The song's lyrics are believed to speak against long time nemesis Ja Rule, but 50 Cent disputed this himself in a MuchMusic interview, stating that the song was not directed against Ja Rule, "But Ja Rule is a wanksta".
The instrumental for the song was used for "Crackin", a song by The Psychopathic Rydas. It was also used for "The Real Wanksta" by Black Child, who is signed to The Inc. and was beefing with 50 because he was affiliated with Ja Rule.
R&B girl group Blaque recorded an answer song entitled "No Ganksta" in 2003.
Wanksta
50 Cent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got a lot of livin' to do 'fore I die
And I ain't got time to waste, let's make it
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
You ain't a friend of mine (yeah) you ain't no kin to mine (c'mon)
We do this all the time (what?), right now we on the grind (yeah)
So hurry up and cop and go, we sellin' it nicks and dimes (uh-huh)
Shorty, she so fine, I gotta make her mine
A ass like that gotta be one of a kind (woo)
I crush 'em every time, punch 'em with every line
I'm fuckin' with they mind, I make 'em press rewind
They know they can't shine, If I'm around to rhyme
Been on parole since '94, 'cause I commit the crime
I send you my line, I did a three-to-nine
The D's ran up in my crib, you know who droppin' dimes
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
You go to the dealership, but you don't never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time and you ain't got nothin'
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
You go to the dealership, but you never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time and you ain't got nothin'
Damn, homie
In high school you was the man, homie
The fuck happened to you?
I got the sickest vendetta when it come to the chedda (uh-huh)
Nigga, you play with my paper, you gon' meet my Beretta
Now shorty think I'm gon' sweat her (uh-huh), I'm sippin' on Amaretto (yeah)
I might hit once, then dead her, I know I could do better
She look good, but I know she after my chedda
She tryin' to get in my pockets, homie, and I ain't gon' let her
Be easy, start some bullshit, you get your whole crew wet
We in the club doin' the same old two-step
Guerrilla Unit, cuz, they say we bugged out
'Cause we don't go nowhere without toast, we thugged out
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
You go to the dealership, but you never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time and you ain't got nothin'
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
You go to the dealership, but you never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time and you ain't got nothin'
Me, I'm no mobster, me, I'm no gangsta
Me, I'm no hitman (yeah), me, I'm just me (me)
Me, I'm no wanksta, me, I'm no actor
But it's me you see, on your TV, 'cause I hustle, baby
This rap shit is so easy
I'm gettin' what you get for a brick, to talk greasy (woo)
By any means, partner, I got to eat on these streets
When you play me close, for sure, I'm gon' pop my heat
Niggas sayin' they gon' murk 50, how?
We ridin' 'round with guns the size of Lil' Bow Wow
What you know about AK's and AR-15's
Equipped with night vision, shell catchers, and inf-beams, huh?
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
You go to the dealership, but you never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time and you ain't got nothin'
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
You go to the dealership, but you never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time and you ain't got nothin'
Aha, damn, homie
In this song, 50 Cent is expressing his disdain for those who claim to be gangsters but never actually take actions to back up their claims. The term "wanksta" is used to refer to such people. In the first verse, 50 Cent highlights the stark difference between his lifestyle and that of a "wanksta." He exclaims he has "a lot of livin’ to do ‘fore I die" and how he doesn't have any time to waste. Given the difficulties he's faced in life, he believes he cannot afford to waste any moment. 50 Cent then points out how the "wankstas" claim to be gangsters but have never "popped" anybody. When someone "pops" another person, it's a slang term used to refer to when someone shoots a person. To him, these people are just fronting and trying to show that they are gangsters when they actually aren't.
In the second verse, 50 Cent puts more emphasis on how different his life is from those of the "wankstas." He claims that he's always on the grind (working hard) and that they sell their drugs in "nicks and dimes." On the other hand, he's out here crushing people with his music, and people seem to love it. In the next part of the verse, he talks about how he's committed crimes before and went on parole in 1994. He finishes the verse by boasting about how he's someone that they can't outshine.
In the final verse, 50 Cent talks more about himself and his gang, Guerrilla Unit. He has been able to make money easily by doing rap while getting paid the same amount as someone who is "talking greasy," which means talking about selling drugs. Additionally, 50 Cent tells the listener that he'll always have his weapon with him, even when he goes to the club. He finishes with a punchline about carrying around guns with the size of Lil Bow Wow, an American rapper and actor.
