Hate It Or Love It – English Lyrics

• By: The Game, 50 Cent
• Album: The Documentary

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is an immersive experience, and 'Hate It Or Love It' offers a rich tapestry of urban American English, storytelling, and cultural references. The song's narrative structure and vivid imagery provide a unique window into the artists' lives and the environments that shaped them. What makes this track special for learners is its use of slang, metaphors, and personal anecdotes, which can deepen your understanding of the nuances of the language and hip-hop culture.

[English]

[UPBEAT MUSIC BEGINS]

♪ YEAH, LET'S TAKE 'EM BACK, UH HUH ♪

♪ COMING UP I WAS CONFUSED, MY MOMMY KISSING A GIRL ♪

♪ CONFUSION OCCURS COMIN' UP IN THE COLD WORLD ♪

♪ DADDY AIN'T AROUND, PROBABLY OUT COMMITTIN' FELONIES ♪

♪ MY FAVORITE RAPPER USED TO SING, ♪

♪ CHECK, CHECK OUT MY MELODY ♪

♪ I WANNA LIVE GOOD SO, SHIT ♪

♪ I SELL DOPE FOR A FOUR FINGER RING ♪

♪ ONE OF THEM GOLD ROPES ♪

♪ NANA TOLD ME IF I PASSED I'D GET A SHEEPSKIN COAT ♪

♪ IF I CAN MOVE A FEW PACKS I'D GET THE HAT ♪

♪ NOW THAT'D BE DOPE ♪

♪ TOSSED AND TURNED IN MY SLEEP THAT NIGHT ♪

♪ WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING, NIGGAS HAD STOLE MY BIKE ♪

♪ DIFFERENT DAY, SAME SHIT, AIN'T NOTHING GOOD IN THE HOOD ♪

♪ I'D RUN AWAY FROM THIS BITCH ♪

♪ AND NEVER COME BACK IF I COULD ♪

♪ HATE IT OR LOVE IT, THE UNDERDOG'S ON TOP ♪

♪ AND I'M GON' SHINE, HOMIE, UNTIL MY HEART STOP ♪

♪ GO 'HEAD ENVY ME, I'M RAP'S MVP ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE, SO YOU CAN GET TO KNOW ME ♪

♪ HATE IT OR LOVE IT, THE UNDERDOG'S ON TOP ♪

♪ AND I'M GON' SHINE, HOMIE, UNTIL MY HEART STOP ♪

♪ GO 'HEAD ENVY ME, I'M RAP'S MVP ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE, SO YOU CAN GET TO KNOW ME ♪

♪ G-UNIT ♪

♪ ON THE GRILL OF MY LOWRIDER ♪

♪ GUNS ON BOTH SIDES, RIGHT ABOVE THE GOLD WIRES ♪

♪ I'LL FO' FIVE 'EM ♪

♪ KILL A NIGGA ON MY SONG AND REALLY DO IT ♪

♪ THAT'S THE TRUE MEANING OF A GHOSTWRITER ♪

♪ 10 G'S WILL TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER OUT HER AIR FORCES ♪

♪ BELIEVE YOU ME, HOMIE, I KNOW ALL ABOUT LOSSES ♪

♪ I'M FROM COMPTON, WEAR THE WRONG COLORS, BE CAUTIOUS ♪

♪ ONE PHONE CALL'LL HAVE YOUR BODY DUMPED IN MARCY ♪

♪ I STAY STRAPPED, LIKE CAR SEATS ♪

♪ BEEN BANGIN' SINCE MY LIL NIGGA ROB GOT KILLED ♪

♪ FOR HIS BARKLEYS ♪

♪ THAT'S 10 YEARS, I TOLD POOH IN 95 ♪

♪ I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU TRY ME FOR MY AIR MAX 95'S ♪

