That same year he teamed up with Detroit natives TnT and Mastamind and formed the group Natas, whose controversial debut Life After Death has been blamed for the suicide of a Tennessee youth. After another EP released in 1992 entitled Hellter Skkkelter dropped, Esham's most recognized and most controversial album 1993's KKKill the Fetus hit stores. The cover of this album depicted an unborn fetus and the title track was a song explaining why unfit, drug addicted mothers should chose abortion over birth. Esham followed up with Natas' Blaz4me and another solo Closed Casket. This was all a prelude to another controversial release, Doubelievengod. Tracks such as "Pop Pop", "Sunday School", and "Heaven" set an unprecedented mark for evilness in rap music. Esham later released his final album on RLP, Dead Flowerz. This was a transitional period into Esham's new Gothom label. Bruce Wayne/Gothom City introduced the world to the new age Esham. After this release the head nodding, trunk rattling Multikillionaire was released.
After a 2-year break, E hit the scene with the colorful Mail Dominance CD. This CD had everything from slow jams, retrospectives on lost ones, wickedness, to 50's samples. The next release is what many feel was the critically acclaimed WWW.com. In 2001, Esham released what would become his smoothest album, Tongues. Followed by Natas 6th release Godlike. Esham resume of albums includes 10 full albums, 4 EPs, 3 greatest hits compilations, and 6 releases with Natas. Not to mention working with and producing for Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Ghetto E, Kool Keith, Insane Clown Posse, and the Dayton Family. From 1989 to 2005, Esham has given fans his heavy doses of Reel Life, Heavy Mental music. Esham truly revolutionized Detroit's rap sound and is a local legend.
Eminem has listed Esham as an influence, as he mentions on his debut album, The Slim Shady LP. Esham's next album, A1 Yola, was released April 19th, 2005 by Psychopathic Records. Included with the album was also a DVD with videos to every song, making Esham the first artist to make a music video for every song on an album. Towards the end of 2005 Esham could no longer be a part of Psychopathic Records. His last concert under the label was at the 5th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos. He contributed to the Soopa Villainz project and later left. The split was on bad terms according to acidrap.com. The reason, also according to acidrap.com, was that Psychopathic Records did not allow him to use the name The Unholy,The Black Devil or the group NATAS. Athough bitterness was expressed by both parties directly after the split, Esham and Psychopathic have since publicly apoligized to one another, and stated that any past grievances are water under the bridge.
On June 6, 2006 (6/6/06) Esham released the Judgement Day box set, Rap's first $100 box set, available only through the Natas website. This set includes Judgement Day Vol.1 and 2, the previously unreleased Judgement Day Vol.3 and 4, a new 6 track Esham EP, and a DVD featuring concert footage from '04. Only 1,000 have been produced.
Game of Death
Esham Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who wants to get a game, let's play a game of death
(Mastamind)
Get down, lay your cards down
When it stops, I bet it chops to the ground
Now how that shit sound? Sounds like a shake down
Here comes the break down
I bet'cha break, I bet'cha gotta headache
Ya can't keep ya ass awake
Fool, why ya think the unholy had to wake the dead
To many niggaz sleepin' so we give blows to ya head
One time, in and out ya mind
I know the rules to the game, give assistance to my rhyme
I'm workin' my voodoo on you and you
What can ya do to stop Mastamind and his crew?
The magic I use is blacker than blacker than black
Get back, fool what'cha know about that?
(TNT)
What'cha know about this? When I aim I don't miss
Fuck around and catch a fist when TNT's pissed
Droppin' bombs on your crews, I quicked the life refused
Ya played the game of death and you're guaranteed to lose
(Mastamind)
Play your cards right, tonight's helter skelter
The cards I dealt ya ain't good, find shelter in your hood
I'm comin' at 'cha like a body snatcher, I'm gonna get 'cha
And show ya I'mthe game's masta
Mastamindin' my game till there's no suckas left
When ya fuck with the wrong nigga ya play the game of death
(Esham)
This is the game, come take a spin on the wheel
How many cops can I kill?
I'm ill, buck 'em down at a stand still
Watch me get ill, watch the blood spill
Chop, swing, off with your head
I'm kinda misled, I'd rather be dead
This is the game that I play with no shame
Russian Roulette, cock back and take aim
I want me some bacon, so I'm fina cutta pig
Wha-dada dame, so I split 'cha wig
Not by the hairs on your chinny chin chin
Will you play the game of death with me and never win?
Killin' be a sin, snatch your throat and grin
Gettin' buck wild with the rin-tin-tin
The chrome's to your dome, so tell me what's left
And breathe your last breath, and play the game of death
(Mastamind)
Bad guys never lose, so I bet I win
I don't die, but I come back again and again
(Esham)
Red rum, red rum come and get some
Hey mad niggaz hung by they tongues when I sung
Play a game, press your luck, punk
I don't give a fuck punk
If the butcher knife don't cut
Then I buck, buck, buck
(Mastamind)
Watch me get 'em, watch me hunt 'em out and hit 'em
I'm hungry for adam's apples I gotta slit 'em
You can't play my game motherfuckers hate I came
Let the sky storm, let it rain, let it rain
Chopped off her head now the blood is just gushin'
I picked up the knife and the steel's steady pushin'
Aimin' for the kill, the kill is what I got
Playin' in my game, and this is the plot
Now I'm playin' doctor, grab the knife and chopped her
Shivers, quivers, out comes the liver
Shoot a dead body and I dumped it in the river
The beat when I deliver, no more life to give her
I hate to behave the same to savor it for yourself
When the tables dealt, you get felt in the game of death
(Esham)
Now as I come in, I take one final spin on the wheels of Jeopardy
For all those hoes who slept with me
Wicked rhyme kicka, Sick 'em for when I trick up
Peter pipper picka, you have to suck my dick up
Nigga I'm outta liqour, Cuttin' to kill ya quicka
Six, six, six, 'cause I'm sick sick sicka
The you-N-H-O-L-why, watch your heada life
I be dead a guy, rock a bye-bye
If you wanna play, yes we playin' dead
I gotta screw loose and a hole in my head
Dead bodies layin' all around
And press your luck and get slammed hoe
The price is right so come on down
Remember don't say damn say where me woe
In the game of death
The lyrics to Esham's song "Game of Death" describe a violent and deadly game where the players 'spin the wheel' and deal out cards to each other. Each time the 'chain ball' stops spinning, whoever it points to must 'duck down' to avoid getting chopped to the ground. The game is played by bad guys who don't care about losing because they always seem to come back again and again. The lyrics describe the brutality of the game, with players often losing their lives or being severely injured. The artists rap about their skills in the game and how they always come out on top, describing their magic and voodoo skills used to win. Esham sings about playing Russian Roulette and chopping off heads, not caring about the consequences because he's already kind of 'misled' and would rather be dead. The song is gritty, violent and unapologetically brutal, showing the harsh reality of the game of death.
Overall, the lyrics of "Game of Death" by Esham are representative of the horrorcore genre, which is a subgenre of hip hop music that emphasizes horror-themed lyrical content and imagery. The song also utilizes elements of gangsta rap and hardcore hip hop, with a focus on violence and aggression. Its dark, violent lyrics were shocking to many at the time of its release and have continued to be divisive, drawing both criticism and praise for their graphic nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Who wants to get a game
Let's play a game of death
Get down, lay your cards down
Duck down, as my chain ball spins round and round
When it stops, I bet it chops to the ground
I bet it's going to cut you down once the chain ball stops
Now how that shit sound? Sounds like a shake down
It sounds like a robbery
Here comes the break down
Get ready to break down
I bet'cha break, I bet'cha gotta headache
You'll break down, you'll get a headache
Ya can't keep ya ass awake
You can't stay awake
Fool, why ya think the unholy had to wake the dead
Too many people are asleep, so we have to wake them up
To many niggaz sleepin' so we give blows to ya head
We hit your head to wake you up
One time, in and out ya mind
We'll mess with your mind once
I know the rules to the game, give assistance to my rhyme
I know how to play the game and my rhymes will help
I'm workin' my voodoo on you and you
I'm putting a spell on you
What can ya do to stop Mastamind and his crew?
How can you stop me and my crew?
The magic I use is blacker than blacker than black
The magic I use is very dark
Get back, fool what'cha know about that?
Get back, you know nothing about that
What'cha know about this? When I aim I don't miss
You know nothing about this, I never miss
Fuck around and catch a fist when TNT's pissed
If you mess with me, you'll get a punch from TNT
Droppin' bombs on your crews, I quicked the life refused
I'm killing your crew with bombs and they can't refuse
Ya played the game of death and you're guaranteed to lose
If you play this game, you'll definitely lose
Play your cards right, tonight's helter skelter
Play your cards well, tonight's chaotic
The cards I dealt ya ain't good, find shelter in your hood
The cards I gave you aren't good, go to your safe place
I'm comin' at 'cha like a body snatcher, I'm gonna get 'cha
I'm coming for you like a body snatcher
And show ya I'm the game's masta
And show you that I'm the master of the game
Mastamindin' my game till there's no suckas left
I'm the mastermind of the game until there's no more fools left
When ya fuck with the wrong nigga ya play the game of death
If you mess with the wrong person, you're playing the game of death
This is the game, come take a spin on the wheel
This is the game, come and spin the wheel
How many cops can I kill?
