.idk. and Pusha T just dropped “LiFE 4 A LiFE” like a Molotov through a quiet morning—raw street gospel over Kaytranada’s slinky, head-nodding production, teasing the chaos of e.t.d.s., his upcoming mixtape hitting January 23 via Rhymesayers, where even the shadows got a smirk.
This cut, out today with co-production from Eden Eliah Nagar, is .idk. channeling that DMV edge into a fever-dream rap about the trap’s tightrope: death before dishonor, red dots on opps, the endless slide of retaliation that leaves bodies chilled and bills unpaid. It’s got that unfiltered snarl—Pop-Pusha verses laced with regret, bumping jazz while the block heats up—over beats that twist funky basslines into something sinister, like a block party gone wrong.
Genre-wise, it’s pure hip-hop grit, blending conscious bars with trap’s menace, but .idk.’s direction feels lived-in, pulling from lockdown lessons and the weight of “if it ain’t life, it ain’t long.” Pusha slides in on verse three like a ghost in the machine, miscounting nine lives with that signature coke-rap precision, turning the track into a duet of defiance and doubt. Fans were already hyped from .idk.’s Insta teasers last week, clips of the studio session racking up views, and Rhymesayers’ socials confirming the single as the mixtape’s bloody opener.
E.t.d.s.—Even The Devil Smiles—is .idk.’s rawest swing yet, a 12-track dive into the broken gears of the justice system, Black expressionism, and survival’s sly grin. Drawing from 90s/2000s mixtape urgency, it’s stacked with heavy hitters: Black Thought and Likkle Jordee on “P.O.,” No ID on “HALO,” Madlib linking up for “MadlibIDK,” Joey Valence & Brae crashing “CLOVER,” plus cuts like “START TO FiNiSH” with Kaytranada and the eerie “SCARY MERRi.” Recorded in fits and starts, it folds in producers like Conductor Williams and Goldie, ditching polish for that tape-deck intimacy—think scrapped ideas reborn as confessions. Singles “H0LD TH!S” and “DO0RDIEE” already set the tone, all menace and melody, proving the project’s no filler; it’s .idk. reclaiming his narrative from the bars that shaped him.
.idk.’s at a crossroads glow-up, the Maryland architect who’s flipped from XXL Freshman freestyles to cultural provocateur, post-2023’s F65 and those viral collabs that had TikTok dissecting his bars. This Rhymesayers link-up feels like homecoming, trading indie hustle for a platform that amplifies the grit—he’s touring Europe come March, but e.t.d.s. screams he’s not just surviving the game; he’s rewriting its rules, one devilish smile at a time.
Dive into the LiFE 4 A LiFE lyrics below and unpack its raw narrative. Don’t miss other e.t.d.s. tracks for more of .idk.’s gritty survival vibes.
Lyrics of LiFE 4 A LiFE by .idk. & Pusha T
[Intro: .Idk]
Everybody Know We Don’t Play
Woo!
If It Ain’t Life, It Ain’t Long (Ooh)
If It Ain’t Life, It Ain’t Long (Damn!)
Death Before Dishonor, Tell A Nigga Calm Down
I’m Trying To Get Him For His Crown
Dreamt About This Shit When I Was Back On Lockdown
I Learned My Shit Inside The Pound [Chorus: .Idk.]
I’m A Dog, Headshot
With The Dawg, Red Dot
Pop-pop, Headlock, Dreadlock
It’s Time To Slide, There’s Opps
Hold Up, Wait, There’s Cops (Woo)
Pull Up, Err, And Pop-pop-pop-pop (Everybody Know We Don’t Play) [Verse 2: .Idk.]
Yeah, Uh, See I Don’t Know Why They Cry
‘Til We See ’em Die, We Will Not Be Satisfied
If They Try To Take A Life, Then We Gots To Take A Life (Gots To Take A Life)
If It Ain’t Life, Then Every Sentence Light
Make A Nigga Take Flight If We Try To Take Ice (Take Ice)
Stackin’ Up The Cash, Makin’ Money Off Your Vice
F**k A Double Back, Niggas Comin’ Back Thrice (Back Thrice)
Coming Back Three Times, Four Times, Five
Equals $20 On His Head, Guaranteed To Leave Him Dead
I Wish I Could Change How My Niggas Like To Live
The Problem Is The Change Ain’t Enough To Pay The Bills
So For What The Ice Worth, They Gon’ Leave Your Body Chill (Put The Drop On ’em)
Bumpin’ Jazz While My B**ch Clean The House, She Keep It Fresh
She Don’t Know My Niggas En Route To Leave A Mess (Mess)
Wish That I Could Change How They Think, It Got Me Stressed
‘Cause They Live Inside Of Hell While My Life Is Hella Blessed [Pre-Chorus: .Idk.]
Ya, Don’t Say, Ya, Don’t Say
Everybody Know We Don’t Play (Krra, Krra)
Ya, Don’t Say, Ya, Don’t Say
Everybody Know We Don’t Play [Chorus: .Idk.]
I’m A Dog, Headshot
With The Dawg, Red Dot
Pop-pop, Headlock, Dreadlock (Everybody Know We Don’t Play)
It’s Time To Slide, There’s Opps
Hold Up, Wait, There’s Cops (Woo)
Pull Up, Err, And Pop-pop-pop-pop (Everybody Know We Don’t Play) [Verse 3: Pusha T & .Idk]
I Don’t Know Why They Try
There’s No Dry Eyes After Drive-bys
Knockin’ Buju Banton, Boom, Bye-bye (Bye-bye)
You Pussy Niggas Miscountin’ All Them Nine Lives
Beggin’ For Attention And Mentionin’ Me
Get Your Name Penciled In, These Guns Ain’t Whisperin’
Why My Thumbs Twittlin’, Pick An Island, Gilligan
Sit Your B**ch Poolside, Sun, Turn To Cinnamon
I Don’t Do Rememberin’, Gettin’ Money Right Now
Drive 2026, I Don’t Even Ask How
Lv Cash Cow, St. Jude’s Cash Out
I Can’t Even Podcast, Givin’ All My Past Out
Watchin’ Niggas Crash Out, Tellin’ Who They Ask About
Interview With Anybody Sittin’ In A Glass House
I’ma Pull That Mask Out, All You Niggas Mascots
Lookin’ At The Difference ‘tween The Have And The Have-nots
(Everybody Know We Don’t Play)
Push [Pre-Chorus: .Idk.]
Ya, Don’t Say, Ya, Don’t Say
Everybody Know We Don’t Play (Krra, Krra)
Ya, Don’t Say, Ya, Don’t Say
Everybody Know We Don’t Play
[Chorus: .Idk.]
I’m A Dog, Headshot
With The Dawg, Red Dot
Pop-pop, Headlock, Dreadlock (Everybody Know We Don’t Play)
It’s Time To Slide, There’s Opps
Hold Up, Wait, There’s Cops (Woo)
Pull Up, Err, And Pop-pop-pop-pop (Everybody Know We Don’t Play)
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