Ice-T started in 1982 out with other West Coast rap pioneers such as Kid Frost, DJ Flash, and The Egyptian Lover with Electro recordings. Later on, he changed his style and was the first West Coast rapper to be accepted by the East Coast. 6 'n The Mornin is sometimes seen as the track that triggered the whole gangster rap movement. It was produced by The Unknown DJ, who produced electro funk tracks before and went on to produce Compton's Most Wanted. The song was inspired by Schoolly D's "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" and became itself the inspiration for Eazy-E and N.W.A's Boyz-N-The-Hood. Ice-T went on to work with Afrika Islam, the man behind the beats on 1987's Rhyme Pays, 1988's Power and 1989's The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say.
He also is a star in Law in Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 1992 he created the crossover band Body Count with 4 other black musicians.
Somebody Gotta Do it
Ice-T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So much gold that jewelry don't phase me
Coroless phone,eight or nine homes
Girlies on my Jammie with Ice-T Jones
Bank account boomin', fast lane zoomin'
Known around the world for my high post groomin'
Mac like a preacher,love like a teacher
Got a girl who lives in Paris
Too many clothes,gotta rag top rolls
1,000 Watt system and my speakers are bose
I kick it like a champ,I throught you knew it
But pimpin' ain't easy
But somebody gotta do it
My thumbs are tired just from countin' cash
No more room in my diamond stash
Filin' my nails is such a tirin' task
Gold knobs on my benzo dash
Five freaks just to comb my hair
Monograms on my underwear
Bodyguards around so please don't dare
You're takin' a chance if you just stop and stare
Livin' my life is just so hard to do
Makin' deals a million one or two
Buyin' new cars for my entire crew
Matching Ferraris,E's black,mine's blue
Can't swin a lap in my pool because it's just too long
Could never go broke because my banks too strong
No matter what I do I simply can't go wrong
And I'll make money,I don't need this damn song
But somebody's gotta do it
When I walk in a joint,punks always look at me hard
Because I wear enough gold to tie a dog in a yard
Cold maxin' in my mansion so big it's silly
Got a butler named Humphry and a maid named Milly
Mink sheets on my bed,that's what I said
Gourmet chefs in my kitchem so that I can get fed
So tired of sailin' on my boat I might just Helicopter
To my jet and catch a midnight flight
So many girls in my book,it weighs a tom
Gotta leave the damn country just to have some fun
Private suite at the track to watch the ponies run
And there ain't nothin' in the world
That me an "E" ain't done
But somedody gotta do it
The song 'Somebody Gotta Do It' by Ice-T is a perfect example of how the rapper is flaunting his luxurious lifestyle. He boasts about his wealth, including the numerous properties he owns, expensive jewelry, fast cars, and yachts, and the extravagant parties he throws. Ice-T is living the life that many people can only dream of, as he mentions employing a butler and maid, chefs, and even having a private suite to watch the ponies run.
The main idea of the lyrics is that Ice-T's life is a standard for high living, and he acknowledges that it's tough to live this way. He does not apologize for his opulent lifestyle but instead says that it's necessary for someone to do it - live up to the expectations of those who want to see the rich and famous enjoying their fortune. Despite all the trappings of his lifestyle, Ice-T does not shy away from the fact that he works hard to maintain such a lavish existence. He mentions that his bank account is booming, and he's known around the world for his grooming and that it's a lot of work.
The song is a reflection of the luxurious lifestyle of most early rap stars and gave insight into the genre's excesses. Some people criticized hip-hop for glorifying materialism, but this song was an embodiment of the genre's goal to achieve the American Dream, no matter how elusive.
Line by Line Meaning
My lifestyles crazy,I'm luxury lazy
My way of living is completely insane and I am not actively doing anything productive.
So much gold that jewelry don't phase me
I have so much gold that adding anymore of it to my life doesn't even excite me anymore.
Coroless phone,eight or nine homes
I have so many places to live that I can't even remember how many homes I have.
Girlies on my Jammie with Ice-T Jones
I have many women who want to be with me all the time and they are even a part of my pajamas design.
Bank account boomin', fast lane zoomin'
I have a very flourishing bank account and I love to drive fast on the highways.
Known around the world for my high post groomin'
People all over the world know me for my luxurious lifestyle and appearance.
Mac like a preacher,love like a teacher
I have a style that is similar to that of a preacher and the way I love is like that of a teacher.
Got a girl who lives in Paris
When I want her I beep her
I have a romantic partner who lives in Paris and I can always contact her when I feel like it by beeping her.
Too many clothes,gotta rag top rolls
1,000 Watt system and my speakers are bose
I have so many clothes that I have to store them in a convertible and my speaker system has 1000 watts and is made by bose.
I kick it like a champ,I throught you knew it
I am very confident in myself and I thought everyone knew that already.
But pimpin' ain't easy
But somebody gotta do it
Being a pimp is not an easy job but someone has to do it.
My thumbs are tired just from countin' cash
I have so much money that counting it has become exhausting and has made my thumbs hurt.
No more room in my diamond stash
I have collected so many diamonds that I don't even have any space left to store them.
Filin' my nails is such a tirin' task
Even the simple task of filing my nails is becoming tiring for me.
Gold knobs on my benzo dash
I have gold knobs on the dashboard of my Mercedes-Benz car.
Five freaks just to comb my hair
I have five people who specialize in combing my hair to make sure it looks perfect all the time.
Monograms on my underwear
Bodyguards around so please don't dare
Even my underwear has my name on it and I have bodyguards around me at all times so don't even think about trying to get close to me.
Livin' my life is just so hard to do
Makin' deals a million one or two
Living my life of luxury comes with many challenges and I make deals worth millions of dollars frequently.
Buyin' new cars for my entire crew
Matching Ferraris,E's black,mine's blue
I buy new cars for all my friends and my Ferrari matches with my friend E's except his is black and mine is blue.
Can't swin a lap in my pool because it's just too long
My pool is so long that I can't even swim a full lap across it.
Could never go broke because my banks too strong
I could never run out of money because my bank account is so strong and well-managed.
No matter what I do I simply can't go wrong
I am so successful in everything that I do that I cannot make a wrong move.
And I'll make money,I don't need this damn song
I am so successful that even if I don't earn anything from this song, I will still make money.
When I walk in a joint,punks always look at me hard
Because I wear enough gold to tie a dog in a yard
I get a lot of attention when I enter a place because I wear so much gold that it could tie up a dog in a yard.
Cold maxin' in my mansion so big it's silly
Got a butler named Humphry and a maid named Milly
I am just chilling comfortably in my huge and ridiculous mansion, and I have a butler named Humphry and a maid named Milly.
Mink sheets on my bed,that's what I said
Gourmet chefs in my kitchem so that I can get fed
I sleep on sheets made of mink and I have gourmet chefs in my kitchen to prepare my meals for me.
So tired of sailin' on my boat I might just Helicopter
To my jet and catch a midnight flight
I am so bored of sailing on my boat that I might just take a helicopter to my private jet and catch a flight at midnight for a change of scenery.
So many girls in my book,it weighs a ton
Gotta leave the damn country just to have some fun
I have so many women who want to be with me that my address book is very heavy, and I have to leave the country to have fun with them.
Private suite at the track to watch the ponies run
And there ain't nothin' in the world
That me an "E" ain't done
I have a private suite at the horse racing track to enjoy the races, and there is nothing in this world that my friend E and I haven't done.
But somedody gotta do it
Even though it's not an easy job, someone has to live this luxurious lifestyle and maintain it.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHARLES ANDRE GLENN, TRACY MARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind