Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966 in South Los Angeles, California), b… Read Full Bio ↴Todd Anthony Shaw (born April 28, 1966 in South Los Angeles, California), better known by his stage name Too $hort, is an American rapper and actor. He is considered the forefather of hip-hop in Oakland and the Bay Area, California. Through his music, Too $hort has cultivated a persona of a no-nonsense pimp, and is widely credited for popularizing pimp culture in hip hop, along with Snoop Dogg, Ice-T and Slick Rick. In 1983, Too $hort released his first album, Don't Stop Rappin', and he has since released sixteen more albums with each experiencing average sales of around 600,000 copies in the United States alone.

I'm A Player
Too $hort Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass

You see I made up my mind when I was seventeen,
I ain't with no marriage and a weddin' ring,
I be a player fo' life so where's my wife,
Probably at the rehab stuck on the pipe,
'cause she must be smokin' and I'm not jokin'

Too Short baby comin' straight from Oakland,
Got way mo' bitches than I ever need,
I put that on a big fat bag of weed,
'cause I can give you a bitch who wouldn't give you joint,
Bitches ain' shit and now I made my point,
So you can light that weed,
While I spit this rap,
And tell you 'bout a player from way back,
I was only fourteen when I first got my dick sucked,
Now I'm grown up and I really like to bust nuts,
Gittin' freaky in the right situations,
You want to rap well that's a nice occupation,
To git pussy when you want 'n how you want it foo'
'cause I was fuckin' ugly hoes back in high schoo'
I used to fuck young-ass hoes,
Used to be broke and didn't have no clothes,
Now I fuck top notch bitches,
Tellin' stories 'bout rags to riches,
'bout a pimp named Shorty from the Oakland set,
Been mackin' for years 'n ain't fell of yet,
So if you ever see me rollin' in my drop top caddy,
Throw a peace sign and say hey pimp daddy!
'cause I never would fron' on my folks,
I slow down and let the gold diggers count my spokes,
Bitches come a dime a dozen,
So don't get mad when I fuck your cousin,
Your two sisters, I even fuck your ex-bitch,
Short Dog in the house with some player shit

I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass

All the fake players peep game from the real,
Player hatin' lover tell me how do ya feel,
When you front to the homies how you grind 'em,
Look fo' a tramp, but you can't find 'em,
You got one girlfriend you see her every night,
Comin' around the partners, lyin' about your life,
Looked at your watch it said six twenty-two,
Cut to the house and said baby I love you,
Can't act like a mack like playboy Sho'
An' the rest of the macks in the streets of the O bitch!
Comin' up we learn how to freak these hoes,
And when your through gittin' yours then you shake these hoes,
And when your older, it's nothin' but a routine,
Makin' G's everyday workin' blue jeans,
I know I seen it before,
I see it again,
Young tender saying Short would you be my man

I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass

Yeah there's a lot of fake players out there
Talkin' bad about Ant Banks, you know what I'm sayin'
But hey ain' trippin' up
Short Dog, what you do about them player haters
Try 'n stay away from Kriss Kross imitators,
Put ya in a cross 'cause they really jus' haters,
I thought you knew, Short Dog is a player,
Born to mack, 'n got bitches everywhere,
I ride around town in my clean-ass cars,
Screenin' these hoes like movie stars,
Checkin' my traps like a dirty rat,
I was born to mack,
I'm hookin' hoes like crack, I be a monkey on your back bitch,
Until you kick that Short Dog habit got you on my dick,
And even though I can't fuck you every day,
That's 'cause I got another bitch aroun' the way,
We can all get together on a late night,
Cut to the house hook somethin' up real tight,
I really don't care,
Cause I'm a player

I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass

I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass

Overall Meaning

In Too $hort's song I'm A Player, he introduces himself as a lifetime player who learned his game at the age of 14. He boasts about the number of "bitches" he has, and talks about his philosophy of life, which is to avoid marriage and commitment. He raps about how he is not afraid to be with ugly or old hoes, as long as they can satisfy him. Too $hort is a man who is proud of his player status and is not interested in changing.

The lyrics suggest that Too $hort is not the type of man who is interested in settling down. He is portrayed as a confident ladies' man who is in control of his own destiny. His lyrics are a reflection of his life and lifestyle. He does not want to be tied down to one person and is happy to be with whoever he pleases. Too $hort’s message is that he is a man who does what he wants, when he wants, and with whom he wants.

Overall, the song is a celebration of Too $hort’s lifestyle and his ability to keep the ladies coming back for more. It is a song that glorifies the player lifestyle and encourages men to be with as many women as they want, without feeling guilty or ashamed.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a player and I'm playin' jus' the bass
I am a man who lives by the philosophy of being a player, sleeping around with women without the intention for any long-term commitment.

You see I made up my mind when I was seventeen, I ain't with no marriage and a weddin' ring
At the age of seventeen, I decided that I would never be interested in getting married nor settling down.

I be a player fo' life so where's my wife, Probably at the rehab stuck on the pipe
I will continue to be a player throughout my life, and I don't need a wife. However, the women who fall in love with me may end up needing rehab or therapy because they become addicted to me.

'cause she must be smokin' and I'm not jokin'
I am not joking when I suggest that women who become involved with me may end up needing therapy or rehab because they become addicted to me, just like someone addicted to smoking.

Got way mo' bitches than I ever need, I put that on a big fat bag of weed
I have more women than I could ever possibly need, and I am putting my word on the line about that.

Bitches ain' shit and now I made my point
Women are not worth anything, and I have proven that to be true.

So you can light that weed, While I spit this rap, And tell you 'bout a player from way back
As you light up and smoke that weed, I will rap and tell stories about my player ways from years back.

I used to fuck young-ass hoes, Used to be broke and didn't have no clothes
I used to sleep with underage girls when I was younger and did not have money or nice clothes.

Now I fuck top notch bitches, Tellin' stories 'bout rags to riches
Nowadays, I sleep with the highest quality women and tell stories of my journey from poverty to riches.

'cause I never would fron' on my folks, I slow down and let the gold diggers count my spokes
I would never act fake or betray my friends because I am always keeping it real. I let the women who are only interested in my wealth count the gold spokes on my car while I slow down and relax.

Bitches come a dime a dozen, So don't get mad when I fuck your cousin, Your two sisters, I even fuck your ex-bitch
There are plenty of women around, so don't be mad if I sleep with your cousin, sisters, or even your ex-girlfriend.

Yeah there's a lot of fake players out there Talkin' bad about Ant Banks, you know what I'm sayin'
There are many imitation players out there, who are disrespectful towards Ant Banks, another player in the game.

But hey ain' trippin' up, Short Dog, what you do about them player haters
I am not bothered by the haters who dislike my player ways, and they can stay out of my business.

I thought you knew, Short Dog is a player
Everyone should already know that I am a player and live by that philosophy.

I'm hookin' hoes like crack, I be a monkey on your back bitch
I am addictive like crack, and will hook women on my player ways like an unwavering monkey on their backs.

I really don't care, Cause I'm a player
I don't care what people think of me, as I am a player and this is how I choose to live my life.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Todd Anthony Shaw, William Earl Collins, Frank Clifford Waddy, George Jr. Clinton

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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