--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I say, 'Life as a shorty shouldn't…" description: "\"When I say, 'Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough,' I'm talking about me, myself - I grew up poor, but we grew up happy as a family.\" — Inspectah Deck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62c/inspectah-deck-9390_family_when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be_2981800.png" --- # When I say, 'Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough,' I'm… ![“When I say, 'Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough,' I'm talking about me, myself - I grew up poor, but we grew up happy as a family.” quote by Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62c/inspectah-deck-9390_family_when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be_2981800.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62c/inspectah-deck-9390_family_when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be_2981800.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62c/inspectah-deck-9390_family_when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be_2981800.png) > “When I say, 'Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough,' I'm talking about me, myself - I grew up poor, but we grew up happy as a family.” [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on a rough childhood, emphasizing that despite poverty, his family’s happiness shaped his identity. **In simple terms:** He grew up poor but happy with family. Key Takeaway Value family joy over material wealth. Themes childhood poverty family happiness identity resilience Mood nostalgic hopeful Type personal cultural When to use this quote - urban neighborhoods - family reunions - personal memoirs - community events Key Concepts Sociology psychology cultural narrative Questions to Reflect On - How does family support buffer economic hardship? - What role does happiness play in shaping self‑esteem? A Different Perspective Hardship can still cause lasting trauma despite happiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Grew Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grew-poor-345305/) [Happy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy/) [Happy family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-family/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Shorty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-shorty-3989566/) [Middle class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-class/) [Myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myself/) [Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor/) [Poor Grew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-grew-4378874/) [Short](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/short/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) ## Related quotes > [I'm black. I grew up poor. I grew up in New York during the stop-and-frisk era. I've been stopped because I fit a description…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-flores/i-m-black-i-grew-up-poor-i-grew-up-in-new-york-during-the-stop-and/) [Brian Flores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-flores/) > [Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be-so-rough/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [My family was very, very poor. We grew up in an environment that was so nurturing and so caring. Everything around us was beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akiane-kramarik/my-family-was-very-very-poor-we-grew-up-in-an-environment-that-was-so/) [Akiane Kramarik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akiane-kramarik/) > [Here are the facts: my folks grew up so poor that, in the words of Redd Foxx, there were twenty o's between the p…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-young/here-are-the-facts-my-folks-grew-up-so-poor-that-in-the-words-of-redd/) [Kevin Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-young/) > [I grew up very poor in rural Alabama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lewis/i-grew-up-very-poor-in-rural-alabama/) [John Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lewis/) > [I grew up poor, but I didn't have poor dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magic-johnson/i-grew-up-poor-but-i-didn-t-have-poor-dreams/) [Magic Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magic-johnson/) > [I grew up poor in India, and there were days when we struggled to find food and other basic necessities. Our mother worked odds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/i-grew-up-poor-in-india-and-there-were-days-when-we-struggled-to-find/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) > [I grew up in a poor family. I had to cut everyone's hair, because we didn't have money for entertainment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-grew-up-in-a-poor-family-i-had-to-cut-everyone-s-hair-because-we/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [I grew up poor. I never had any money. I was a hobo, you know, ride the freights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/art-linkletter/i-grew-up-poor-i-never-had-any-money-i-was-a-hobo-you-know-ride-the/) [Art Linkletter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/art-linkletter/) > [We grew up very poor, and I hated being poor. I was the oldest of five kids, and I never got a pair of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-henderson/we-grew-up-very-poor-and-i-hated-being-poor-i-was-the-oldest-of-five/) [Paul Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-henderson/) > [Being broke and poor - I mean, you grow up in the environment I grew up in, grew up hard and grew up poor.