You cannot make progress.

If you're stuck in the past
If you are still thinking about the past and not letting it go.

Said we can't move forward
We cannot progress if we don't let go of the past.

Raised in Small Heath like Tommy Shelby
I was raised in Small Heath neighborhood, just like the popular TV show character Tommy Shelby from Peaky Blinders.

Past my south blood, nobody helped me
Despite having connections in the southern part of England, nobody helped me.

Chicken and chips every day ain't healthy
Eating chicken and fries every day is not good for health.

Ain't had it hard if your mum and dad's wealthy
You didn't have a harsh life if your parents are wealthy and provide for you.

Back then fiends might ask for a fix
In the past, drug users might ask for a drug fix.

Right now it's fans asking for a selfie
Nowadays, people ask for a selfie with me as a fan of my music.

There I got a voice in my head and it tells me
I have a voice in my head that guides me and tells me what to do.

To give a man a smile on his face from Chelsea
My inner voice tells me to make someone happy, even from a wealthy neighborhood like Chelsea.

I used to buy a cheese, that was four one fours
I used to buy weed (cheese) that was called four one fours (a specific type of weed).

Now I get the weed out when I'm on tours
Nowadays, when I go on tours, I bring weed with me.

Used to be fist fights, now they want swords
In the past, people would use fists to fight, but now they want to use swords (implying more serious, even lethal, fighting).

Volley a man's head with my rapports
I verbally attack someone in a continuous and swift manner.

Vic gets pulled, they'll find baseball bats
If the police search Vic (a person?), they will find baseball bats (implying a connection to crime).

Tell a officer I brought man the wrong sports
I will tell a police officer I did illegal activities like providing drugs instead of following legal sports/business activities.

Don't make 'em like me no more bredrins
People nowadays (don't) make people like me anymore (fellow friends).

Dem man are playing and I'm like concourse
Those people are just playing around, while I am serious like a concourse (a waiting area, often in an airport or a train station).

Can't get a ten deck so I get twenty
I can't buy a package of ten drugs, so I have to buy twenty.

Tryna make the whole country smoke plenty
I am trying to make the entire country smoke more weed.

Can't tell a badman there's no entry
You cannot stop a bad person from entering a place (implying an illegal entry).

Bang, bang, bang 'til the whole place empty
I will shoot multiple times until the whole place is empty (implying a violent act).

Still thank God every day I can emcee
I still appreciate every day that I can be an MC (rapper/performer).

Just so nothing on the roads don't tempt me
I am an MC so that I won't be tempted to do illegal things on the streets.

I ain't met no one who lived to a century
I have never met any person who lived 100 years (implying that life is short).

I think smoking's fucked up my memory
I believe that smoking has damaged my memory (implying the negative effects of smoking).

You looked up to me, you see
You probably admire me and consider me as a role model.

So why waste your life tryna grow up when you can enjoy every moment
Why bother trying to grow up so soon when you can enjoy each moment of your youth?

You know what I'm saying?
Do you understand what I am saying?

Don't get old
Don't become old (implying that youth is fleeting).

Be bold
Be brave/confident/audacious.

Don't get told
Don't get ordered/commanded.

Be bold
Be brave/confident/audacious.

Raised in Britain, no you isn't
You claim to be raised in Britain, but I don't believe you (implying skepticism).

Soft like kitten, I'm tough like Simmon
You're weak and gentle like a kitten, but I am strong and tough like Simmon (implying fearlessness).

Kitchen sieving
Sifting (implying the use of a kitchen tool to sift drugs).

Billy and Knotts and nothing ain't sitting right
Billy and Knotts (people, places, or things) aren't making sense or aren't acceptable in some way.