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Mind Playing Tricks on Me

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"Mind Playing Tricks on Me"
Single by Geto Boys
from the album We Can't Be Stopped
ReleasedJuly 1, 1991 (1991-07-01)
Recorded1991
Genre
Length5:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Brad Jordan
  • Doug King
  • William Dennis
Producer(s)Scarface
Geto Boys singles chronology
"Do It Like a G.O."
(1990) 		"Mind Playing Tricks on Me"
(1991) 		"I Ain't With Being Broke"
(1992)
Audio sample
"Mind Playing Tricks on Me"

"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" is a song by Geto Boys, featured on their 1991 album We Can't Be Stopped. The lyrics describe the mental anguish and exhaustion of life as a gangster, including dealing with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, paranoia, suicidal ideation, and loneliness. It also samples "Hung Up on My Baby" by Isaac Hayes, from his 1974 film Tough Guys.[1] At the song's peak, it reached 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting single by the Geto Boys.

Background

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The song was originally intended for a Scarface solo album as he penned three of the song's four verses.[2] However, the Geto Boys' label, Rap-A-Lot Records, decided that the record would be more valuable as a breakout single for the group.[3]

On an episode of Yo! MTV Raps: Classic Cuts, Scarface and his grandmother spoke about how she inspired the track "Mind Playing Tricks on Me".[4] Scarface's grandmother was reportedly mumbling to herself, and when asked, "'Mama, what you talkin' about?'" replied, "'Oh, nothing, my mind's just playing tricks on me'".[5]

In 1994 Scarface recorded a new solo version of the song titled "Mind Playin' Tricks '94", for his album The Diary.

Reception and legacy

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"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" has received critical praise since it was first released. In 2012, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it the fifth greatest hip-hop song of all time and at No. 192 on their "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time".[6][7] The song was ranked number 18 out of 100 Best Rap Songs Of All Time by LiveAbout.[8] VH1 ranked the song 82 on its list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90's, and 45 on its list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop.[9][10] 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."[11] The song was also included in The Pitchfork 500, a compilation book of the greatest 500 songs from 1976 to 2006.[12]

On a 2019 episode of NPR's Morning Edition, Rodney Carmichael described the song as unique because at the time of its release it emphasized the trauma and vulnerability of life in the streets.[13]

References and sampling

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"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" has been referenced and sampled by numerous artists. The Kottonmouth Kings made a cover of the song for their 2001 album, Hidden Stash II: The Kream of the Krop. The Insane Clown Posse also covered the song with Anybody Killa (also known as ABK) and Lil Wyte on their 2012 album, Smothered, Covered & Chunked. Rapper Kodak Black sampled the song in his song, Transportin'.

In a 2012 Complex magazine interview, rapper Kid Cudi cited "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" as his "favorite song in the world".[14] Kid Cudi further revealed that the song was the inspiration for his hit single, "Day 'n' Nite", saying, "I love it so much I wanted to make my own version of it. And then "Day 'n' Nite" came out of it".[14]

It was also featured on Grand Theft Auto V's fictional radio station West Coast Classics.[15]

Hip-hop group Clipping's 2020 album Visions of Bodies Being Burned is titled after a lyric in the song.

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Radio Version)
  2. "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Dirty Version)
  3. "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Club Version)
  4. "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Instrumental)

Charts

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Chart (1991) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 23
US Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard)[17] 32
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[18] 10
US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[19] 1

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[20] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks on Me, retrieved 2020-01-13
  2. ^ "Stressed Out: How 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me' Gave Anxiety A Home In Hip-Hop". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  3. ^ "Stressed Out: How 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me' Gave Anxiety A Home In Hip-Hop". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  4. ^ Markman, Rob. "Scarface's Grandma Inspired 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me'". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  5. ^ Markman, Rob. "Scarface's Grandma Inspired 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me'". MTV News. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  6. ^ "50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 5 December 2012.
  7. ^ "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2021-09-15. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  8. ^ Adaso, Henry. "The 100 Best Rap Songs Spanning Over 40 Years of the Genre's History". LiveAbout. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  9. ^ "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s". Spinditty. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  10. ^ "VH1's 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs". Stereogum. 2008-09-29. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  11. ^ "The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50-21". Pitchfork. 2 September 2010. Retrieved 2020-01-09.
  12. ^ Plagenhoef, Scott; Schreiber, Ryan, eds. (November 2008). The Pitchfork 500. Simon & Schuster. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-4165-6202-3.
  13. ^ "Stressed Out: How 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me' Gave Anxiety A Home In Hip-Hop". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  14. ^ a b "Soundtrack To My Life: Kid Cudi's 25 Favorite Albums". Complex. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  15. ^ "Grand Theft Auto V: The official, final tracklist has been revealed". 2 October 2013.
  16. ^ "Geto Boys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  17. ^ "Geto Boys – Awards". AllMusic. TiVo Corporation. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  18. ^ "Geto Boys Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  19. ^ "Geto Boys Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  20. ^ "American single certifications – Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks on Me". Recording Industry Association of America.
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