Gilbere Forté Decodes The Lyrics To “Nolita”

It’s been exactly one week since Epic Records signee Gilbere Forté released his PRAY EP. After releasing his debut project in 2010, the Philly by-way-of Michigan MC has been on a steady grind to reintroduce himself with a sophisticated leap in style and aesthetic from his previous work. If the intensely beautiful video for his recent “Pray” wasn’t captivating enough, Forté has continued to try to change the landscape of hip-hop with music that personally represents him and his outlook.

On a recent trip to NYC, Forté sat down with XXL to discuss another song off the upcoming project, titled "Nolita." The track, which features Active Child, finds Gilbere discussing a break-up with a longtime girlfriend while also drawing inspiration from the film Lolita, based on the novel by Vladimir Nabokov. Check out our exclusive video above, and read the lyrics to "Nolita" below.

Hook:

Everything reminds me of you
I think I’m losing my mind
Staring at your face in the rearview
And I can get all of the time
Nolita, Nolita
Nolita
Nolita, Nolita

Verse One:

Yea, lookin' back on a life that I thought that I could never have
Spent time with a woman I thought that I could never match
Broke all my ties to the chick that caught them feelings fast
I fall in love to that mother skunker, jumped all on my back
That’s when I meet you, the girl with the dragon tattoo
Black eyes, cold hips in a black coupe
With that fast zoom and that Vera Wang
In them Christian Lou's
With a voice full of heaven I stand to lose
With a heart to say I don’t steal shit
I'm a real bitch
Independent, no dick goin' make me kill this
So pressed up on her
Ride right at the moment, she said if you want it
You better holy matrimony, woah
I’m cool, rolling with them punches
But I’m only down for your loving
Back rub when we cuddling
My thug passion, you be lovin it
Get lost in the town, we make the time
That’s when it all happen, champagne glasses
Drunk off passion
With a little bit of lust and a little bit of you
And a little bit of face sucking off this mood
You keep your head down with no panties on
Adina Howard with no cameras on
Your light’s low but your body's on
You tie me to the bed post
Fuckin me off the edge though
Bathtub, hot salt water
Rose pedals with that blunted sour
Talkin' dirty in the darkest hour
With all of my best
I put your engagement ring on the desk
Everything was set
But then you left

Verse Two:

I was left in the dark
I was left in the cold
I was left getting old
With no idea why you kept a secret so long
It’s been three years since I’ve seen you
And my heartbeat still needs you
I can’t find a number to reach you
And your whereabouts to meet you
So I gave up, hit the road
Concert after concert
And city after city, getting drunk with some stupid hoes
Ridin through the city with the big lights
Downtown, tryna feel life
In a global cadan with a glass of Henny
And a bad chick to my right
Smellin like my past
What the fuck’s in my drink
When I realized what I’m next to
Matching dragon tattoos
It was you, it was you all along
And you was fuckin' yo ex girl
A body of lies and I’m blessed girl
And I hate loving yo sex girl
I was yo experiment but I died, you kicked dirt on my grave
And for what? To get a taste for dick. You fuckin' bitch.