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.
Gold Medal
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Platinum wrist with the cola
I should get a gold medal
Can't nobody cook it better
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to get some extras
Nigga I can bless you
Two bricks and a half, I got the kitchen under pressure
Take it out to war, all white that's the texture
This shit just like a drive-thru, when you pull up may I help you?
Eyes on the camera, guns on the counter
Guerrillas with them choppas and they all got them bananas
Ran out of rubber bands then fucked up all the [?]
Fucking count it half a hand, give me the pack and I'm a down him
It jumping out the gym, call it trap-oline yayo
How you a dope boy when you never seen yayo?
Ever since I was a kid boy I use to dream yayo
It's me and Snootie Wild and they call us team yayo
Nigga I should win a trophy
Platinum wrist with the cola
I should get a gold medal
Can't nobody cook it better
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
On the stove with the egg beater, whipping Jason Jeter
I can show you how to mix the yellow water make it ether
Longway Lulu got your [?] bricks we break em down to deuces
Cinnamon buns on the hand guns empty goin' [?]
Send the pack to Memphis and we workin' out the bitches
[?] and red, crash mans [?] got it in the trenches
Workin' my wrist whippin' up my credentials
[?] it be white like the dentures
[?]
Pocket monster cruisn' in the [?]
Blood on blood, this side get fucked
The money count, I just keep countin'
[?] and Yo Gotti gon' count it
200 bands and we dab in Cavalli
Mother fucker tell them send a deposit
So don't show we pull up in Bentley's and Masi's
[?] we be tippin' the pilot
G5 with a beat in the pocket
Nigga I should win a trophy
Platinum wrist with the cola
I should get a gold medal
Can't nobody cook it better
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
I show you how to whip the yola
In Yo Gotti's song Gold Medal, the rapper brags about his skills as a drug dealer and his success in the illegal trade. Throughout the song, he boasts about his ability to whip cocaine, or yola, and his platinum wrist, which is adorned with expensive jewelry. He suggests that he is the best in the business and should be awarded a gold medal for his skills.
Yo Gotti goes on to describe the process of making and distributing drugs, detailing how he and his associates package and sell their product. He talks about the importance of being discreet and avoiding detection by law enforcement, as well as the risks involved in the trade, such as gun violence and financial losses. Despite these challenges, Yo Gotti remains confident in his ability to make money and continue the operation.
Overall, Gold Medal is a song that glorifies drug dealing and criminal activity, painting a picture of a glamorous lifestyle that is often associated with the drug trade. The lyrics are laden with slang and technical language that may be difficult for some listeners to understand, but the message is clear: Yo Gotti is a successful drug dealer who will stop at nothing to maintain his position.
Line by Line Meaning
Nigga I should win a trophy
I am so good at cooking and selling drugs that I deserve a trophy for my skills.
Platinum wrist with the cola
I have expensive jewelry, including a watch with diamonds that shine like cola.
I should get a gold medal
My drug dealing and cooking abilities are so amazing that I should be awarded a gold medal for my excellence.
Can't nobody cook it better
No one can prepare and sell drugs as well as I can.
I show you how to whip the yola
I will teach you how to expertly cook cocaine into crack and sell it for a profit.
I show you how to get some extras
I will show you how to make more money by selling additional drugs apart from your usual quota.
Nigga I can bless you
I can provide you with some good drugs for cheap, making it profitable for you to sell them later.
Two bricks and a half, I got the kitchen under pressure
I have a lot of cocaine to sell, and I'm working hard to cook it all into crack.
Take it out to war, all white that's the texture
Selling drugs is a dangerous business, but my crack is of the highest quality and color.
This shit just like a drive-thru, when you pull up may I help you?
I make drug dealing easy for everyone, just like a fast-food drive-thru.
Eyes on the camera, guns on the counter
I must watch out for the police since I have cameras set up in my kitchen, and guns ready to protect myself.
Guerrillas with them choppas and they all got them bananas
My associates are violent and are armed with guns fitted with banana clips.
Ran out of rubber bands then fucked up all the [?]
I don't have enough rubber bands to bundle all my cash, so I put them together in a messy pile.
Fucking count it half a hand, give me the pack and I'm a down him
I can count money quickly and accurately, and I'm always ready to sell my drugs.
It jumping out the gym, call it trap-oline yayo
My drug business is very active and successful, just like someone jumping high on a trampoline.
How you a dope boy when you never seen yayo?
You can't be a successful drug dealer if you've never seen cocaine (yayo).
Ever since I was a kid boy I use to dream yayo
I have always wished to become a successful drug dealer ever since I was a kid.
It's me and Snootie Wild and they call us team yayo
I work with Snootie Wild, and together we are known as 'team yayo'.
On the stove with the egg beater, whipping Jason Jeter
I'm cooking cocaine into crack using an egg beater, and my buddy Jason Jeter is helping me.
I can show you how to mix the yellow water make it ether
I can teach you how to mix chemicals (such as ammonia) and turn water and cocaine into pure ether.
Longway Lulu got your [?] bricks we break em down to deuces
My associate Longway Lulu has brought me some uncut cocaine that we can break down into smaller portions.
Send the pack to Memphis and we workin' out the bitches
We are sending a package of cocaine to Memphis to sell it there and make some money.
[?] and red, crash mans [?] got it in the trenches
We have different brands of cocaine, colored white and red; and we keep them stored in hidden places (trenches) to avoid getting caught by the police.
Workin' my wrist whippin' up my credentials
I am perfecting my ability to cook crack and building a reputation as a successful drug dealer.
[?] it be white like the dentures
My cocaine is of the purest quality, white like sparkling dentures.
[?]
This line is incomprehensible.
Pocket monster cruisn' in the [?]
I have a lot of cash (a 'pocket monster') and I'm driving around in a fancy car.
Blood on blood, this side get fucked
We are involved in gang violence, and those on the opposing side will suffer.
The money count, I just keep countin'
I have a lot of cash, and I'm counting it all the time to make sure I'm not missing anything.
[?] and Yo Gotti gon' count it
Someone (perhaps a woman) and I will count our profits together.
200 bands and we dab in Cavalli
We have a lot of money and are spending it all in fancy stores like Cavalli.
Mother fucker tell them send a deposit
I'm so successful at drug dealing that I have people sending me deposits as payment.
So don't show we pull up in Bentley's and Masi's
We don't like to show off our wealth, but we're driving around in fancy cars like Bentleys and Maseratis.
[?] we be tippin' the pilot
This line is incomprehensible.
G5 with a beat in the pocket
I'm riding in a private plane (G5) with a lot of cash in my pocket.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mario Mims
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind