Mind Playing Tricks on Me
Encyclopedia
Mind Playing Tricks on Me is a single by the Geto Boys
, featured on their 1991 album
We Can't Be Stopped
.
The lyrics used within describe various mental states such as hallucination, delusion and paranoia. The sample used in the song is 'Hung Up On My Baby' by Isaac Hayes
from his 1974 film Tough Guys. It was the only number-one single (chart: Hot Rap Singles) ever released by the Geto Boys
. It reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100
, making it the highest charting single by the Geto Boys
. It was also certified Gold by the RIAA. It has been regarded as one of the best hip hop songs to come out of the 90's.
ranked the song 82 on its list of 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's and 45 on its list of 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. Pitchfork Media
ranked the song #45 on its Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s list, with reviewer Tom Breihan writing "This track established the South as a serious force in the music, proving that these Texans could do dark better than anyone on either coast." The song was also included in the "Pitchfork 500", a book of the greatest 500 songs from '76-'06 published by Pitchfork Media
.
The song has also been referenced and sampled by other artists. The Kottonmouth Kings remade the song for their album Hidden Stash II: The Kream of the Krop under the same name. Kryptik & Team Death made a remix of the song for the compilation "Devil's Nite 2k8" titled "Mind Playing Tricks On Me '08." Brazilian rapper Gabriel o Pensador
sampled "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" in his song "Lavagem Cerebral", from his 1993 album "Gabriel o Pensador". "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" has been referenced by Prodigy
, of Mobb Deep
fame, in his single, "Mac 10 Handle", and by The Clipse, in the song "Nightmares" of their second album, Hell Hath No Fury
. The Notorious B.I.G.
references "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" and sings the guitar line from the song's chorus (originally sampled from the Isaac Hayes
song "Hung up on my Baby") in his hit "One More Chance." In the song "She Lives In My Lap" off the highly successful 2003 OutKast
album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
, Andre 3000
samples Scarface's vocals from the track. In the track "Walk in the Streets" The Game
references the song with the lines: "Must I remind you of that Geto Boy track/ Your mind is playing tricks on you, you'll never go plaque". Game also references the song in his 2010 song "Big Money" with the Hook: "I got big money, I drive big cars, everybody know me, It's like I'm a movie star." In his album The B. Coming
, Beanie Sigel
, in the highly acclaimed song "Feel it in the Air", recycles a lyric from Scarface's intro to the song - "I sit alone in my four cornered room". Destiny's Child
's "Illusion" featuring Wyclef
and Pras
sampled "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" on their eponymous 1998 self-titled
first album
. A vocal sample from the song is used in the song "Big Money, Big Cars" by Killer Mike
featuring Chamillionaire
and Messy Marv
released in 2008 on the I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II
.
Stephan Jenkins
of alternative rock
band Third Eye Blind
said this, along with other rap songs from the early '90s, helped shape Third Eye Blind's hit song "Semi-Charmed Life
".
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
, featured on their 1991 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
We Can't Be Stopped
We Can't Be Stopped
We Can't Be Stopped was the 4th studio album by Geto Boys, released in 1991. It was among their most successful records in terms of units sold. The album is broken down track-by-track by Geto Boys in Brian Coleman's book Check the Technique. We Can't Be Stopped was certified Platinum in early...
.
The lyrics used within describe various mental states such as hallucination, delusion and paranoia. The sample used in the song is 'Hung Up On My Baby' by Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
from his 1974 film Tough Guys. It was the only number-one single (chart: Hot Rap Singles) ever released by the Geto Boys
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
. It reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, making it the highest charting single by the Geto Boys
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
. It was also certified Gold by the RIAA. It has been regarded as one of the best hip hop songs to come out of the 90's.
Reception and legacy
"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" has received acclaim over the years. It was selected as one of many songs you must hear & download in the musical reference book, 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download. The song was rated number 18 in the 100 Greatest Rap Songs by About.com. VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
ranked the song 82 on its list of 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's and 45 on its list of 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop. Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
ranked the song #45 on its Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s list, with reviewer Tom Breihan writing "This track established the South as a serious force in the music, proving that these Texans could do dark better than anyone on either coast." The song was also included in the "Pitchfork 500", a book of the greatest 500 songs from '76-'06 published by Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
.
The song has also been referenced and sampled by other artists. The Kottonmouth Kings remade the song for their album Hidden Stash II: The Kream of the Krop under the same name. Kryptik & Team Death made a remix of the song for the compilation "Devil's Nite 2k8" titled "Mind Playing Tricks On Me '08." Brazilian rapper Gabriel o Pensador
Gabriel o Pensador
Gabriel Contino, Gabriel o Pensador , is a Brazilian rapper.-Biography:Coming from a unique background among Brazilian rappers, Gabriel, the son of a well known journalist in Brazil, hit fame in 1992 with the song "Tô Feliz " the debut single from his first...
sampled "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" in his song "Lavagem Cerebral", from his 1993 album "Gabriel o Pensador". "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" has been referenced by Prodigy
Prodigy (rapper)
Lance Albert Johnson Banks, better known as Prodigy, is an American rapper and one half of the hip-hop and rap duo Mobb Deep....
, of Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
fame, in his single, "Mac 10 Handle", and by The Clipse, in the song "Nightmares" of their second album, Hell Hath No Fury
Hell Hath No Fury
Hell Hath No Fury is the critically acclaimed second album of Virginia hip hop duo Clipse, released on December 7, 2006 in the U.S. and in November of 2006 in some parts of Europe. Like the group's debut album, Hell Hath No Fury is produced by The Neptunes. The guest appearances are limited to...
. The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
references "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" and sings the guitar line from the song's chorus (originally sampled from the Isaac Hayes
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
song "Hung up on my Baby") in his hit "One More Chance." In the song "She Lives In My Lap" off the highly successful 2003 OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is the fifth studio album by American hip hop duo OutKast, released September 23, 2003 on LaFace Records in the United States. Issued as a double album, it clocks in at over two hours and consists of a solo album from both of the group's members...
, Andre 3000
André 3000
André Lauren Benjamin , better known by his stage name André 3000 is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and actor, best known for being part of American hip-hop duo OutKast alongside fellow rapper Big Boi...
samples Scarface's vocals from the track. In the track "Walk in the Streets" The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
references the song with the lines: "Must I remind you of that Geto Boy track/ Your mind is playing tricks on you, you'll never go plaque". Game also references the song in his 2010 song "Big Money" with the Hook: "I got big money, I drive big cars, everybody know me, It's like I'm a movie star." In his album The B. Coming
The B. Coming
The B. Coming is the third studio album by rapper Beanie Sigel, released by Dame Dash Music Group on March 29, 2005. The album contains 15 songs. Special guests include Freeway, Redman, Snoop Dogg, Bun B, Jay-Z, Cam'ron, and others...
, Beanie Sigel
Beanie Sigel
Dwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
, in the highly acclaimed song "Feel it in the Air", recycles a lyric from Scarface's intro to the song - "I sit alone in my four cornered room". Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
's "Illusion" featuring Wyclef
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
and Pras
Pras
Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known as Pras, is a Grammy Award-winning Haitian-American rapper, actor, film producer, and member of the hip hop trio The Fugees.-Early life:...
sampled "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" on their eponymous 1998 self-titled
first album
Destiny's Child (album)
Destiny's Child is the self-titled debut album of R&B group Destiny's Child, released by Columbia Records in 1998. It featured the singles "No, No, No" and "With Me" and won Best R&B/Soul Album of the Year at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, but due to both singles having a remix as well as...
. A vocal sample from the song is used in the song "Big Money, Big Cars" by Killer Mike
Killer Mike
Michael Render , better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, signed to Grind Time Official through the SMC/Fontana Distribution...
featuring Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
and Messy Marv
Messy Marv
Marvin Watson, better known by his stage name Messy Marv, is an American rapper from Pittsburg, CA, but represents the Fillmore Area of San Francisco, CA.Messy Marv is affiliated with the blood gang...
released in 2008 on the I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II
I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II
I Pledge Alliance To The Grind II is Killer Mike's third studio album,released on July 8, 2008. It features guest spots by 8Ball & MJG, Chamillionaire and Ice Cube, among others. Collaborations with UGK, Trae and Yo Gotti were also announced, but do not appear on the final tracklist of the album...
.
Stephan Jenkins
Stephan Jenkins
Stephan Douglas Jenkins , is an American musician best known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Third Eye Blind. Under Jenkins's leadership, Third Eye Blind has sold over eight million copies of four albums: Third Eye Blind , Blue , Out of the Vein , and Ursa Major...
of alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American alternative rock band formed in the early 1990s in San Francisco. The songwriting duo of Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins signed the band's first major label recording contract with Elektra records in 1996 resulting in two multi platinum albums. The band's lineup...
said this, along with other rap songs from the early '90s, helped shape Third Eye Blind's hit song "Semi-Charmed Life
Semi-Charmed Life
"Semi-Charmed Life" is Third Eye Blind's first single off their self-titled debut album, released in 1997. It was a major hit of the 1990s, reaching number four in the U.S., number one on the Modern Rock Tracks and the Top 40 in the UK. Furthermore, it has had a pervasive cultural impact, being...
".
Track listing
- "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Radio Version)
- "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Dirty Version)
- "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Club Version)
- "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Instrumental)
Chart Awards
| Chart | Position |
|---|---|
| The Billboard hot 100 | # 23 |
| Hot Rap Singles | # 1 |
| Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | # 10 |
| Hot Dance Music/Maxi Single Sales | # 32 |