OutKast

Lyrics

[Verse 1: T-Mo]
Piece by piece, this puzzle comes together
Sever your ties with the bad guys, let the lies go
If you wanna be a ho, go 'head and don't be scared
Many a bitch, represents, and is led
Whichever way no I'm not gay
And really don't give a fuck bout what you doin
Long as I pave the way
For my Southwest GA warriors
To come in packs, to feed, takin what we need
To succeed, you know what we gon' do, on this road
We gon' explode, now are you ready for this territory
Makin our life one big story to tell
Reality amongst the youth, long as, breath is in my body
I got proof, I'm not scared

If you scared, say you scared

[Verse 2: Gipp]
Who's scared?
In this world I'm Gipp, in second the mutant
The third the Geechee, how many ways can you reach me?
Now most be scully, went from clean to muddy
Polished to shine, the season to rhyme
Been down like brown, like dirt to the ground
Been lookin for love, now I bubble like suds
Others flew sky high, while others were duds
Live high up on the hills, to escape the floods
Situation they change, like faces and names
Went from cool to plain, from lame to flame
Man down or not, man plans or plots
Give a FUCK what you think, we ain't movin out this spot
And I'm out
You might also likeIf you scared, say you scared

[Verse 3: André 3000]
Yo, paragraph indent, I make intense sense
Niggas on that Gil Scott dope—hint, hint
At age fifteen they start smokin' Billy Clint'
Now he's twenty-one and wants to know where the time went
Hey, hey, hey, what's the haps? Well see your time elapsed
Have you ever thought of the meaning of the word trap?
Baboon on your back, but what's sad is that crack
Was introduced to Hispanic communities and blacks
But then it spread to white and got everyone's undivided attention
'Cause your daughter is on it and you can't hide it
Maybe your son tried it
Rehab too crowded
You scared, she scared, they scared, I said
They scared they scared to talk about it
Bout it, bout it, bout it, bout it, bout it

If you scared, say you scared

[Verse 4: Big Boi]
February 1st, 1975's my birthdate
The player the B-O-I, was brought onto this Earth on Thursday
I think see, my cap I twist it back from all the dank
But if you see me on the Ave, you betta believe I tote that shank
So what y'all thought, bruh?
I gotta protect my name and what we fought for
Southernplayalistic ATLiens in your sock drawer
No lockjaw, we got that raw shit and all the trimmings
Even though we got two albums, this one feel like the beginning
The intro, the Goodie—we kinfolk
Nigga, it's fin to jump off
But now it's time I lay low
'Cause I believe the track gon' cut off
Psych, the track is bumpin' like pussies on some dykes
So if you scared, say you scared, 'cause everybody can die tonight
'Cause my heart don't pump no Slushee
You touch my niggas you touch me
I blow up the microphone, like Marilyn Manson
You can't hush me, yeah
[Verse 5: Khujo]
Heat'll make anything move
Even Tyson, can get laid down, with this tool
Just cause the name say Goodie, you take us for fools
Out they rabbit ass mind, don't give me mine
I go off like mines, blowin suckers to smithereens
We was never folks if we fell out over this lil' cream
Or let some soft legs come in between our dreams
We live like Kings, and die like fuckin' men
I don't care how rough you roll, we can't be shut down
Ain't no openin' up shop, we already established
You lap doggin', we boss hoggin
Grown men, don't beg for attention
Keep wishin', high heels clickin'
Paper champions, leavin' with they feet behind
Zap em for the pumpkin, at twelve
On the bottom bunk, holla at me
Six to the left, last one, can't turn over with dirt on ya
Slain dead, devils, don't have enough to purchase my essence
In da head, missin ounces, zip code, eight miles
Suckas, think I got they package
But they still eatin moo-moo, oink-oink
And fowl-fowl-fowl-fowl.. *repeats*

The truth hurts, but you can't be scared of it
So remember that, OutKast, Goodie Mo-B
Still standin for somethin while y'all fallin for nothin
Stop dyin over this lil concrete and lil paper
We get this shit together our power's in numbers
You can deny the lie but you can't deny the truth
You scared, you scared, say you scared!

Coming from the legendary album Aquemini is the rap song Y'All Scared, which features the talented rap artists Big Gipp, Khujo Goodie, and T-Mo of the Goodie Mob. The song is well-known for its in-depth analysis of multiple topics such as drug culture, stardom, the future, and the importance of taking the South seriously. The song was quite controversial and thought-provoking.

About Y'All Scared

OutKast's collaboration with Goodie Mob members gave birth to a profound song that focused on various contemporary issues. Y'All Scared, which was released as part of the Aquemini album, is a perfect illustration of the influence that OutKast's music had on hip hop. The song is a significant example of the urgency in the Southern rap scene to address the social issues and showcase the region’s talent. The song's lyrics are a product of deep thinking and lyrical prowess that is often seen as OutKast's unique strength.

The lyrics of the song manifest the fear that some young people experience due to accepting and facing societal changes. The song also describes the trip into the deep South during that period, which exemplified the drug culture that was prevalent. Y'All Scared addresses the drug culture of the South through clever and insightful raps with a serious tone. The song's lyrics tackle the resulting influence of the drug culture within the youth community in society, leading to deteriorating circumstances that, unfortunately, are prevalent to this day.

The song's lyrics, accompanied by an outstanding instrumental production, describe the problems that arise on the road to fame. They detail the sacrifices that rappers make as they strive for success and the fear associated with not achieving success. The lyrics also discuss the fear of falling into the rap game's trap, where you're just another person chasing a dream, or worse, a person who goes broke in pursuit of fame.

Throughout Y'All Scared, there is an emphasis on the importance of taking the South seriously. The song focuses on the underrepresentation of the South of the United States in the broader hip hop scene. The song's lyrics reveal the South's resilience and the determination that existing rappers had at the time to prove themselves as capable of contributing meaningfully to hip hop.

The song's meaning is backed up by an instrumental production that is nothing short of extraordinary. OutKast and its collaborators created a track that effortlessly lives up to Southern rap's production values. The beat carries a southern twang and incorporates flourishes of funk and soul to make an overall enjoyable listening experience.

In summary, Y'All Scared is a profound hip hop song that showcases the lyrical prowess and production talent of OutKast and its collaborators. The lyrics focus on various contemporary issues that are often overlooked in mainstream hip hop, such as drug culture, stardom, the future, and the importance of representing the South in hip hop. Through its lyrics and instrumental production, Y'All Scared is an undisputed Southern rap anthem.

• Release Date: September 29, 1998
• Artist: OutKast