Had 2 by Playboi Carti Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Untold Stories of Ascent and Alienation in Hip-Hop’s Echelons
Lyrics
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Aye oh
I was brought up different
So my vision different
Yeah, my bitches different
Ridin’ ’round I’m tinted
I can’t fuck with niggas
I go get it nigga
How I live it nigga
I can’t kick it with you
They say that I changed
Went and copped a chain
Went and copped them thangs
Weight all in my name
Fuck me for my fame
Fuck me for my fame
Weight all in my name
Weight all in my name
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
I can’t kick it with you, I be with the mob
All we do is ball, we don’t give a fuck
All these niggas want that swag ’cause we go to hard
Swag surfin’ on these niggas you can’t be a part
And I’m Ricky down to my toes and heart
Goyard ’round my waist and it hold the Glock
Poppin’ tags, poppin’ bags it ain’t hard
I got bops, I got thots in the lot
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
Boss up on these niggas
In the pantheon of modern hip-hop, nuances are often buried beneath the heavy beats and the hypnotic flow of lyrics that, on a quick glance, may seem repetitive or straightforward. Playboi Carti’s ‘Had 2’ stands as a testament to this layered architecture of music—an anthem that at first beckons with its trap-laden call but reveals a saga of change, ambition, and the solitude of success upon closer examination.
Cutting through the wealthy braggadocio and street-cred affirmations, ‘Had 2’ delves into the psyche of an artist coming to terms with the transformation his life has undergone, juxtaposing his past against a present drenched in luxury, trust issues, and the relentless pressure to maintain an image. Let’s dissect these intricacies, peeling back the veneer to expose the raw narrative of Carti’s ascent and isolation.
Anthem of Ascension: The Power Mantra of ‘Bossing Up’
The chorus, a persistent refrain of ‘Boss up on these niggas,’ comes across as a power mantra, a relentless assertion of dominance repeated like a battle cry. It harkens to the idea of self-made success and the elevation above one’s former status. The expression ‘boss up’ is rooted in underground street culture, signifying a bridge from the past towards a position of power and agency. It is both a boast and a command—a showcase of conquest and a directive to the listener to rise above their own challenges.
Playboi Carti employs this chorus as a declaration of his victories in the relentless terrain of the rap game. It’s a glorification of his new reality, which is an emblematic signal to his peers that he’s achieved what many aspire to but few attain. The repetition solidifies the transformation from the ordinary to the extraordinary, encapsulating the essence of striving against odds and emerging victorious.
Visions Altered: The Dichotomy Between Past and Present
The lines ‘I was brought up different / So my vision different /Yeah, my bitches different / Ridin’ ’round I’m tinted,’ establish a before and after snapshot of Carti’s life. It’s not just his vision that’s changed, it’s his entire worldview—shaped by a unique upbringing that set the stage for his current perspective, which now navigates the nuances of fame and altered relationships.
Through Carti’s lyrics, a narrative unfolds highlighting his estrangement from past acquaintances (‘I can’t fuck with niggas / I go get it nigga / How I live it nigga / I can’t kick it with you’). The distance created by his success is palpable, emphasizing an isolation that’s perhaps self-imposed for the sake of maintaining his trajectory. There’s a lingering tone of sacrifice, asserting that he ‘Had 2’ leave behind a former life to embrace this new world where trust is scarce and the familiar faces are lost in the crowd.
The Hidden Meaning Behind ‘Weight All in My Name’
A particularly poignant line, ‘Weight all in my name,’ serves as a double entendre. On one front, it suggests the heavy responsibility and expectations that come with fame—the ‘weight’ of a name that now carries influence and power. Concurrently, it alludes to the street slang for carrying drugs (or ‘weight’), a potential nod to a past life or the street cred that reinforces his authenticity in the rap scene.
Carti’s repeat of this phrase resonates as a meditation on the burdens that accompany one’s ascent. The weight is both a trophy and a shackling force, casting a long shadow over the enjoyment of his new-found status. It’s a reminder that with recognition comes a form of confinement within the persona that has been constructed and celebrated by the masses.
Swag Surfing the Divide: Exclusivity in Carti’s Echelon
‘All these niggas want that swag ’cause we go to hard / Swag surfin’ on these niggas you can’t be a part,’ illustrates a line drawn between those who have ‘made it’ and those who can only aspire. Carti’s success is a club with a selective membership, where the price of entry is a unique blend of talent, determination, and a modicum of ruthlessness.
Swag surfing becomes the metaphor for riding the waves of success—maneuvering skillfully over the ebbs and flows that might overwhelm a lesser artist. Carti’s exclusivity, demarcated by the luxury brands he dons (‘And I’m Ricky down to my toes and heart / Goyard ’round my waist and it hold the Glock’), symbolizes a divide grown wide with every pop of a tag and acquisition of material wealth. His world is one of opulence and unattainability, reinforcing an image of invincibility.
The Lingering Echo: Memorable Lines that Define a Generation
Within ‘Had 2,’ there are lines that reverberate, transcending the immediate sphere of Carti’s personal narrative to resonate with a broader audience, encapsulating a generational ethos. The call to ‘Boss up’ resonates as a modern-day rallying cry for self-empowerment, encapsulating a listener’s desire for autonomy and the pursuit of their dreams without apology or compromise.
It is the recognition in the phrase ‘Had 2’ that becomes the anthem’s most impactful legacy—implying necessity, determination, and the inevitability of change in one’s journey. Carti’s simple yet incisive hook, ‘Boss up on these niggas,’ has already embedded itself in youthful lexicons, embodying both the hunger and the hustle that define the age. These lines are less about Carti alone and more about the shared ambition woven into the fabric of contemporary culture.
