Down As A Great – English Lyrics

• By: Nipsey Hussle, Kirko Bangz
• Album: Slauson Boy 2

Lyrics & Translation

Explore Nipsey Hussle's inspiring track "Down As A Great" and delve into the language of ambition and legacy. This song offers a potent blend of motivation and introspection, teaching listeners about the power of focus and the importance of community while striving for greatness. Discover how Nipsey's vivid storytelling and poignant lyrics can inspire you to pursue your own legendary status.

[English]

I'm tryna go down, down as a great

Every night I get, on my knees and pray

That I will go down, yeah

I will go down, yeah

Legendary moves, leader of my crew

Heavy is the head that wear the crown, that shit true

Do it like Nip Hussle, that's to fill some big shoes

And what good is excuses when the fuckin' rent's due?

Smokin' on this indo, run away from my pain

Rosemary on my temples, heard that's good for migraines

Solo in my Benzo, exit off the highway

Solitary thoughts like how to reinvest my side change

I'm tryna go down, down as a great

Every night I get, on my knees and pray

That I will go down, yeah

I will go down, yeah

I'm tryna go down, down as a legend

Every night I ask God for the blessin'

That I will go down, yeah

I will go down, yeah

So many niggas doin' time, who are you and I?

To play with it is a blessin', so reach for the sky

Pick up Shady off the block and we'll smoke and drive

Politickin' on the block to make it multiply

Keep some bitches on the team from the other side

Keep at least a pound of green, mothafuckin' right

30 hours in the spot, goin' overtime

Then we pull up to the Fox and go hold it down

You know this life, it got a cold design

How you go from eatin' lobster tails at Ocean Prime

To chain to a smoker and throat on the line

But when them gates close, keep an open mind

It ain't a force in this world like the focused drive

You gotta focus on yourself like an only child

You make your dream realer, and you make your team better

You wake your game up, and you make your scheme better

They say this time, this time

Won't be like the last time

But this time, this time

I'ma do it like my last time

I'ma go hard, my nigga

Put my name in the stars, my nigga

But I gotta pray to God, my nigga

That I will go down

Until we legendary, yeah

'Til we legendary

We legendary, yeah

Who don't wanna be legendary? Yeah

Wanna be... legendary, legendary, yeah

I wanna be legendary

I'm just tryna go down, I'm just tryna go down, I'm just tryna go down

I'm just tryna go down

I'm just tryna go down

I'm just tryna go down

And be a legend in my town

I'm just tryna go down

I'm just tryna go down

I'm just tryna go down

And be a legend in my town

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
great /ɡreɪt/ B1	adjective - of an extent, amount, or intensity considerably above the average.
legendary /ˈledʒ.ən.der.i/ B2	adjective - remarkably good or impressive; famous.
leader /ˈliː.dər/ B1	noun - a person in charge of a group or organization.
heavy /ˈhev.i/ A2	adjective - of great weight; difficult to lift or move. adjective - serious or solemn in manner or appearance.
shoes /ʃuːz/ A1	noun - footwear.
smokin' /ˈsmoʊkɪŋ/ B1	verb - the act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of burning substance.
temples /ˈtempəlz/ B1	noun - either of the two flat areas on each side of the forehead.
reinvest /ˌriː.ɪnˈvest/ B2	verb - invest again.
blessin' /ˈbles.ɪŋ/ B1	noun - God's favor or protection.
reach /riːtʃ/ A2	verb - to stretch out one's arm and hand in order to grasp or touch something.
politickin' /pəˈlɪt.ɪk.ɪn/ B2	verb - engaging in political maneuvering or tactics.
multiply /ˈmʌl.tɪ.plaɪ/ B1	verb - obtain by repeated addition.
overtime /ˌoʊ.vərˈtaɪm/ B1	noun - time worked beyond the normal working hours.
design /dɪˈzaɪn/ B1	noun - a plan or drawing produced to show the look and function or workings of a building, garment, or other object.
focused /ˈfoʊ.kəst/ B2	adjective - having one's attention sharply concentrated on something.
scheme /skiːm/ B2	noun - a plan, typically one involving secret or deceitful activity.
drive /draɪv/ B1	noun - motivation.

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm tryna go down, down as a great

  ➔ Present continuous with 'tryna' (colloquial for 'trying to')

  ➔ Uses the present continuous tense ('I'm trying') to express an action in progress and 'tryna' which is a contracted form of 'trying to'.

• Heavy is the head that **wear** the crown, that shit true

  ➔ Present simple tense with a third-person singular subject ('head')

  ➔ The verb 'wear' is conjugated to 'wear' because the subject 'head' is singular and in the third person.

• And what good is excuses when the fuckin' rent's due?

  ➔ Question structure using the verb 'is' and the noun phrase 'what good'

  ➔ This is an rhetorical question. The sentence structure inverts the typical subject-verb order.

• Smokin' on this indo, run away from my pain

  ➔ Present continuous used to describe habitual actions or parallel events in the present

  ➔ Using '-ing' form, and the sentence implies that the smoking and running away from pain are concurrent actions.

• Solo in my Benzo, exit off the highway

  ➔ Sentence fragment, uses a noun phrase and prepositional phrase.

  ➔ This is not a complete sentence but effectively communicates the action of the speaker. 'Solo' acts as an adverb.

• Keep at least a pound of green, mothafuckin' right

  ➔ Imperative sentence, starts with a verb to give a command or instruction.

  ➔ The sentence gives a command. 'Keep' is the imperative form of the verb.

• You gotta focus on yourself like an only child

  ➔ 'Gotta' (colloquial contraction of 'got to'), prepositional phrase ('on yourself'), and simile ('like an only child').

  ➔ Uses colloquial language ('gotta') and figurative language (simile) to make a point.

• They say this time, this time, won't be like the last time

  ➔ Reported speech ('They say'), and the future tense with 'won't' (will not)

  ➔ The speaker is reporting what 'They' say and predicting a future action. The use of repetition emphasizes the sentiment.