Flexin’ by Pop Smoke Lyrics Meaning – The Anthem of Urban Resilience and Triumph
Lyrics
(You see Kamale, straight away, yeah)
Uh, look, what the fuck you got that blixky chain on, nigga?
Take it off nigga (look, look)
All the opp niggas know I be flexin’ (Traphouse Mob,flexin’)
I did fifteen on my check-ins (check-ins)
Big Louboutin when I’m steppin’ (steppin’)
Big .38 for the weapon (weapon)
Woo, woo
All the opp niggas know I be flexin’ (flexin’)
I did fifteen on my check-ins (check-ins)
Big .38 for the weapon (weapon)
We gon’ hit him and finish him, nobody innocent
If you ain’t dead, better lay down (lay down)
All the judge give us sentences, free all my menaces
All on the island like, “What now?” (What the fuck is up, nigga?)
Flossy the jungle where niggas gon’ rumble
I aim at your head, we don’t spray ground
We gon’ shoot one or two, we gon’ boom up the room
Back out the chop, we go spray rounds (grrt)
See that .40 on me, roll a forty clip
I bet I make his ass do forty flips (forty flips)
Sheff G, sauce him up
Sheff G told me, “Sauce him up” (sauce that nigga)
Woo
Fuck KiKi
Tell Shanie he can suck a dick (bah, bah)
Bullets leavin’ him sleepy like Hallow
One in the head if a nigga wan’ follow (yeah)
Niggas only respect you because your brother (uh)
Double-punched you and you called your mother (uh, uh)
That’s what brothers do for one another (uh, uh, uh)
That’s the only reason I ain’t put you under
That double G’ll make a nigga cry (cry)
Smokin’ big KiKi ’til a nigga high (bye, bye)
I can’t trust a bitch ’cause these bitches lie (never)
And that’s how a couple my niggas died
Yeah, I’m big 092, woo
I posted on the lanes, I be flossin’ (Woo)
Bentley truck when I’m slidin’, my bitches exotic
My hands off the wheel when I’m parking (parking)
Jamos told me get the cash
Amiri the denims, don’t ask what it cost though (go get that cash, nigga)
He get nailed to the cross if he SRK
Let’s talk about it if you feel a way (grrt)
Nigga everything K
Big 24, don’t call me bluff (bah)
Kick down the door (bah)
Big 092, show no remorse
Buyin’ designer, all in the stores
Can’t get you out, bitch, you a whore
For my lil’ guy
D’usse on the floor (uh)
I make a call, bitch, and it’s war (War)
Two liter Sprite (Sprite), I pour a four
Pull up TD, I got ten in my jeans (uh)
Pop out with me, was on TV (yeah, yeah)
Patek Phillipe, Givenchy tee (uh)
I need a mil’, been in these streets (that’s a fact)
Know that I’m Floss, come to the East (uh)
L-O-A-B, screamin’, “Free Ree!” (Free Ree)
Shooters in plaza, stay with the sleaze
Or I call up Ape, free Melly Gz (free Melly Gz, nigga)
All the opp niggas know I be flexin’ (Traphouse Mob, flexin’)
I did fifteen on my check-ins (check-ins)
Big Louboutin when I’m steppin’ (steppin’)
Big .38 for the weapon (weapon)
Woo, woo
All the opp niggas know I be flexin’ (flexin’)
I did fifteen on my check-ins (check-ins)
Big .38 for the weapon (weapon)
At first glance, Pop Smoke’s ‘Flexin” seems to encapsulate the essence of braggadocio ingrained within the rap genre. Its heavy beats and gritty lyrics paint a picture of a rap titan unafraid to boast about his accolades and spoils of the street battle. But beneath the flashy surface, this track is an intricate tapestry of survival, identity, and communal ties within the harsh landscapes of urban America.
Brooklyn’s own Bashar Barakah Jackson, known professionally as Pop Smoke, was a pioneer in bringing the Brooklyn drill music scene into the global mainstream before his untimely demise. ‘Flexin”, a track from his posthumous album, delves into themes much deeper than the superficial hedonism often ascribed to such tracks. It’s a soul laid bare, replete with the artist’s truth and an homage to those who tread the fine line between notoriety and infamy.
Decoding the Swagger: More Than Mere Boasting
The persistent refrain ‘All the opp niggas know I be flexin” is far more than a simple show-off line. It’s a declaration of one’s place in the world—a world that has historically been unkind to men like Pop Smoke. To ‘flex’ in this context is not just about flaunting wealth or success; it reflects a victory over systemic challenges that steer many away from hope.
The song’s accord with ‘big Louboutin when I’m stepping’ and ‘big .38 for the weapon’ juxtaposes luxury with survival. The Louboutins symbolize the ascent to heights of luxury from the depths of adversity, while the .38 speaks to the necessary grit for protection and power in the unpredictable theater of street politics.
The Hidden Meaning: Community, Codes, and Camaraderie
‘For my lil’ guy / D’usse on the floor’, these are more than lines; they are an ode to camaraderie, a nod to fallen warriors, and a ritual of remembrance. It’s a rite that serves to galvanize, to pull the collective closer in shared tribulation. Pop Smoke is not just flexing for himself; he’s carrying his community on his back with every boastful lyric.
Amid references to people like ‘KiKi’ and ‘Shanie’, Pop Smoke weaves a web that chronicles the cause and effect of living in neighborhoods where your kin could also be your end. In doing so, he underscores the value of loyalty and the bitter cost of betrayal—a cost measured in violence and vendettas.
Luxury and Labels: The Merging of Two Worlds
Every fashion brand drop, from ‘Amiri the denims’ to ‘Bentley truck when I’m slidin’, serves a dual purpose—demonstrating Pop Smoke’s understanding of the importance of material symbols in elevating status, while simultaneously undercutting societal expectations of who belongs in those glamorized spaces.
The underlying message through these aspirations for luxury objects reflects a yearning to rewrite narratives imposed by circumstance, to be an author of one’s own life story when others have already penned you a tragedy. It’s a challenge to the status quo, showing that voices like Pop Smoke’s are just as deserving of high fashion and prestige as any.
The Symbols of Power and Protection
References to weaponry are a common motif throughout ‘Flexin”, serving as stark reminders of the surrounding environment that necessitates such measures of power. ‘Big .38 for the weapon’ is not just a symbol of aggression, but more so a token of defense in a life where violence can be a currency and shield against external threats.
These lines are less an endorsement of violence and more a commentary on the need for a defense mechanism in the society that produced the artist. The reality of Pop Smoke’s Brooklyn becomes a character in itself—both a battleground and a forge where the mettle of its denizens is constantly tested.
Unforgettable Lines: The Echoes of a Haunting Pledge
‘We gon’ hit him and finish him, nobody innocent / If you ain’t dead, better lay down’. These lyrics aren’t just memorable for their raw delivery; they’re laden with a cold acceptance of street justice. This is storytelling from the front lines, stripped of polish and presented with brutal honesty.
But even amongst such chilling proclamations, Pop Smoke’s ethos shines through—a code where one confronts the rules of engagement in the world they occupy, not the world they wish for. Despite the starkness, there remains a sense of honor—a pledge to his ‘brothers’ and his past, which will not be sanitized for comfort or forgotten in his rise to the top.
