Released: 2016
“Gravity” by “YoungBoy Never Broke Again” takes a deep dive into his personal struggles, triumphs, and the resilience that has shaped his journey. It’s a raw confession about coming from nothing, fighting through adversity, and still striving to stay on the right path despite the challenges that come with fame and success.
When he says, “In this life that I’m livin’, I pray I make it through the night”, he’s expressing the everyday uncertainty and struggle he faces. It’s a universal sentiment that we all know—you’ve got to take life one day at a time. Seeing the city lights represent his contemplation about his journey and the reality of his life which is now filled with fame and riches but also marked by trials and tribulations.
“Plenty times you done hurt me, I done been all alone tonight” Here, YoungBoy alludes to personal relationships that have let him down, leaving him feeling betrayed and alone. It could be reference to disloyalty from friends, heartbreak, or the trials and tribulations of fame.
The line, “Can’t get knocked off my pivot, I gotta play my cards right” serves a dual purpose. While revealing his steely resolve to maintain his stance in the face of adversities, it also underscores the importance of making smart choices to continue his successful run in the game.
“Gotta stack up them benji’s, my nigga, we gon’ ball for life” This is the hip-hop version of declaring financial independence and success. “Benji’s” is slang for the hundred dollar bills (with Benjamin Franklin’s face on them). Stacking them, and ‘ball for life’ is about building wealth, enjoying the good life, and sharing that success with those close to him. It’s catchy and boastful, an essential element of rap music, but also a testament to the wealth he’s been able to secure through his rap career.
‘I got two sons, I’m just 16, can’t waste my time’, here, YoungBoy sheds light on his responsibility as a young father, and how it has influenced his deliberate and persistent hustle. It’s not just about him anymore; he has little ones relying on his success.
YoungBoy also takes a moment to remember his roots: “I’m from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I done came far”. It’s a nod to his hometown, a place known for its gritty street life and inherent issues. He measures his success not just in terms of fame and wealth, but in the distance he has put between his present life and his past struggles.
Finally, “Can’t trip ’bout you leaving me / Wasn’t for you, this wouldn’t have happened” is a reference to his father who was incarcerated for much of YoungBoy’s life. Despite the pain of this abandonment, YoungBoy acknowledges the formative impact it had on him—it sparked his hustle, shaped his resilience, and fueled his ambition.
Overall, “Gravity” is the soundtrack of YoungBoy’s journey so far—a raw, unfiltered narrative of his rise to fame and fortune, peppered with the trials and tribulations along the way. It’s a testament of his resilience and indomitable spirit despite the hardships and betrayals he’s faced. This is YoungBoy unfiltered and uncensored, telling his story the only way he knows how—through his music.
