Ramen & OJ by JOYNER LUCAS Lyrics Meaning – Unpacking the Journey From Struggle to Success
Lyrics
I need the hunnids, a lotta
Tell that lil’ bitch that I’m outta her league, outta her league
Yeah, Joyner
Joyner, Joyner, Joyner
I got some needs, I need the money like I need to breathe
I needs some hunnids, and I need to scheme
I need the W by any means, yadada
Yadada mean, tell that lil’ bitch that I’m outta her league
Enough is enough, and I think I’m allergic to suckers
You niggas keep makin’ me sneeze
If them out for blood then I’m makin’ ’em bleed
You try to run and I’m breakin’ your knees
I made ’em fall like I’m rakin’ the leaves
You know I ball like I play for the league
I mean what I say and I say what I mean
I ain’t no joke, we ain’t makin’ no memes
If I pull up on ’em, I’m makin’ a scene
Then I’m makin’ ’em scream
Straight from the bricks, I need a lick
I dreamed about it since I was a jit
Nigga, I’m lit, I cannot miss
Came from the bottom and got me a check
Bitch, I’m a threat, I gotta flex
You want the crown but don’t know what it takes
I am built different, I’m not what you think
I cannot lose, I go out with a bang
I hope you never say my name in vain
I’m with whatever, just not for no games
I know they say I changed, I cannot say the same
I bet they want me shackled and locked in the chains
I guess that’s just what happens with bad news
On my mama, I never been fragile
I’m the wrong one to fuck with, it’s taboo
Turn you niggas to R.I.P. tattoos
Still a youngin’ but feel like a OG
Can’t forget all this shit that they told me
Tired of niggas thinkin’ that they know me
You gon’ turn me back into the old me
You gon’ turn me back into a savage
I done did shit you couldn’t imagine
Leveled up and then bought me a mansion
I can never go back to a has-been
I can never go back to the old days, no way
Back to walkin’ to work on a cold day
Back to thinkin’ my ex was my soulmate
Back to tellin’ myself, “We’ll be okay”
We’ll be okay, was survivin’ off ramen and OJ
Shorty payin’ the bills, I had no say
I can never go back to the bottom, to the bottom
Sellin’ drugs, never know when the cops come
Niggas jealous, they wanted to rob us
I was just tryna get me some dollars, couple dollars
Turn my pennies from hundreds to commas
I’m so happy them days are behind us
I ride by different spots, I get flashbacks
I can’t get on your level, I’m past that
Watch me run that shit up, I can’t go back to nothin’, tryna get to the top of the world
My nigga went crazy, walked in his condo and seen someone fuckin’ his girl (girl)
Fuck all that spinnin’ blocks, that’s that lil’ boy, shit, we catch him, we rockin’ his world
I let everybody have their fun with me
Never had a woman say she done with me
I was workin’, now I own the company
I keep money comin’ in constantly
My lil’ brodie them be having Runtz for cheap
Tryna get it, I been on the run for weeks
I’on’t think none of you niggas can come for me
Both of my kids got it honestly
I’m the real deal, all the way, I don’t half-step
Gotta do better than last year, that’s my motto
Put a switch on the blick, fully auto
Put them thangs on the paint like I’m Rylo
Proud to say that I finally changed up
Why the fuck they keep bringin’ my name up? ‘Cause I’m poppin’
I can never go back to the old days, no way
Back to walkin’ to work on a cold day
Back to thinkin’ my ex was my soulmate
Back to tellin’ myself, “We’ll be okay”
We’ll be okay, was survivin’ off of ramen and OJ
I was payin’ the bills, I had no say
I can never go back to the bottom, to the bottom
Sellin’ drugs, never know when the cops come
Niggas jealous, they wanted to rob us
I was just tryna get me some dollars, couple dollars
Turn my pennies from hundreds to commas
I’m so happy them days are behind us
I’m so happy them days are behind me
I’m so happy the paper done found me
I done keep some good niggas around me
I got rid of them niggas who doubt me
Keepin’ good energy and I’m prayed up
Tunnel vision, ain’t nothing can faze us
Once you cross me, ain’t nothin’ can save you
Pull that thing out, and fuck it, it’s dangerous
Bitch, I’m dangerous
In the sea of contemporary hip-hop’s bravado and glitz, Joyner Lucas’s ‘Ramen & OJ’ emerges as a poignant narrative, replete with the textures of a life endured through the roughest tides. The song isn’t merely a track; it’s an odyssey splayed atop a canvas of rhythm and rhyme.
