"Drive Slow" is a song by Kanye West. The song features guest appearances from fellow rappers Paul Wall and GLC, and additional vocals by American recording artist Tony "Penafire" Williams.[1] It was produced by West, who wrote the song alongside the featured artists. The song originally appeared on Kanye West's second studio album, Late Registration, and was also included on Paul Wall's debut studio album, The Peoples Champ, as well.[2] Drive Slow was released on a 12" vinyl on June 6, 2006 by Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam as the fifth and final single from the album. A hip hop track, it contains elements of jazz. The song features a sample of Hank Crawford's cover version of "Wildflower".[3]
A remix of "Drive Slow" was recorded, which includes a feature from rapper T.I. After receiving a call from West, he recorded his verse for the remix. An accompanying music video premiered via MTV, though was never released. In the video, Mali drives West around the neon lights of the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas. West, Paul Wall, GLC, and T.I. performed the remix at Power 106's Powerhouse 2006 event.
Production[]
The song samples "Wildflower" by Hank Crawford.[4]
Background[]
To Be Added
Lyrics[]
[Intro]
Boom, b-boom, b-boom-boom
[Chorus]
Drive slow, homie
Drive slow, homie
You never know, homie, might meet some hoes, homie
You need to pump your brakes and drive slow, homie
[Verse 1]
My homie Mali used to stay at 79th and May
One of my best friends from back in the day
Down the street from Calumet, a school full of Stones
He nicknamed me "K-Rock" so they'd leave me alone
Bulls jacket with his hat broke way off
And walked around the mall with his radio face off
Plus he had the spinner from his Daytons in his hand
Keys in his hand, reason again to let you know he's the man
Back when we rocked Ellesses, he had dreams of Caprices
Drove by the teachers, even more by polices
How'd he get the cash? The day his father passed away
Left him with a lil' something, sixteen, he was stuntin'
Al B. Sure! n***a with the hair all wavy
Hit Lake Shore, girls go all crazy
Hit the freeway, go at least 'bout eighty
Boned so much that summer, even had him a baby
See back— back then— then, if you had a car
You was the Chi-Town version of Baby
And I was just a virgin, a baby
One of the reasons I looked up to him crazy
I used to love to play my demo tape when the system yanked
Felt like I was almost signed when the shit got cranked
We'd take a Saturday and just circle the mall
They had them Lincolns and auroras, we was hurtin' 'em all
With the girls, a lot of flirting involved, but, dawg
Fuck all that flirting, I'm tryna get in some drawers
So put me on with these hoes, homie
He told me, "Don't rush to get grown, drive slow, homie"
[Chorus]
Drive slow, homie
(Drive slow)
You never know, homie, about these hoes, homie
You need to pump your brakes and drive slow, homie
[Verse 2]
What it do? I'm posted up in the parking lot, my trunk waving
The candy gloss is immaculate, it's simply amazing
Them elbows poking wide on that candy 'Lac
Trunk open, screens on, neons lit with fifth, relaxed
I'm on a mission for dime-pieces and sexy ladies
Allow me to introduce you to my CL Mercedes
It's a star-studded event when I valet park
Open up my mouth and sunlight illuminates the dark
You see them fours crawling? You see them screens falling?
The disco ball in my mouth insinuates I'm ballin'
I'm leaning on the switch, sitting crooked in my slab
But I could still catch boppers if I drove a cab
A young Houston hard-hitter, all about the scrilla
Ridin' something candy-coated, crawling like a caterpillar
I'm tipping on them fours, I'm jammin' on this groove
I'm looking for them hoes, baby, what it do? Drive slow, homie
[Chorus]
Turn your hazard lights on when you see them hoes
Drive slow, homie
If you're riding around the city with nowhere to go
Drive slow, homie
Live today, 'cause tomorrow, man, you never know
You never know, homie, might meet some hoes, homie
You need to pump your brakes and drive slow, homie
[Verse 3]
My car's like the movie, my car's like the crib
I got more TVs in here than where I live
And that don't make no sense, but baby, I'm the shit
And everything I flip, you know it's something serious
I got the custom grill, I got the Brabus rims
I got the baller genetics, baby, this evidence
You see a player flicking, and how you ain't convinced
That you should go on and kiss it, just a lil' bit (Just a lil' bit)
I wear my custom kicks, I got my Jesus chain
My canaries is gleaming through my angel wings
They see me, hoes actin' like they seen a king
With that mean lean, smoking on that finest Cali Green
My woodgrain oak, I'm riding on Vogues
My cylinder quiet, like tiptoes
I sold O's, and this, I know
When you see them hoes, lil' homie, drive slow (drive slow)
[Bridge]
Oh, oh, hoo, hoo, hoo
Mm, hm
Oh, oh, ooh, hoo, ooh
Mm, hm
Oh, oh, ooh, hoo, ooh
Mm, mm, mm, mm
[Outro]
Yeah
B-boom, b-boom-boom
Oh, oh, hoo, hoo, hoo
Mm, hm
Drive slow, homie
Oh, oh, hoo, hoo, hoo
Mm, hm
Drive slow, homie
Oh, oh, hoo, hoo, hoo
Mm, hm
You never know, homie, might meet some hoes, homie
Mm, hm
You need to pump your brakes and drive slow, homie
Drive slow, homie
[Verse 1]
My homie Mali used to stay at 79th and May
One of my best friends from back in the day
Down the street from Calumet, a school full of Stones
He nicknamed me "K-Rock" so they'd leave me alone
Bulls jacket with his hat broke way off
And walked around the mall with his radio face off
Plus he had the spinner from his Daytons in his hand
Keys in his hand, reason again to let you know he's the man
Back when we rocked Ellesses, he had dreams of Caprices
Drove by the teachers, even more by polices
How'd he get the cash? The day his father passed away
Left him with a lil' something, sixteen, he was stuntin'
Al B. Sure! n***a with the hair all wavy
Hit Lake Shore, girls go all crazy
Hit the freeway, go at least 'bout eighty
Boned so much that summer, even had him a baby
See back— back then— then, if you had a car
You was the Chi-Town version of Baby
And I was just a virgin, a baby
One of the reasons I looked up to him crazy
I used to love to play my demo tape when the system yanked
Felt like I was almost signed when the shit got cranked
We'd take a Saturday and just circle the mall
They had them Lincolns and auroras, we was hurtin' 'em all
With the girls, a lot of flirting involved, but, dawg
Fuck all that flirting, I'm tryna get in some drawers
So put me on with these hoes, homie
He told me, "Don't rush to get grown, drive slow, homie"
[Chorus]
Drive slow, homie
(Drive slow)
You never know, homie, about these hoes, homie
You need to pump your brakes and drive slow, homie
[Verse 2]
What it do? I'm posted up in the parking lot, my trunk waving
The candy gloss is immaculate, it's simply amazing
Them elbows poking wide on that candy 'Lac
Trunk open, screens on, neons lit with fifth, relaxed
I'm on a mission for dime-pieces and sexy ladies
Allow me to introduce you to my CL Mercedes
It's a star-studded event when I valet park
Open up my mouth and sunlight illuminates the dark
You see them fours crawling? You see them screens falling?
The disco ball in my mouth insinuates I'm ballin'
I'm leaning on the switch, sitting crooked in my slab
But I could still catch boppers if I drove a cab
A young Houston hard-hitter, all about the scrilla
Ridin' something candy-coated, crawling like a caterpillar
I'm tipping on them fours, I'm jammin' on this groove
I'm looking for them hoes, baby, what it do? Drive slow, homie
[Chorus]
Turn your hazard lights on when you see them hoes
Drive slow, homie
If you're riding around the city with nowhere to go
Drive slow, homie
Live today, 'cause tomorrow, man, you never know
You never know, homie, might meet some hoes, homie
You need to pump your brakes and drive slow, homie
[Verse 3]
My car's like the movie, my car's like the crib
I got more TVs in here than where I live
And that don't make no sense, but baby, I'm the shit
And everything I flip, you know it's something serious
I got the custom grill, I got the Brabus rims
I got the baller genetics, baby, this evidence
You see a player flicking, and how you ain't convinced
That you should go on and kiss it, just a lil' bit (Just a lil' bit)
I wear my custom kicks, I got my Jesus chain
My canaries is gleaming through my angel wings
They see me, hoes actin' like they seen a king
With that mean lean, smoking on that finest Cali Green
My woodgrain oak, I'm riding on Vogues
My cylinder quiet, like tiptoes
I sold O's, and this, I know
When you see them hoes, lil' homie, drive slow (drive slow)
[Bridge]
Oh, oh, hoo, hoo, hoo
Mm, hm
Oh, oh, ooh, hoo, ooh
Mm, hm
Oh, oh, ooh, hoo, ooh
Mm, mm, mm, mm
[Verse 4]
Looking at life through my rearview, all the problems I had
Could be seen a lot clearer after time had passed
Known for living so fast, they wonder how he don't crash
With 220 on the dash, and he constantly mashin'
"Why don't he slow down?" they be constantly askin'
But me and the fast lane is like metal and magnets
Now I ain't trying to say that this the way of the masses
But it's so hard to change, I love this shit with a passion
Since me and C were cuttin' class, and showin' our ass
Shooting out in broad day in the middle of traffic
I remember sellin' crack faster than I could bag it
Just sharin' my past with you, shawty, I ain't e'en braggin'
Me and Cap got life, them other folk got blasted
Had a partner O.D. and after this all happened
Life the only thing that kept a pimp from crying and laughing
Then the Lord smiled on me at the end of the madness
I never thought that I'da made it this far rappin'
For introducing the youth to what we now call "trappin'"
Considered now a classic, who'd've imagined?
Me in Milano getting models in next year's fashion
So nowadays, they can call me old-fashioned
But it's way too much cash to see blue lights flashin'
So I guess the moral of this here class is:
Life about who make it, not about who make it the fastest
Drive slow homie
[Outro]
Yeah
Yeah, bumpa bumpa bump bump
Drive slow homie
Drive slow homie
You never know homie, might need some hoes homie
You need to pump ya brakes and drive slow homie
Drive slow homie
Trivia[]
- Drive Slow is tied with Through The Wire for having the most released remixes.
References[]
| Late Orchestration |
|---|
| "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" • "Touch The Sky" • "Crack Music" • "Drive Slow" • "Through The Wire" • "Workout Plan" • "Heard 'Em Say" • "All Falls Down" • "Bring Me Down" • "Gone" • "Late" • "Jesus Walks" • "Gold Digger" |