Wockesha

Album: A Gangsta's Pain (2021)
Charted: 20
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Wockesha" is Moneybagg Yo's name for the addictive beverage "lean," or "purple drank." Made with soda or fruit juice mixed with prescription-strength cough syrup and hard candy, the concoction is popular in southern United States hip-hop culture.

    During this trippy cut, Moneybagg personifies lean as a woman called "Wockesha" and explores their toxic relationship. The rapper derived the name from Wockhardt, an Indian pharmaceutical company who manufactures cough syrup.
  • Once a lean addict, Moneybagg had been clean of the drug for a while before recording this cut. He told Billboard about writing a song about his old habit: "You had to just blank out, you had to just go into the studio and close your eyes and think about everything you've done. That's what I did, just close my eyes and reflect back on everything."
  • YC, Javar Rockamore, and RealRed's production incorporates a sample of the keyboard riff from Debarge's 1983 song "Stay With Me." Though the song was never a hit, "Stay With Me" has been a popular choice for sampling by hip-hop, R&B and pop acts, including Notorious B.I.G. on his 1994 cut "One More Chance," Ashanti on her 2002 hit "Foolish," and Mariah Carey on her 2008 track "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time."
  • Moneybagg Yo likens his past relationship with lean to a romantic relationship, noting how hard it can be to quit both. "It's like relapsing, and that's the same thing people do with drugs and other stuff," he told Apple Music of the somber song. "They'll say, 'I'm through doing this, I'm through doing that,' but then they'll get back on it. So, I just went off the concept of that. I'm just painting pictures."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Mick Jones of Foreigner

Mick Jones of ForeignerSongwriter Interviews

Foreigner's songwriter/guitarist tells the stories behind the songs "Juke Box Hero," "I Want To Know What Love Is," and many more.

TV Theme Songs

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.

Dave Mason

Dave MasonSongwriter Interviews

Dave reveals the inspiration for "Feelin' Alright" and explains how the first song he ever wrote became the biggest hit for his band Traffic.

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.