Plain Jane by A$AP Ferg Lyrics Meaning – The Beat of the Streets and the Pulse of Perseverance
Lyrics
Alhamdulallah
Check in with me, and do ya job
Ferg is the name
Ben Baller did the chain
Tourneau for the watch
Presi plain Jane
Yamborghini chain, rest in peace to my superior
Hermes link could feed a village in Liberia
TMZ taking pictures causin’ mad hysteria
Momma see me on BET and started tearin’ up
I’mma start killin’ niggas
How you get that tribe
I attended Harlem picnics where you risked your life
Uncle used to skim work sellin’ Nicks at night
I was only 8 years old watching Nick at Nite
Uncle psycho was in that bathroom buggin’!
Knife to his guts
Hope Daddy don’t cut him
Suicidal thoughts brought to me with no advisory
He was pitchin’ dummy selling fiends mad ivory
Grandma had the arthritis in her hands, bad!
She was poppin’ pills like rappers in society
I fuck yo bitch for the irony
I’ll send Meechy at yo hoe if yo bitch keep eyeing me
Ride with the mob
Alhamdulallah
Check in with me, and do ya job
Ferg is the name
Ben Baller did the chain
Tourneau for the watch
Presi plain Jane
Ride with the mob
Alhamdulallah
Check in with me, and do ya job
Ferg is the name
Ben Baller did the chain
Tourneau for the watch
Presi plain Jane
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
I’mma explain why you probably never seen me
I’m in a sunken place, no Instagram or watchin’ TV
I think I trade my breakfast lunch and dinner for some kitty
Please believe me I see RiRi, I’mma eat it like panini
I go dump up in the bar, hit the walls like graffiti
Indian burns all up on a nigga wee-wee
I think I need a foursome, Bella, Kendall, Gigi
It’d be easy if Reneezy hook it all up on the leezy
I go crazy in my yeezy, Kirk Neezy on the beat
I told ’em that we finna glow up in the street
Rappers talk subliminal but they don’t talk to me
Put ’em in a Jersey Shore like Pauly D
Ride with the mob
Alhamdulallah
Check in with me, and do ya job
Ferg is the name
Ben Baller did the chain
Tourneau for the watch
Presi plain Jane
Ride with the mob
Alhamdulallah
Check in with me, and do ya job
Ferg is the name
Ben Baller did the chain
Tourneau for the watch
Presi plain Jane
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
Suck a nigga dick or somethin’
A$AP Ferg’s ‘Plain Jane’ is not merely a track; it’s a thunderous statement echoing from the soul of Harlem’s asphalt jungles to the mainstream corridors of hip-hop culture. The 2017 hit single from his mixtape ‘Still Striving’ pulsates with raw energy, gritty storytelling, and undiluted braggadocio that slices through the beat with razor-sharp precision.
Ferg, a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, has managed to capture an authentic narrative, weaving his personal experiences with the widescreen panoramas of urban life. ‘Plain Jane’ is a multi-layered composition that invites listeners to a kinetic world where luxury coexists with survival, and faith mixes with the hustle.
A Spiritual Ride with the Mob: The Paradox of ‘Alhamdulallah’
As the track ignites, Ferg allies himself with the mob, signaling not only his crew but solidarity within a community. The Arabic phrase ‘Alhamdulallah,’ meaning ‘Praise be to God,’ juxtaposes the divine with the demands of street life. It implies gratitude amidst struggle and is an acknowledgment of a higher power overseeing the daily grind.
By commencing with gratitude before diving into the depths of his hustling past, Ferg frames his narrative with a view that surpasses the material. The phrase is a recurring mantra, tethering the chaos of the world described in the song to a sense of divine order and personal spirituality.
Harlem’s Echo: Chronicles of the Street
The lyrics unfold like pages from Ferg’s diary, capturing snapshots of growing up in the merciless environment of Harlem. He references ‘Harlem picnics where you risked your life,’ illustrating the community events that were tainted by the omnipresent threat of violence.
His verses relay tales of family members embroiled in crime – an ‘Uncle psycho’ with ‘Suicidal thoughts’ and a grandmother turning to pills. These vivid, hard-hitting delineations portray the complex web of circumstances individuals are often born into, with the streets as their unforgiving mentors.
Jewels of Juxtaposition: Beyond the Presi Plain Jane
Throughout the chorus, conspicuous consumption is flaunted with references to luxury brands and opulent imagery – ‘Ben Baller did the chain, Tourneau for the watch, Presi plain Jane.’ Yet, these symbols of wealth are delivered in a straightforward, almost dismissive tone, evoking a ‘plain Jane,’ the antithesis of ostentatiousness.
Ferg draws attention to the accuracy and reality behind the perceived glamor. While the wealth signals success, there’s an undercurrent reminding us that this luxury could be ephemeral. The triumph is not in the possession but in the persistence and maneuvering through life’s precariousness.
Decoding the Hidden Meanings: The Irony of Ironies
‘I fuck yo bitch for the irony, I’ll send Meechy at yo hoe if yo bitch keep eyeing me’—Ferg doesn’t mince words, utilizing irony as a literary tool to challenge the norms. Amid confrontational and explicit lines, there is a nuanced commentary on the cyclical nature of envy, fidelity, and the pursuit of pleasure.
The ‘irony’ he refers to strikes a deeper chord; it mirrors the ironies of life where ostentation hides pain, where rappers’ bravado often masks personal suffering and social commentary lurks beneath surface-level braggadocio.
Memorable Lines: A Cultural Zeitgeist
‘Suck a nigga dick or somethin’’—this repeated line, while provocative, resonates as a stark, unapologetic portrait of authority and assertion. Its repetition leaves an indelible mark, making the song instantly recognizable and reflective of a cultural mood that’s both combative and dismissive of subtlety.
These words serve as a disruptive refrain, a testament to Ferg’s ability to craft a track that’s both viscerally impactful and emblematic of a broader zeitgeist. It’s a line that captures the audacity of the song—demanding attention, subverting norms, and boldly claiming a space in the listeners’ psyche.
