Know Yourself

Track 4 on If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Producers

Drake first used the phrase “know yourself” in “Jodeci Freestyle” – a single released in the lead-up to his album Nothing Was The Same. On the album, the phrase is also… Read More

Feb. 13, 20153 viewers5.3M views

Know Yourself Lyrics

[Part I]

[Intro]
Hol' it yute, hol' it, hol' it, hol' it, hol' it, hol' it
No sleepin' in the streets!
Shaky warrior
Yeah, this that Oliver, 40, Niko shit man
15 Fort York shit, y'know?
Boi-1da, what's poppin'?
Yeah, yeah

[Verse 1]
Runnin' through the 6 with my woes
Countin' money, you know how it goes
Pray the real live forever, man
Pray the fakes get exposed
I want that Ferrari, then I swerve
I want that Bugatti, just to hurt
I ain't rockin' my jewelry, that's on purpose
Niggas want my spot and don't deserve it
I don't like how serious they take themselves
I've always been me, I guess I know myself
Shakiness, man, I don't have no time for that
My city too turned up, I'll take the fine for that
This been where you find me at
That's been where you find me at
I know a nigga named Johnny Bling
He put me on to the finer things
Had a job sellin' Girbaud jeans
I had a yellow TechnoMarine
Then Kanye dropped, it was polos and backpacks
Man, that was when Ethan was pushin' a Subaru hatchback
Man, I'm talkin' way before hashtags
I was runnin' through the 6 with my woes
(Yeah!)

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[Chorus]
I was running through the 6 with my woes
And you know how that shit go
You know how that shit go
You know how that shit go
Runnin' through the 6 with my woes
You know how that shit go
You know how that shit go
You know how that shit go
Runnin' through the 6 with my woes
You know how that shit go

[Outro: Popcaan & Drake]
...Shell out, all if yuh eye nuh big
Always haffi look out, yuh no know if yuh head book out
Dun know, a de Unruly boss, dis man
No bomboclat, otha
And if a boy nuh like OVO or Chromatic
Yuh can jus suck yuh mada!!
With no apology, if you nuh like we, we nuh like you neither youth
Your girl a say we cute, if you diss you will get execute
That's the truth, OVO Unruly
(Machine gun shots)
With my woes

Embed

About

Genius Annotation

Drake first used the phrase “know yourself” in “Jodeci Freestyle” – a single released in the lead-up to his album Nothing Was The Same. On the album, the phrase is also referenced in “From Time,” during a monologue by Baka. Over time Drake has made the line a recurring theme in songs such as “0 to 100.”

“Know yourself”/know thyself is also an aphorism that has been attributed to a number of ancient Greek sages, including Socrates, Heraclitus and Pythagoras.

Care first about the greatest perfection of the soul. – Socrates

The beat used throughout the song was also used without the vocals in the short film Jungle, which Drake released shortly before dropping IYRTITL.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Drake say about "Know Yourself"?

Verified Commentary

Drake

via Fader

Genius Answer

I always used to be so envious, man, that Wiz Khalifa had that song “Black and Yellow,” and it was just a song about Pittsburgh. Like, the world was singing a song about Pittsburgh! And I was just so baffled, as a songwriter, at how you stumbled upon a hit record about Pittsburgh. Like, your city must be elated! They must be so proud. And I told myself, over the duration of my career, I would definitely have a song that strictly belonged to Toronto but that the world embraced. So, “Know Yourself” was a big thing off my checklist.

Has this track received any certifications?

Genius Answer

“Know Yourself” was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA on June 29, 2018.

Who produced “Know Yourself” by Drake?

When did Drake release “Know Yourself”?

Who wrote “Know Yourself” by Drake?