Houston Old Head by ASAP Rocky Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Wisdom in Modern Hip-Hop Poetry
Lyrics
Break it, break it down, break it down so I can beat it up
Where the welcome back? Where the welcome at? My sneaker tough
This is for my old head go on turn your speakers up
Rocky, where you been? I been tryna make my ends meet
So I can cop that Bathing Ape or Jeremy Scott or 10 Deep
Bottles full of Rose, riding in the Benz jeep
Blowing money fast, now I’m finna think I’m Big Meech
I met with my old head we sat for a while
We rolled a couple swishers, we chat for a while
I said I’m just on my grind I come to Houston all the time
He said what’s been goin’ down in your New York state of mind
Fine, there are bad days you feel like givin up
Like how you gon’ eat when this gig is up
When the chips is down and the jig is up
But I don’t give a fuck, roll another swisher up
Cause I just came here down South so I could get these pounds out
And move my mother nice somewhere closer than a town house
And my beats banging kicking harder than a roundhouse
I spoke with my old head and this is what I found out
Life is just a bitch, a bitch is like a ho
Hoes want the money, money come and goes
Friends turn to foes, foes they be fake
If you listen when ya old head talkin’ you’ll be straight
Now my old head old age bald head rogaine
Code red codeine, nose red cocaine
Pimpin’ bitches since lemon chicken shrimp lo mein
Gold chains afros platforms soul train
And he told me ’bout that rapping trapping in the old days
When pop homeboy Shock before that rat tat tat tat nose rings
And I’m so high I could fuck around and grow wings
And we sipping on something purpler than Soul Plane
We sip slow, slow swing, tip foes and chrome wings
Told me I should head home and do my own thang
Then I heard my phone rang, hold up that’s my old dame
Pick it up I hit you back, miss me and I miss you back
She said Harlem miss you too and they can’t wait to get you back
You should come on home leave the drugs alone and stick to rap
Just don’t come back flossin’ cause that type of shit’ll get you clapped
Life is just a bitch, a bitch is like a ho
Hoes want the money, money come and goes
Friends turn to foes, foes they be fake
If you listen when ya old head talkin’ you’ll be straight
In the pantheon of modern rap, ASAP Rocky stands as both a harbinger of style and a scribe of the street’s sagacity. ‘Houston Old Head’ is not merely a track embedded with the usual trope of the genre; it is a vibrant tapestry interwoven with the gritty realities of aspiration, heritage, and the stark admonishments of an elder’s insights.
This piece, which at first listen paints the color of Houston’s influence and pays homage to an older, wiser generation, serves to stitch together Rocky’s own narrative of personal ambition against the backdrop of wide-ranging advice from those who tread the path before him. The lyricism here is a medium, translating life experiences into rhythmic wisdom for both Rocky and his audience.
The Mentor’s Voice: Distilling Wisdom in Bars
ASAP Rocky’s ‘old head,’ a term of endearment for a respected elder, emerges as a central figure imparting hard-earned knowledge. The veteran’s perspective is a grounding force in the track, juxtaposing the young rapper’s swift rise to fame with the pitfalls that accompany success. From a vantage point of experience, the old head delivers cautionary wisdom about the cyclical nature of money and loyalty.
There’s an unmistakable reverence in the way Rocky relays his conversations with the old head, acknowledging a lineage of struggle and survival that predates his own. As much as the track is an ode to Houston, it is also an homage to the universal figures in urban communities who help navigate the treacherous waters of youth and success.
Decoding the Undercurrents: Urban Sophistication Meets Street Sages
‘Houston Old Head’ unfolds as a multilayered narrative. On the surface, it can be mistaken for just another rap braggadocio, but a closer examination reveals an intricate interplay between seeking material success and heeding seasoned advice. Rocky doesn’t just want to come up; he aims to do so without losing himself or forgetting the counsel of his mentors.
Throughout the song, Rocky wrestles with the temptations of ‘blowing money fast’ and the implications of living life in the fast lane. The guidance of the old head serves as a counterbalance to the risks of the lifestyle Rocky describes, cementing the song as a negotiation between youthful ambition and the sobriety that comes with experience.
An Homage to Hip-Hop’s Evolving Fabric
In paying tribute to his old head’s past—filled with the essence of days where ‘pimpin’ bitches’ and scraping by were the norm—ASAP Rocky is also tipping his hat to hip-hop’s evolution. The genre itself has grown from the rebellious poetry of the streets to a global phenomenon, and Rocky navigates this transition by honoring the past even as he carves out his stake in modern music.
The track doesn’t just articulate a young rapper’s journey but also celebrates hip-hop’s journey as a whole. From the ‘Gold chains afros platforms soul train’ of the past to the current day, where the genre’s reach is profound and its influence undeniable, Rocky acknowledges his small part in this larger narrative.
Unearthing the Meaning: The Hidden Gems in ‘Houston Old Head’
Perhaps the most profound element of ‘Houston Old Head’ lies in its hidden gems—lines that serve as life lessons wrapped in simple truths. When Rocky’s old head delivers the lines, ‘Life is just a bitch, a bitch is like a ho / Hoes want the money, money come and goes,’ he’s distilling the transience of wealth and loyalty into a memorable, singable mantra.
This is more than catchy lyricism; it’s the appropriation of colloquial wisdom into a form that resonates with the listener, evoking an understanding that weaves through countless lives, irrespective of background. It’s the kind of raw authenticity and simplicity that makes hip-hop a continuing vessel for storytelling and truth.
Echoing Through Time: The Song’s Memorable Lines
The phrase, ‘If you listen when ya old head talkin’ you’ll be straight,’ is arguably the crux of the song. Not just for its catchy nature but for encapsulating the song’s message about the merits of listening to the wisdom of elders. It emerges as an informal proverb, a remnant of culture passed down to guide the next wave hustling through their ascent.
It’s more than an earworm; it’s an echo of the legacy of older generations, a reminder that even in the midst of modern complexity and chaos, there exists an austere truth that has guided many through adversity. It’s the passing on of this proverbial baton that grounds ‘Houston Old Head’ in a context much richer than the sum of its beats and bars.
