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.
Drug Money
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Fish scale, I'll buy you what you want
Thousand bill', I'll buy you what you want
A hundred square, I'll buy you what you want
Shoot it through the air, and buy you what you want
I got plug money, gotta ship it back in Mexico
Slot money make you shoot yourself like Plexico
Blood money, you fuck 'round, be the next to go
Oil money, I got tanks of gas like Texaco
Drug money, bitch, I'm running out of head spot
Shoe money, I had a hundred in a Nike box
Ho money, I took my bitch to ball in harbor
Watch money, what's a forty for a starter
In Mexico they're growing weed in the back yard
In Mexico get a pound, a couple one hundred, dawg
Exotic money, now I be riding in exotic cars
Switch my flow up just like future, now I got exotic bars
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Fish scale, I'll buy you what you want
Thousand bill', I'll buy you what you want
A hundred square, I'll buy you what you want
Shoot it through the air, and buy you what you want
I got brick money, nine hundred for an ounce of yay
Streets dry, so nine hundred what they got to pay
Got a fifty in, got another fifty on the way
In magic city let the city know it's time to play
White whip, stainless steel, bitch, 300K
I ain't gotta rap, trap jumping I can stop today
Columbia, Colombians, I got 'em on the way
Lawyer paid more money if I get popped today
In Mexico my girl plugged when I was 16
In Mexico I was getting 'em for the 16
That's a lot of money, now I'm riding in exotic cars
Switched my flow up, changed my future, now I got exotic cars
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
Fish scale, I'll buy you what you want
Thousand bill', I'll buy you what you want
A hundred square, I'll buy you what you want
Shoot it through the air, and buy you what you want
The lyrics of Yo Gotti's song "Drug Money" are a depiction of the life of a drug dealer who believes that drug money can buy anything one desires. The refrain, "Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want," is repeated throughout the song, highlighting the central theme. Gotti lists various types of money, including "plug money," "slot money," "blood money," "oil money," "shoe money," "ho money," and "watch money," suggesting that all types of finances can be acquired through dealing drugs. He also mentions his experience with Mexican drug cartels, describing the massive scale of his operations involving "brick money" and "pound(s) of weed." Interestingly, the lines "Switch my flow up just like future, now I got exotic bars" and "Switched my flow up, changed my future, now I got exotic cars" implicate Gotti's efforts to improve his rapping style by emulating Future's style.
The song's message glorifies drug dealing, indicating that drug money can buy anything and everything. It is a reflection of the risks associated with the drug trade and the lure of getting rich quickly. The financial temptations that drug selling presents can be overpowering, and some people may not care about the consequences or negative effects of their actions. The lyrics convey the intense and dangerous life of a drug dealer who is consumed by greed and the allure of fast money.
Line by Line Meaning
Drug money it's gonna buy you what you want
The money earned from selling illegal drugs will enable you to obtain anything you desire.
Fish scale, I'll buy you what you want
High-quality cocaine, know as fish scale, can be purchased for a price and it will provide anything you desire.
Thousand bill', I'll buy you what you want
A thousand-dollar bill, which is a large sum of money, can be used to obtain anything you desire.
A hundred square, I'll buy you what you want
A large amount of cocaine, known as a hundred square, can be purchased for a price and it will provide anything you desire.
Shoot it through the air, and buy you what you want
Illegally shooting a firearm and causing violence can bring in quick cash that can be used to obtain anything you desire.
I got plug money, gotta ship it back in Mexico
I have money provided by my drug supplier and I need to transfer it back to Mexico.
Slot money make you shoot yourself like Plexico
Gaining money from gambling can lead to dangerous situations, evidenced by the football player Plexico Burress who shot himself with a gun he was carrying while in a nightclub.
Blood money, you fuck 'round, be the next to go
Money earned through violent or criminal means can lead to deadly retribution.
Oil money, I got tanks of gas like Texaco
Money earned through oil sales has led me to have many containers of gasoline, similar to what the national brand Texaco has.
Drug money, bitch, I'm running out of head spot
I have made so much money from selling drugs that I am running out of places to store my cash.
Shoe money, I had a hundred in a Nike box
I have so much money that I can use a shoebox from a popular brand, Nike, to store a hundred dollars.
Ho money, I took my bitch to ball in harbor
I used the money earned from selling sex to take my girlfriend to an extravagant place known as the harbor.
Watch money, what's a forty for a starter
Since I have so much wealth, a forty-dollar item is only appropriate as a starting point for luxury items.
In Mexico they're growing weed in the back yard
In Mexico, it is common for people to grow marijuana in their own backyard.
In Mexico get a pound, a couple one hundred, dawg
In Mexico, purchasing a pound of marijuana only costs a couple hundred dollars.
Exotic money, now I be riding in exotic cars
With the money earned from selling illegal drugs, I can now afford to drive expensive, exotic cars.
Switch my flow up just like future, now I got exotic bars
I have altered my music style to match that of the popular rapper Future, and as a result, have gained more money from my music career.
I got brick money, nine hundred for an ounce of yay
I have earned a substantial amount of money from selling cocaine, where one ounce is worth nine hundred dollars.
Streets dry, so nine hundred what they got to pay
When the demand for drugs is low, the price that people are willing to pay for them is lowered as well.
Got a fifty in, got another fifty on the way
I have secured fifty thousand dollars and am expecting another fifty thousand dollars soon.
In magic city let the city know it's time to play
When I visit Magic City, a famous strip club, I make it known that I have a lot of money and am ready to have a good time.
White whip, stainless steel, bitch, 300K
I own an expensive white car with stainless steel accents valued at three hundred thousand dollars.
I ain't gotta rap, trap jumping I can stop today
I have earned enough money from selling drugs that I don't need to continue with music or drug dealing any longer.
Columbia, Colombians, I got 'em on the way
I have drugs being shipped from the country of Colombia with the help of Colombians.
Lawyer paid more money if I get popped today
If I am caught and need a lawyer, I have a substantial amount of money to cover any legal expenses I may incur.
In Mexico my girl plugged when I was 16
When I was sixteen years old, I had a girlfriend in Mexico who helped me acquire drugs.
In Mexico I was getting 'em for the 16
When I was in Mexico, I was able to purchase drugs for a low price of sixteen dollars.
Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Victoria Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cobymontana7930
This song just popped up in my head haven’t heard it in years… the hook just came out of no where 🔥🔥
@BenjaminKarlSmiley
Shit just happened to me lol
@simplytea4901
2022 and it's still gon buy you what you want 🔥💯
@benjiking7187
Turniiiitttttttttt💯⛽😜😻
@jabeyonmcclendon5239
Wtf you said ‼️💯💯💯💪🏾
@bosstrap7548
💰 💵
@rickcamacho8588
@@benjiking7187 0lpi
@chrisgang34
😤
@adrianlopez4709
2023 and it still buys me what I want
@sinsayhoncho7309
Nine years later this song just popped in my head out of nowhere and I had to hear it let’s go