Until recently, collaborative projects rarely came to fruition. There was too much record label red tape, too many conflicting schedules or simply too little creative inspiration for these bodies of work to materialize. So many fans didn't hold their breath when G Herbo and producer Southside announced plans for a tag team album titled Swervo back in 2016. Yet after a few delays and false starts, the two artists have delivered upon their promise, packaging 14 new songs with Swervo, one of the summer's premier rap releases.

Largely produced by Southside, Swervo finds G Herbo taking a break from the soul-stirring testimonials of Humble Beast, instead revisiting his drill roots—there's plenty of tough talk and gun smoke to go around. While much of the project finds G Herbo getting loose, Swervo also includes a few moments of clarity, particularly on "Letter," on which he addresses his newborn son, and "Focus," a deep cut detailing his present state of mind and the urgency that fuels his independent grind.

"Southside is one of them producers and artists that challenge me,"Herbo told XXL earlier this year. "When you recording and you get to a certain point, not too many people 'bout to tell you to redo some shit you just put out... He wanna see me win just as much as I wanna see myself [win], so you gotta surround yourself with people like that. He always been like that since day one."

While Swervo features guest appearances by 21 Savage, Young Thug and Chief Keef, G Herbo is the album's driving force. XXL sifted through the album to handpick 20 of the best lyrics from the project.

  • "Some Nights"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "I know one day I'ma die/Made some millions for my son so I'm aight/And I'm in that Bentley truck that's parked right outside/I know one I'ma die, but right now I'm alive/Need a purple heart for the shit that I survived/Better be alert if ever you and I collide/And I ain't limiting myself/This shit, I gotta strive/It look like a light show when I arrive" —G Herbo

  • "Some Nights"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Iced up, am I not? Amiri's with knots/I ain't hard to find, all you gotta do is plot/I'm ready when you are/Riding back to back, two blacks, we like the mini bar/Love the shots, keep one up tops, send them bitches in any car/And I'm on the E-way like Andretti/My new car, loaded like I'm ready for armageddon" —G Herbo

  • "Swervo"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "G Swervo, I keep a meat roll/Dracos under the peacoat/Heard the police was looking for me though/But I'm on a PJ with Squeezo/Remember I was just living illegal/Now the kids look at me like a hero/Told them I was just like 'em once before/Now my account got some commas and zeros" —G Herbo

  • "Swervo"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "And the Posto lit, AC out the vent/Traphouse pay the rent, P serves off the Sprint/Rap pay my mama rent, YouTube pay my ho rent/Merch will pay your ho rent, iTunes pay some more shit/Humble Beast, that's Herbo, Swervo talk that dope shit/Swervo talk that cash shit, money in that bag shit/Spent two K for these Versace glasses, on my swag shit/They call me Swervo 'cause I did that when I crashed my last whip" —G Herbo

  • "FoReal"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Yeah, that's the jet, so I travel with the Tec/When I land, put the engine in the rear, watch/If we back to back, Bentley's all matte black/Hit the sport, throw that bitch up into gear, huh/I heard it's some trappers in here, huh, what you make this year?/Anyway, it's some hammers in here, pistol clappers in here, kidnappers in here/We just got left in the jungle and turned to some animals, bitch, we adapters in here/Pull up shooting shit from mid-range, we Toronto Raptors in here" —G Herbo

  • "FoReal"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "I don't talk that shit, I'll end niggas rap career/I was in the streets too much and it held me back for real/I was in the trap for real, I had 175 racks for real/Still ride with them straps for real/But I beat the streets, I ain't going back for real/Blick on my lap for real, for real/And it's a known fact for real/Get killed 'bout Kobe and Cap for real" —G Herbo

  • "Catch Up"

    G Herbo and Southside Featuring Chief Keef

    "To all my dead guys, I say 'rest up'/Mama told me 'step up'/Know you gotta catch up, feds can't even catch us, nigga/Get on our bad side, that's bad luck, nigga/I'm here, then I'm there, I'm Casper, nigga/Niggas bitches, yeah I know/Pop out, scared to tote they poles/Remember 2012, we was selling blow/See 4-7, had to tuck and roll" —G Herbo and Chief Keef

  • "Catch Up"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Bust down shit, 60k on my wrist wear/You said she loyal, but your bitch just stared/2,500 is about what I wear/1,200 just to get high, I don't care/We hit your block from the rear/You can get shot like a deer/Assault rifle black like my hair/This shit is clearer than air" —G Herbo and Chief Keef

  • "Tweakin (Head)"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "I'm a brazy psycho, I be tweakin'/But I make 10,000 every weekend/Big six-bedroom house my mama sleep in/Some nights I don't even stay there, she be tweakin'/Every state we go, we drop the G's in/Throw both my hands up just to chuck the B's with/I'm with Hell Rell, not from Killa Season/10 milli' kit, it got my glizzy breezing" —G Herbo

