Pound Cake – English Lyrics

• By: Drake, JAY-Z
• Album: Nothing Was The Same

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical prowess of Drake and JAY-Z with "Pound Cake," a standout track that offers a rich vocabulary and complex storytelling. Learning English through this song will expose you to contemporary slang, vivid metaphors, and nuanced expressions of ambition and success in the music world. Its diverse lyrical styles and cultural references make it an engaging piece for advanced language learners to explore the depth of modern hip-hop narratives.

[English]

Good God Almighty, like back in the old days

You know, years ago they had the A&R men to tell you what to play

How to play it, and you know, whether it's disco or rock

But uh, we just went in the studio and we did it

We had champagne in the studio, of course, you know

Compliments of the, the company, and we just laid back and did it

So we hope you enjoy listening to this album half as much

As we enjoyed playing it for you, because we had a ball

Only real music is gonna last

All that other bullshit is here today and gone tomorrow

Cash rules everything around me, frikki-frikki-frik C.R.E.A.M

Get the-get the-get the-get the

Get the-get the-get the-get the money, dollar-dollar

D-d-d-d-dollar-dollar, dollar-dollar bill y'all (y'all, y'all)

Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M

Get the-get the-get the-get the-get the

Get the-get the-get the-get the mon-mon-money

Frikki-frikki-frikki, dollar-dollar-dollar bill y'all (y'all, y'all)

Yeah

Uh, after hours of Il Mulino

Or Sotto Sotto, just talkin' about women and vino

The contract like '91 Dan Marino

I swear this got Michael Rapinos boostin' my ego

Overly focused, it's far from the time to rest now

Debates growing 'bout who they think is the best now

Took a while, got the jokers out of the deck now

I'm holdin' all the cards and niggas wanna play chess now

I hear you talkin', say it twice so I know you meant it

Fuck it, I don't even tint it, they should know who's in it

I'm authentic, real name, no gimmicks

No game, no scrimmage, I ain't playin' with you niggas at all

My classmates, they went on to be chartered accountants

Or work with their parents, but thinkin' back on how they treated me

My high school reunion might be worth an appearance

Make everybody have to go through security clearance

Tables turn, bridges burn, you live and learn

With the ink, I could murder word to my nigga Irv

Yeah, I swear shit just started clickin' dog

You know it's real when you are who you think you are

Cash rules everything around me, frikki-frikki-frik C.R.E.A.M

Get the-get the-get the-get the

Get the-get the-get the-get the money, dollar-dollar

D-d-d-d-dollar-dollar, dollar-dollar bill y'all (y'all, y'all)

Cash rules everything around me, C.R.E.A.M

Get the-get the-get the-get the-get the

Get the-get the-get the-get the mon-mon-money

Frikki-frikki-frikki, dollar-dollar-dollar bill y'all (y'all, y'all)

Uh, I had Benzes 'fore you had braces

The all-black Maybach but I'm not a racist

Inside's whiter than Katy Perry's face is

Yellow diamonds in my Jesús

I just might learn to speak Mandarin

Japanese for the yen that I'm handlin'

International Hov, that's my handle

My saint's Changó, light a candle

El Gran Santo on the mantle

'Case y'all didn't know, I speak Spanish too, uh

Shout Out to World Wide Wes

Everywhere we go we leave a worldwide mess

Yes, still Roc La Familia

Says a lot about you if you not feelin' us

The homie said "Hov, there ain't many of us"

I told him less is more, nigga it's plenty of us

Cash rules everything around me, frikki-frikki-frik C.R.E.A.M.

Get the-get the-get the-get the

Get the-get the-get the-get the money, dollar-dollar

D-d-d-d-dollar-dollar, dollar-dollar bill y'all (y'all, y'all)

Cake, cake-cake, cake-cake, cake

500 million, I got a pound cake

Niggas is frontin', that's upside-down cake

Get 'em a red nose, they clown cakes

They shoulda never let you 'round cake

Look at my neck, I got a karat cake, uh

Now here's the icing on the cake

Cake, cake-cake, cake-cake

Uh, I'm just gettin' started, oh yeah, we got it bitch

I done made more millionaires than the lotto did

Dame made millions, Biggs made millions

Ye made millions, Just made millions

Lyor made millions, Cam made millions

Beans'a tell you if he wasn't in his feelings

Uh, I'm back in my bag

My eyes bloodshot but my jet don't lag

A pair of Jordan 3's tryna chase this cash

Gucci air bag just in case we crash

Uh, last night was mad trill

I'm fresh out of Advil, Jesus grab the wheel

...

