C.R.E.A.M.
Wu-Tang Clan (Method Man Raekwon & Inspectah Deck) Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

What that nigga want God?
Word up, look out for the cops (Wu-Tang five finger shit)
(Cash Rules) Word up, two for fives over here baby
Word up, two for fives them niggas got garbage down the way, word up
Know what I'm sayin'?
(Cash Rules Everything Around Me
C.R.E.A.M. get)
Yeah, check this ol' fly shit out
Word up
(Cash Rules Everything Around Me) Take you on a natural joint
(C.R.E.A.M. get the money) Here we here we go
(Dolla dolla bill y'all) Check this shit, yo!

I grew up on the crime side, the New York Times side
Staying alive was no jive
At second hands, moms bounced on old men
So then we moved to Shaolin land
A young youth, yo rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose
Only way, I begin to gee off was drug loot
And let's start it like this son, rollin' with this one
And that one, pullin' out gats for fun
But it was just a dream for the teen, who was a fiend
Started smokin' woolies at sixteen
And running up in gates, and doing hits for high stakes
Making my way on fire escapes
No question I would speed, for cracks and weed
The combination made my eyes bleed
No question I would flow off, and try to get the dough all
Sticking up white boys in ball courts
My life got no better, same damn 'Lo sweater
Times is ruff and tuff like leather
Figured out I went the wrong route
So I got with a sick ass click and went all out
Catchin' keys from across seas
Rollin in MPV's, every week we made forty G's
Yo nigga respect mine, or anger the tech nine
Ch-chick-POW! Wu from the gate now

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar, dollar bill y'all

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar, dollar bill y'all

It's been twenty-two long hard years of still strugglin
Survival got me buggin, but I'm alive on arrival
I peep at the shape of the streets
And stay awake to the ways of the world cause shit is deep
A man with a dream with plans to make C.R.E.A.M.
Which failed I went to jail at the age of 15
A young buck sellin' drugs and such who never had much
Trying to get a clutch at what I could not, could not,
The court played me short, now I face incarceration
Pacin' going up state's my destination
Handcuffed in back of a bus, forty of us
Life as a shorty shouldn't be so ruff
But as the world turns I learned life is hell
Living in the world no different from a cell
Everyday I escape from Jakes givin' chase, sellin' base
Smokin' bones in the staircase
Though I don't know why I chose to smoke sess
I guess that's the time when I'm not depressed
But I'm still depressed, and I ask what's it worth?
Ready to give up so I seek the Old Earth
Who explained working hard may help you maintain
To learn to overcome the heartaches and pain
We got stickup kids, corrupt cops, and crack rocks
And stray shots, all on the block that stays hot
Leave it up to me while I be living proof
To kick the truth to the young black youth
But shorty's running wild smokin sess drinkin' beer
And ain't trying to hear what I'm kickin in his ear
Neglected, but now, but yo, it gots to be accepted
That what? That life is hectic

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar, dollar bill y'all

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar, dollar bill y'all

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
C.R.E.A.M.
Get the money
Dollar, dollar bill y'all

Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me
C.R.E.A.M.




Get the money
Dollar, dollar bill y'all

Overall Meaning

Wu-Tang Clan's song C.R.E.A.M. is a recollection of the struggles of growing up in poverty and chasing the American Dream. The title, an acronym standing for "Cash Rules Everything Around Me," represents the desire to attain wealth at all costs, as it is the only way to escape the hardships of living in the ghetto. The song is divided into two distinct parts, with different artists telling their stories of growing up and hustling to survive.


The first verse is rapped by Raekwon, recounting his upbringing on the crime side of New York City. A young youth, he raps about stealing from white boys in ball courts, running up in gates and doing hits for high stakes, making his way on fire escapes, and catching keys from across seas. He describes his life as rough and tough like leather, and how he figured out he went the wrong route.


The second verse is rapped by Inspectah Deck, and tells the story of how he went to jail at the age of 15 for selling drugs and such. He is now a man with a dream and plans to make C.R.E.A.M., but has faced many obstacles along the way. He speaks about struggling to maintain a hustle, while living in a world that's not much different from a cell. His verse ends with him giving advice to the young black youth about overcoming heartaches and pain.


Overall, the song captures the harsh realities of growing up in poverty in America, and the lengths many have to take to survive. It expresses the desire to attain wealth and success as a means to escape poverty, while also highlighting the vicious cycle of crime and incarceration that ensnares young black men in inner cities.


Line by Line Meaning

What that nigga want God?
What does that man want?


Word up, look out for the cops (Wu-Tang five finger shit)
Be alert for the police. (Possible reference to Wu-Tang's five finger rings)


(Cash Rules) Word up, two for fives over here baby
Money dominates everything. Two dollars can buy drugs here.


Word up, two for fives them niggas got garbage down the way, word up
Two dollars can buy drugs here, but it's not good quality, unlike the drugs sold elsewhere.


Know what I'm sayin'?
Do you understand what I'm saying?


(Cash Rules Everything Around Me C.R.E.A.M. get)
Money is the most important thing in life. Get as much money as possible.


Yeah, check this ol' fly shit out Word up
Listen to this cool thing I'm about to say.


(Cash Rules Everything Around Me) Take you on a natural joint (C.R.E.A.M. get the money) Here we here we go (Dolla dolla bill y'all) Check this shit, yo!
Money is everything, let's go on a journey together. Get as much money as possible. Money is really important.


I grew up on the crime side, the New York Times side Staying alive was no jive
I grew up in a rough neighborhood where survival was difficult.


At second hands, moms bounced on old men So then we moved to Shaolin land
My mother dated older men and we had to move to a different neighborhood.


A young youth, yo rockin' the gold tooth, 'Lo goose Only way, I begin to gee off was drug loot
As a young person, I started selling drugs to earn money.


And let's start it like this son, rollin' with this one And that one, pullin' out gats for fun
I hung out with different people and we carried guns for fun.


But it was just a dream for the teen, who was a fiend Started smokin' woolies at sixteen
I was addicted to drugs and started smoking when I was only sixteen.


And running up in gates, and doing hits for high stakes Making my way on fire escapes
I committed crimes and took risks to earn more money.


No question I would speed, for cracks and weed The combination made my eyes bleed
I was willing to do anything to get drugs and the mix of crack and weed had bad physical effects on me.


No question I would flow off, and try to get the dough all Sticking up white boys in ball courts
I would do anything to get more money, even rob white people in sports venues.


My life got no better, same damn 'Lo sweater Times is ruff and tuff like leather
My life didn't improve and I wore the same sweater. Times were still hard and tough.


Figured out I went the wrong route So I got with a sick ass click and went all out
I realized I chose the wrong path and joined a group of criminals and went all-in to make more money.


Catchin' keys from across seas Rollin in MPV's, every week we made forty G's Yo nigga respect mine, or anger the tech nine Ch-chick-POW! Wu from the gate now
We received drugs from different parts of the world and traveled in MPVs. We made $40,000 every week. Respect my gang or face my gun. We are the Wu-Tang Clan.


(Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me C.R.E.A.M. Get the money Dollar, dollar bill y'all)
Money is the most important thing. Get as much money as possible.


It's been twenty-two long hard years of still strugglin Survival got me buggin, but I'm alive on arrival
I have been struggling for twenty-two years but I survived.


I peep at the shape of the streets And stay awake to the ways of the world cause shit is deep
I am aware of the streets' nature and the complicated world we live in.


A man with a dream with plans to make C.R.E.A.M. Which failed I went to jail at the age of 15
I had a plan to make a lot of money, but it didn't work out and I went to jail when I was 15.


A young buck sellin' drugs and such who never had much Trying to get a clutch at what I could not, could not
I was young, selling drugs and trying to succeed, but I never had much and couldn't achieve what I wanted.


The court played me short, now I face incarceration Pacin' going up state's my destination
The court gave me little mercy, so now I have to go to prison.


Handcuffed in back of a bus, forty of us Life as a shorty shouldn't be so ruff
I am handcuffed and traveling to prison with forty others. Life for young people shouldn't be tough like this.


But as the world turns I learned life is hell Living in the world no different from a cell
As I grew older, I learned life is hard and living outside of prison is not that different from living in it.


Everyday I escape from Jakes givin' chase, sellin' base Smokin' bones in the staircase
I escape from the police daily and sell drugs. I also smoke weed in the staircase.


Though I don't know why I chose to smoke sess I guess that's the time when I'm not depressed
I don't know why I smoke weed, but I think I do it to alleviate my depression.


But I'm still depressed, and I ask what's it worth? Ready to give up so I seek the Old Earth
I am still depressed and question the worth of everything I do. I am at the point of giving up and turning to religion for answers.


Who explained working hard may help you maintain To learn to overcome the heartaches and pain
Someone told me that working hard will help me keep what I have and to learn how to overcome hardships.


We got stickup kids, corrupt cops, and crack rocks And stray shots, all on the block that stays hot
There are criminals, bad policemen, drug use, and random gunshots on this hot block.


Leave it up to me while I be living proof To kick the truth to the young black youth
I will set an example and teach young black people the truth.


But shorty's running wild smokin sess drinkin' beer And ain't trying to hear what I'm kickin in his ear
Young people are reckless and do drugs and drink alcohol. They don't want to listen to me.


Neglected, but now, but yo, it gots to be accepted That what? That life is hectic
I was neglected before, but I learned to accept that life can be tough and unpredictable.


(Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me C.R.E.A.M. Get the money Dollar, dollar bill y'all)
Money is the most important thing. Get as much money as possible.


(Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me C.R.E.A.M. Get the money Dollar, dollar bill y'all)
Money is the most important thing. Get as much money as possible.


(Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me C.R.E.A.M. Get the money Dollar, dollar bill y'all)
Money is the most important thing. Get as much money as possible.


(Cash, Rules, Everything, Around, Me C.R.E.A.M. Get the money Dollar, dollar bill y'all)
Money is the most important thing. Get as much money as possible.




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LAMONT HAWKINS, GARY GRICE, RUSSELL JONES, DENNIS COLES, COREY WOODS, CLIFFORD SMITH, JASON HUNTER, ROBERT DIGGS, ISAAC HAYES, DAVID PORTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@Anthonydu01630

Every songs is a feeling man, thats why we listen to music, because music create emotions. It's not only lyrics and melody, it's a vibe, a frequency ... You can have the best lyrics in the world but if theres no energy and harmony in it most people wont like it. Music must be a reflection of you and your emotional state, it must come from your heart.

You know im french and sometimes i dont understand everything US rappers says, but i know when its real and when its not ... When i hear Numb or savage mode from 21savage i can feel his pain, his anger, his sadness and his frustration to have been a poor ghetto kid, to have made the wrong decision, to have become a gangster, to have lost many friends, almost lost his life and to be addicted to pain killers.
Same when i hear Pain from tupac, codeine crazy from future, my life from Lil wayne and game or lord give me a sign from DMX.

Then when i hear songs like streets is watching, Black gangster, people's court, i shot ya or jigga my nigga from JAYZ i know he really lived that life, i know he was a real drug dealer/gangster ... The lyrics, the energy, the tons, the flow .. It's really like he's telling you his story.

Same with Drake when i hear songs like Marvin's room, aston martin music or find your love i know he talk about a real girl and in songs like im on one, pound cake or over i know he meant everything he said .. Drake is 100%invested in his music, he is so confident he literaly spoke things into existence in im on one he said " And what's up with these new niggas ? And why they think it all comes so easy .. But get it while you here boy, cause all the hype dont feel the same next year boy, Yeahh, and i'll be right here in my spot, with a little more cash than i already got, trippin off you cause you had your shot, with my skin tanned and my hair long and my fan who been so patient, me and forty back to work but we still smell like a vacation, hate the rumors hate your bullshit hate these fucking allegations, im just feeling like the throne is for the taking .. Watch me take it !" ...
And like he said in pound cake "you know it's real when you are who you think you are" 💯💯💯



@imagameriguessb5997

In the sweltering summer of '96, I found myself wandering the streets of Paris, a wide-eyed teenager with dreams as big as the Eiffel Tower. Fate had a twisted sense of humor that day when I stumbled upon a chance encounter with none other than the legendary Wu-Tang Clan.

Lost in the labyrinth of cobblestone alleys, I heard the unmistakable basslines echoing from a hidden courtyard. Curiosity piqued, I followed the sound and found myself in the midst of a impromptu Wu-Tang cipher. Method Man's gravelly voice cut through the thick Parisian air as RZA worked his magic on the decks.

Mesmerized by the spectacle, I couldn't resist jumping in and spitting a few bars of my own. To my surprise, the Clan welcomed me with open arms, impressed by my raw talent. For a brief moment, I felt like I belonged among hip-hop royalty.

But fate had other plans. As the sun dipped below the horizon, darkness descended upon the City of Lights. Caught up in the euphoria of the moment, I let my guard down, only to be blindsided by a group of street thugs. They robbed me of everything I had, leaving me penniless and alone on the unforgiving streets of Paris.

With nowhere to turn, I roamed the city like a ghost, searching for scraps to survive. Nights turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months as I battled the demons of despair. But through it all, the memory of that fateful encounter with the Wu-Tang Clan burned bright, a flickering beacon of hope in the darkness.

And so, with nothing but the clothes on my back and the fire in my soul, I vowed to rise from the ashes like a phoenix, fueled by the music that had once saved me. For even in the darkest of times, the Wu-Tang Clan's legacy of resilience and strength endured, a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome adversity and triumph against all odds.



All comments from YouTube:

@youtubename1485

Respect to all the people who listen old school music. You the real MVP

@LilacZ373

Dunnowhoiam thx, I never was a fan of trap music. TOO generic and it all sounds the same. It's nice to go back to when hip hop had a meaning...

@xtrol4330

Its alright it something new to me and this is fire

@kogareuw

I'm playing LoL rn hello there c:

@danftwgg5999

My story:
First mumble rap
Then eminem and some lyrical new school
Third moved to 2pac
And now i listen to 80's 90's and some cool song from 2000 to 2019

@PlayStationLegendsLounge

DanFTWGG 975 great choice

496 More Replies...

@nonye1251

This is what I love about hip hop back in the day. The storytelling. By the end of the song u feel like you got a glimpse of their life.

@jay2dab677

It's a shame music like this isn't still being made.

@charlielayton6500

Jay 2DaB it is though listen to some To Pimp a Butterfly, Redemption or 4 Your Eyez Only

@jorgeisaacdoblesmata9137

Word!, today's rappers just rapping trash...bragging about shit.

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