  • "Pac n Dre"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "I pull up 250, I'm rolling the pressure, yeah/She suck it and swallow it, that be the reason I'm calling her special/I'm balling for real/Blow me a mill', lil' nigga, it's levels/And I'm off a pill, bitch it's for real/They dig it, no shovel/This perky be having me itching/This money be snatching they bitches/We pull up to Barney's, no riches/I beat up a jawn, then I switch it" —G Herbo and Southside

  • "Pac n Dre"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Fuck that, nah I'ma be like Metro/958, 100 plus in the petro/You wanna beef with the gang then leggo/Me and Sizzle brothers like Melo and Lego/Thousands, I stack by the hundreds like legos/Choppers shells pop out, then tote them like Eggos/Say this the most, we blowing the best smoke/That Gelato got me high like stilettos" —G Herbo

  • "Bonjour"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Bang boy, gang gang, boy/Exotic pack, new thing boy/It's going down in Illinois/Them boys shooting like Phillinois/Ballin' like Kobe, Herbo, what you do?/Get bored, hit Saks, spend 24/Swervo, why you ain't got no feelings? 'Cause I'm gangsta to the core/Perc' 30 make me fuck 'til she sore/Gotta go get a Plan B from the store/'Cause I just had a lil' boy/Closet got more Gucci drip than yours" —G Herbo

  • "Bonjour"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "They tryna ride my wave, they gon' take that bitch to shore/I'm living thug life like Tupac Shakur/Swervo, you always rap about Tupac Shakur/See you in the black Benz, I hope you got that Glock in yours/Niggas ain't taking care of business, you on top of yours/These hoes fucking up they paper, they ain't stopping yours/Bought a portable studio, I'ma take that bitch on tour/All these niggas new shit trash, when you dropping yours?" —G Herbo

  • "Bonjour"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Seen what happened to that boy, I had to pour a four/Deuces wasn't doing shit for me no more, I had to pour a four/Sodas and juices wasn't doing shit for me no more/I had to pour up raw/That shit get the best of me and I be riding snoring/Wake up, think 'bout my dawgs, next thing I know I'm dropping some more/I was 18, riding foreigns, bonjour/Fucking cougars, would've tried to put this dick in some more/Still was fucking bitches my age, might've put dick in your daughter/Some days was broke as fuck, no homo, had my dick in the floor" —G Herbo

  • "Huh"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "If you a real live gangsta-ass nigga, throw your shit up/Give a fuck 'bout where you from, all them trill niggas with us/Everybody got a gun, pussies still will get hit up/And I'm still with that shit, just be chill tryna fill up/Got that 40 riding E all in the field, need a fill up/And I'm really chasing mill's, nigga, I'm just being real/Everybody running wild now, I'm just being still/Unless I'm still on the road or I'm still gone off a pill" —G Herbo

  • "100 Sticks"

    G Herbo and Southside Featuring Young Thug

    "In the yo with Slime and Vert, we throwing B's/Last night left out AOD, we was throwing G's/Soon as I did the walk through, bought some extra P's/Then I cleared the new check, iced my neck with V's/Fuck two bitches myself, one I think Japanese/Can't pop off 'bout myself 'cause you clap the G's/Pieces out the Goyard store, bought racks for me/I can't pop out no where under 10 racks for free" —G Herbo

  • "100 Sticks"

    G Herbo and Southside Featuring Young Thug

    "Walk inside that lawyer office with 100 sticks/Told him that I want all of my fucking royalties/Might as well call me tall 'cause you not shortin' shit/Pablo Escobar, so for real/Five diamonds in that tag on the lear/So my diamonds light brown like beer" —Young Thug

  • "Honestly"

    G Herbo and Southside Featuring Juice WRLD

    "Honestly when I was broke as fuck, you ain't notice me/You thought days I was posted up at the county jail where I'm 'posed to be/Now young nigga eating overly/I got hunnids old as trees/And money don't grow on trees/But I'm gon' blow it like leaves" —G Herbo

  • "Letter"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Ain't gotta tote gas on Essex again/Lord sent a blessing, amen/Mama ain't stressing, amen/Put family first as long they do the best that they can/Just watch for the snakes, everybody that hate, wanna smile in yo face and watch what you make/Just 'cause you born great, in the womb eating steak/High seats in the Wraith and estates/Yeah, I bought yo mama a Range, 90K/I bought my mama a Benz, 60K/Just got pulled over in that Bentley today/Police trying to talk to me, ain't nothing to say" —G Herbo

  • "Who Run It (Remix)"

    G Herbo and Southside

    "Woofin, got whacked you embarrassed, huh?/Pussy you act like you scared of somethin'/Gon' and shoot up the terrorists/Then they gon' realize it's serious/I ain't even on that, period/I'm makin' millions, I'm serious/That money come in various/Can't count it, I get delirious/I bought my mama a mansion/So I can't trip over materials/But I'm still dipped in that fashion/Know I stay drippin', that's period" —G Herbo

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