How Come by D12 Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Ties that Bind and Break in Hip Hop’s Brotherhood
Lyrics
You got a phone
Pick it up
Call me
How come, we don’t even talk no more
And you don’t even call no more
We don’t barely keep in touch at all
And I don’t even feel the same love when we hug no more
And I heard it through the grapevine
We even been beefin’ now
After all the years we been down
Ain’t no way no how
This bullshit can’t be true
We family
Ain’t a damn thing changed
Unless its you
We were so young
So full of life and vibrance
Side by side, wherever you was riding, I went
So close, almost on some Bonnie and Clyde shit
When Ronnie died you was right by my side
With a shoulder to cry on and tissue to wipe my eyes
And a bucket to catch ever tear I cried inside it
You even had the same type of childhood I did
Sometimes I just wanna know why is it that you succumb to yours
And mine I survived it. You ran the streets, I 9 to 5’ed it
We grew up, grew apart as time went by us
And I blew up to both yours and mines surprises
Now I feel a vibe I just can’t describe it
Much as your pride tries to hide it
You’re cold, your touch is just like ice
And your eyes is a look of resentment
I can sense it and I don’t like it
How come, we don’t even talk no more
And you don’t even call no more
We don’t barely keep in touch at all
And I don’t even feel the same love when we hug no more
And I heard it through the grapevine
We even been beefin’ now
After all the years we been down
Ain’t no way no how
This bullshit can’t be true
We family
Ain’t a damn thing changed
Unless its you
It was my dream at first to be off spitting a verse
On my own album with a deal but shit got worse
‘Fore I came out I would of killed a nigga first
‘Fore I let him disrespect me, or check me over some worrisome
Bitch that I wasn’t with I woulda hit it and quit
But you were planning to talk with her and tell her she was the shit
I told you don’t get involved with her
You would smoke in the car with her
Coming outta the bar with her
Stumbling half drunk
Like y’all was husband and wife or something
But me catching her fucking other niggas must of hurt your pride or something
‘Cause you woof off at the mouth to people like you want it with me
When all I tried to do was show that your bitch was shifty
And ever since the fans and all the shit that I produced
You acting like I ain’t your mans, lying like she can’t be loose
But I am really your friend, I’m just trying to tell you the truth
Don’t hate the game or the player
The one that’s changing is you
How come, we don’t even talk no more
And you don’t even call no more
We don’t barely keep in touch at all
And I don’t even feel the same love when we hug no more
And I heard it through the grapevine
We even been beefin’ now
After all the years we been down
Ain’t no way no how
This bullshit can’t be true
We family
Ain’t a damn thing changed
Unless its you
It’s gettin’ lonely at the top ’cause my homie had to stop
Now we acting like I gotta live only for the block
And homies in the hood only see me on the tube
So they gossip on the porch get to speakin’ all rude
Fools I used to rap wit all expect magic
Like my finger get to snapping
And poof it just happen
But Proof is just acting out the part he was thrown
Shady made it so my babies ain’t starving at home
See the devil in your glance
Since the ghetto we been friends, forever real intelligence
That’s forever ’til the end
I peep the hatred in your eyes, and the Satan in your lies
Ain’t wasting my time with these snakes in disguise
(How come) When you talk it’s with bitter and spite?
(And how come) It’s my fault for what you did with your life?
And every time I go to hear you play, you look away
We barely embrace, you can’t even look me in my face
How come, we don’t even talk no more
And you don’t even call no more
We don’t barely keep in touch at all
And I don’t even feel the same love when we hug no more
And I heard it through the grapevine
We even been beefin’ now
After all the years we been down
Ain’t no way no how
This bullshit can’t be true
We family
Ain’t a damn thing changed
Unless its you
In the pantheon of hip-hop narratives, tales of brotherhood, loyalty, and its subsequent betrayal often take central stage, offering a cathartic mixture of raw emotion wrapped in urban poetics. D12’s ‘How Come’ is one such ballad of broken bonds, carrying listeners through a tumultuous journey of friendship and fallout. The song stands as a testament to the crumbling façade of unity, artfully exploring the what-ifs and what-went-wrongs that haunt us like specters of our former kinships.
Embedded within the gritty storytelling that D12 is recognized for, ‘How Come’ echoes the universal ache of human disconnection. While on the surface it seems like a straightforward narrative of estrangement, below it churns a complex weave of the personal and the profound, the particular dolor that comes from feeling adrift from those once considered family.
The Struggle Against Evolving Narratives
The opening lines of ‘How Come’ set a stage of communication breakdown — a silence where once there was dialogue. Such is the predicament of relationships stressed by time and change; where success and individual paths exert pressures unforeseeable in the innocence of youth. The song is not just a chronicle of the changing dynamics between the members of D12, but a mirror to the shifts everyone endures as life propels us forward.
The urgency in the need to address this growing chasm is palpable, illustrating how the foundation of shared memories and experiences erodes under the weight of new roles — from artists striving side by side to estranged icons grappling with fame’s isolating ascent.
A Reflection of Personal Tribulation
Eminem, as one of the prominent voices in the song, delivers a deeply personal verse fraught with confusion and loss. His narration of accompanying a friend through the pain of death and his confusion over the coldness that has replaced the warmth they once shared, speaks to a deeper sense of betrayal that transcends mere artistic disbandment.
This particular verse serves not only as a tribute to the fallen friend, Ronnie, but also as a haunting segue into the introspective inquiry of why one friend spiraled while the other managed to rise above the same conditions they both faced. The subtext here seems to bid the listener to consider the capriciousness of fate and the unforeseen forks in life’s journey that can divide paths once inseparable.
Jealousy, Egomania, or Just the Taste of Change?
‘How Come’ doesn’t shy away from the darker undertones of what fame can unveil. The verses suggest a creeping jealousy or perhaps a sense of betrayal felt by those who once rallied around shared dreams. These lines prod at the notion that it’s not only landscapes that change with the arrival of success, but the people that inhabit them, too.
The song manages to dissect the delicate balance between the personal and the professional, questioning the integrity and authenticity of relationships within the sphere of a competitive and ego-driven industry. It proposes that, sometimes, the one changing is unaware of their transformation, leaving behind a wake of confusion and altered bonds.
The Unspoken Pact of Loyalty
Immersed within ‘How Come’ is the implication of an unspoken pact of loyalty, particularly within hip-hop culture. The genre elevates the idea of loyalty to a sacred code, and the song taps into the sentimentality and bitterness that erupt when that code is perceived to be broken. Allusions to childhood connections, shared struggles, and the early dreams of stardom become the yardstick against which current wrongs are measured.
This unspoken pact becomes a canvas for not only examining interpersonal dynamics within D12 but also invites the listener to introspect about their own relationships. Have they changed too? Who has strayed from the unspoken oaths of camaraderie, and more importantly, can these relationships ever return to their original state, or have they forever been altered by growth and circumstance?
Memorable Lines that Cut Deep
The enduring resonance of ‘How Come’ lies in its memorable lines that appear to cut right to the bone. Verses such as ‘Ain’t no way no how, this bullshit can’t be true, we family, ain’t a damn thing changed, unless it’s you’ resonates a universal sense of disbelief and anger. It’s an emotional indictment, a demand for an explanation and a yearning for the impossible return to an idyllic past.
The emotional rawness and accessibility of these lines encapsulate the pivotal moments of confrontation that everyone eventually faces. By echoing the intricate layers of surprise, disenchantment, and hurt with poetic precision, D12 manages to craft a timeless critique of the complexities inherent in friendship’s evolution and the price of fame.
