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.
You Played Yourself
Ice-T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The Ice mic is back with the high bid
Suckers you've lost cos players you're not, gangstas you ain't
You're faintin', punk, if you ever heard a gunshot
Yo, the pusher, the player, the pimp gangsta, the hustler
High Roller, dead pres folder
Is cold lampin' like a black king on a throne
Evil E...turn up the microphone
Another album to make? Great
Islam turn the bass kick up a bit
Hype the snare, now I got a place to sit
And ride the track like a black mack in his 'lac
Hit the corner slow where the girls are at
And kick game the way it should be done
How you gonna drop science? You're dumb
Stupid ignorant, don't even talk to me
At school you dropped Math, Science and History
And then you get on the mic and try to act smart
Well let me tell you one thing, you got heart
To perpetrate, you're bait, so just wait
Till the press shove a mic in your face
Or you meet Boogie Down or Chuck D
Stetsasonic or the Big Daddy
And they ask you about the game you claim you got
Drop science now, why not?
You start to sweat and fret, it gets hot
How'd you get into this spot?
You played yourself...
Yo, yo, you played yourself...
I'm no authority but I know the D-E-A-L
When it comes to dealin' with the females
What you got they want, cash is what they need
Slip sucker and they'll break you with speed
But you meet a freak, you try to turn her out
Spendin' money's what I'm talkin' about
But you fool out, your pockets got blew out
And after the date, no boots, you got threw out
Mad and shook cos your duckets got took
Call her up, phone's off the hook
But who told you to front and flaunt your grip?
You can't buy no relationship
You played yourself...
Yo, homeboy, you played yourself...
I'm in the MC game, a lot of MC's front
And for the money they're sell out stunts
But they claim that they're rich and that they keep cash
Yo, let me straighten this out fast
Two hundred thousand records sold
And these brothers start yellin' 'bout gold?
You better double that, then double that again
And still don't get sooped, my friend
You think you've made it, you're just a lucky man
Guess who controls your destiny, fans
But you diss 'em cos you think you're a star
That attitude is rude, you won't get far
Cos they'll turn on you quick, you'll drop like a brick
Unemployment's where you'll sit
No friends cos you dissed 'em too
No money, no crew, you're through
You played yourself...
That's right, you played yourself...
You played yourself...
Yo, yo, you played yourself...
You got problems, you claim you need a break
But every dollar you get you take
Straight to the Dopeman, try to get a beam up
Your idle time is spent tryna scheme up
Another way to get money for a jumbo
When you go to sleep you count Five-O's
Lyin' and cheatin', everybody you're beatin'
Dirty clothes and you're skinny cos you haven't been eatin'
You ripped off all your family and your friends
Nowhere does your larceny end
And then you get an idea for a big move
An armed robbery...smooth
But everything went wrong, somebody got shot
You couldn't get away, the cops roll, you're popped
And now you're locked, yo, lampin' on Death Row
Society's fault? No
Nobody put the crack into the pipe
Nobody made you smoke off your life
You thought that you could do dope and still stay cool? Fool.
You played yourself...
You played yourself...
Ain't nobody else's fault, you played yourself
The song "You Played Yourself" by Ice-T is a critique of those who perpetrate a false image of themselves and are ultimately exposed for who they truly are. In the first verse, Ice-T raps about those who claim to be players and gangsters but are actually faint-hearted and couldn't handle the repercussions of gun violence. This is followed by a call to turn up the microphone as he delivers another album.
Moving on, in the second verse, Ice-T talks about men who try to buy relationships with women but end up losing their money and status. He warns that money can’t buy love or a stable relationship, and it’s better to show love and respect.
In the final verse, Ice-T talks about individuals who want to get a big break in life by participating in illegal activities or using substances that ultimately lead to their downfall. He criticizes people who think drugs are the way to stay cool and ultimately end up destroying themselves.
Overall, the message of the song is that we should be honest about ourselves and not try to build a false image based on societal standards, but live our own lives on our own terms.
Line by Line Meaning
This is it, dope from the fly kid
Here it is, the amazing Ice-T
The Ice mic is back with the high bid
Ice-T is on top of the rap game
Suckers you've lost cos players you're not, gangstas you ain't
You've failed because you're not authentic or tough enough
You're faintin', punk, if you ever heard a gunshot
You're scared, weak and inexperienced
And kick game the way it should be done
Flirt properly and respectfully
How you gonna drop science? You're dumb
How can you be intellectual? You're ignorant
Stupid ignorant, don't even talk to me
Don't speak to me, you uneducated fool
To perpetrate, you're bait, so just wait
You're a fraud, so be ready to be exposed
After the date, no boots, you got threw out
She took your money and left you without even a hookup
Mad and shook cos your duckets got took
You're angry and scared because you lost your money
You think you've made it, you're just a lucky man
You're not successful, just fortunate for the moment
That attitude is rude, you won't get far
Your arrogance will be your downfall
Unemployment's where you'll sit
You'll be jobless and broke
You got problems, you claim you need a break
You have issues and want a rest
Straight to the Dopeman, try to get a beam up
You go directly to buy drugs
Lyin' and cheatin', everybody you're beatin'
You're deceiving and hurting everybody around you
You ripped off all your family and your friends
You stole from your loved ones
An armed robbery...smooth
You plan on robbing people with ease
Society's fault? No
Society is not the reason for your wrongdoings
Nobody put the crack into the pipe
You chose to start doing drugs
You thought that you could do dope and still stay cool? Fool.
You believed doing drugs wouldn't affect your persona or character, you're a fool
Yo, yo, you played yourself...
You caused your own problems
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRACY LAUREN MARROW, CHARLES BOBBIT, JAMES BROWN, FRED WESLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@houseabovethebay
in my opinion ICE Ts best track ever.
@sz5876
💯
@metalmineiro1
Best MC 4ever
@Music-tk5oq
He played himself!
@kingjellybeans7823
Agreed
@SF-dy6hn
his worst track ever
@piousone
Like him or hate him, Ice-T told the truth the way it is. These alleged up-and-coming rappers need to really pay attention and pay hommage to innovators like Ice-T. He paved the way and he deserves respect for that.
@oholm09
Today wack ass trap hip hop garbage shit
@simmsive71is
Facts!!
@garysmart236
Majority of people dissing ice.t probably weren't even born in this era. Step off fools. Old skool is where its at.