Durk Derrick Banks is an American rapper and vocalist from Chicago, Illinois. To the world, he is known as as the Chicago Drill artist called Lil Durk. Born on October 19, 1992, he is the founder and primary member of the collective and record label Only the Family. His father was imprisoned when he was seven months old, so he grew up with a lot of responsibilities at home.
He recalls that when he was younger, there were occasions when he did not have enough food at home. He began his first breakthrough on social media platforms. In 2011, he made his debut with two singles, “Sneak Dissin'” and “I’ma Hitta.” In 2012, he published his third mix tape, Life Ain’t No Joke, which has been downloaded over 216,000 times. The success of ‘L’s Anthem’ prompted Durk to form a partnership with Def Jam Recordings. On October 14, 2013, he released his fourth mixtape, ‘Signed to the Streets.’
In 2015, he published his debut album, Remember My Name, which was a tremendous smash and peaked at number fourteen on the Billboard 200 chart. In the first week after its release, it sold 24,000 copies. This New album cemented his reputation as a gifted musician. The album was also ranked second on the list of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Lil Durk was voted Rapper of the Year in 2016 by the well-known music blog ‘Underground Interviews.’
Read on to learn the interpretation of Lil Durk Different Meanings lyrics meaning.
What does the title mean?
Lil Durk Different Meaning lyrics meaning gets captured by the name of the song. While artists dabble in many sub-genres of hip hop, Lil Durk returns to his roots of Chicago Drill with this song. It is another dark, nihilistic song that tries to interpret a different meaning to life in the hood.
Verse 1 – What does it mean?
When you wake up off them pills, that feeling terrible
The worst thing to be known is when they scared of you
And they gon’ laugh right in your face when they ahead of you
And to be technical, that shit we do is federal
These lines are about waking up and looking back at a life of drugs. It’s about realising how the pills and drugs made a person ignorant. The realisation makes Durk feel terrible, especially when he learns that people are scared of him. He is like any other addict who is feared and loathed by society. Another aspect of this terrible feeling comes from the fact that an addict doesn’t progress in life, while others grow and mock the addict. Durk also throws in a final line to say that many addicts needs to know that pill popping is a Federal offense.
Holding tear backs from this life, it’s so unbearable
You a copycat, that’s not lean, that’s Theraflu
I’ma jump from the top of my money with a parachute
And who you look up to a ho, I wouldn’t dare salute
I keep taking care of my killers, they wouldn’t care to shoot
These lines compare the bottling up of hurt & misery with the cough suppressant called Theraflu. The emotional suppression and the medicine give temporary relief but not a long lasting cure. Next, he talks about getting humble by jumping down from his pile of money, cause he would never salute a sellout for money. This humility would also take care of his killers, who wouldn’t show any care towards the act of shooting.
I got your address from a bitch, that’s for a pair of shoes
You got a text like, “He got hit,” that shit be scary news
They told me, “Get up out the streets, you can go back to school”
The narrative continues to give another side of the story. How humility is seen as weakness & a corrupt girl shares his address easily. All it takes is a pair of shoes to buy her loyalty. Soon, the streets get afraid when they hear that he got shot. Thereafter, Durk was told to quit the streets & get back to school because he may end up getting shot too.
Lil Durk Different Meaning lyrics capture one aspect of his story within the 1st verse. It tells about the various conflicts between choosing a life of drugs, crime or an education. How these choices become very difficult in the ghetto. Then Durk moves into the Bridge to tell the listener about his feelings.
What does the bridge mean?
My life hurts so bad
Thinking ’bout if you was here, what kinda life you would have
Nowadays, the way we live, we live our life on the edge
Nowadays, the way we live, you would die if you scared, uh
Now Durk tells the audience that his life hurts real bad. To him, everyone he grew up with was like a brother. Now he addresses his brother who is in prison or dead. How life would have been different if the brother was here. Even after they are gone, life is on edge and people are more or less dead, due to their fear.
What does the chorus mean?
This life is for the ghetto
This life, this life, this life
This life is for the ghetto
This life, this life, this life
The chorus resounds the fact that Durk is merely sharing a different meaning to the facts of living in the ghetto. How the initial verse may look like gang or addict talk, but it is every day life in the ghetto.
Verse 2 – What does it mean?
Nobody put fear in us
I put real life inside this music, they not hearing us
I know what’s real, I had some real killers tearing up
I did all I can for ’em, they not sincere enough
The second verse digs a little deeper & states that no one else was the cause of this fear. Its a numbing fear that does not hear the real life narrative in this song. He emphasizes how he knows reality & gets actual killers emotional. He also states that this song is the best that he can do but the killers lack the sincerity to wake up & correct their ways.
They stopped believing me way back then, they can’t cheer with us, mmm-mmm
It get treacherous, that’s why they don’t mention us
Why you holding onto a snitch? Just give that victim up
They can’t take care us alone, that’s why they cliquing up
In continuation, he recalls how people lost their faith in him long back. How they got no right to cheer him now, how they treacherous not to mention all the brothers. On the other hand, they also protect the snitch who will claim to be a victim once he is found. In fact, the people are coming together to protect the snitch.
They told me to go pop and give the trenches up
I said fuck that shit, four killers inside a Bentley truck
It would’ve been five, but one of them died, his soul was given up
Wish I talked to him on the last call, told him live it up
The last part of this verse is about people inciting Durk to get out of the trenches & attack someone. He is unfazed & says that’s four killers in the Bentley could have been five, if only one of them had lived. How the dead had given up his soul before dying. Durk also wishes that he could have advised the killer to quit the killing for a better life.
Conclusion
Lil Durk Different Meaning lyrics meaning captures ghetto life, moral conflicts & personal trauma within well crafted simple lines. Every phrase is full of despair & hints at the wishful thinking of the artist. Nonetheless, it keeps enough ambiguity to allow the listener a sense of relatability. This song talks about a Chicago ghetto, but people from different ghettos can identify elements of his narrative. You could get a better feel of the words by listening to the song again. Perhaps, you discover some more intricate layers to the lyrics & share them here.
