- Yo what's up, it's NLE Choppa.
As y'all know, a multi-platinum recording artist.
I'm here with BET.
The significance of this song, "Dear Mama."
It plays a big role
in my rap career in general
because I was always in trouble
and I wanted to do something different
for mother's day one time
'cause I was always good at giving people gifts,
making sure their presents was great
and I wanted to do something different
'cause I had just started to make music.
I was 14 and I wrote a freestyle to "Dear Mama."
I still got the video on my phone.
I wrote a freestyle to it
and for mother's day I had my dad record me,
rapping the lyrics to my mom.
It started like,
"All the stress and the pain that I put you through."
I said,
"You still stuck to my side like you were some glue."
It was just real sentimental to me
and
I was influenced by Tupac on the track
and I just made a song for my mom.
I feel like that song always stuck with me.
It hit different.
This is Tupac, "Dear Mama."
Let's get it.
- When I was pregnant in jail,
I thought I was gonna have a baby
and the baby would never be with me,
but I was acquitted on a month and three days
before Tupac was born.
I was real happy because I had a son.
♪ When I was young me and my mama had beef ♪
♪ 17 years old kicked out on the streets ♪
♪ Though back at the time I never thought I see your face ♪
♪ Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place ♪
♪ Suspended from school and scared to go home I was fool ♪
♪ With the big boys breaking all the rules ♪
♪ I shed tears with my baby sister over the years ♪
♪ We was poorer than the other little kids ♪
♪ And even though we had different daddies the same drama ♪
♪ When things went wrong we'd blame Mama ♪
♪ I reminisce on the stress I caused ♪
♪ It was hell ♪
♪ Hugging on my mama from a jail cell ♪
♪ And who'd think in elementary ♪
♪ Hey I'd see the penitentiary one day ♪
♪ And running from the police that's right ♪
♪ Mama catch me put a whooping to my backside ♪
♪ And even as a crack fiend Mama ♪
♪ You always was a black queen Mama ♪
♪ I finally understand ♪
♪ For a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man ♪
♪ You always was committed ♪
♪ A poor single mother on welfare ♪
♪ Tell me how you did it ♪
♪ There's no way I can pay you back ♪
♪ But the plan is to show you that I understand ♪
♪ You are appreciated ♪
♪ Lady ♪
♪ Don't you know we love you ♪
♪ Sweet lady (Dear mamma) ♪
♪ Place no one above you ♪
♪ Sweet lady (You are appreciated) ♪
♪ Don't you know we love you ♪
♪ Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair ♪
♪ No love from my daddy 'cause the coward wasn't there ♪
♪ He passed away and I didn't cry ♪
♪ 'Cause my anger ♪
♪ Wouldn't let me feel for a stranger ♪
♪ They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless ♪
♪ But all along I was looking for a father ♪
♪ He was gone ♪
♪ I hung around with the thugs ♪
♪ And even though they sold drugs ♪
♪ They showed a young brother love ♪
♪ I moved out and started really hanging ♪
♪ I needed money of my own so I started slanging ♪
♪ I ain't guilty 'cause even though I sell rocks ♪
♪ It feels good putting money in your mailbox ♪
♪ I love paying rent when the rent's due ♪
♪ I hope you got the diamond necklace that I sent to you ♪
♪ 'Cause when I was low you was there for me ♪
♪ And never left me alone because you cared for me ♪
♪ And I could see you coming home after work late ♪
♪ You're in the kitchen trying to fix us a hot plate ♪
♪ You just working with the scraps you was given ♪
♪ And Mama made miracles every Thanksgiving ♪
♪ But now the road got rough you're alone ♪
♪ You're trying to raise two bad kids on your own ♪
♪ And there's no way I can pay you back ♪
♪ But my plan is to show you that I understand ♪
- I always loved his music
but once I started to dig deeper
and know what type of person he was before he passed away,
that's what really drew me to,
you know what I'm saying,
really embracing how prolific he was.
I got him tatted on my arm.
I got his quote tatted on my leg.
I did a tribute video to him.
Sometimes I just feel like he lived through me
and we cut from the same tree
because I just find a lot of similarities
between me and him both.
That was Tupac, "Dear mama."
Now let's get into the next video,
"Letter to My Daughter."
That song was made for the parents,
for mothers to fathers that had trouble with,
you know what I'm saying,
being a part of their child's life.
I made it about my daughter
but it can be significant to your son,
and I made it about my point of view as a father
but it can be significant to the point of view of a mother
'cause just like how certain men
go through the same thing,
women go through it too.
It's just basically a song
about my view of me co-parenting, you know,
and what I'm lacking and what I'm what I'm missing
and what I'm needing.
My daughter, she changed my life drastically
because I remember,
once my baby mother was pregnant,
I was hoping for a boy.
I'm like, "I want boy, I want to boy,"
but that's what I wanted
and I feel God gave me what I needed.
This is "Letter to My Daughter" by yours truly.
Let's get into it.
(trumpets wailing)
♪ I said this (beep) ♪
♪ Might be the realest (beep) I ever wrote ♪
♪ Ayo let me hear that KF ♪
♪ Might be the realest (beep) I ever record yeah ♪
♪ You're so lazy ♪
♪ Letter to my daughter ♪
♪ I'm just trying to be your father ♪
♪ Ayy ♪
♪ In the back of the Rolls-Royce ♪
♪ You came to with your shoes on ♪
♪ Finna cop a Rolls-Royce car-seat for my newborn ♪
♪ Baby girl you're blessed ♪
♪ Because I know some kids in group home ♪
♪ Ain't seen you since the week that you was born ♪
♪ Miss you in my arms ♪
♪ Mom be on some complicated (beep) so I don't see you ♪
♪ She put the police on me ♪
♪ At the end of the day it hurt you ♪
♪ Kinda hurt me too ♪
♪ Never let life lessons break you ♪
♪ Evaluate the mistake and just wait on your breakthrough ♪
♪ All for you Clover ♪
♪ I turned over a new leaf ♪
♪ But I get the type of treatment that belong to a deadbeat ♪
♪ Know that God and the universe be working for me ♪
♪ Seeing you grow up from afar tends to scare me ♪
♪ Even though (beep) got rough ♪
♪ I'm still praying for your mama ♪
♪ Hope you get the chance to see my grandpa and my grandma ♪
♪ 'Cause they getting kinda old ♪
♪ And grandpa been getting sick ♪
♪ So Mariah if you hear this ♪
♪ Can you please complete the wish ♪
♪ Please no pity for a G ♪
♪ I know I got a daughter that I barely get to see ♪
♪ It haven't been a couple hours ♪
♪ It's been since the first week ♪
♪ And lately I been losing sleep ♪
♪ And it's been hard for me to eat ♪
♪ Last time I tried to see you ♪
♪ Went to jail on that same day ♪
♪ Fighting two felonies 'bout you and I got another case ♪
♪ If I shoot in the house that you in ♪
♪ Take my breath away ♪
♪ I never put my hands on no woman ♪
♪ Wasn't raised that way ♪
♪ I wanted a child just to have something to live for ♪
♪ Now I'm dying just to see you ♪
♪ Something that I'd kill for ♪
♪ Tryna be a co-parent turned me to a no-parent ♪
♪ Feeling like a transparent ♪
♪ What I tell your grandparents ♪
♪ I'd cut my feet off just to see your first steps ♪
♪ Bad enough I wasn't in town to see your first breaths ♪
♪ Might not hear your first words ♪
♪ And it's hurting me to death ♪
♪ Every time I try to do right I get played to the left ♪
♪ Never take it for granted ♪
♪ (Beep) like changing your Pampers ♪
♪ You're nothing less than a goddess ♪
♪ You better not lower your standards ♪
♪ A (beep) call your something else ♪
♪ Bet I correct his grammar ♪
♪ Any question that you got ♪
♪ I promise I got the answers ♪
♪ Another (beep) playing a role that I was given ♪
♪ A feeling she might be calling him daddy ♪
♪ Got me the sickest so I'm tripping ♪
♪ If I slid on that boy and got the blicky ♪
♪ Yeah I'm tripping ♪
♪ Gotta separate my pride from my feelings ♪
♪ Please no pity for a G ♪
♪ I know I got a daughter that I barely get to see ♪
♪ It haven't been a couple hours ♪
♪ It's been since the first week ♪
♪ And lately I been losing sleep ♪
I had to change a lot
just so I can be a role model for my daughter.
That's what really,
really sparked a light in me
to just start changing a lot of stuff.
So, you know what I'm saying,
within that process,
I stop smoking weed completely.
I don't do any drugs.
I don't drink, you know.
I'm vegan, I got a vegan diet.
Everything changed,
it changed my life drastically.
That was "Letter to My Daughter."
