[Intro: Juicy J] Due to his success, the artist is capable of
Juicy J’s feature is ironic, as he is well-
known in the rap community for flaunting
his money and success.
The hook is used to display a
contradiction with Vince because it has a
very party ready sound contradicting that
he might see the allure of money in his
life as a vice now or not actually very
important to him. How one looks at their
circumstances determines their happiness
or feeling of success or vice versa, not the
actual money itself.
These hardships would have
understandably brought sleepless nights.
The artist had to endure many troubles
growing up and in his adolescence.
The artist is stating that his victims
won’t live to see the next day
when his gang crosses them. This is
a reference to common practice in
gang culture where opposing gang
members would ‘drive by’ and
murder the others due to clashes.
Tryna make it up out that jam, god damn
Bag back, let me make my bands, got plans
“Bands” is slang for money, referring
to rubber bands wrapped around
stacks of cash to keep them together,
further emphasizing the amount of
money the artist possess. This is also a
reference to another song of the artist
‘BagBak’
Now with the new fortune that
rapping has given him he is thinking
about the old times when he had to
take the bus while sitting in his
Mercedes Benz. Far from his old life of
being a gangster and struggling to get
by, and having to resort to gang
violence and practices to survive.
You can get anything you want “ballin,” but he doesn’t indulge in these
Know what I'm saying? activities. He only uses the money to
You want that over there? sustain himself and it isn’t necessarily
You want that over there? bringing him happiness on its own; he
I got you wants that people understand him as an
average person instead of a famous
[Chorus: Juicy J] person.
I was up late night ballin'
Annotated Lyrics
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand This could be referring to a simple bad time
I was up late night ballin' in his past, or he could be referencing how
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand his life of balling and being a rapper has put
distance between him and his days as a
[Verse 1: Vince Staples] gangster. He’s come pretty far financially,
I was up late night balling mentally, and emotionally.
So far from my past misfortune
No sleepin', late nights no eatin'
Gun squeezing, I'm a real Artesian
Ramona, I was round that corner
Still down, I'm a Norf Norf soldier This is a reference to another one of the
G slide right down do Sawyer artist’s song “Norf Norf” from his 2015
When we slide, you won't see morning album Summertime ‘06. Furthermore,
Another story of a young black man this implies that gang violence is a war,
with the artist being a soldier.
If you hatin' don't shake my hand
Take it easy, homie It’s about the artist being the fish and is
Reminiscin' sitting in that Benz outgrowing his home surroundings like
Of the 22 bus stop way back when crime, poverty, and losing friends to gang
With the 22, 5 shot eyes on scan activity (‘out that jam’). He wants to branch
For the click, clack, clap out into the world which can be
Or the boop, bop, bam, cuz represented as the lakes and oceans. In the
metaphorical lakes and oceans, the artist
will face various issues and problems which
can be represented by sharks and other
[Chorus: Juicy J] bigger fish.
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
To “swim upstream” means to
behave in a way that’s contrary
to what is traditional and
accepted, going against societal
norms, while “bread” refers to
money. The “sharks” are greedy,
ruthless individuals that go to
great lengths to take advantage
of his achievements. The artist is
trying to escape his past and
make a better future for himself
despite what is expected of him
i.e. born into poverty and
expected to never amount to
anything.
This is a tribute to famous and influential
rapper also from Long Beach (as is the
original artist Vince) Snoop Dogg and his
2002 album Paid Tha Cost To Be Da Bo$$.
A foreign is a luxury car made in
[Verse 2: Vince Staples]
Europe. The artist is saying that
It's funny I was going crazy not too long ago
Women problems every morning like the Maury show when he is in his car, his GPS is
set to someone’s his haters
Swimming upstream while I'm tryna keep my bread
mama’s house. Meaning he is
From the sharks make me wanna put the hammer to my head
heading over in his car to have
At the park politickin' with the kids
sex with their mama.
Tryna get em on a straight path, got the lames mad
Know they hate to see me make cash, got the space dash
In the foreign with the GPS addressed to your mama house
Compensation conversations what I'm all about
Took the smart route, never been marked out
Shoulda been dead broke, shoulda been chalked out
But it didn't happen, now it's time to get it cracking The artists describes his choices not
Quarterbackin' like I'm 40 Water to pursue the gang lifestyle that
Mix the holy water with the Voss traps many people growing up in
“Norf” Long Beach.
Wanna be the boss then you gotta pay the cost
Learned it from the Dogg I'm from Long Beach
Marked out can refer to he was
That's the city where the skinny carry strong heat never the target for a gang hit or, in
a similar vein to the subsequent
line, was never marked out with
[Chorus: Juicy J] chalk on the ground. In a crime
I was up late night ballin' scene, investigators use chalk to
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand outline a murder victim’s body. This
goes nicely with the play on words
I was up late night ballin'
of being ‘'dead broke.’'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand
I was up late night ballin'
Countin' up hundreds by the thousand