40 Acres

Album: My Name Is My Name (2013)
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Songfacts®:

  • Pusha explained the meaning of this The-Dream and Rico Beats produced track to MTV News: "It really harps on things that have happened in my life in regards to family," he said, "my brother being my partner, my parents not being together, speaking on how those things altered my views on relationships and so on."

    He continued: "One of the lyrics goes:

    'Unpolished, unapologetic, might've broke a heart or two, but gave an honest effort
    You see my nonchalant attitude is always f--- it/
    35 years of marriage, and my mama left it
    You shouldn't question if you ever stood a chance with him, the better question is, did you enjoy the dance with him?
    I'll probably never pull your chair out, bitch, you know this money grew your hair out, switch
    All that s--- I bought, you wear out, rich
    But I'm the only one I care 'bout.'

    "A lot of people, and men in general, don't recognize that their selfishness towards women in a relationship probably has to do with something that has happened in their life before," Pusha explained. "I like to harp on things like that because people speak about relationships like it's always so blissful but, like I said, my album is also based in harsh realities."
  • Pusha told MTV News that he booked a room in the Los Angeles' Redbury Hotel, where he spent three days writing the song. "Three days without touching the studio. Everybody [was] beginning to think I'm wasting studio time, but sometimes it takes that long," he said. "That's writing it, not liking it, not liking the order of it, not liking the flow of it, ripping it up [and] going back at it again."
  • Pusha's brother Gene "Malice" Thornton was formerly his partner in the rap duo Clipse. After Gene's conversion to Christianity, he changed his performing name to No Malice and concentrated on a solo career. Pusha addresses the difference between him and brother on this song:

    "My better half, chose the better path, applaud him
    Younger brother, me, a spoiled child, I fought him
    I heard that the Devil's new playground is boredom
    The California top just falls back like autumn
    And they say I'm on the verge of winning
    I claim victory with Malice, on the verge of sinning."

    Pusha explained to MTV News that he has no problem with No Malice's new direction. "When you're involving my brother, you're involving a whole other aspect of life, which is family, which is love, which is my heart, which is everything to me," he said. "Any decision he makes, I ride with it. Any decision I make, he rides with it."

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