Now, I'm about to tell you my next pick.
Bob Marley, I mean,
a talent.
I mean, just off the simple fact of my Jamaican background.
My mom was born in Kingston.
My grandma was born and raised in Kingston.
Hearing them play Bob Marley as I was growing up,
I embraced that sound so much to the point where,
the only music I listen to is my music or Reggae
or people that really influenced me like Pac.
Bob Marley helped me find my sound melodically,
outside of trap music.
He helped me find my sound in a vibing type of way.
And so, this is "Is This Love" by Bob Marley.
Let's get into the Rasta, man.
(reggae music)
♪ I wanna love you and treat you right ♪
♪ I wanna love you ♪
♪ Every day and every night ♪
♪ We'll be together ♪
♪ With a roof right over our heads ♪
♪ We'll share the shelter ♪
♪ Of my single bed ♪
♪ We'll share the same room yeah ♪
♪ For Jah provide the bread ♪
♪ Is this love ♪
♪ Is this love that I'm feeling ♪
♪ Is this love ♪
♪ Is this love that I'm feeling ♪
♪ I wanna know ♪
♪ Wanna know ♪
♪ Wanna know now ♪
♪ I've got to know ♪
♪ Got to know ♪
♪ Got to know now ♪
♪ I ♪
♪ I'm willing and able ♪
♪ So I throw my cards on your table ♪
♪ I wanna love you ♪
♪ I wanna love and treat ♪
♪ Love and treat you right ♪
♪ I wanna love you ♪
♪ Every day and every night ♪
♪ We'll be together ♪
♪ With a roof right over our heads ♪
♪ We'll share the shelter ♪
♪ Of my single bed ♪
♪ We'll share the same room yeah ♪
♪ For Jah provide the bread ♪
♪ Is this love ♪
That was "Is This Love" by Bob Marley.
Let's get it, let's get into the next one.
This is "The Bigger Picture" by the kid, Lil Baby.
Let's go.
I picked Lil Baby, "The Bigger Picture"
of the simple fact of,
when you think a Lil Baby,
you think about getting money,
think about hustling,
think about selling dope.
Outside of those three things I just listed,
he went into a whole nother lane and killed it,
like just straight killed it.
I feel like that song was better
than the stuff that he would usually rap about.
For people to branch off in certain lanes to make music
about what's really going on about the world,
the importance of what's going on
especially in the melanin and the black community,
and for you to exceed in doing that
and that's not your art audience,
what your audience accustomed to?
And I believe, if I'm not mistaken,
I believe this is his biggest song to date.
and this just speaks volumes.
♪ Trade my 4 x 4 for a G63 ♪
♪ Ain't no more free Lil Steve ♪
♪ I gave 'em chance and chance and chance again ♪
♪ I even done told them please ♪
♪ I find it crazy the police will shoot you ♪
♪ And know that you dead but still tell you to freeze ♪
♪ (Beep) up I seen what I seen ♪
♪ I guess that mean hold him down if he say he can't breathe ♪
♪ It's too many mothers that's grieving ♪
♪ They killing us for no reason ♪
♪ Been going on for too long to get even ♪
♪ Throw us in cages like dogs and hyenas ♪
♪ I went to court and they sent me to prison ♪
♪ My mama was crushed when they said I can't leave ♪
♪ First I was drunk then I sobered up quick ♪
♪ When I heard all that time that they gave to Taleeb ♪
♪ He got a life sentence plus ♪
♪ We just some products of our environment ♪
♪ How the fuck they gon' blame us ♪
♪ You can't fight fire with fire ♪
♪ I know but at least we can turn up the flames some ♪
♪ Every colored person ain't dumb and all whites not racist ♪
♪ I be judging by the mind and heart ♪
♪ I ain't really into faces ♪
♪ (Beep) up the way that we living is not getting better ♪
♪ You gotta know how to survive ♪
♪ Crazy I had to tell all of my loved ones ♪
♪ To carry a gun when they going outside ♪
♪ Stare in the mirror whenever you drive ♪
♪ Overprotective go crazy for mine ♪
♪ You gotta pay attention to the signs ♪
♪ Seem like the blind following the blind ♪
♪ Thinking 'bout everything that's going on ♪
♪ I boost security up at my home ♪
♪ I'm with my kind if they right or they wrong ♪
♪ I call him now he'll pick up the phone ♪
♪ And it's five in the morning he waking up on it ♪
♪ Tell 'em wherever I'm at then they coming ♪
♪ I see blue lights I get scared and start running ♪