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyronn-lue/being-broke-and-poor-i-mean-you-grow-up-in-the-environment-i-grew-up/) [Tyronn Lue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyronn-lue/) > [I grew up poor in San Pedro, California, sleeping on the floor of shady motels with my five siblings and not always sure when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misty-copeland/i-grew-up-poor-in-san-pedro-california-sleeping-on-the-floor-of-shady/) [Misty Copeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misty-copeland/) > [I've always felt like a lot of people's misconceptions of me have to do with how I grew up. I grew up poor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt-jr/i-ve-always-felt-like-a-lot-of-people-s-misconceptions-of-me-have-to/) [Dale Earnhardt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt-jr/) > [I just grew up a poor black kid in Alabama with a single mom and two brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-barkley/i-just-grew-up-a-poor-black-kid-in-alabama-with-a-single-mom-and-two/) [Charles Barkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-barkley/) > [A lot of rappers say 'I'm talking about stuff that goes on, what I grew up in, that I know about.' And these journalists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-scott/a-lot-of-rappers-say-i-m-talking-about-stuff-that-goes-on-what-i-grew/) [Stuart Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-scott/) ## More by Inspectah Deck > [A lot of times when I see people on the street and they ask me, 'How do you think of that? I bomb atomically,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/a-lot-of-times-when-i-see-people-on-the-street-and-they-ask-me-how-do/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [Hip-hop got so ravaged, it's snobby now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/hip-hop-got-so-ravaged-it-s-snobby-now/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [Leave it up to me while I be livin' proof, To kick the truth to the young black youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/leave-it-up-to-me-while-i-be-livin-proof-to-kick-the-truth-to-the/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [I smoke on the mic like Smokin' Joe Frazier, The hell raiser, raisin' hell with the flavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/i-smoke-on-the-mic-like-smokin-joe-frazier-the-hell-raiser-raisin/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [The Wu-Tang logo is definitely up there with Batman, man, or the actual W-B Warner Brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/the-wu-tang-logo-is-definitely-up-there-with-batman-man-or-the-actual/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [We used to battle every day like it was 'Beat Street' the movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/we-used-to-battle-every-day-like-it-was-beat-street-the-movie/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [For me, Wu-Tang is like the Justice League, the X-Men. And I can play any character I want. It's like I'm more of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/for-me-wu-tang-is-like-the-justice-league-the-x-men-and-i-can-play/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [I bomb atomically socrates philosophies cant define how I be droppin these mockeries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/i-bomb-atomically-socrates-philosophies-cant-define-how-i-be-droppin/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [I was always one that wanted to expand my mind and learn, 'cause I looked up to a lot of dudes who were like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/i-was-always-one-that-wanted-to-expand-my-mind-and-learn-cause-i/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [I only rhymed to certain people. I'd be more likely to just snap on people than do a whole rhyme. But eventually Cappadonna really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/i-only-rhymed-to-certain-people-i-d-be-more-likely-to-just-snap-on/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [When we first came out, we had the masks on. Stocking caps and everything on the album cover, so people didn't really know who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/when-we-first-came-out-we-had-the-masks-on-stocking-caps-and/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [My first album wasn't even the album that y'all hear as 'Uncontrolled Substance.' It was a totally different album... I had a whole different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/my-first-album-wasn-t-even-the-album-that-y-all-hear-as-uncontrolled/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [We're always testing our weaponry on each other. It's more of a friendly competition when it's Wu-Tang and you're basically slinging your blade. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/we-re-always-testing-our-weaponry-on-each-other-it-s-more-of-a/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [I bomb atomically, Socrates' philosophies and hypotheses Can't define how I be dropping these mockeries. Lyrically perform armed robbery, Flee with the lottery, possibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/i-bomb-atomically-socrates-philosophies-and-hypotheses-can-t-define/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) > [RZA had a flood in his apartment. Lost my whole first album.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/rza-had-a-flood-in-his-apartment-lost-my-whole-first-album/) [Inspectah Deck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) [Explore all 73 Inspectah Deck quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/) ## More Family quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) [Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. An…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-currie-jr/your-relationship-with-your-brother-will-be-in-many-ways-the-most/) [Ron Currie Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-currie-jr/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 36,913 Family quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I say, 'Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough,' I'm talking about me, myself - I grew up poor, but we grew up happy as a family.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Inspectah Deck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be-so-rough-i-m-talking-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Family" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be-so-rough-i-m-talking-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62c/inspectah-deck-9390_family_when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be_2981800.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62c/inspectah-deck-9390_family_when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be_2981800.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/62c/inspectah-deck-9390_family_when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be_2981800.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I say, 'Life as a shorty shouldn't be so rough,' I'm talking about me, myself - I grew up poor, but we…” — Inspectah Deck", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Inspectah Deck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inspectah-deck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I say, 'Life as a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be-so-rough-i-m-talking-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inspectah-deck/when-i-say-life-as-a-shorty-shouldn-t-be-so-rough-i-m-talking-about/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```