Yeah uh

Look, fuck all that "happy to be here" shit that y'all want me on

I'm the big homie, they still be tryna lil' bro me dog

Like I should fall in line

Like I should alert niggas when I'm 'bout to drop somethin' crazy

And not say I'm the greatest of my generation

Like I should be dressin' different

Like I should be less aggressive and pessimistic

Like I should be way more nervous and less dismissive

Like I should be on my best behavior

And not talk my shit and do it major like the niggas who paved the way for us

Like I didn't study the game to the letter

And understand that I'm not doin' it the same, man, I'm doin' it better

Like I didn't make that clearer this year

Like I should feel, I don't know, guilty for saying that

They should put a couple more mirrors in here so I can stare at myself

These are usually just some thoughts that I would share with myself

But I thought "Fuck it", it's worth it to share 'em with someone else more than Paris for once

I text her from time to time, she a mom now

I guess sometimes life forces us to calm down

I told her that she could live with me if she need to, I got a compound

But I think she's straight

'Cause she supported since Hot Beats right before Wayne came and got me

Out of the backroom where I was rapping with Jas over beats that I shouldn't have

In the hopes for the glory

He walked right past in the hallway

Three months later I'm his artist

He probably wouldn't remember that story

But that shit stick with me

Always couldn't believe when he called me

You never know, it could happen to you

And I just spent four Ferraris all on a brand new Bugatti

And did that shit 'cause it's something to do, yeah

I guess that's just who I became, dawg

Nothing was the same, dawg

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cash /kæʃ/ A2	noun - money in the form of bills and coins
cream /kriːm/ B1	noun - the thick white part of milk; also slang for wealth or high‑quality goods
album /ˈæl.bəm/ A2	noun - a collection of recorded music tracks
studio /ˈstjuː.di.oʊ/ B1	noun - a place where music, films, or broadcasts are recorded
champagne /ʃæmˈpeɪn/ B2	noun - a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France
authentic /ɔːˈθen.tɪk/ C1	adjective - genuine; not false or copied
chartered /ˈtʃɑːr.tɚd/ B2	adjective - officially authorized; having a formal charter
accountants /əˈkaʊn.tənts/ B2	noun - people whose job is to keep and examine financial records
security /sɪˈkjʊə.ri/ B1	noun - measures taken to protect against danger or loss
clearance /ˈkliːr.əns/ B2	noun - official permission to proceed, especially from an authority
bridges /brɪdʒɪz/ B1	noun - structures built to span physical obstacles, also metaphorically connections
burn /bɜːrn/ B1	verb - to be on fire; to cause damage by fire; to use up quickly
mandarin /ˈmæn.də.rɪn/ B2	noun - the most widely spoken form of Chinese; also a type of orange
yen /jɛn/ B1	noun - the official currency of Japan; also a strong desire
international /ˌɪn.tɚˈnæʃ.ə.nəl/ B2	adjective - relating to more than one country
saint /seɪnt/ A2	noun - a person recognized as holy or virtuous
generation /ˌdʒen.əˈreɪ.ʃən/ B2	noun - all of the people born and living at about the same time
aggressive /əˈɡres.ɪv/ B2	adjective - forceful, hostile, or eager to dominate
pessimistic /ˌpes.ɪˈmɪs.tɪk/ C1	adjective - tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen
mirrors /ˈmɪr.ərz/ B1	noun - reflective surfaces that show an image
compound /ˈkɒmp.aʊnd/ B2	noun - a fenced or enclosed area, often for a specific purpose; also a chemical substance
bugatti /buˈɡɑː.ti/ C1	noun - luxury high‑performance automobile brand

Key Grammar Structures

• I had Benzes 'fore you had braces

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ The verb "had" is in the Past Simple to talk about a completed action in the past. The word "'fore" is an informal contraction of "before".

• I had Benzes 'fore you had braces

  ➔ Informal contraction "'fore" (short for "before")

  ➔ The word "'fore" is a colloquial shortening of "before" used to keep the rhythm of the line.

• I just might learn to speak Mandarin

  ➔ Modal verb "might" (possibility)

  ➔ The modal "might" expresses a possible future action. The word "might" is highlighted.

• They should put a couple more mirrors in here so I can stare at myself

  ➔ Modal verb "should" (advice)

  ➔ The modal "should" is used to give advice or recommendation. The word "should" is highlighted.

• I swear this got Michael Rapinos boostin' my ego

  ➔ Causative construction "get + object + V‑ing"

  ➔ The pattern "got + object + V‑ing" shows that the subject caused the object to perform the action. The word "got" is highlighted.

• I'm holdin' all the cards and niggas wanna play chess now

  ➔ Present Continuous (Progressive)

  ➔ "I'm holdin'" uses the Present Continuous to describe an action happening right now. The word "holdin'" is highlighted.

• I told her that she could live with me if she need to

  ➔ First Conditional (if + present, will)

  ➔ The clause "if she need to" is a conditional using present simple after "if" to talk about a possible situation. The word "need" is highlighted.

• I done made more millionaires than the lotto did

  ➔ Comparative structure "more … than"

  ➔ The phrase "more millionaires than the lotto did" uses the comparative "more … than" to show a greater amount. The word "more" is highlighted.