Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974 in Austin, Texas), better k… Read Full Bio ↴Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974 in Austin, Texas), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur signed to Universal and Derrty Records. Born to a half Tunisian father and American mother, he has been active since 1993 as a bandmate of the rap group St. Lunatics, and became a hip-hop superstar after the success of his solo release, Country Grammar, in 2000. The album peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200, spawned multiple chart toppers and won three Grammy awards. His second effort, 2002's Nellyville, was equally successful and it included the hits "Dilemma" and "Hot in Herre" and was nominated for five Grammy awards, including Album of the Year. In 2004 Nelly released two albums at the same time, Sweat and Suit, and in September they briefly held the two top spots on the charts. His latest album is Brass Knuckles, released in 2008.
Nelly has been equally active as a businessman; among other ventures, in 2003 he released his own energy drink called "Pimp Juice," and in 2004 he became a minority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats basketball team. He is also the CEO of Derrty Entertainment, his own company formed in 2003. Nelly has two clothing lines: Vokal (for men) and Apple Bottoms (for women).

Play It Off feat Pharrell
Nelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus: Pharrell and Nelly]
She got that ba-da-buh-da
Your girl ain't gotta know I hit ya last night
I was all over your body goin ba-da-buh-da
Dame be such a hottie
Yo she's lookin over here but she won't get it out me y'all
Shake it off, that's how you play it off
Shake it off, that's how you play it off

Not now, no you can't take it off
But play it off, she won't know a damn thing

[Pharrell]
I play it off 'til it's played out
I had her motherf***in a** on the couch, kinda laid out
She hittin them (?) gettin ate out
I know I'm spaced out (yeah) but the s*** sound way out

[Nelly]
So I had to take a playa out, switch up my whereabouts
Cause she was tryin to turn a playa out
And plus she know a n**** blazed out
And lil' mama gon' crack a window, let the haze out

[Pharrell:]
She said she loves that stroke
Keep on her heels and her coat
Then she say she loves my moves
And the way I do, what I do
She got that ba-da-buh-da
Gotta make, sure, I don't get attached
That ba-da-buh-da
But it keeps, on, bringin me back

[Chorus]

[Pharrell]
The Sun sick a triflin, so sick he have ya snifflin
Plus the chains like the n**** Slick Rick an' them

[Nelly]
We had pick of them, strictly all dimensions and
Not to mentionin them Benjamins is thickenin

[Pharrell]
And now it's like a odyssey when she sayin hi to me
She eat the dick, then she cry when she gotta leave

[Nelly]
Bye, bye, you gotta go now (yeah)
My girl, just, pulled up outside

[Pharrell]
She said she loves that stroke
Keep on her heels and her coat
Then she say she loves my moves
And the way I do, what I do
She got that ba-da-buh-da
Gotta make, sure, I don't get attached
That ba-da-buh-da
But it keeps, on, bringin me back

[Chorus]

[Pharrell]
Just know the whole hood is lookin at you
So don't let your girl catch you

[Nelly]
So have your story right, on how we met
Just have your story right, and don't never forget
You need your story right, cause she'll be upset
Her inner feelings'll be disrespect, but

[Pharrell]
She said she loves that stroke
Keep on her heels and her coat
Then she say she loves my moves
And the way I do, what I do
She got that ba-da-buh-da
Gotta make, sure, I don't get attached to
That ba-da-buh-da
But it keeps, on, bringin me back

[Chorus]

[Pharrel (Nelly):]
(Story right)
Just know the whole hood is lookin at you
(Story right)

So don't let your girl catch you
(Story right)

Overall Meaning

The song "Play It Off" by Nelly featuring Pharrell is about two guys trying to keep their affair a secret from one guy's girlfriend. The chorus encourages the man to play it off and not let his girlfriend find out what they did. The lyrics are about having a one-night stand with someone that the man isn't supposed to be with. Pharrell sings about wanting to have sex with a woman who is not his girlfriend and not getting caught. He also talks about how he needs to make sure he doesn't get attached to her. Nelly raps about how he needed to change his whereabouts because the woman he was with was trying to turn him out. He also mentions how he needs to be careful not to get caught by his girlfriend.

The song's lyrics are not promoting ethical behavior, but they reflect a reality that many people can relate to. Nelly and Pharrell are both famous musicians who have been involved in scandals and controversies throughout their careers. Many people speculate that this song is autobiographical and that they are talking about their own experiences with infidelity. The lyrics are straightforward, and they are not trying to be deep or profound. The song is catchy, and it has a good beat that makes people want to dance.

Line by Line Meaning

She got that ba-da-buh-da
Referring to a catchy beat that attracts Nelly's attention

Your girl ain't gotta know I hit ya last night
Nelly advises the person to keep their secret between them and not inform anyone else

I was all over your body goin ba-da-buh-da
Nelly dances to the beat of the song while engaging with the person

Dame be such a hottie
Acknowledging the attractiveness of the person

Yo she's lookin over here but she won't get it out me y'all
The girl is eyeing Nelly but he won't give in to her advances

Shake it off, that's how you play it off
Nelly advises the person to dismiss any suspicions by shrugging them off

Not now, no you can't take it off
Nelly tells the person to refrain from revealing any information or evidence now

But play it off, she won't know a damn thing
Nelly insists that if the person acts casual, the other girl won't have any knowledge of his actions

I play it off 'til it's played out
Pharrell states his intention to keep his nonchalant attitude until the issue dissipates

I had her motherf***in a** on the couch, kinda laid out
Pharrell describes the sexual act he had with the girl, which left her feeling exhausted

She hittin them (?) gettin ate out
Pharrell implies that the girl enjoyed oral sex while he performed it on her

I know I'm spaced out (yeah) but the s*** sound way out
Pharrell admits to being under the influence and acknowledges the song's musical allure

So I had to take a playa out, switch up my whereabouts
Nelly recognizes that the girl is trying to change his ways and escape the relationship

Cause she was tryin to turn a playa out
The girl was attempting to alter Nelly's behavior and make him act differently toward her

And plus she know a n**** blazed out
Nelly is aware that the girl knows he's under the influence and may exploit him

And lil' mama gon' crack a window, let the haze out
Nelly refers to the girl opening a window to let the smoke from his marijuana habit escape

The Sun sick a triflin, so sick he have ya snifflin
Pharrell compares himself to Slick Rick, who was also popular in the music industry

Plus the chains like the n**** Slick Rick an' them
Pharrell refers to other rappers' chains for comparison

We had pick of them, strictly all dimensions and
Nelly mentions the abundance of women around him, all from diverse backgrounds and appearances

Not to mentionin them Benjamins is thickenin
Nelly is accumulating wealth from his music career

And now it's like a odyssey when she sayin hi to me
Pharrell feels that every interaction with the girl is an epic journey

She eat the dick, then she cry when she gotta leave
Pharrell implies the girl is attached to him but still leaves after engaging with him sexually

Bye, bye, you gotta go now (yeah)
Nelly is acknowledging the girl's departure after their sexual encounter

My girl, just, pulled up outside
Nelly mentions that his girlfriend is arriving

Just know the whole hood is lookin at you
Pharrell warns the person to be aware of their actions as they will be scrutinized by others

So don't let your girl catch you
The person should not let their girlfriend catch them doing anything suspicious

You need your story right, cause she'll be upset
Nelly advises the person to have a solid alibi to avoid upsetting their girlfriend

Her inner feelings'll be disrespect, but
The girlfriend will feel disrespected if she finds out the truth

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CORNELL HAYNES, CHAD HUGO, PHARRELL WILLIAMS, PHARRELL L WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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