As one of the six epicenters of Southern hip hop, Memphis has always had a thriving underground capable of producing major platinum superstars such as Eightball & MJG, 3-6 Mafia and Project Pat,Skip a.k.a Gianni Booker. All of the above-mentioned artists at one point in time literally dominated the city’s underground rap scene before going on to become national superstars. Next up to bat is Yo Gotti, M-Town’s current underground rap kingpin. Like his namesake John Gotti, the Memphis based rapper has been running the Southern underground scene with an iron fist for the past. Known and respected throughout the South for his skill and finesse on the microphone, Yo Gotti is one the South’s most respected young rappers.
Born Mario Mims, Yo Gotti grew up in the infamous Ridge Crest Apartments in a North Memphis neighborhood called Frazier. His childhood was typical for a poor ghetto youth in the Deep South. Raised in a family of hustlers and exposed to hard times 24 hours a day the Tennessee rap titan soon turned to the only thing that he knew could get him paid, hustling. “Being from the hood things like hustling will come your way,” says Yo Gotti. “Everybody in my family hustled in some kinda way.” Ironically, hustling is what ultimately led Yo Gotti to rapping.
Taking his cue from Memphis rap legends such as Eightball & MJG, Al Kapone, Gangsta Black, Triple 6 Mafia and Kingpin Skinny Pimp, all of whom he lists as influences, Yo Gotti released his own underground tape entitled, Youngster on the Come Up and placed it on consignment at local mom & pop record stores as well as hustling it out the trunk. The tape sold like hotcakes on the street and made Yo Gotti the hottest rapper on the streets of Memphis. From the Dope Game to the Rap Game, Yo Gotti’s sophomore effort sold so well that Select-O-Hits, a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal and the Memphis rapper more than doubled his fan base with absolutely no marketing or promotions. Soon he found himself ranked among the city’s top rappers. In addition to being featured on the cover of Murderdog Magazine along side his idols Kingpin Skinny Pimp and Al Kapone his record From the Dope Game to the Rap Game made the list for the magazine’s top independent record for the year 2000.
Two years later he inked a distribution deal with TVT Records and released the critically acclaimed album Life, which did respectable numbers for an independent label. “It sold about 40 or 50,000, with no promotions or video,” says Yo Gotti. “That record did what it did on its own.” But as the old saying goes when one door is closed another opened. Gotti’s reputation as the king of Memphis continued to spread and that eventually led him to a production deal with Cash Money/Universal records for his group the Block Burnaz. With his TVT sophomore album entitled Back 2 Da Basics, Yo Gotti returns with the same hardcore street flavor that his die-hard fans have come to know and love, only this time around the true king of Memphis has elevated his game a bit. Given the fact that his last record didn’t do the type of big number he’d hope for you’d think that Yo Gotti would switch up his style to reach a larger audience. Right? Wrong! According to Gotti his street credibility with his underground fans means more to him than gold or platinum status.
“The one thing that you have to understand is that when you create a fan base off of street product the last thing you wanna do is disrespect them by changing because of the record companies and stuff like that. When you do that you change what created you. To me it is very important that I keep in tune with the people that helped to sell 40,000 records independently. That’s why I call my record Back 2 Da Basics.”
Produced by DJ Thoomp, Mannie Fresh, Carlos Brody and newcomers Street Tunes, Back 2 Da Basics offers fans a gritty, insider’s view into the real streets of Memphis as seen through the eyes of Yo Gotti. Nowhere is this viewpoint more intense than on “Full Time,” the amped up lead single –and featured in the MTV Films’ Hustle & Flow movie - with a thunderous bass and intoxicating beat that espouses Gotti’s formula to success –hustle full time.
