Hip-hop artists love to talk about money. It’s perfectly natural to hear them talk about how fast their car is or how much ice they have on their wrists – but this is just one of the many reasons why the genre is so awesome.
Being rich also has links with gambling and playing cards, so it’s not uncommon to hear a reference here and there. One example is the betting company Mostbet, which has become a popular platform for both sports betting and online casino games.
Whether it’s listening to some music to pump you up for a workout, or you want to get in the mood for some cards yourself, here are 6 of hip-hop’s all-time greatest lyrics about gambling.
1. “We Don’t Play Around, It’s A Bet, Lay It Down”
Let’s start with lyrics from an iconic hip-hop song about gambling, courtesy of Mo Money Mo Problems by The Notorious B.I.G. Featuring Puff Daddy & Ma$e.
Anyone that considers themselves a fan of hip-hop and gambling should listen to this song. They talk about how being rich comes with its own problems: the more that they make, the more problems seem to come along.
The line “We don’t play around, it’s a bet, lay it down” is legendary in gambling circles. They talk about taking care of their cash and lifestyle – it’s a bet that they are taking very seriously.
The song overall warns against the dangers of getting too greedy. It was a huge hit when it first came out and remains so to this day.
2. “Against All Odds And I Will Not Stop, They Try And Keep Me On Bottom But I Prefer The Top”
This comes from I’m So Paid by Akon Feat. Lil Wayne & Young Jeezy. It shows that no matter how much you money you’d be willing to bet on him failing, he will keep on pushing to reach the top – very powerful stuff.
There are other great lines in this song, though they may not be as motivational as this one. For example, the line “Number one hustla getting’ money/Why you wanna count my money?/I’m a hustla don’t need them/One of y’all, you see, I’m so paid” talks about how he’s so rich, he is starting to ‘sound like money’ – whatever that means.
Then there’s “I’d rather have them dollar bills rain on me/Than to let them haters come and make a name off me.” Who wouldn’t want to be apart of this?
3. “If Gambling’s A Sin, Then I’m Rollin’ Dice With Lucifer To Make Sure I Ain’t Losin’ You”
This line comes from Vegas by Kendrick Lamar. He talks about how he is willing to gamble with his life, even if he goes to hell at the end, so he can be with the one he loves.
The overall song is about how Lamar fuses the thrill that comes with gambling and casinos to the way he feels about a woman.
The song has many references to gambling, using popular games as metaphors to explain how he plans to woo the girl.
The lines just before, “Doin’ blackjack, twenty-one, twenty thousand in it, Probably twenty more before I’m done”, show just how far he will go.
If you need a song to help you put all the chips in the middle, this is the one for you.
4. “What’s The Haps On The Craps? Shake ’Em Up, Shake ’Em Up”
This line comes from It Was a Good Day by Ice Cube. It doesn’t take a genius to realize he’s talking about craps, but he clearly has better luck than the majority of players judging by the next lines: “picked up the cash flow” after rolling “seven, seven-eleven, seven-eleven, seven”
The overall track is Cube rapping about his perfect day. Note that this song is not PG by any stretch of the imagination, though if you’re old enough to gamble, you’ll be alright listening to it.
5. “They Say Life (Is A gamble) So Be Careful When You Shake Em Up”
These lyrics come from Life is a Gamble by Big K.R.I.T. Like the Kenrick Lamar song previously, it uses gambling as a metaphor. In this case, it talks about how we make bets on our life. Big K.R.I.T himself expresses how he rolled the dice and cashed in from the different areas of his life, but others aren’t always so lucky.
The overall message from the song is quite deep, but the way he uses gambling to communicate it certainly drives it home.
6. “I Got Cash In F*** You Quantities”
These lyrics come from I Got Cash by Brooklyn Funk Essentials and just show you what the artist thinks about you and everyone else – just as how a gambler thinks at the table. All they care about is how they can take money away from someone else and add it to their stack.
The song overall is very bold. The language is very explicit, maintaining the general theme – the lyrics above are just one such example. But they can get away with it all because they have so much money.
There is also a connection to freedom of speech and thought, something that is priceless in today’s society. Be sure to listen carefully to all the lyrics.
Bonus. “Livin’ The Raw Deal”
Ok, so while this line comes from All about the Benjamins by Did ft. The Notorious B.I.G., Lil Kim & The Lox (a song not strictly about gambling), it didn’t seem right to keep it off this list – perfect for getting you in the mood for an online casino session.
The song is all about, you guessed it, Benjamins ie $100 bills. The line “livin’ the raw deal” references how they can buy anything they would ever want.
Conclusion
Fans of hip-hop, gambling and card games should listen to these songs as soon as possible. Even if they don’t make you want to head to the tables, they still make for excellent additions to your current playlist.
