Gang Related by Logic Lyrics Meaning – A Vivid Portrait of Life on the Edge
Lyrics
Gotta paint a picture when I write like this
Tales from my hood, not a sight like this
Where they up to no good on a night like this
And they murder motherfuckers just cause
Type of shit I see and probably wonder what it was
I was in the crib, just sitting on the rug
Basedheads coming through looking for the plug
Now, born and raised in my area
Beautiful by day, by night its hysteria
Fuck around and bury ya tonight
Ridin’ with my homies on sight
Momma tell me to come in at night
Now I really gotta go, but they never know
Living life to the fullest, I got to blow
Po-po finna bust in the door, we got blow in the crib
In the kitchen over there next to the baby with the bib
God damn, what it feel like, middle of the night
Waking up, scared for my life
Never had the heat, just a knife
When the gat go blat (GunShots) like that
Guarantee you it’s a wrap, finna put you on your back
Like that
Just breathe, while their mama grieve
Bullet to the dome like an Aleve
Got to leave for the premises, to murder my nemesis
No, no, uh, uh
Just stop, stop, stop
‘fore they even call the cops
Do it for the money and the bitches and the drugs and the props
Tell me why another body even got to drop
Get shot off top for some shit that was gang related
“Up first at five tonight, breaking news in Gaithersburg
where a massive manhunt is underway after a deadly shooting
It’s all unfolding in the 400 block of West Deer Park and 355
Our Montgomery County reporter joins us, with the latest tonight.”
Living life like this, hope little Bobby never fight like this
Stab a motherfucker with a knife like this
All about the money on a night like this
Run up in the crib, put a bullet in your rib
Got a lot to give but I never had the chance
Never had the chance, yeah
Stay strapped, but I hate it when I take it out
If you want it Imma lay it out
Hope my little brother make it out
Every night what I pray about
What I pray about, check it uh yeah
Got a son on the way
But I cling to the streets even though I want to run away
I imagine a better life
Where I never had a debt in life
Hit you with the- (Gunshots) -in the dead of night
Selling crack to my own pops
Pushing this weight on my own block
If I sell a brick I can buy a house
If they find the key they might lock me up
But I take the chance cause I need that shit and don’t give a fuck
Take the chance cause I need that shit and don’t give a fuck
Get down or lay down
Hit you with the Beretta you better stay down
Stray shots on the playground
Living how I’m living with the life that I’m given
Anybody that’s riding with me, I’m riding with them
Show me the enemy and Imma hit em
The second I bit em I get em and hit em with the venom
Ain’t no need to pretend Imma never do it
I knew it, all ready been through it
I do it for the street, for the fam, for the life
Anybody that’s gang related
In the sharp-edged track ‘Gang Related,’ Logic paints a chilling tableau of the streets that raised him, pulling no punches as he describes a reality that is agonizingly familiar to those embroiled with gang life. With a pointed pen, Logic crafts a narrative that dives headfirst into violence, survival, and the inadvertent perpetuation of the legacy of gang culture.
Plunging into the song’s verses, listeners are met with brutal honesty and the vivid storytelling that has marked Logic as an artist unafraid to confront his past. Each line is a thread in the larger tapestry of a life marred by the clash between the yearning for something better and the gravitational pull of a perilous status quo.
A Sonic Window into the Hood’s Heartbeat
Logic’s aggressive delivery and the relentless rhythm sets a tone of both desperation and defiance. The soundscape is an echo of his younger days, with beats as hard-hitting as the life he’s illustrating. Each verse slams into the listener like a closed fist, leaving an imprint of the stark contrasts—beauty by day, hysteria by night—that define his upbringing.
Through a mix of harrowing anecdotes and sharp insights, the rapper reels you into the emotional turmoil that accompanies growing up in such an environment. The music becomes more than just sound; it’s an auditory assault that aims to replicate the sense of being cornered and the adrenaline-fueled reality of gang life.
The Cycle of Violence and Vengeance
The song’s verses serve as a stream of consciousness, illuminating the cyclical nature of retribution and reprisal. As Logic recounts tales of actions taken ‘just cause,’ without a hint of remorse or a flicker of doubt, the sense of fatalism is palpable. The notion of violence as an unremarkable event is one of the track’s most disturbing and effective streaks.
This everyday presence of brutality is given an even darker tone when considered through the generational lens—the artist himself indicates the inescapability of these dynamics, reflecting on how his past has paved a road he prays his brother can avoid.
A Mirror to Society’s Flaws and Failures
Logic spares no details as he highlights the surrounding environment as both culprit and catalyst—a world where police raids are the norm and the innocence of a baby’s crib sits juxtapositionally adjacent to the drug trade. The song becomes a poignant commentary on societal roles in perpetuating gang violence, pointing to the authority’s apparent ineffectiveness and the community’s deeply engrained hardship.
Lines like ‘selling crack to my own pops’ underscore the systemic decay and personal tragedy that accompanies life on the streets. Logic is unsparing as he exposes the wounds caused by social and economic structures that seem designed to entrap rather than empower.
The Dichotomy of Desperate Choices
‘Gang Related’ delves into the stark choices faced when caught up in life’s darker avenues. Logic explores the moral dichotomy and the psychological toll of a world where selling a brick might earn a house, but also earn a prison cell. This weighs heavily throughout the song as Logic goes through the motions of survival tactics he’s learned and abhorred.
It’s a world of martial law, where young men and women find themselves with backs against the wall, faced with decisions no one should have to make. The song captures the essence of that desperation and the fraught gamble of life skirting the law.
Unearthing the Song’s Hidden Cry for Escape
Beneath the surface of Logic’s recounting lies a thinly veiled cry for escape, an itch for a life unshackled from these realities. Moments of longing for a ‘better life’ sneak through, hinting at Logic’s inner torment; a tug-of-war between his love for the streets that made him and his wish to flee their confines.
The song does more than just describe—it emotes, expressing the conflicts and contradictions inherent in gang culture. It stands as a complex narrative itching to break free from the identities and legacies thrust upon those who find themselves labeled as ‘gang related.’
