Stakes Is High

De La Soul

About Stakes Is High

"Stakes Is High" is a single by De La Soul released in 1996 from their album Stakes Is High.


Year:
1996
5:30
317 
#1

 The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com

The Instamatic focal point bringing damage to your boroughs
Be some brothers from the east with some beats that be thorough
Got the solar gravitation so I'm bound to pull it
I gets down like brothers are found ducking from bullets
Gun control means using both hands in my land
Where it's all about the cautious livin'
Migrating to a higher form of consequence, compliments
Of strugglin', that shouldn't be notable,
Man every word I say should be a hip hop quotable.

I'm sick of bitches shakin' asses
I'm sick of talkin' about blunts,
Sick of Versace glasses,
Sick of slang,
Sick of half-ass awards shows,
Sick of name brand clothes.
Sick of R&B bitches over bullshit tracks,
Cocaine and crack
Which brings sickness to blacks,
Sick of swoll' head rappers
With their sicker-than raps
Clappers and gats
Makin' the whole sick world collapse
The facts are gettin' sick
Even sicker perhaps
Stickabush to make a bundle to escape this synapse

Man life can get all up in your ass baby you betta work it out
Let me tell you what it's all about
A skin not considered equal
A meteor has more right than my people
Who be wastin' time screaming who they've hated
That's why the Native Tongues have officially been re-instated

(Vibes, vibrations)
Stakes is high
(Higher than high)
You know them stakes is high
(Higher than high)
When we talkin' 'bout the
(Vibes, vibrations)
Stakes is high, you know them stakes is high
When we dealin' with the
(Vibes, vibrations)
Stakes is high
(Hey yo, what about that love?)

Yo, it's about love for cars, love for funds
Loving to love mad sex, loving to love guns
Love for opposite, love for fame and wealth
Love for the fact of no longer loving yourself, kid
We living in them days of the man-made ways
Where every aspect is vivid,
these brothers no longer talk shit
Hey yo, these niggas live it
'Bout to give it to you 24/7 on the microphone
Plug One translating the zone
No offense to a player, but yo, I don't play
And if you take offense, f*ck it, got to be that way
J.D. Dove, show your love, what you got to say?

I say G's are making figures at a high regard
And niggas dying for it nowadays ain't odd
Investing in fantasies and not God
Welcome to reality, see times is hard
People try to snatch the credit, but can't claim the card
Showing out in videos, saying they cold stars
See, shit like that will make your mama cry
Better watch the way you spend it
'Cause the stakes is high

Y'all know them stakes is high
When we talkin' 'bout the
(Vibes, vibrations)
Stakes is high

I think that smiling in public is against the law
'Cause love don't get you through life no more
It's who you know and "How you, son?"
And how you gettin' in, and who the man holding
Hey yo, and how was the scams and how high
Yo what up, huh? I heard you caught a body
Seem like every man and woman shared a life with John Gotti

But they ain't organized!

Mixing crimes with life enzymes
Taking the big scout route
And niggas know doubt better
Than they know their daughters
And their sons
(Oh boy)

Yo, people go through pain and still don't gain
Positive contact just like my main man
Who got others cleaning up his physical influence
His mind got congested
He got the nine and blew it
Neighborhoods are now hoods cause nobody's neighbors
Just animals surviving with that animal behavior
Under I who be rhyming from dark to light sky
Experiments when needles and skin connect
No wonder where we live is called the projects
When them stakes is high you damn sure try to do
Anything to get the piece of the pie
Electrify
Even die for the cash
But at last I be out even though you wantin' more
This issue is closed like an elevator door
But soon re-opened once we get to the next floor where the

(Vibes, vibrations)
Stakes is high
Y'all know them stakes is high
When we talkin' 'bout the
(Vibes, vibrations)
Stakes is high
Stakes is high, come on

 Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!


De La Soul

De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres. The members are Kelvin Mercer, David Jude Jolicoeur and Vincent Mason, known under a variety of nicknames. The three formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'". more »

1 fan

Written by: JAMES BROWN, FRED WESLEY, CHARLES BOBBITT, AHMAD JAMAL, DAVID JOLICOEUR, VINCENT MASON, KELVIN MERCER, JAMES YANCY

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


11 facts about this song

Release Date
"Stakes Is High" was released on July 2, 1996. It was the first single from De La Soul's fourth album of the same name.
Album Arrival
The album "Stakes Is High" marked a significant change in the group's sound and subject matter. This album arrived in the midst of hip hop's "gangsta" era, and the track itself is known for its explicit criticism of the genre's shift toward materialistic themes.
Collaborative Effort
The album was largely produced by De La Soul themselves, with a few tracks produced by others, such as iconic hip-hop producer Jay Dee (later known as J Dilla).
Message Aspect
The song "Stakes Is High" established De La Soul as socially conscious rappers. The lyrics lament the state of hip-hop and call for a return to its roots of creativity and originality.
Music Video
The music video was directed by Brian Beletic. It features appearances from other prominent hip-hop artists of that period, including Common, Mos Def, and Black Thought from The Roots.
Band Members
"De La Soul" is a trio consisting of members Kelvin Mercer, David Jude Jolicoeur, and Vincent Mason, who went by the stage names Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove, and Maseo respectively.
Achievements
The song peaked at number 52 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1996.
Poetic Navigation
The song is often seen as an invitation for the hip-hop genre to navigate away from using harmful stereotypes and clichés, moving towards a more authentic, poetic form of expression.
Critical Acclaim
The album and track “Stakes Is High” have been revered for their message and sound, contributing to the group's reputation as 'thinkers' within the hip-hop genre. It has retrospectively been praised as one of the 90s most important hip-hop albums.
Legacy
Even though it wasn't a commercial success, the track "Stakes Is High" and its corresponding album have left a lasting legacy, shaping the group's career and heavily influencing the sound of alternative hip hop.
Sampled Tracks
The song samples "Mind Power" by James Brown and "Swahililand" by Ahmad Jamal as well as other tracks. This shows De La Soul’s diverse range of influences, spanning soul, jazz, and funk.

Discuss the Stakes Is High Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add these lyrics to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Stakes Is High Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric-lf/773549/De+La+Soul/Stakes+Is+High>.

    Missing lyrics by De La Soul?

    Know any other songs by De La Soul? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    Stakes Is High

    751.5K
    12,408     194

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    "So put your best face on everybody -- Pretend you know this song everybody."
    A Here with me
    B Roar
    C Bang
    D When the party's over

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant explanation for any lyrics that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant explanation for any acronym or abbreviation that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Don't miss De La Soul's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    De La Soul tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!