Released: 2017 • Features: Metro Boomin
“My Choppa Hate Niggas” by 21 Savage and Metro Boomin is a gritty tale about the relentless realities of the street life, replete with references to gang culture, violence, and the struggles faced by those who live it. The song embodies a relentless quest for survival, even amidst destructive and life-threatening circumstances.
Diving deeper into the lyrics, 21 Savage starts with mentioning how he can fit a million dollars (M) into a duffel bag, symbolizing his success in the rap industry. However, despite his success, he hasn’t lost his street edge, as he casually speaks of buying a Dodge Demon for casual rubber-burning.
His allegiance to the Slaughter Gang is demonstrated with the line “On that Slaughter Gang shit, bitch we knife talkin'”. Slaughter Gang is his own crew, and their preferred weapon, symbolic of their ruthless street reputation, is the knife. The lyrics “All my niggas dogs and we like to bite, don’t it?” reinforces this savage mentality.
In the hook, he delves into his surroundings filled with gang banging, with references to Crips and Bloods, two notorious LA-based gangs. The line “You might got a pistol but this stick is way bigger / I call it KKK, ’cause my choppa hate niggas”, essentially means that his gun (choppa or stick) is bigger or better than anyone else’s. The controversial comparison to the KKK could be interpreted as his gun not discriminating, as it “hates” everyone equally, a chilling personification of the indiscriminate violence in gang culture.
The following lines like “Do a lot of walkin’ nigga, that’s me / Finna open up a morgue, all this damn beef” merge his street experience with his rap persona, showing his readiness to defend himself, both lyrically and literally, against adversaries. He also stresses the fact that he hasn’t gone soft, despite his success in rap, a frequent concern for street-oriented rappers who attain fame and wealth.
The repeated lines “Hang around a lot of gang banging’ ass niggas / Crip, Blood, blue or red, what you bang nigga?” emphasize the pervading gang influence in his life, a reality for many youth in marginalized urban areas. The color references (blue or red) represent the associated colors of the Crips and Bloods, respectively.
The closing lines, “Nightmare on Elm Street…” speak to the terror Savage and his crew can instill in their opposition, comparing it to the fear one would experience in a horrific nightmare.
Overall, with “My Choppa Hate Niggas”, 21 Savage delivers a hard-hitting message about the daily perils in the streets of Atlanta, and the resilience and ruthlessness required to survive.
