Call Ya Bluff

Album: Ludaversal (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This aggressive track finds Ludacris venting about rappers who won't approach him in person the same way they speak of him in the booth. "I'm tired of people in rap music – and it's nobody in particular – it's just [that] I've been in my share of industry beefs and things of that nature," Ludacris said during a Ludaversal listening party. "But it's still people that talk s--t, whether it's subliminal or not. It's like… I just hate when they say something behind the microphone and then you see them in person and then they're like, "uhh…nah, you know it wasn't nothing."
  • Ludacris warns his haters not to mess with him during his second verse, because he'll do anything to protect his family. "I never claim to be the hardest dude in the life," he said, "but you f--k with my livelihood, my family and my kids and it's gonna be some problems, ya hear."
  • To call someone's bluff means to challenge a person on their stated intention. In the game of poker, (which was formerly known as bluff), calling someone's bluff historically meant making an opponent show their hand to reveal its value was weaker than the heavy betting suggested. Ludacris is saying here that he doesn't believe that any of the rappers slandering him on their records are truly man enough to approach him in person with their beef, so he calls their bluff.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

They Might Be Giants

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.

Angelo Moore of Fishbone

Angelo Moore of FishboneSongwriter Interviews

Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

Tim McIlrath of Rise AgainstSongwriter Interviews

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath explains the meanings behind some of their biggest songs and names the sci-fi books that have influenced him.