The Notorious B.I.G. is a rapper and hip-hop artist from Brooklyn, New York City, and he is also known as Biggie Smalls. He released his debut album, Ready to Die, in 1994, and it is one of the best east coast hip-hop albums of all time. He also formed the hip-hop collective Junior M.A.F.I.A., but the group became defunct after Biggie’s death in 1997. His songs are often dark and autobiographical, and “Everyday Struggle” is a great example of his musical and lyrical style. In this song, he talks about his daily life as a drug dealer in Brooklyn, which is not as glamorous and glorious as other rappers make it out to be.
I don’t want to live no more.
Sometimes I hear death knocking at my front door.
I’m living every day like a hustle.
Another drug to juggle. Another day. Another struggle.
Grammar: no more
No more is an adjective. Use no more with nouns to talk about quantity.
no more + noun
- There is no more bread in the pantry. We don’t have any bread.
- There are no more tickets for the concert. They are sold out.
- I have no more energy. I cannot work now.
Tip: Use no more with positive verbs only. Use any more with negative verbs.
There isn’t no more bread.There isn’t any more bread.There aren’t no more tickets.There aren’t any more tickets.I don’t have no more energy.I don’t have any more energy.
Grammar: any more & anymore
Any more is an adverb that means an action has stopped. Use any more at the end of negative sentences.
Subject + verb + not + any more.
- She doesn’t smoke any more. She used to smoke.
- He doesn’t live in New York any more. He moved to Chicago last month.
- She doesn’t love him any more. The romance has died.
It is becoming acceptable in American English to write anymore as one word.
In informal speech, especially hip-hop music, people say no more instead of any more.
- I don’t want to live no more. = I don’t want to live any more. Same meaning.
Vocabulary
- hustle (verb) – selling something or making money illegally. He cannot get a legitimate job because he is always hustling on the street corner.
- also a noun. What hustle do you have going on?
- struggle (noun) – something that is difficult to do or achieve. It was a real struggle to stay awake during the movie. It was so boring!
- also a verb. He struggled to stay awake during the movie.
- wake up (phrasal verb) – to finish sleeping and become awake. I can’t go to the party tonight because I have to wake up very early tomorrow.
- broke (adjective) – to have no money. I am so broke right now, so I shouldn’t go out to the bar tonight.
- broke as hell = very broke
- mad (adverb) – very; really. It’s mad hot today. The sun is cooking me!
- kick out (phrasal verb) – to make somebody leave or go away. My roommate never paid rent, so I had to kick him out.
- pack up (phrasal verb) – to stop doing something; to put your things in a bag before leaving a place. We were late to the concert. The DJs were packing up the sound equipment when we arrived.
- take over (phrasal verb) – to begin to control or take responsibility for something, especially in place of someone else.
- snitch (verb) – to tell a parent, teacher, boss, etc. about something wrong another person has done. I can’t believe that she snitched on her colleague.
- also a noun. I don’t want to invite that nasally snitch to the BBQ!
Discussion Questions
Have you ever had struggles? Have you ever been broke? Do you still have struggles today? If you or your friends are struggling, what do you do to get by? What gives you strength to live another day? Please write your comments below!