I Wish I Knew Lyrics – Joyner Lucas

I Wish I Knew Lyrics Meaning

Snoop Dogg kicks things off like a proud uncle hyping up Joyner Lucas. He’s basically telling him, “It’s your time, nephew. Show these people what you’re made of and what your new project stands for.” It sets the tone like a pep talk before a fight, pushing Joyner to go all in and not hold back.

Joyner starts by saying he’s past the point of fixing. His mental health, especially his ADHD, makes him feel out of control, and he’s just charging forward. There’s no turning back for him now—he’s made up his mind to keep pushing no matter what. He also talks about how people don’t really get the life he’s lived. They can’t walk in his shoes, and they’ll never truly understand what he’s been through. He’s not trying to be like anyone else, and he makes that super clear.

Then he flips it—he came from rock bottom and now he’s shining. He knows he’s made something of himself, and he’s not shy about it. But he’s also not fake; he still holds that anger. He’d rather go to jail or die before being seen as weak or begging for approval. That bitterness shows how hurt he’s been. He’s tried to earn respect in the music world but got no support. So now, he stays strapped, ready for whatever comes his way, like karma never showed up for him so he has to protect himself.

Joyner opens up about how his rough childhood shaped him. He grew up feeling unloved and always in trouble. That pain made him angry and hard. His real dad wasn’t there for him, but his stepdad stepped up and taught him to stand on his own. Now that he’s successful, he’s not giving anything to people who didn’t care about him when he had nothing. Trust doesn’t come easy for him, because he’s been betrayed and hurt too much. He’s been through hell and came out stronger, even though most people thought he’d never make it.

He’s got a fighter’s mindset. He’s not someone who gives up easily. He tells people straight up—if you swing at him, he knows how to dodge and strike back. His close friends, his girl, they’re ride-or-die types, just like him. But he’s still got a lot of darkness in him—he admits he’s kind of messed up mentally. There’s no pretending he’s all good. He doesn’t play with fake weapons; he keeps real ones, ready to use if necessary. He’s been in violent situations, and he doesn’t sugarcoat it.

He also calls out fake loyalty. Some people who did him wrong now want to reconnect like nothing happened. He’s like, “Nah, you had your chance.” They want more than they gave, expecting favors after burning bridges. He’s frustrated with people using him for personal gain. It’s like he can’t catch a break from folks trying to take advantage of his success.

Joyner says he never relaxes. He always feels pressure to stay ahead. Growing up in a rough neighborhood where death was normal made him put survival first. He used to keep a gun under his dresser because of how dangerous life was. But deep down, he still hoped for a better future. He hates the poverty he grew up in, and he never wants to go back to that kind of life. That’s why he works so hard—to make real changes for himself and his family.

His mom did her best, working long hours to keep things together. Joyner wants his success to mean something, not just for him but for others going through what he did. He wants to fix the problems his family faced, so they don’t have to struggle the same way he did. Maybe then, people wouldn’t say he needed medication or treat him like a broken kid.

He brings up how school was a mess for him. Teachers and classmates didn’t understand his ADHD, and it made him an easy target. He felt like people were always trying to put him in a box or make him feel like something was wrong with him. But he wasn’t broken—he was just different, and no one seemed to get that.

At the end, he reminds anyone listening not to give up. Even when life feels wrong or heavy, you have to keep going. You can’t let the struggle stop you. No matter what it looks like now, don’t turn around—just keep moving forward.