You Played Yourself

Ice-T

About You Played Yourself

"You Played Yourself" is a song performed by American recording artist Ice-T. It was released on April 5, 1990 as a single from the rapper's third studio album The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say through Sire Records. The song was written and produced by Ice-T and Afrika Islam, who sampled James Brown's "The Boss", which was written by James Brown, Charles Bobbit and Fred Wesley. The single peaked at number 64 in the UK.


Year:
2000
4:14
23 
#3

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

This is it, dope from the fly kid
The Ice mic is back with the high bid
Suckers you've lost cos players you're not, gangstas you ain't
You're faintin', punk, if you ever heard a gunshot
Yo, the pusher, the player, the pimp gangsta, the hustler
High Roller, dead pres folder
Is cold lampin' like a black king on a throne
Evil E...turn up the microphone
So I can ill and break on the rollin' tape
Another album to make? Great
Islam turn the bass kick up a bit
Hype the snare, now I got a place to sit
And ride the track like a black mack in his 'lac
Hit the corner slow where the girls are at
And kick game the way it should be done
How you gonna drop science? You're dumb
Stupid ignorant, don't even talk to me
At school you dropped Math, Science and History
And then you get on the mic and try to act smart
Well let me tell you one thing, you got heart
To perpetrate, you're bait, so just wait
Till the press shove a mic in your face
Or you meet Boogie Down or Chuck D
Stetsasonic or the Big Daddy
And they ask you about the game you claim you got
Drop science now, why not?
You start to sweat and fret, it gets hot
How'd you get into this spot?

You played yourself...
Yo, yo, you played yourself...

I'm no authority but I know the D-E-A-L
When it comes to dealin' with the females
What you got they want, cash is what they need
Slip sucker and they'll break you with speed
But you meet a freak, you try to turn her out
Spendin' money's what I'm talkin' about
But you fool out, your pockets got blew out
And after the date, no boots, you got threw out
Mad and shook cos your duckets got took
Call her up, phone's off the hook
But who told you to front and flaunt your grip?
You can't buy no relationship

You played yourself...
Yo, homeboy, you played yourself...

I'm in the MC game, a lot of MC's front
And for the money they're sell out stunts
But they claim that they're rich and that they keep cash
Yo, let me straighten this out fast
Two hundred thousand records sold
And these brothers start yellin' 'bout gold?
You better double that, then double that again
And still don't get sooped, my friend
You think you've made it, you're just a lucky man
Guess who controls your destiny, fans
But you diss 'em cos you think you're a star
That attitude is rude, you won't get far
Cos they'll turn on you quick, you'll drop like a brick
Unemployment's where you'll sit
No friends cos you dissed 'em too
No money, no crew, you're through

You played yourself...
That's right, you played yourself...
You played yourself...
Yo, yo, you played yourself...

You got problems, you claim you need a break
But every dollar you get you take
Straight to the Dopeman, try to get a beam up
Your idle time is spent tryna scheme up
Another way to get money for a jumbo
When you go to sleep you count Five-O's
Lyin' and cheatin', everybody you're beatin'
Dirty clothes and you're skinny cos you haven't been eatin'
You ripped off all your family and your friends
Nowhere does your larceny end
And then you get an idea for a big move
An armed robbery...smooth
But everything went wrong, somebody got shot
You couldn't get away, the cops roll, you're popped
And now you're locked, yo, lampin' on Death Row
Society's fault? No
Nobody put the crack into the pipe
Nobody made you smoke off your life
You thought that you could do dope and still stay cool? Fool.

You played yourself...
You played yourself...
Ain't nobody else's fault, you played yourself

 Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer


Ice-T

Tracy Marrow (born February 16, 1958), better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American rapper and actor. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school, he served in the United States Army for four years. He began his career as a rapper in the 1980s and was signed to Sire Records in 1987, when he released his debut album Rhyme Pays, the first hip-hop album to carry an explicit content sticker. The next year, he founded the record label Rhyme Syndicate Records (named after his collective of fellow hip-hop artists called the Rhyme Syndicate) and released another album, Power. more »

1 fan

Written by: TRACY LAUREN MARROW, CHARLES BOBBIT, JAMES BROWN, FRED WESLEY

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Artist Identity
"You Played Yourself" is a song by the acclaimed American rapper Tracy Lauren Marrow, better known by his stage name, Ice-T.
Album Information
The song is the lead single from Ice-T's third studio album, "The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say!" released in 1989.
Political Orientation
Like many of Ice-T's works, "You Played Yourself" uses politically charged lyrics, with strong emphasis on First Amendment rights and censorship in pop culture.
Critical Acclaim
The album, including "You Played Yourself," has been praised for Ice-T's excellent storytelling skills and powerful social commentary.
Genre Classification
This song, like the majority of Ice-T's music, falls under the genre of gangsta rap, a subgenre of hip hop music that emerged in the mid-late 1980s.
Music Video
The music video for "You Played Yourself" shows Ice-T in different settings such as a party, concert, and interview, transmitting messages about self-responsibility and the consequences of one's actions.
Sample Use
The song features samples from "Little Green Apples" by Monk Higgins and "Love Rollercoaster" by Ohio Players. This is an example of how Ice-T blends various musical influences in his work.
Iconic Phrase
The phrase "You Played Yourself" has since been embraced by hip-hop culture as a term used when someone has sabotaged or undermined themselves through their own actions.
Song Meaning
The song represents Ice-T's views about individuals who try to succeed by taking quick shortcuts or making poor decisions, with the song's main point being - they only end up playing themselves.
Chart Performance
Despite having critical acclaim, "You Played Yourself" did not make high positions on major music charts, reflecting the often controversial nature of Ice-T's music and its reception.
Album Artwork
The cover art for the album "The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say!" features an image of Ice-T with a balaclava covering his face, symbolizing his aggressive musical and lyrical style.
Legacy
Ice-T's body of work, including "You Played Yourself," have contributed significantly to the evolution of hip-hop and paved the way for future generations of rap artists.

Discuss the You Played Yourself Lyrics with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

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

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "You Played Yourself Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3946016/Ice-T/You+Played+Yourself>.

    Missing lyrics by Ice-T?

    Know any other songs by Ice-T? Don't keep it to yourself!

    Watch the song video

    You Played Yourself

    381.8K
    3,061     93

    Browse Lyrics.com

    Quiz

    Are you a music master?

    »
    "Your out of touch, I'm out of time, but I'm out of my head when your not around" is lyrics from a hit 80's song by which artist?
    A Phil Collins
    B Air Supply
    C Hall and Oates
    D Foreigner

    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 Ice-T's

    Upcoming Events

    »
    Ice-T tracks

    On Radio Right Now

    Loading...

    Powered by OnRad.io


    Think you know music? Test your MusicIQ here!