♪ TOLD BANKS WHEN I MET HIM I'MA RIDE ♪

♪ AND IF I GOTTA DIE, I'D RATHER HOMICIDE ♪

♪ I AIN'T HAVE 50 CENT WHEN MY GRANDMAMA DIED ♪

♪ NOW I'M GOING BACK TO CALI WITH MY JACOB ON ♪

♪ SEE HOW TIME FLY ♪

♪ HATE IT OR LOVE IT, THE UNDERDOG'S ON TOP ♪

♪ AND I'M GON' SHINE, HOMIE, UNTIL MY HEART STOP ♪

♪ GO 'HEAD ENVY ME, I'M RAP'S MVP ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE, SO YOU CAN GET TO KNOW ME ♪

♪ HATE IT OR LOVE IT, THE UNDERDOG'S ON TOP ♪

♪ AND I'M GON' SHINE, HOMIE, UNTIL MY HEART STOP ♪

♪ GO 'HEAD ENVY ME, I'M RAP'S MVP ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE, SO YOU CAN GET TO KNOW ME ♪

♪ FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END ♪

♪ LOSERS LOSE, WINNERS WIN ♪

♪ THIS IS REAL, WE AIN'T GOT TO PRETEND ♪

♪ THE COLD WORLD THAT WE IN IS FULL OF PRESSURE AND PAIN ♪

♪ ENOUGH OF ME, NIGGA, NOW LISTEN TO GAME ♪

♪ USED TO SEE 5-O, THROW THE CRACK BY THE BENCH ♪

♪ NOW I'M FUCKIN' WITH 5-0, IT'S ALL STARTING TO MAKE SENSE ♪

♪ MY MOM'S HAPPY, SHE AIN'T GOTTA PAY THE RENT ♪

♪ AND SHE GOT A RED BOW ON THAT BRAND NEW BENZ ♪

♪ WAITING ON SHA MONEY TO LAND, SITTING IN THE RANGE ♪

♪ THINKING HOW THEY SPENT 30 MILLION DOLLARS ON AIRPLANES ♪

♪ WHEN THERE'S KIDS STARVIN' ♪

♪ PAC IS GONE AND BRENDA ♪

♪ STILL THROWING BABIES IN THE GARBAGE ♪

♪ I WANNA KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, LIKE I HEAR MARVIN ♪

♪ NO SCHOOLBOOKS, THEY USED THAT WOOD TO BUILD COFFINS ♪

♪ WHENEVER I'M IN THE BOOTH AND I GET EXHAUSTED, I THINK ♪

♪ WHAT IF MARIE BAKER GOT THAT ABORTION I LOVE YOU, MA ♪

♪ HATE IT OR LOVE IT, THE UNDERDOG'S ON TOP ♪

♪ AND I'M GON' SHINE, HOMIE, UNTIL MY HEART STOP ♪

♪ GO 'HEAD ENVY ME, I'M RAP'S MVP ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE, SO YOU CAN GET TO KNOW ME ♪

♪ HATE IT OR LOVE IT, THE UNDERDOG'S ON TOP ♪

♪ AND I'M GON' SHINE, HOMIE, UNTIL MY HEART STOP ♪

♪ GO 'HEAD ENVY ME, I'M RAP'S MVP ♪

♪ AND I AIN'T GOING NOWHERE, SO YOU CAN GET TO KNOW ME ♪

[UPBEAT MUSIC CONTINUES]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
hate /heɪt/ A2	verb - to dislike intensely
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - to have a strong feeling of affection for someone
shine /ʃaɪn/ B1	verb - to emit light; to be bright
heart /hɑːrt/ A1	noun - a hollow muscular organ that pumps the blood
world /wɜːld/ A1	noun - the earth together with all of its countries and people
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - of or at a low or relatively low temperature
good /ɡʊd/ A1	adjective - to be desired or approved of
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
pain /peɪn/ B1	noun - physical suffering or discomfort caused by illness or injury
pressure /ˈpreʃər/ B2	noun - the exertion of force by one thing against another
loss /lɔːs/ B1	noun - the fact or process of losing something or someone
die /daɪ/ A2	verb - to stop living
kill /kɪl/ A2	verb - to cause the death of (a person, animal, or other living thing)
garbage /ˈɡɑːrbɪdʒ/ B1	noun - waste material; refuse
exhausted /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/ B2	adjective - drained of one's physical or mental resources; very tired

Key Grammar Structures

• Coming up I was confused, my mommy kissing a girl

  ➔ Past Continuous as Background Information + Past Simple

  ➔ "Coming up" (past continuous) sets the scene, describing the speaker's childhood experience. "I was confused" is a state in the past. "My mommy kissing a girl" is the specific action that made him confused and the main event using Past Simple tense.

• Daddy ain't around, probably out committin' felonies

  ➔ Ellipsis (ain't), Present Continuous for future arrangement/likely action (out committin')

  ➔ "Ain't" is a colloquial contraction of "is not" or "are not". "Out committin' felonies" uses present continuous to describe what the daddy is likely doing.

• I wanna live good so, shit, I sell dope for a four finger ring

  ➔ Modal verb "wanna" (want to), Purpose clause (for)

  ➔ "Wanna" is an informal contraction of "want to". The phrase "for a four finger ring" explains the purpose of selling dope.

• Nana told me if I passed I'd get a sheepskin coat

  ➔ Conditional Sentences (Type 1 - Possible Condition)

  ➔ This is a type 1 conditional sentence. "If I passed" (present simple) is the condition, and "I'd get a sheepskin coat" (will/would + verb) is the result. It expresses a real and possible condition.

• Hate it or love it, the underdog's on top

  ➔ Imperative (Hate/Love) + Short sentence/phrase

  ➔ The verse starts with the imperative "Hate" or "Love" setting a contrasting choice, immediately followed by a declarative statement, "the underdog's on top". This creates a sense of directness and confidence.

• And I'm gon' shine, homie, until my heart stop

  ➔ Future with "gon'" (going to), Time Clause with "until"

  ➔ "Gon'" is a colloquial shortening of "going to", expressing future intention. "Until my heart stop" introduces a time clause indicating the duration of the shining.

• I stay strapped, like car seats

  ➔ Simile using "like"

  ➔ This line uses a simile to compare "staying strapped" (being armed) to the security of car seats, emphasizing the constant state of preparedness.