Kota the Friend
Kota the Friend
Kota the Friend & Bas & Joey Bada$$
Kota the Friend & Alex Banin & Hello Oshay
Kota the Friend
Kota the Friend & Kaiit
Kota the Friend
Kota the Friend & tobi lou
Kota the Friend
Kota the Friend & Braxton Cook & KYLE
Kota the Friend
Kota the Friend &
“B.Q.E” is the first single off of Kota’s sophomore album EVERYTHING, and the name derives from the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, otherwise known as Interstate 278. This song is a reunion of many New York artists, as Joey Bada$$ and Bas both hail from the popular city.
This track was first previewed...
[Verse 1: Kota the Friend]
Self-made, no flex, ooh
Self-paid, no debt, ooh
We ain't takin’ no bets, lot of y'all full of regrets
Hate me and give me respect
Y'all playin’ easy to get, I'm playin' Russian Roulette
Y'all sellin' out for the check
We holdin' out for the kids
Free black and don't flip
Gold ropes to hold cribs, low bread to whole loaves
Go hard or go home, go home and don't trip
Same block, same whip
Free as a bird, used to be runnin’ from 12, live and you learn
Now we just flip ’em the bird
Poppy, yo, give me the word
Copy I heard you, I step on the Myrtle, I'm on the wave now
Bet you got nothin’ to say now
You better get out the way and better get comfortable catchin' this fade now
Stay in yo' lane, either you get on the train or watchin' the wave
There ain’t no stoppin' the play
Hoppin' up out of the flames
Inkin' an island today
Get your piece up on the board
Bought a crib by the lake
Still pull up in the fort, real comin' for the fake
Showin' love through the hate
Still tryna end a war, mama said I need a break
Maybe when I'm in the Forbes, generation's on the board
Generations in the bank, ayy
[Chorus: Kota the Friend & Joey Bada$$]
Ayy, is you gettin' on this train?
Miss it and you gon' be late
You could catch another wave
But we hoppin' on the B-Q-E
Doin' 90 on the B-Q-E
You could find me on the B-Q-E
Get behind me on the B-Q-E, yeah, yeah, hol' up, ayy
Ayy, ayy, yuh (Badmon)
[Verse 2: Joey Bada$$]
I pull up, I skrrt (Skrrt)
Drop top and I'm wearin' no shirt (Shirt)
She know I'm a flirt (Flirt)
One hand on the wheel another hand up her skirt
She know I'm a mur (Mur)
I'm on the 2-7-8, back to the turf (God damn)
Been the old school like I'm servin' them work (Ayy, ayy)
When I'm local, I be goin' bezerk (Ayy-ayy)
Hit up Whole Foods, might back up the club for the fuck of it
Talk in my back and then go, she be lovin' it
Stopped at the hood and you know I be tuckin' it
None of my niggas can fuck with the government
They just be thuggin' it, I just be playin' it smart (Playin' it, playin' it smart)
I don't be judgin', I'm playin' my part
Show the fake love and then play with your heart
Gotta learn to just play with the cards dealt
These niggas too hard on they-self
Niggas too hard to offer them help
I don't work too hard for all of this wealth
For the first two bars for how all of it felt
Ayy, still in the field like NFL
Or MLB playin' center field
Prayin' on the day, just take the wheel
[Chorus: Kota the Friend & Bas]
Ayy, is you gettin' on this train?
Miss it and you gon' be late
You could catch another wave
But we hoppin' on the B-Q-E
Doin' 90 on the B-Q-E
You could find me on the B-Q-E
Get behind me on the B-Q-E (It's Bassy)
Yuh, yuh, yuh, ayy
[Verse 3: Bas]
For every day I made doubters, I made dollars
'Cause my borough, it gave knowledge
How the city move, y'all better pay homage
I don't pity you niggas that make comments to create drama
You gon' find them tryna go viral
Judge, jury, execution, no trial
Eyes sinkin', deep sleep, watching bitches creep
Streets making hoes vile
I'm from Queens where they line you up with a cold smile
And the whole time you be thinkin', "Damn, that bitch so fine,"
"Oh, my," she not
Born in a ditch and you die in a box
But I'm on a mission, a man of ambition
My latest addition, retire my Pops
So anyone threaten, I'm firin' shots
[Chorus: Kota the Friend]
Ayy, is you gettin' on this train?
Miss it and you gon' be late
You could catch another wave
But we hoppin' on the B-Q-E
Doin' 90 on the B-Q-E
You could find me on the B-Q-E
Get behind me on the B-Q-E
Yuh, yuh, yuh, ayy
[Outro: Marie Stein]
Geez, what means everything to me, um
Fresh flowers in my clean room, having family dinners
Making my friends laugh, being happy
Going to the gym, sometimes, um
The sun that's shining, beers with my roommates and
Music
B.Q.E was written by Bas & Joey Bada$$ & Kota the Friend.
B.Q.E was produced by Kota the Friend.
Kota the Friend released B.Q.E on Fri May 01 2020.
During his livestream when he previewed the song, Kota remarked:
This next joint I’m waiting on two really dope features. Dudes from New York City, and the song’s gonna be fuckin' fire if we actually make it happen… if we can get the verses. This song is actually gonna be like one of the biggest so...
No, this marks the first collaboration between all three of these artists. However, they all do hail from New York City, hence the song title being the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, or BQE.
I’ve been thinking about getting Bas on a record [for a long time]. And I’m not one to force it. So one day, I was just working on the album and I heard that sample for “BQE” and I put it in, boom, made the beat. And then, when I’m listening to the beat, I’m like ‘Yo, this is the one.’ But it didn’t...
If you listen to the track, it’s me, then Joey, then Bas. That’s because I’m from downtown Brooklyn, Joey is from a little uptown and he’s on his way to Queens. It’s like, we’re really driving on the BQE past Bed-Stuy to Queens. Because I’m from Fort Greene-Clinton Hill. […] So it’s just like, that...
It’s a voice note by Marie Stein, Kota explained:
I asked all of my fans to send voice notes answering the question “What means everything to you?” Marie had one of my favorite answers.