Rockstar Knights – English Lyrics

• By: Kid Cudi, Trippie Redd
• Album: Man On The Moon III: The Chosen

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with "Rockstar Knights" by Kid Cudi and Trippie Redd. This song offers a rich tapestry of modern English, particularly in its exploration of contemporary slang and expressions within the hip-hop culture. Its themes of ambition, survival, and the complexities of fame provide a compelling context for understanding nuanced vocabulary and emotional delivery, making it an excellent resource for language learners interested in authentic and expressive English.

[English]

I've been tellin' these niggas

Yeah, haha

...

Yee

Rock star life, dim the lights, baby, I don't wanna do this (rock star life)

I'm all alone, fuck a song, I ain't worried 'bout nobody, I'm ruthless, yeah

'Til the end, in the end, I'ma be who I am

I ain't worried 'bout shit, goddamn

Built a whole empire in the city of the damned

I'm in a Bentley, seat reclined and they gon' see who I am

Seashore with a bad bitch, pretty feet in sand

Might eat her in the Aventador, The Silence of the Lambs

I remember payin' 20 for a damn gram

Now I can't leave the plug without a pound in my hand

Boy, we know you not a thug, without a doubt in my head

It be niggas that you love that'll run their mouth to the feds

Bro and them was trippin', they different off of the meds

From the trenches, catch you slippin', lil' nigga, poppin' your head

This is my life, so I gotta think ahead

Rock star life, thinkin' back, I could be dead

Demon in the night, baby, I'll be in your head

You'll be thinking 'bout me while you're layin' in your bed

This is my life, so I gotta think ahead

Rock star life, thinkin' back, I could be dead

Demon in the night, baby, I'll be in your head

You'll be thinking 'bout me while you're layin' in your bed

Two warriors, some soldiers (uh-huh)

Trippie alley-hoop, pull up blunted in the coupe (oh, yeah)

Niggas know the truth far as you can call it (yeah)

Got a bunch of niggas say you fake, maskin' and ballin'

Realest motherfuckers, never cared about two suckas

Wish you'd get the bigger picture, legends out here never run, can't for'-

Can't forget me, baby, never

She say I'm too damn clever, how I handle, none better (none better)

The sheets gon' get wetter, coolin' out, a jet setter

Fuck the clout, see what I'm 'bout, all the real shit out my mouth

Can't have that fake shit around my area, none of that

Someone get these niggas, tell 'em it's over, I told ya

Life is 'bout survival, and no, see, you cannot fold, bruh

See, I don't really care, Backwood in the air

Catch me, baby, technicolor hair, how you do that there?

All these lames like to stop and stare, it's easy, man, I swear (gone)

This is my life, so I gotta think ahead

Rock star life, thinkin' back, I could be dead

Demon in the night, baby, I'll be in your head

You'll be thinking 'bout me while you're layin' in your bed

This is my life, so I gotta think ahead

Rock star life, thinkin' back, I could be dead

Demon in the night, baby, I'll be in your head

You'll be thinking 'bout me while you're layin' in your bed

Yeah

...

Ooh-ooh

Ooh-ooh

...

Yeah

Handle in the whippa, hyper overdrive (uh-huh)

Hands are out the roof, try and touch the sky (Woah)

And I'm yellin', "Do it," doin' how you like now

Say I'm cute and you ain't tellin' lies, nah

Tell 'em it's a secret too (yeah)

All them days that I was faded, figured I was through

Hmm, seem the days ain't the same now

Hmm, catch a nigga dippin', baby, on a flight

Say he runnin', flippin' millions, servin' feelings

Watch out for these fuckers, never see me psycho slippin' (yeah)

I'm on a trip that's never endin', more than I realize (Yeah)

I cannot trip kissin' your lips, kissin' between your thighs

Ooh, run it back, I'm needin' all your energy (damn)

This the life, you see, it's really got a hold of me

Burn this smoke while I'm thinking, "Man, will I survive?"

Just a nigga livin' it up, my mama will know I tried

But we free the lonely, lonely (yeah, oh)

As we watch the sunset

My mind is meltin' (oh)

A thousand blunts, can't OD, ooh, but I'm hoping

This my paradise I find (oh)

Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
empire /ˈɛmpaɪər/ B2	noun - a large territory or group of states under single authority
ruthless /ˈruːθlɪs/ B2	adjective - having or showing no pity or compassion for others
damn /dæm/ B1	interjection - used to express anger or frustration verb - to condemn
reclined /rɪˈklaɪnd/ B2	verb - to lie back or recline
trench /trɛntʃ/ B1	noun - a long, narrow ditch
slippin' /ˈslɪpɪn/ A2	verb - to slide or move unintentionally
demon /ˈdiːmən/ B2	noun - an evil spirit
warrior /ˈwɔːriər/ B1	noun - a person engaged in or experienced in warfare
blunted /ˈblʌntɪd/ B2	adjective - made less sharp or effective
truth /truːθ/ A2	noun - the quality or state of being true
maskin' /ˈmæskɪn/ A2	verb - to conceal or disguise
legends /ˈlɛdʒəndz/ B2	noun - famous or important people of the past
clever /ˈklɛvər/ B1	adjective - quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas
setter /ˈsɛtər/ B1	noun - a person who sets something
survival /sərˈvaɪvəl/ B2	noun - the continuation of life
meltin' /ˈmɛltɪn/ A2	verb - to turn from a solid to a liquid
handle /ˈhændəl/ B1	verb - to deal with noun - the part of a tool or weapon that is held in the hand

Key Grammar Structures

• I've been tellin' these niggas

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous

  ➔ The phrase 'I've been tellin'' uses the Present Perfect Continuous to indicate an action that started in the past and continues up to the present.

• I'm all alone, fuck a song, I ain't worried 'bout nobody, I'm ruthless, yeah

  ➔ Present Continuous + Contractions

  ➔ The phrase 'I'm all alone' uses the Present Continuous to describe a current state. Contractions like 'I ain't' and 'I'm' are used for informal tone.

• 'Til the end, in the end, I'ma be who I am

  ➔ Future Tense (Colloquial)

  ➔ The phrase 'I'ma be' is a colloquial way to express future tense, meaning 'I am going to be.'

• Built a whole empire in the city of the damned

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ The phrase 'Built a whole empire' uses the Past Simple to describe a completed action in the past.

• Might eat her in the Aventador, The Silence of the Lambs

  ➔ Modal Verb (Might)

  ➔ The word 'Might' is a modal verb used to express possibility or uncertainty about a future action.

• It be niggas that you love that'll run their mouth to the feds

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement (Colloquial)

  ➔ The phrase 'It be niggas' uses a colloquial form of subject-verb agreement, where 'be' is used instead of 'are' for plural subjects in informal speech.

• This is my life, so I gotta think ahead

  ➔ Modal Verb (Gotta)

  ➔ The phrase 'I gotta think' uses 'gotta' as a colloquial contraction of 'have got to,' indicating necessity or obligation.

• You'll be thinking 'bout me while you're layin' in your bed

  ➔ Future Continuous

  ➔ The phrase 'You'll be thinking' uses the Future Continuous to describe an action that will be in progress at a specific time in the future.

• Can't have that fake shit around my area, none of that

  ➔ Modal Verb (Can't)

  ➔ The phrase 'Can't have' uses 'can't' as a modal verb to express inability or prohibition.