Forever
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Chorus: Drake
It may not mean nothin' to y'allBut understand, nothin' was done for meSo I don't plan on stoppin' at allI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, maneI'm shuttin' shit down in the mallAnd tellin' 'ery girl she the one for meAnd I ain't even plannin' to callI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, manePost-Chorus: Drake
Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, a—Verse 1: Drake
Last name Ever, first name GreatestLike a sprained ankle, boy, I ain't nothin' to play withStarted off local, but thanks to all the hatersI know G-IV pilots on a first name basisIn your city, faded off the brown, NinoShe insist she got more class, we knowSwimmin' in the money, come and find me, NemoIf I was at the club, you know I balled, chemoDropped the mixtape, that shit sounded like a albumWho'da thought a countrywide tour'd be the outcome?Labels want my name beside a X, like MalcolmEverybody got a deal, I did it without oneYeah, nigga, I'm about my businessKillin' all these rappers, you would swear I had a hit listEveryone who doubted me is askin' for forgivenessIf you ain't been a part of it, at least you got to witness, bitchesChorus: Drake
It may not mean nothin' to y'allBut understand, nothin' was done for meSo I don't plan on stoppin' at allI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, maneI'm shuttin' shit down in the mallAnd tellin' 'ery girl she the one for meAnd I ain't even plannin' to callI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, manePost-Chorus: Drake
Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, a—Verse 2: Kanye West
Ayy, ever-ever, Mr. West is in the buildin'Ain't no question who about to kill 'emI used to have hood dreams, big fame, big chainsI stuck my dick inside this life until that bitch cameAnd went hard all fall like the ball teamsJust so I can make it rain all springY'all seen my story, my gloryI had raped the game young, you could call it statutoryWhen a nigga blow up, they gon' build statues for meOld money, Benjamin Button, "What?" nothin'Now it's super bad chicks givin' me McLovinYou would think I ran the world like Michelle's husbandYou would think these niggas know me when they really doesn'tLike they was down with the old me, no you fuckin' wasn'tUm, you're such a fuckin' loserHe ain't even go to class, BuellerTrade the Grammy plaques just to have my granny back'Member she had that bad hip like a fanny pack?Chasin' the stardom will turn you to a maniacAll the way in Hollywood and I can't even actThey pull they cameras out and, goddamn, he snapI used to want this thing forever, y'all can have it backChorus: Drake
It may not mean nothin' to y'allBut understand, nothin' was done for meSo I don't plan on stoppin' at allI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, maneI'm shuttin' shit down in the mallAnd tellin' 'ery girl she the one for meAnd I ain't even plannin' to callI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, manePost-Chorus: Drake
Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, a—Verse 3: Lil Wayne
Okay, hello, it's the Martian, Space Jam JordansI want this shit forever, wake up and smell the gardenFresher than the harvest, step up to the targetIf I had one guess, then I guess I'm just New OrleansAnd I will never stop like I'm runnin' from the copsHopped up in my car and told my chauffeur, "To the top"Life is such a fuckin' roller coaster, then it dropsBut what should I scream for? This is my theme parkMy mind shine even when my thoughts seem darkPistol on my side, you don't wanna hear that thing talkLet the king talk, check the price and pay attentionLil Wayne, that's what they gotta say or mentionI'm like Nevada in the middle of the summerI'm restin' in the lead, I need a pillow and a coverShh, my foot's sleepin' on the gasNo brake pads, no such thing as last, huhChorus: Drake
It may not mean nothin' to y'allBut understand, nothin' was done for meSo I don't plan on stoppin' at allI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, maneI'm shuttin' shit down in the mallAnd tellin' 'ery girl she the one for meAnd I ain't even plannin' to callI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, manePost-Chorus: Drake
Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy, a—Verse 4: Eminem
There they go, packin' stadiums as Shady spits his flowNuts they go, Macadamian, they go so ballistic, woahHe can make them look like bozos, he's wonderin' if he should spit this slowFuck no, go for broke, his cup just runneth over, oh noHe ain't had him a buzz like this since the last time that he overdosedThey been waiting patiently for Pinocchio to poke his noseBack into the game and they know rap will never be the same as befo'Bashin' in the brains of these hoes and establishin' a name as he goesThe passion in the flame is ignited, you can't put it out once we light itThis shit is exactly what the fuck that I'm talkin' about when we riotYou dealin' with a few true villains who stand inside of the booth, truth-spillin'And spit true feelings until our tooth fillings come flyin' up out of our mouths, now rewind itPayback, motherfucker, for the way that you doubted me, how's it taste?When I slap the taste outta your mouths with a bass so loud that it shakes the placeI'm Hannibal Lecter, so just in case you're thinkin' of savin' faceYou ain't gonna have no face to save by the time I'm through with this place, so, DrakeChorus: Drake
It may not mean nothin' to y'allBut understand, nothin' was done for meSo I don't plan on stoppin' at allI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, maneI'm shuttin' shit down in the mallAnd tellin' 'ery girl she the one for meAnd I ain't even plannin' to callI want this shit forever, mane, 'ever, mane, 'ever, maneWhat the song means
"Forever" is a boastful celebration of success and a wish for it to last. The chorus repeats the singer's desire to keep his fame and status indefinitely, stretching "forever" into a slangy hook. He insists that outsiders may not understand what this success means to him, and that he has no plans to stop pursuing it.
Each verse is performed by a different rapper, so the song works like a chain of boasts. Drake starts by describing his rise from local fame to a global career, with wealthy travel and a sense that everyone once doubted him. Kanye West looks back on his old dreams of money and status, and admits that fame changed him and that he would give up his awards to bring back a loved one. Lil Wayne shifts to imagery of speed and momentum, comparing life to a roller coaster and a car with no brakes. Eminem closes with aggressive, violent metaphors aimed at rivals and critics.
The key images carry the song's emotional arc. The repeated "forever" stands for the wish to be untouchable, while the "Benjamin Button" reference hints at a life running in reverse. Movie and pop-culture references show how the rappers measure fame against popular culture. The ride with no brakes suggests that the pursuit has no natural end, so the story moves from pride to regret and then to a defiant closing.
Key phrases explained
- shuttin' shit down
- taking over, dominating everything — Slang for dominating a place; here he claims he dominates the mall.
- Benjamin Button
- a man who ages in reverse — A film reference that Kanye uses to suggest a life moving backward.
- McLovin
- a fake-ID persona from a comedy film — Kanye's pop-culture reference to women admiring him.
- Hannibal Lecter
- a fictional cannibal villain — Eminem uses him as a menacing metaphor for his attack on rivals.
- Bueller
- from the film about a student skipping school — Kanye mocks someone for skipping class and getting away with it.
Song info
- Release date
- 2009-08-27
- Album
- Relapse: Refill
- Written by
- Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Boi-1da, Allen Ritter
- Produced by
- Boi-1da
- Samples
- Cerrone – Rocket in the Pocket (Live in Paris)
- Interpolates
- JAŸ-Z – Swagga Like Us
- Remix of
- Lil Wayne – I Want This Forever, Kardinal Offishall – Bring It Back, Kardinal Offishall – Forever (Demo)
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