“A lotta cats wanna be a rapper or a street hustler but they don’t wanna put in the time that it takes,” says Yo Gotti. “They want the money and the cars and the girls, but they don’t wanna work hard for it. But to be successful at anything you gotta grind for it.” On the song “Mama We Gone Be Alright,” he waxes introspective by reflecting on all of the hard times that he and his family have suffered through the years and offers her hope-filled words encouragement. “Mama We Gone Be Alright” along with the gripping tune “My Story” emerges as two of the most interesting songs on Back 2 Da Basics. These three titles along with club banging songs like “Shorty” featuring Baby make Back 2 Da Basics one of the best albums of the year.
Bank Teller
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pharmaceuticals in the trap nigga I'm a dope seller
Margiela thousand dollars for the tennis shoes
Make the money, blow the money, blow the money, make the money
Whole bunch of money on my mind I'm a bank teller
Pharmaceuticals in the trap nigga I'm a dope seller
Margiela thousand dollars for the tennis shoes
I just blew a sack in Saks
Closet looking like it's Neimans
Smoking on that woo, sipping Act got me feeling like a demon
Got me feeling like a monster plus I'm bumping Monster by my nigga Future
Met a bitch so real told her I'm marry her I can tell the future
Yea bitch I'm a prophet
Wake up everyday and profit
Wake up everyday with new haters, knowing niggas can't stop me
You a hater boy I want to thank you
Motivate me get this paper
Motivate me fuck your bitches, thank me later
Million dollars and I threw it
Half a million on a coupe
2 million dollar budget but I said fuck it slingin' out the stu'
I been trapping out the booth
Coke prices through the roof
Yea the prices prices hella high high 'cause it's desert storm DJ Clue
Whole bunch of money on my mind I'm a bank teller
Pharmaceuticals in the trap nigga I'm a dope seller
Margiela thousand dollars for the tennis shoes
Make the money, blow the money, blow the money, make the money
Whole bunch of money on my mind I'm a bank teller
Pharmaceuticals in the trap nigga I'm a dope seller
Margiela thousand dollars for the tennis shoes
Make the money, blow the money, blow the money, make the money
In the hood giving loans
Investment property buying homes
Invest in pack that strong
Fuck a CP I trust no man
Uncle Sam I be taxing niggas then withdraw it like a ATM
Hood rich off of trap music but I'm popping pills bumping EDM
I just been moving the bank, then put a bill in the vault
Had to withdrew 'bout a bag, money been all in my thoughts
Tell the security we good
Boy we come straight out the hood
We don't trust niggas with badges, only fuck bitches with asses
Nigga late on a payment make him pay interest
Nigga late on the payment take 'em to the trenches
I can count the money backwards
Yeah I rap but I'm not a rapper
Life a movie but I'm not acting ain't no cut scenes straight action
Whole bunch of money on my mind I'm a bank teller
Pharmaceuticals in the trap nigga I'm a dope seller
Margiela thousand dollars for the tennis shoes
Make the money, blow the money, blow the money, make the money
Whole bunch of money on my mind I'm a bank teller
Pharmaceuticals in the trap nigga I'm a dope seller
Margiela thousand dollars for the tennis shoes
Make the money, blow the money, blow the money, make the money
In "Bank Teller," Yo Gotti reflects on his life as a successful drug dealer, likening himself to a bank teller who handles large amounts of cash. He brags about the expensive designer gear he wears, such as Margiela sneakers worth a thousand dollars. Gotti also discusses his excessive spending habits, noting that he goes through cycles of making money and then blowing it all. He talks about his lifestyle of luxury, smoking and drinking, and feeling like a monster. Finally, he takes pride in his entrepreneurial spirit and how he invests his profits in investment properties.
The lyrics of "Bank Teller" reveal a certain dichotomy in Yo Gotti's life. On one hand, he is successful and wealthy, with access to the finest things money can buy. On the other hand, he is involved in illegal activities and must constantly navigate dangerous situations.
The song is also a commentary on the trap music subgenre, which typically highlights drug dealing and the hustle for money. Yo Gotti uses his lyrics to reflect on the challenges and rewards of this lifestyle, even as he acknowledges its potential drawbacks.
Line by Line Meaning
Whole bunch of money on my mind I'm a bank teller
Money is my primary focus and I handle it like a professional bank teller.