Line by Line Meaning
Woo! Yeah, it's 50, A.K.A. Ferrari F-50, break it down
Introducing himself as 50 Cent and comparing himself to a Ferrari, wanting to make his presence known
I got a lot of livin' to do 'fore I die
And I ain't got time to waste, let's make it
Asserting that he has a lot to do in his life and that he doesn't want to waste any time
You say you a gangsta, but you never pop nothin'
We say you a wanksta and you need to stop frontin'
Challenging someone who claims to be a gangster but hasn't actually done anything, calling them a wanksta and telling them to stop pretending
You ain't a friend of mine (yeah) you ain't no kin to mine (c'mon)
What makes you think that I won't run up on you with the nine? (uh-huh)
We do this all the time (what?), right now we on the grind (yeah)
So hurry up and cop and go, we sellin' it nicks and dimes (uh-huh)
Making it clear that the person he's talking to isn't someone he knows, and warning them that he would confront them with a gun if he had to. Also mentioning their illegal activities and urging them to hurry up and buy their product.
Shorty, she so fine, I gotta make her mine
A ass like that gotta be one of a kind (woo)
I crush 'em every time, punch 'em with every line
I'm fuckin' with they mind, I make 'em press rewind
They know they can't shine, If I'm around to rhyme
Been on parole since '94, 'cause I commit the crime
I send you my line, I did a three-to-nine
The D's ran up in my crib, you know who droppin' dimes
Expressing his attraction towards a woman, boasting about his skill in rhyming, mentioning his criminal history, and attributing his arrest to someone who betrayed him.
You go to the dealership, but you don't never cop nothin'
You been hustlin' a long time and you ain't got nothin'
Damn, homie
In high school you was the man, homie
The fuck happened to you?
Accusing someone of falsely pretending to be successful and wealthy by going to dealerships but never actually buying anything. Also questioning how they went from being popular in high school to their current state.
I got the sickest vendetta when it come to the chedda (uh-huh)
Nigga, you play with my paper, you gon' meet my Beretta
Now shorty think I'm gon' sweat her (uh-huh), I'm sippin' on Amaretto (yeah)
I might hit once, then dead her, I know I could do better
She look good, but I know she after my chedda
She tryin' to get in my pockets, homie, and I ain't gon' let her
Expressing his desire to protect his money at all costs, even if it means using violence. Also mentioning his attraction to a woman that he sees as a gold-digger, but ultimately deciding to avoid her advances.
Be easy, start some bullshit, you get your whole crew wet
We in the club doin' the same old two-step
Guerrilla Unit, cuz, they say we bugged out
'Cause we don't go nowhere without toast, we thugged out
Giving a warning to someone who might cause trouble, implying that his group is willing to use guns to defend themselves. Also boasting about how they act tough and are always prepared for danger.
Me, I'm no mobster, me, I'm no gangsta
Me, I'm no hitman (yeah), me, I'm just me (me)
Me, I'm no wanksta, me, I'm no actor
But it's me you see, on your TV, 'cause I hustle, baby
This rap shit is so easy
I'm gettin' what you get for a brick, to talk greasy (woo)
By any means, partner, I got to eat on these streets
When you play me close, for sure, I'm gon' pop my heat
Niggas sayin' they gon' murk 50, how?
We ridin' 'round with guns the size of Lil' Bow Wow
What you know about AK's and AR-15's
Equipped with night vision, shell catchers, and inf-beams, huh?
Denying that he's a criminal, but acknowledging that he does what he needs to do to survive. Also boasting about his success in the rap game, his ability to talk trash and defend himself with weapons, and the advanced weaponry his group possesses.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Freeman, Curtis James Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@EvaandJavier
“Daaaaam homie, in high school you was the maaaaan homie wtf happened to you?” has been living in my head rent free since this song dropped.
@SOSShesInDisguise01
Verified bean
@fyrealchemy
Ayyyeeeee…🎉😂❤✊🏽✨🥰💯🔥👏🏽✅ #metoo #alchemize #starseed #chosen
@princealex10
6ix9ine quoted that on his song too 😆
@victorbolanos4585
@princealex10 u mean skittles?
@danasmith2247
🤣🤣🤣
@charlesh817
50 was the freshest thing the rap industry saw in the 2000's. He was the game changer, way too much swag. Bulletproof!
@Yourmomss
Yep swagger
@elchicano1746
Well he did get hit 9 times so definitely not bullet proof
@Minimalici0us
The BEST to ever do it along with Em and RAKIM