BOYS by BROCKHAMPTON Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Dynamics of Aspiration and Identity
Lyrics
I feel just like Zayn
I feel just like Harry
I cop it and I flip it
Have it sittin’ on pirellis
Me and all my niggas
South side, One Direction
Tens and tens and tens and tens
Got lens that make direction
Flow to my location
Lowkey I’m in Cali just avoiding my probation
Fuck your jurisdiction, fuck the federales
Sold out by my father, he gon’ feel the karma
When I get the, get the commas, nigga
I don’t have, I don’t have no fear, nigga
Buy the ounce, sellin’ ounces over here, nigga
I don’t lie, I just bought a whole grill
Arguing with my bitch, my whip sit twenty-six nigga
Lowkey I’m a heartthrob
And I ain’t drop an album yet
I’m something like a poster
Sitting on your girl’s wall
And something about my face
Make her take her clothes off
Ya’ll say I got bitches
But y’all bitches make my dick soft
Why y’all always mad cause I’m feeling myself
What the fuck you mean?
I can’t feel myself?
Old girl suburban
But now I’m on to new things
Ego like celebrity, but real like a dope fiend
Tanning out in Hollywood, got Chantel’s on my coattails
From motels to hotels, I’m good
Bitch I’m good, from hotels to motels, I’m good
Bitch I’m good, from hotels to motels, I’m good
Bitch I’m good
Hella boys say, hella boys say, hella boys
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
They say that they want me, they forgot about me
In the city I’m a menace
I give C.E.O’s the business
Marathons I gotta finish
Foreign whip is speaking Yiddish
Lately I been feeling vicious
Why y’all crying like some infants
You don’t wanna be a witness
Then you better mind your fucking business
All these crumbs on my denim
We the only dogs spitting venom
Been some years I tried to tell them
But they wanted me to be the villain
They just wanted me to lose
Ones I love, made me choose
Had to cut the ones I thought I’d take to the top
Just so I could make a move
Dropped out of college
Smoking the same campus
Tell me ’bout limits
Last year I was suicidal
Took those thoughts and tried to kill it
Used to avoid, used to being paranoid
Huffin with my boys
Pack it up, I shake the world like asteroids
Give me love before you try to give me noise
I destroy
Hella boys say, hella boys say, hella boys
They say that they want me they forgot about me
BROCKHAMPTON’s ‘BOYS’ can easily be mistaken for a simple braggadocio anthem, but a deeper listen reveals a complex narrative that bridges personal ambition with a critique of the music industry. The track from the boy band’s 2017 album ‘Saturation’ resonates with the push-pull of striving for success while grappling with self-identity and external perceptions.
In ‘BOYS,’ BROCKHAMPTON juxtaposes individual aspirations with collective experience, serving a rich textural layering of introspection amidst the perils of fame. Below, we extract the multifaceted essence of this stand-out track, diving into its hidden meaning and the memorable lines that have etched themselves into the fans’ consciousness.
The Inescapable Influence of Fame
From the outset, references to Zayn and Harry establish a parallel to the famed One Direction members, painting a picture of aspiration towards stardom. However, ‘BOYS’ goes beyond mere idolization, using these symbols to reflect the tension between individuality and belonging within the industry.
BROCKHAMPTON doesn’t shy away from the duality of fame’s allure and its potential to commodify personal narratives. They assert control over their destiny (‘I cop it and I flip it’), while also acknowledging the underlying chaos that often accompanies a rise to celebrity (‘sold out by my father’).
Navigating Legal Tangles and Moral Dilemmas
The line ‘Lowkey I’m in Cali just avoiding my probation’ hints at a resistance to authority and the systemic forces that bind artists. Bars about jurisdiction and the ‘federales’ convey a sentiment of rebellion, encapsulating the struggle for artistic freedom in a world that’s quick to confine and categorize.
This rebellious spirit underscores a broader struggle of black artists within the industry, often facing judicial scrutiny and cultural appropriation while trying to remain authentic to their roots and their community (‘Me and all my niggas, South side, One Direction’).
Voyage From Obscurity to Stardom
Self-proclaimed as a ‘heartthrob,’ the narrative voice in ‘BOYS’ vacillates between confidence in unattained potential (‘And I ain’t drop an album yet’) and the reality of fame’s ephemeral nature (‘They say that they want me, they forgot about me’). The transition from ‘motels to hotels’ encapsulates a rags-to-riches storyline prevalent in hip-hop.
Yet, even in success, there’s an evident sense of isolation and disconnection, hinting that ascent in the industry can be accompanied by profound personal loss (‘Had to cut the ones I thought I’d take to the top’).
Are You Listening? Deciphering the Song’s Hidden Meaning
BROCKHAMPTON uses ‘BOYS’ as a platform to challenge the listener’s preconceived notions of fame and the artistry behind it. When they assert, ‘Been some years I tried to tell them, But they wanted me to be the villain,’ it’s a plea for genuine understanding of their narrative without the lens of media sensationalism.
Furthermore, the references to personal struggles and grappling with suicidal thoughts (‘Last year I was suicidal, Took those thoughts and tried to kill it’) juxtapose the glitz and grime of fame with the real, raw emotional turmoil that can accompany it.
Memorable Lines That Define ‘BOYS’
This track refuses to leave your consciousness, as it delivers lines that cut through the facade of the music business (‘I destroy’). This affirmation of power over their own destiny defines BROCKHAMPTON’s narrative, speaking to the idea that amid the chaos and the noise, they remain the architects of their own fortune.
The haunting repetition of ‘Hella boys say, hella boys say, hella boys’ serves as a mantra throughout the song, capturing the essence of wanting to be heard and remembered in a sea of voices, in a world teeming with boys making noise and clamoring for success.