Pharmaceuticals in the trap nigga I'm a dope seller
I sell drugs in the trap house like a pharmacist.
Margiela thousand dollars for the tennis shoes
I spend extravagantly on designer items like Margiela tennis shoes that cost thousands of dollars.
Make the money, blow the money, blow the money, make the money
I earn a lot of money, but I also spend it quickly and freely, only to earn more and repeat the cycle.
I just blew a sack in Saks
I spent a lot of money at Saks Fifth Avenue.
Closet looking like it's Neimans
I have so many clothes that my closet looks like it belongs to the high-end clothing store Neiman Marcus.
Smoking on that woo, sipping Act got me feeling like a demon
I feel invincible and empowered when I smoke weed and drink cough syrup.
Got me feeling like a monster plus I'm bumping Monster by my nigga Future
I feel like a monster, empowered and ruthless, especially when listening to Future's song Monster.
Met a bitch so real told her I'm marry her I can tell the future
I met a woman who seems trustworthy and committed to me, and I believe that we will get married in the future.
Yea bitch I'm a prophet
I am a visionary and can predict what will happen in the future.
Wake up everyday and profit
I wake up each day and earn money consistently.
Wake up everyday with new haters, knowing niggas can't stop me
I wake up each day to new haters, but I know that they can't stop my success.
You a hater boy I want to thank you
I appreciate the motivation that my haters give me to work harder and succeed.
Motivate me get this paper
My haters motivate me to make more money.
Motivate me fuck your bitches, thank me later
I will use the motivation from my haters to sleep with their girlfriends/lovers and thank them later.
Million dollars and I threw it
I spent a million dollars carelessly and without much thought.
Half a million on a coupe
I spent half a million dollars on a fancy sports car.
2 million dollar budget but I said fuck it slingin' out the stu'
I had a budget of 2 million dollars, but I decided to ignore it and sell drugs in the studio instead.
I been trapping out the booth
I make my money by selling drugs in the recording studio, even when I'm supposed to be making music.
Coke prices through the roof
The prices of cocaine are very high right now, making it a lucrative business for me.
Yea the prices prices hella high high 'cause it's desert storm DJ Clue
The prices for drugs are high because the famous DJ Clue is involved in the drug trade right now.
In the hood giving loans
I lend money to people in the hood.
Investment property buying homes
I invest in real estate by buying homes as a form of long-term financial planning.
Invest in pack that strong
I invest in high-quality drugs to ensure that they sell for a higher price.
Fuck a CP I trust no man
I don't trust anyone, not even my close associates or friends.
Uncle Sam I be taxing niggas then withdraw it like a ATM
I collect taxes from drug dealers and quickly withdraw the money like I'm using an ATM machine.
Hood rich off of trap music but I'm popping pills bumping EDM
I make a lot of money from selling drugs through my trap music, but I also enjoy popping pills and listening to electronic dance music.
Had to withdrew 'bout a bag, money been all in my thoughts
I had to withdraw a large sum of money from the bank, and I've been thinking about money a lot lately.
Tell the security we good
I inform the security that everything is fine and under control.
Boy we come straight out the hood
My team and I are from the hood and have risen to success from difficult circumstances.
We don't trust niggas with badges, only fuck bitches with asses
We won't trust anyone with police badges or authority, but we will be with women who have large butts.
Nigga late on a payment make him pay interest
If someone is late on a payment, I will make them pay additional interest.
Nigga late on the payment take 'em to the trenches
If someone is late on a payment, I will take them to an unsafe or dangerous location.
I can count the money backwards
I am so good with money that I can count it backwards with ease.
Yeah I rap but I'm not a rapper
I make rap music, but I don't consider myself to be just a rapper - I'm also a businessman and drug dealer.
Life a movie but I'm not acting ain't no cut scenes straight action
My life is like a movie, but I don't need to act or fake anything because it's all real and full of action.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Mario Mims, Tony Son
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind