Now You're Mine
Gangstarr Lyrics
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You'll never have the skills like mine
I write the ill type rhymes
Now I'm reaching my prime
360 dunk in your face
You can't compete, you're just a basket case
Let's separate the men from the boys
And put your money where your mouth is
Your game is weak, get it, so don't sleep
'cause I'll be checking and wrecking ya
When I start to creep
Through the backdoor
I know I caught you out there
You got no clout here
And I doubt there
Is anyway that you can stop the beat down
You better play the background
And sit back down
Chumps like you, I gotta keep'em in line
So prepare to suffer boy, 'cause now you're mine
I'll fake you left and go right
Straight down the lane
Here's one in your eye
You feel pain, you strain
To put together some strategy
But you're raggedy, and I'll be glad to see
The frown on your grill when i drill and thrill
Set out my offense, commence to kill
I'll be leading from beginning to end
And after I guard ya
You're gonna want to make friends
And make amends for the silly trash you were talking
Take a walk and your shots I'm swatting
With ease, and the ladies are swooning
Clocking my swiftness, why you drooling?
You ought ta practice up and get your game with mine
I been waiting to guard you, and now you're mine
Hurry up, sucker
Go ahead and pick your squad
Try to play hard, but I'ma rob
You of your crazy notions to defeat me
Your weak see
I rock all courts
And even get down to give you a rematch
After I wax and tax that butt
When I slam the alley oop
You can rally troops
But I play the awesome defense
I'll pick your pocket
And send you to the bench
With tears in your eyes as you realize
The prize is for me
Yes all the money
Son, my flow is too nice
My handle's precise
I'll fake you right and go left
Because my game's so def, and now you're mine
The lyrics to Gangstarr’s Now You’re Mine are rich, vivid and full of metaphors that paint a fierce image of a skilled basketball player pitted against an unworthy opponent. The rapper asserts his dominance by highlighting his superior skills and experience, beginning with the opening lines where he tells his opponent that he will never match up to his skills. The basketball imagery is littered throughout the song, where he compares his prowess to an impressive 360 dunk and reducing his rival to being just a “basket case”. He also alludes to the power struggle in the game and the need to separate the men from the boys, daring his foe to put his money where his mouth is.
The artist establishes his mentality by warning his opponent that he’s never in slumber, therefore, he'll continually check and wreck him. In addition, he plans to catch his rival off guard through the back door, leaving him with no clout, and further proving to his opponent that he's out of his league. Throughout the song, the rapper uses these metaphors to show his skill on the mic and also highlight the strength of the sports-driven culture that permeated his community at the time. Through his words, there's an implication of a need for authenticity and skill that extends beyond the court and into everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo Duke, you're dead wrong
You are mistaken, and I'll prove it
You'll never have the skills like mine
You will never be as skilled as me
I write the ill type rhymes
I write the best and most impressive rhymes
Now I'm reaching my prime
I'm at the top of my game
360 dunk in your face
I'll do a skilled basketball move in front of you
You can't compete, you're just a basket case
You are unfit to compete, and it shows
Let's separate the men from the boys
Let's see who the real competitors are
And put your money where your mouth is
Back up your claims with action
No time for toys
I'm serious and not here to play around
Your game is weak, get it, so don't sleep
You are not good enough, so don't get too comfortable
'cause I'll be checking and wrecking ya
I'll scrutinize your every move and beat you
When I start to creep
When I start to approach you stealthily
Through the backdoor
Secretly, without detection
I know I caught you out there
I know I've caught you off guard
You got no clout here
You have no power or influence here
And I doubt there
I don't think
Is anyway that you can stop the beat down
There's no way you can avoid getting beaten
You better play the background
You better stay out of sight
And sit back down
Take a seat and stay out of the way
Chumps like you, I gotta keep'em in line
I have to keep people like you in check
So prepare to suffer boy, 'cause now you're mine
Get ready to lose, because I'm going to win
I'll fake you left and go right
I'll deceive you and go in a different direction
Straight down the lane
Directly towards the goal
Here's one in your eye
I'll score a difficult goal in front of you
You feel pain, you strain
You'll be hurt and struggling to keep up
To put together some strategy
To try to come up with a plan
But you're raggedy, and I'll be glad to see
You are not skilled enough, and I will enjoy beating you
The frown on your grill when i drill and thrill
Your unhappy expression when I score and excite the crowd
Set out my offense, commence to kill
Start my attack, and dominate
I'll be leading from beginning to end
I'll be ahead the whole time
And after I guard ya
And after I defend against you
You're gonna want to make friends
You'll want to befriend me after losing
And make amends for the silly trash you were talking
And apologize for the foolish things you said before the game
Take a walk and your shots I'm swatting
Leave the court because I'll block your shots
With ease, and the ladies are swooning
Effortlessly, and the female audience is excited
Clocking my swiftness, why you drooling?
Noticing how fast I am, and why are you so amazed?
You ought ta practice up and get your game with mine
You should train harder to match my skills
I been waiting to guard you, and now you're mine
I've been eager to play against you, and now I'll defeat you
Hurry up, sucker
Hurry up and get ready
Go ahead and pick your squad
Choose your team
Try to play hard, but I'ma rob
Do your best, but I'll still win
You of your crazy notions to defeat me
Your unrealistic belief that you can beat me
Your weak see
You are weak, and it shows
I rock all courts
I am great at all basketball courts
And even get down to give you a rematch
I'll even offer to play against you again
After I wax and tax that butt
After I dominate you
When I slam the alley oop
When I score an impressive goal
You can rally troops
You can try to motivate your team
But I play the awesome defense
But I'm good at protecting the goal
I'll pick your pocket
I'll steal the ball from you
And send you to the bench
And force you to leave the game
With tears in your eyes as you realize
Crying when you understand
The prize is for me
The reward is mine
Yes all the money
Yes, I'll win all the money
Son, my flow is too nice
My skills are too impressive
My handle's precise
I'm very skilled at dribbling
Because my game's so def, and now you're mine
Because I'm so skilled, and you can't beat me
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHRIS E. MARTIN, KEITH ELAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind