Drip or Drown – English Lyrics

• By: Gunna
• Album: Drip or Drown EP

Lyrics & Translation

"Drip or Drown" by Gunna offers a captivating journey into modern hip-hop language and culture. Through its catchy flow and vivid descriptions of luxury and ambition, you can learn common slang related to fashion ("drip"), success, and the fast-paced world of rap. The song's unique blend of melodic delivery and trap beats makes it a special entry point for understanding contemporary American English in music.

[English]

Yeah, yeah

I got woodgrain on my Damier buckle (uh)

Cool quarter mill' in my Goyard duffle (yeah)

I won again, so you still gotta shuffle

Born with the drip and just learned how to hustle (huss)

Look at your bitch through these Dior bifocals (look)

I get me some head, she bend that sh*t over (yeah)

They say lately, I been lookin' like dollars (yeah)

Pinstripe high waters, I dress like a golfer (drip)

We ride in foreigns, ain't no more Impalas (foreigns)

They ain't had the new born, but I got baby bottles (ah)

Shoppin' at Barney's, I drip like a model (yeah)

Watch how I drip when I hit that Met Gala (yeah)

Codeine I sip with my lip, don't get splattered (sip)

Doctor told me I got lean in my bladder (mm)

Run through this cash like family don't matter (cash)

I got your back, feel the same pain together (yeah)

Pop off the tag of my Palm Angels sweater (yeah)

Baby blue Jag made my mom feel better (yeah)

Fucked a snow bunny at my show at Coachella (yeah)

VVS, damn they pointers in my bezel (yeah)

We move too fast, it get slimy as ever (slime)

Life is too grimy, I watch for the devil (grime)

It's a Rolls Royce, and it come with umbrellas (ooh)

2018 in that Porsche Carrera (hey)

Goyard pouch (hey)

Racks in a quarter ounce (hey)

Two accounts (hey)

Large amounts (ooh)

Shop around (hey)

Designer down (ooh)

Drip or drown (hey)

Drip or drown, yeah (ooh)

Killin' these hoes, need to call paramedics (kill)

New Fendi runners, I feel athletic (yeah)

Run that sh*t up, bought my partner a Patek (hey)

Blowin' this cash, it was times we ain't have it (yeah)

Got twenty-one bitches, I must be a savage (yup)

Cook in the kitchen, the dope smell like acid (yup)

Pourin' this Hi-Tech, I'm sippin', relaxin' (yeah)

Vibes in LA, Gunna f**kin' the baddest (vibes)

FN ain't plastic, put him in a casket (uh)

I wiped his nose quickly, pass him a napkin (slime)

Got an addiction and love with this fashion (yeah)

Prayin' for all of my bros like we Catholic (pray)

Lifetime of hatin' 'cause you always be cappin' (hey)

N**gas ain't eatin', stop cappin' and fastin'

Can't get no sleep 'cause my life is all action

See how sh*t happen, I made it in rappin'

Goyard pouch (hey)

Racks in a quarter ounce (hey)

Two accounts (hey)

Large amounts (ooh)

Shop around (hey)

Designer down (ooh)

Drip or drown (hey)

Drip or drown, yeah (ooh)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
drip /drɪp/ B2	noun - a style or fashion sense that is considered cool or luxurious verb - to wear or display expensive or stylish clothing
hustle /ˈhʌsəl/ B1	verb - to work hard or be aggressively busy, often to achieve success
foreign /ˈfɔːrən/ A2	adjective - from another country
splatter /ˈsplætər/ B1	verb - to scatter or splash liquid
grimy /ˈɡraɪmi/ B2	adjective - dirty or unclean
bezel /ˈbɛzəl/ C1	noun - a rim holding a transparent cover over a watch face or gem
athletic /æθˈlɛtɪk/ A2	adjective - relating to sports or physical activity
savage /ˈsævɪdʒ/ B1	adjective - fierce, brutal, or unchecked
vibes /vaɪbz/ A2	noun - a person's emotional state or the atmosphere of a place
casket /ˈkæskɪt/ B2	noun - a coffin
fashion /ˈfæʃən/ A1	noun - a popular or latest style of clothing
plastic /ˈplæstɪk/ A1	adjective - made of a synthetic material that can be molded
patek /pəˈtɛk/ C1	noun - a luxury watch brand (Patek Philippe)
golfer /ˈɡɑːlfər/ A1	noun - a person who plays golf
model /ˈmɑːdəl/ A1	noun - a person who poses for artists or photographers
umbrella /ʌmˈbrɛlə/ A1	noun - a device used for protection against rain

Key Grammar Structures

• I got woodgrain on my Damier buckle (uh)

  ➔ present simple with 'got' (possessive)

  ➔ The verb "got" is used in the present simple to mean "have" – I "got" woodgrain = I have woodgrain.

• Born with the drip and just learned how to hustle (huss)

  ➔ past participle phrase + simple past

  ➔ "Born" is a past participle used as an adjective meaning "I was born"; "just learned" is simple past showing a recent action.

• Look at your bitch through these Dior bifocals (look)

  ➔ imperative sentence

  ➔ "Look" is the base form of the verb used to give a command – "Look at…".

• They say lately, I been lookin' like dollars (yeah)

  ➔ present perfect progressive (contracted) – "have/has been"

  ➔ "I "been lookin'" is a colloquial contraction of "I have been looking" – present perfect progressive showing a state that started recently and continues.

• Codeine I sip with my lip, don't get splattered (sip)

  ➔ negative imperative – "don't + base verb"

  ➔ "don't get splattered" uses "don't" + base verb to give a negative command: "Do not get splattered".

• Run through this cash like family don't matter (cash)

  ➔ simile clause with present simple negative

  ➔ "like family don't matter" is a simile introduced by "like"; the clause "family don't matter" uses present simple negative to compare.

• Got twenty‑one bitches, I must be a savage (yup)

  ➔ modal verb "must" + base verb

  ➔ "must be" expresses a strong inference or assumption: "I must be a savage" = I am certainly a savage.

• Cook in the kitchen, the dope smell like acid (yup)

  ➔ subject‑verb agreement error (singular vs. plural)

  ➔ "the dope" is singular, so the verb should be "smells"; the lyric says "smell" which is a common colloquial slip.

• Prayin' for all of my bros like we Catholic (pray)

  ➔ present participle clause used as adverbial – "Prayin'"

  ➔ "Prayin'" (praying) is a present participle that functions like an adverbial clause meaning "while praying" or "as I pray".