How many cops can I kill?
I'm ill, buck 'em down at a stand still
I'm sick, I'll shoot them while they're still standing
Watch me get ill, watch the blood spill
Watch me kill and see the blood spill
Chop, swing, off with your head
Chop and swing, I'll cut off your head
I'm kinda misled, I'd rather be dead
I'm confused, I'd rather be dead
This is the game that I play with no shame
This is the game that I play without shame
Russian Roulette, cock back and take aim
Russian Roulette, pull the trigger and aim at yourself
I want me some bacon, so I'm fina cutta pig
I want some bacon, so I'm going to cut a pig
Wha-dada dame, so I split 'cha wig
I'll split your head open
Not by the hairs on your chinny chin chin
I won't stop you, not even by the hair on your chin
Will you play the game of death with me and never win?
Will you play this game with me and never win?
Killin' be a sin, snatch your throat and grin
Killing is a sin, but I'll enjoy it with a smile
Gettin' buck wild with the rin-tin-tin
Going wild with the rin-tin-tin
The chrome's to your dome, so tell me what's left
I've got a gun to your head, what are you going to do now?
And breathe your last breath, and play the game of death
Take your final breath and play the game of death
Bad guys never lose, so I bet I win
Bad guys never lose, so I'm sure I'll win
I don't die, but I come back again and again
I never die, I keep coming back
Red rum, red rum come and get some
Red rum, red rum come and get some
Hey mad niggaz hung by they tongues when I sung
Mad people are hung by their tongues when I sing
Play a game, press your luck, punk
Play a game and press your luck, punk
I don't give a fuck punk
I don't care, punk
If the butcher knife don't cut
If the knife doesn't cut
Then I buck, buck, buck
Then I'll shoot, shoot, shoot
Watch me get 'em, watch me hunt 'em out and hit 'em
Watch me get and hunt them down and hit them
I'm hungry for adam's apples I gotta slit 'em
I'm hungry for Adam's apples, I have to cut them
Let the sky storm, let it rain, let it rain
Let there be a storm and rain
Chopped off her head now the blood is just gushin'
I chopped off her head and the blood is flowing out
I picked up the knife and the steel's steady pushin'
I picked up the knife and the blade is sharp
Aimin' for the kill, the kill is what I got
I aim to kill and that's what I accomplish
Playin' in my game, and this is the plot
Playing in my game and this is the plan
Now I'm playin' doctor, grab the knife and chopped her
Now I'm playing doctor, I grabbed the knife and cut her
Shivers, quivers, out comes the liver
Trembling, the liver comes out
Shoot a dead body and I dumped it in the river
I shot a dead body and dumped it in the river
The beat when I deliver, no more life to give her
When I deliver, there's no more life to give her
I hate to behave the same to savor it for yourself
I don't want to behave the same way and save it for myself
When the tables dealt, you get felt in the game of death
When the tables are dealt, you may get hurt in the game of death
Now as I come in, I take one final spin on the wheels of Jeopardy
Now as I enter, I take one last spin on the Jeopardy wheel
For all those hoes who slept with me
For all those women who slept with me
Wicked rhyme kicka, Sick 'em for when I trick up
My rhymes are wicked, they'll get you when I'm fooling around
Peter pipper picka, you have to suck my dick up
You have to suck my dick
Nigga I'm outta liqour, Cuttin' to kill ya quicka
I'm out of liquor, I'm going to kill you quickly
Six, six, six, 'cause I'm sick sick sicka
666, because I'm very sick
The you-N-H-O-L-why, watch your heada life
The UNHWI, watch your head or lose your life
I be dead a guy, rock a bye-bye
I'll be a dead guy, rock-a-bye baby
If you wanna play, yes we playin' dead
If you want to play, yes, we're playing dead
I gotta screw loose and a hole in my head
I'm crazy and have a hole in my head
Dead bodies layin' all around
Dead bodies are everywhere
And press your luck and get slammed hoe
Risk it all and you may get hurt
The price is right so come on down
The price is right, so come down
Remember don't say damn say where me woe
Don't say damn, say where is my woe
In the game of death
In the game of death
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Bernie Worrell, Gary Reed, Terry Jones, George Clinton, William Earl Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind