Meaning of “Never Imagined” by Lil Durk (ft. Future)

There had to be at least one come-up song found on the playlist of Lil Durk’s 2023 album “Almost Healed”, and that would be the song “Never Imagined”. On this song, he recruited one of the best in the game in dropping these kinds of tracks, that being Future. 

Hendrix and Durkio have teamed up numerous times in the past, dating back to Zona Man’s 2015 track “Mean to Me” and most recently, before the release of “Never Imagined” on 26 May 2023, on the late-2022 collaboration “Mad Max”.

Besides the two vocalists, the other writer of this song is Chopsquad DJ, who also produced it. And it was put out through Lil Durk’s label Only the Family, in conjunction with Alamo Records.       

Lyrics of “Never Imagined”

Actually, it’s only the chorus of this track that points the vocalists’ come-up, i.e. Future and Durk having “never imaged” that they would one day make it as big as they have. 

But as for the actual verses, they center less on braggadocio per se and more on street life, as Hendrix recounts once being a drug dealer, and Durk for instance recalls how a certain young associate of his ended up being murdered. The former also uses the opportunity to give a roundabout shoutout to the infamous Bloods street gang, which both rappers are known to be affiliated with.

“Too many bracelets’ll sprain a ni–a wrist
Comin’ from the gutter, never imagined livin’ like this
Five-thousand shots when I’m at the Pow-Wow with the clique, yeah
She gotta be bossed up in order to be my bi–h, yeah (DJ on the beat so it’s a banger)”

So the title/chorus of this track is kinda misleading. That is to say that instead of the rappers harping on their success as expected, what we are more squarely met with is tales from their time in the ‘hood. Or let’s say that in the case of Future, he points to his success by most notably reminiscing on his days as a drug dealer.