Posted by Lil Durk teams up with J. Cole in the song All My Life, track 3 of his album Almost Healed, released in May 2023, and it’s a burst of relevant content for fans. In the song, the two American rappers talk about their lives and current points of view on the rap scene, sending some critical messages about how society and media work. Let’s analyze together the song’s meaning. You’ll also find the complete lyrics at the end.
You can watch the official video for Lil Durk’s All My Life below.
All My Life: the lyrics & their meaning
In All My Life, Lil Durk and J. Cole reflect on the current state of their lives, the music scene, and their success. Lil Durk thinks back to his early years, growing up in one of the most challenging ghettos of the United States, and admits that for all his life, people never thought he could make it. But he did, and now he sings about it with another rap legend.
It’s a self-celebration for all his efforts to get where he is now. In the chorus, he reminds everybody that he overcame his past and he’s now clean, famous, and realized.
All my life
They been tryin’ to keep me down
All this time
Never thought I would make it out
They couldn’t break me, they couldn’t break me
They couldn’t take me, thеy couldn’t take me
All my life
They been tryin’ to keep me down
He’s perfectly aware of his roots. He had some problems with justice in the past, and people still remember it. But he worked so much on himself, trying to be a better person. Now he’s a famous and successful rapper who can share his lessons with his fans: don’t do drugs, don’t give up. You can come out of every situation if you really want it.
You can’t blame my past no more, I come from the trenches
Some said I’d never be a superstar, but I know I’m different (No, no, no)
I’m The Voice, but the system ain’t give me a choice
…
Went to jail, they was chainin’ me up
And you know that I’m famous as f–k
…
Stop tryna take drugs, I refer to myself
Tryna better myself, tryna better my health but
In his verse, J. Cole shares a similar perspective. He recalls symbolically coming out of the ghetto “with his head on straight” while they were still shooting behind him. With his writing talent, the rapper compares that moment with the plot of the movie Get Out by Jordan Peele, where a black man has to escape a dangerous part of society. But now he’s a rapper who can release one top-ten hit after the other, proving that he’s definitely in a different league.
Made it out the city with my head on straight
N–as keep shootin’ up the lead out
Young Jordan Peele, gotta get out
But the s–t that I spit out
Is a cheat code like I’m facin’ a RICO and how a n–a put a hit out
And another one, and, and another one
I got like a hundred of ’em
In the last part of All My Life lyrics, J. Cole reflects on a sad truth about modern hip hop: there is a lot of good music around, but people get to discover it only after the author dies. It’s a frustrating issue related to the problematic way social media cover music, leaving a lot of emerging artists with no visibility. In his lyrics, J. Cole makes up a non-existing rapper, “Lil Buddy,” symbolically representing a dead artist. He does what everybody does when somebody dies: he looks it up on Google, discovers his music, and starts appreciating him. But the truth is that that fictional rapper was supposed to become famous when he was alive because his music was worth it.
These days seein’ rappers be dyin’, way before they even gettin’ they shine
I never even heard of lil’ buddy
‘Til somebody murdered lil’ buddy
Now I’m on the phone, searchin’ lil’ buddy name
Got ’em playin’ his tunes, all day in my room
Thinkin’, “Damn, this shit is wicked, to get they name buzzin’ some n–as just gotta go lay in a tomb”
And media thirsty for clicks
I got a new rule
If you ain’t never posted a rapper when he was alive
You can’t post about him after he get hit
It’s simple, it’s the principle
To answer your questions: no, the rapper Lil Buddy doesn’t exist; he’s just a metaphor for all dead rappers who get popular only after they die. And the lyrics of All My Life want to remind everybody of a precise meaning: Lil Durk and J. Cole are here, showing off their talent while they are alive, as proof of their success. They both had a problematic past, but luckily it’s over now. And fans can enjoy the fruits of their efforts.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
Below you can find the complete lyrics of All My Life.
Durkio told me he been on some positive s–t, yeah, yeah
Lately, I just wanna show up and body some s–t, yeah, yeah
Always been a lil’ mathematician, lately it’s cash I’m gettin’
Got me losin’ count of these bags, I’ve been movin’ too fast
Hard times don’t last, ‘member when cops harrassed
Talkin’ out my ass, boy, you ain’t s–t but a b- -h with a badge
All my life (All my life)
They been tryin’ to keep me down (They been tryin’ to keep me down)
All this time (All this time)
Never thought I would make it out (Never thought I’d make it out)
They couldn’t break me, they couldn’t break mе (No, no)
They couldn’t take me, thеy couldn’t take me (No)
All my life (All my life)
They been tryin’ to keep me down (They been tryin’ to keep me down)
I decided I had to finish, but the media called me a menace
I done sat with the mayor and politicians, I’m tryna change the image
You can’t blame my past no more, I come from the trenches
Some said I’d never be a superstar, but I know I’m different (No, no, no)
I’m The Voice, but the system ain’t give me a choice
Know some people that’s still undeployed
I know a felon who tryna get FOID
Child support your only support
For a visit, I’m goin’ through courts
Went to jail, they was chainin’ me up
And you know that I’m famous as f–k
See how you gon’ joke about stimulus?
But they really had came in the clutch
I know some kids wanna hurt theyself
Stop tryna take drugs, I refer to myself
Tryna better myself, tryna better my health but
All my life (All my life)
They been tryin’ to keep me down (They been tryin’ to keep me down)
All this time (All this time)
Never thought I would make it out (Never thought I’d make it out)
They couldn’t break me, they couldn’t break me (No, no)
They couldn’t take me, they couldn’t take me (No)
All my life (All my life)
They been tryin’ to keep me down (They been tryin’ to keep me down, yeah)
First generation ghetto n–a
Cole world, hello n–as
Made it out the city with my head on straight
n–as keep shootin’ up the lead out
Young Jordan Peele, gotta get out
But the s–t that I spit out
Is a cheat code like I’m facin’ a RICO and how a n–a put a hit out
And another one, and, and another one
I got like a hundred of ’em
‘Bout to lap n–as so they think they ahead of me, but I’m really in front of them
Now some of them fumblin’ they bags
f–kin’ up the little crumbs that they had
A reminder to humble yourself, this s–t could be gone in an instant
Me, I’m runnin’ long distance
All pistons firin’
I be stuck between maybe retirin’ and feelin’ like I’m just not hittin’ my prime
These days seein’ rappers be dyin’, way before they even gettin’ they shine
I never even heard of lil’ buddy
‘Til somebody murdered lil’ buddy
Now I’m on the phone, searchin’ lil’ buddy name
Got ’em playin’ his tunes, all day in my room
Thinkin’, “Damn, this s–t is wicked, to get they name buzzin’ some n–as just gotta go lay in a tomb”
And media thirsty for clicks
I got a new rule
If you ain’t never posted a rapper when he was alive
You can’t post about him after he get hit
It’s simple, it’s the principle
On any tempo, I’m invincible
Don’t even rap, I just vent to you
I rather that than an interview
Most days
f–k ’em all like I’m goin’ through a ho phase
Young n–a shoot out the whip like road rage
I pray all of my dawgs stay so paid
And the only thing that kill ’em is old age
All my life (All my life)
They been tryin’ to keep me down (They been tryin’ to keep me down)
All this time (All this time)
Never thought I would make it out (Never thought I’d make it out)
They couldn’t break me, they couldn’t break me (No, no)
They couldn’t take me, they couldn’t take me (No)
All my life (All my life)
They been tryin’ to keep me down (They been tryin’ to keep me down)