Lucas has a penchant for storytelling that wades through the shallows and into the depths, allowing listeners to see beyond the confines of shiny exterior success to the gritty reality that it took to get there. ‘Ramen & OJ’ becomes an anthem not for victory alone, but for the battle-scarred path that leads to it.
From Wanting to Winning: The Dual-Thirst for Success and Survival
The chorus of ‘Ramen & OJ’ repeats a mantra familiar to anyone who’s faced the relentless pursuit of ambition. Lucas doesn’t just want success; he needs it like air, underscoring survival as a driver for his relentless hustle. The imagery is raw and real—while many romanticize the journey to the top, Lucas exposes it as a suffocating chase for breath.
By equating money with a basic necessity such as breathing, the song highlights the all-consuming nature of this pursuit. The ‘needs’ and ‘hunnids’ become symbolically linked, as Lucas threads the narrative that financial gain and breathing space are inextricably tied in his march towards a life anticipated since youth.
Anthem for the Underdog: Breakthroughs Beyond the League
Throughout the verses, Joyner Lucas separates himself from the pack, those ‘allergic to suckers’ who can’t stand the rigors of pursuit. He prizes his distinctive hustle and paints competitors as proverbial leaves — crumpled and scattered. His drive is relentless, drawing from an inner resilience that assures he is ‘built different.’
The league he plays for isn’t just the music industry; it’s life itself. The repeated line ‘I am built different, I’m not what you think’ is an avowal of self-belief. As he ‘flexes,’ he refutes the crown not for its power, but for its requisite burdens—one must know what it ‘takes’ to truly wear it.
The Old Days Are Over: The Power of Memory in Enterprising Forward
Lucas hits a chord of collective memory in his vivid recount of the ‘old days,’ a stark contrast to the spoils of success. Ramen and OJ become symbols of the abject poverty that fueled his mission. He reflects on the lows with a sense of closure, acknowledging the turning point from where ‘walkin’ to work on a cold day’ was an everyday reality.
By refusing to return to ‘the bottom,’ Lucas appoints himself the architect of his fate, with recollections serving as warnings. Even as he raps about the dissonance between then and now, there’s an undercurrent of gratitude and relief, cementing that his hard-earned prosperity is a chapter, not a footnote, in his life’s book.
The Hidden Meaning: A Single Man’s Stance against Societal Shackles
Delving deeper, ‘Ramen & OJ’ offers a subtext — a rebellion against a preordained path peppered with obstacles that society sets for the less fortunate. ‘I bet they want me shackled and locked in the chains,’ Joyner muses, pointing to a system designed to keep individuals like him in check.
Lucas frames his success as an act of defiance against those who ‘say I changed,’ who’d rather see him chained than changed. This affirms a broader discourse in hip-hop—the refusal to be held down by systemic and stereotypical expectations and the determination to redefine one’s destiny.
Memorable Lines: Metaphors and Moxie
The song is strewn with lines that stick, resonating with an audience that recognizes the authenticity in his assertions. ‘I’m so happy the paper done found me’ isn’t just about wealth; it’s about recognition and the realization of self-worth.
Another standout, ‘Keepin’ good energy and I’m prayed up,’ might just be the modern-day rapper’s creed. Amidst hardships and temptation, this line reflects a commitment to positivity and spirituality—a combination often overshadowed by the flashier elements of hip-hop culture.
