Hoover Street

Album: Oxymoron (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds Q detailing his loss of innocence growing up on Hoover Street. He spits rhymes about his grandma's gifts of Jordan shoes, Tommy Hilfiger underwear and video games, but also recounts his uncle stealing money out of his mom's purse and how he helped him cheat on a drug test.
  • Q also chronicles the negativity he was forced into upon joining the 52 Hoover Crips at the age of 12 when "every last one of us had a pistol in the room." As he recounted on "Gangsta," it was his grandma who showed him his first gun.

    The Crips were founded in 1969 by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams after they decided to unite their local gang members from the west and east sides of South Central Los Angeles in order to battle neighboring street gangs. Their sign, Cs formed with the thumb and forefinger of both hands, has become well known and today they are one of the largest and most violent associations of street gangs in the United States, with over 30,000 members.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

James Williamson of Iggy & the Stooges

James Williamson of Iggy & the StoogesSongwriter Interviews

The Stooges guitarist (and producer of the Kill City album) talks about those early recordings and what really happened with David Bowie.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Shawn Mullins

Shawn MullinsSongwriter Interviews

"Lullaby" singer Shawn Mullins on "Beautiful Wreck," beating the Devil, and his writing credit on the Zac Brown Band song "Toes."

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.