You Played Yourself

Album: The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech... Just Watch What You Say (1989)
Charted: 64
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Ice-T sends a warning to the aspiring rappers and drug dealers who neglect their education, believing everything is going to work out for them. When it doesn't, they'll learn the hard lesson: they played themselves.

    Ice-T had been around the block - he was in his 30s and had seen many wannabe gangsters and rappers get chewed up.
  • The track is based on the 1973 James Brown song "The Boss," which appeared in the film Black Caesar. On his previous album, Ice-T released "I'm Your Pusher," which sampled the Curtis Mayfield song "Pusherman" from another blaxploitation film, Super Fly. In a Songfacts interview with Ice-T, he explained: "We were just vibing off of different things, and at that time, my whole image was the player, the hustler. We said, 'How about we base a lot of my music off of blaxploitation music?'"
  • Ice-T crafted the song with his producer, Afrika Islam. The writers of "The Boss" - James Brown, Charles Bobbit and Fred Wesley - are also credited as composers.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Laura Nyro

Laura NyroSongwriting Legends

Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art.

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

U2 Lyrics

U2 LyricsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the lyrics of U2?