If there’s one thing rappers and hip-hop artists love to sing about, it’s money. Talking about their fancy cars and iced out wrists comes as part of the territory and it’s what we’ve come to love about the genre. Another thing that we associate with making big bucks is gambling and playing cards, so mixing it with rap and hip-hop is a match made in heaven.
Whether you want to get in the mood for playing some card games yourself or you just enjoy listening to some badass rap music, here are five of the best songs about gambling.
1. Mo Money Mo Problems – The Notorious B.I.G. Featuring Puff Daddy & Ma$e
If you consider yourself a rap and hip-hop fan, this one is an absolute classic. In it, they speak about the problems that come along with being rich, saying that the more of it they have, the more problems they have too.
One of the lines brings a gambling reference too: “We don’t play around, it’s a bet, lay it down”. They take care of their money and lifestyle, saying that it’s all a bet that they take very seriously. It’s a great song that warns against the dangers of greed but is still an absolute hit to this day!
RIP The Notorious B.I.G. 18 years today… pic.twitter.com/qdDa4m6klo
— LADbible (@ladbible) March 9, 2015
Source: Twitter.com
2. Vegas – Kendrick Lamar
In this song, Lamar combines the thrill of gambling to the way a woman makes him feel. In it, he references popular casino games and uses them as metaphors for how he plans to win this girl over.
The games included here include blackjack and poker where players bet money for the chance to win a high amount. If you want to learn more about these games, you can get info from here. Overall, in this song, ‘Vegas’ is the woman he was scared to approach, but she was worth the gamble to him.
3. It Was a Good Day – Ice Cube
In this track, Ice Cube talks about his perfect 24 hours which are complete with a meat-free breakfast, sexual encounters, and of course, gambling. It’s by no means a PG song, with a teacher even getting in trouble for assigning it to his students as homework.
One of the lines goes “What’s the haps on the craps? Shake ’em up, shake ’em up” and references the popular casino game Craps where players win by rolling 7s continuously. Judging by the next couple of lines, he fares pretty well since he “picked up the cash flow”.
@RAIDERS, Great win last night! pic.twitter.com/SrM2aVpDj0
— Ice Cube (@icecube) October 7, 2013
Source: Twitter.com
4. All about the Benjamins by Did ft. The Notorious B.I.G., Lil Kim & The Lox
Another song which idolizes the life of the rich and famous is, of course, All About the Benjamins. This is another classic track where the rappers brag about all their ‘Benjamins’ ($100 bills) and talk about “livin’ the raw deal” where money buys everything you could ever want.
While it doesn’t explicitly mention gambling or card games, it certainly glorifies the lifestyle of living it large with lots of money and can be a great track to get in the mood for it.
5. Life is a Gamble – Big K.R.I.T
This track by Big K.R.I.T uses gambling as a metaphor for life and how we take bets on everything in it. He talks about rolling the dice and cashing in chips in different areas of his life and how he has gambled on a lot.
It’s a deep message for a rap song but using gambling as a tool for the narrative drives the point home in an effective way.
If you’re into rap and hip-hop music as well as card games and gambling, these are the perfect songs for you. They are great for getting in the mood for playing the casino or great just to add to your playlist.
