Released: 2020 • Features: Gunna
“Heatin Up” is a fast-paced, pulsating track from Lil Baby featuring Gunna, where these Atlanta-based artists discuss their meteoric rise in the rap industry and flaunt their luxurious lifestyle coupled with their tough street personas. The lyrics metaphorize their hot streak in the music enterprise, likening it to heating up like a deadly weapon.
To dig in, Lil Baby’s verse starts off the song, and he hits hard with a rapid-fire verse about his success in the rap game and life after growing up on the streets. “4PF look like we hit licks how we sell bricks / we don’t sell shit, we just make hits,” shows us Lil Baby asserting that his crew, 4 Pockets Full (4PF), is legitimate and focused on making music, not illegal activities. The lines, “Got a Moncler coat because the kid the coldest / ain’t changed, I stayed the same and maintained / it’s safe to say the kid gettin’ older,” shows Lil Baby’s dedication to staying true to himself, his humble beginnings, and keeping his cool demeanor in the face of fame.
In the hook, “Hot, hot, hot, I’m heatin’ up” is a cheeky play on his moniker, as a Lil ‘Baby’, he’s still young in the game but already making waves, heating up the charts. The line, “I fuck with slimes and I’m gonna bust,” reaffirms his street allegiance, with ‘slimes’ being a popular slang term for close friends or associates in the trap subculture.
As we move to Gunna’s verse, his flow maintains the high energy tempo, emphasizing their flashy lifestyle as a result of their success. With lines like, “For this Christmas, I bought everybody guns”, Gunna portrays the paradox of their reality – even amidst success and wealth, they remain conscious of their roots. In the line, “We them drippers, lil’ nigga, best watch your step,” Gunna alludes to his alias ‘Gunna Drip’, warning others to be careful not to underestimate them.
Finally, Lil Baby takes the third verse, emphasizing once more the necessity of staying ready for anything despite their achievements. The phrase, “I am not a killer, but don’t tempt me,” serves as a stark reminder that while they may have left their past lives, they are not far removed from their old ways if need be.
In essence, “Heatin Up” can be seen as a triumphant celebration of their journey and a stern reminder that the street ethos that shaped them is not easily forgotten, even in the face of stardom.
