Hip hop music, be it old school or new school is far from everyone’s cup of tea. But, no matter how you feel about it, you cannot deny that sometimes song lyrics, in general, offer up some very relevant life advice. Here are some lyrics in rap verses that offer up some of the best and most relevant life advice out there.
1. “My guess is if she never call, well, you get the message.” ~Fabolous, For The Money
For The Money is a song by Fabolous featuring Nicki Minaj . It is a take on Gucci Mane’s Lemonade but it is not the same song. In other words, Lemonade was sort of sampled on this track.
Now, the lesson that this lyric explains is as follows: If someone isn’t interested in pursuing a relationship, they aren’t interested. Do not keep trying to change their mind.
What you should do is respect that individual’s feelings and leave them be.
Do not go after them to no avail and then get mad at them; they are not into you and that’s that. This doesn’t make them a bad person, they simply feel you two are incompatible. Sure, there’s that want to prove them wrong but, if they are that anti-dating you, you can look for someone else who will legitimately be Into You (which is another song by Fabolous).
2. “They say communications save relations.” ~Drake’s verse on Kendrick Lamar’s Poetic Justice.
While Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics are very much worth paying attention to, on this song, one of Drizzy’s lines stole the show. This lyric is getting at this very simple idea that most people ignore or brush off but you really should:
TALK THINGS OUT!
Really, though, talk about your feelings with your significant other. I could go all ‘communication studies graduate’ on you and talk about everyone from Umberto Eco to Ludwig Wittgenstein but, I will spare you that spiel.
All of that research and writing aside, having an actual conversation with your significant other is better than bottling up your feelings and not explaining what has you feeling a certain way. Take two seconds to listen—I mean, really listen. That means actually hearing your partner’s words and taking them into consideration before offering a reply.
3. “Opportunity only comes once in a lifetime you’d better lose yourself in the moment…” ~Eminem, Lose Yourself.
This piece of advice comes from none other than Slim
Opportunities, in general, don’t come along all that often. So, when an opportunity does come knocking on your door, swallow your fear and go for it.
There is no guarantee that you are going to succeed but, keep in mind that Eminem failed plenty of times before becoming a household name and respected lyricist in the rap game.
4. “Let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be...let’s talk about sex.” ~Salt N Pepa, Let’s Talk About Sex.
To quote Young Money rapper, Lil Wayne “safe sex is great sex, you’d better wear a latex ‘cause you don’t want that latex...that, I think I’m late text.” That Lil Wayne line is from the remix of his hit Lollipop but, keep in mind that conscious lyrics are nothing new.
Salt N Pepa’s Let’s Talk About Sex having gone on to be something of an anthem to get tested for AIDS.
Sure, it’s super easy to turn on some smooth R&B and proceed to get intimate with your significant other and worry about little else but, you should really be taking precaution.
Let me spell it out: Have safe sex. It’s very simple to pick up some condoms and or to use other methods of protection.
Safe sex goes beyond protecting against pregnancy. You want to be protecting against Sexually Transmitted Diseases aka STDs as well.
Having safe sex is doing yourself a favor, don’t throw away your health out of carelessness.
5. “What you say to me is still paper thin.” ~MC Lyte, Paper Thin.
It does hurt when haters spew insults, especially when those haters are anyone from people who you once thought to be close friends of yours or even family members. But, that said, so what?
Let them hate!
This lyric is from one of the greatest female MCs to ever grace the hip-hop scene. And, I’m not just saying that because we’re both members of Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority, Inc.
But, really, MC Lyte has a point on Paper Thin. Through her clever rhymes, Lyte explains that the haters can talk all the crap they want about her but it won’t phase her. Oh, no.
Words definitely have the power to hurt feelings. But, they do not have the power to prevent us from continuing on with our lives and going on to succeed. So, the haters can continue to sip their haterade while we can strive and succeed, leaving their empty words in the dust behind us.
Even if hip hop isn’t your style, hopefully, these lyrics offer some encouragement and inspiration. And, if you are a hip hop head like me, make sure you’ve got these tracks in your music library, they’re great to listen to and, if you need an emotional pick-me-up, definitely blast some MC Lyte or some Eminem.