♪ That (beep) be crazy they 'posed to protect us ♪
♪ Throw us in handcuffs and arrest us ♪
♪ While they go home at night that (beep) messed up ♪
♪ Knowing we needed help they neglect us ♪
♪ Wondering who gon' make them respect us ♪
♪ I can see in your eye that you fed up ♪
♪ (Beep) around got my shot I won't let up ♪
♪ They know that we a problem together ♪
♪ They know that we can storm any weather ♪
♪ It's bigger than black and white ♪
♪ It's a problem with the whole way of life ♪
♪ It can't change overnight ♪
♪ But we gotta start somewhere ♪
♪ Might as well go ahead start here ♪
♪ We done had a hell of a year ♪
♪ I'ma make it count while I'm here ♪
♪ God is the only man I fear ♪
♪ (Beep) it I'm goin' on the front line ♪
♪ He gon' bust your (beep) if you come past that gun line ♪
♪ You know when the storm go away then the sun shine ♪
♪ You gotta put your head in the game when it's crunch time ♪
♪ I want all my sons to grow up to be monsters ♪
♪ I want all my daughters to show out in public ♪
♪ Seems like we losing our country ♪
♪ But we gotta stand up for something ♪
♪ So this what it comes to ♪
♪ Every video I see on my conscience ♪
♪ I got power now I gotta say something ♪
♪ Corrupted police been the problem where I'm from ♪
♪ But I'd be lying if I said it was all of them ♪
♪ I ain't do this for the trend I don't follow them ♪
♪ Altercations with the law had a lot of them ♪
♪ People speaking for the people I'm proud of them ♪
♪ Stick together we can get it up out of them ♪
♪ I can't lie like I don't rap about killing and dope ♪
♪ But I'm telling my younging's to vote ♪
♪ I did what I did 'cause I didn't have no choice or no hope ♪
♪ I was forced to just jump in and go ♪
♪ This bull(beep) is all that we know ♪
♪ But it's time for a change ♪
♪ Got time to be serious no time for no games ♪
♪ We ain't taking no more let us go from them chains ♪
♪ God bless they souls every one of them names ♪
♪ It's bigger than black and white ♪
♪ It's a problem with the whole way of life ♪
♪ It can't change overnight ♪
♪ But we gotta start somewhere ♪
♪ Might as well go ahead start here ♪
♪ We done had a hell of a year ♪
And that was "The Bigger Picture" by Lil Baby.
This is "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins.
Let's go.
Phil Collins, In The Air.
I know nothing about Phil Collins
but I do know this song is just
a work of art.
It's a masterpiece.
It can go for anything that you feel at home.
It could be used for a basketball song,
a football song, a boxing song,
whatever it is,
the words he chose during this song
preps you for the task at hand in my opinion.
It's actually one of my favorite songs
I like to work out to.
I feel like it's one of my favorite songs ever.
(instrumental music)
♪ I can feel it coming in the air tonight ♪
♪ Oh lord ♪
♪ And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life ♪
♪ Oh lord ♪
♪ Can you feel it coming in the air tonight ♪
♪ Oh lord ♪
♪ Well if you told me you were drowning ♪
♪ I would not lend a hand ♪
♪ I've seen your face before my friend ♪
♪ But I don't know if you know who I am ♪
♪ Well I was there and I saw what you did ♪
♪ I saw it with my own two eyes ♪
♪ So you can wipe off that grin ♪
♪ I know where you've been ♪
♪ It's all been a pack of lies ♪
♪ And I can feel it coming in the air tonight ♪
♪ Oh lord ♪
♪ Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life ♪
♪ Oh lord ♪
♪ I can feel it coming in the air tonight ♪
♪ Oh lord ♪
♪ Well I remember ♪
♪ I remember don't worry ♪
♪ How could I ever forget ♪
We just wrapped up "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins,
one of my favorite songs.
I really liked that one.
It actually drove me to the point to where I sampled it
and remixed it myself,
and it is gonna come on my...
It's gonna be the intro for my album
that come out next year.
It's one of my favorite songs.
I can't wait to mix and master it
'cause it's gonna be one of my best songs for sure.
Yo what's up, it's NLE Choppa.
I enjoyed my presence here with BET,
watching videos with y'all.
I hope y'all enjoyed watching me watch 'em.
Thank y'all for coming out.
Thank y'all for tuning in.
I'll be back.