RUBBERZ – English Lyrics

• By: Fenix Flexin, Shoreline Mafia, Purps On The Beat

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the vibrant world of Los Angeles street culture through 'RUBBERZ'. This song is a perfect gateway for learners to explore modern American English slang, AAVE (African American Vernacular English), and the rhythmic flow of the West Coast rap scene.

[English]

Swipin' cards and stackin' chips, I saw you sinkin' ships

Left me standin' in the pourin' rain, now I bought a heavy diamond chain (Bling, blaow, blaow)

My pocket's gettin' thicker, the watch is movin' quicker (Quicker, quicker)

Money talk is much louder now

But I can't sleep through the night, can't sleep through the night

Still seein' your face in the glass

Why do you call when you're short on cash? (When you're short)

Can't sleep through the night, I'm losin' my mind tonight (I, I)

Bankrolls on the table (I, I, I), watchin' local cable (Cable now)

Hatin' that I'm able (I'm able now), hatin' that I'm able (I'm able now)

Plastic smiles on Sunset Boulevard, livin' fast and playin' every card

Broken hearts and bitter bills, swallowin' these jagged little pills

Your messages are floodin' in (Floodin' in), thinkin' that you're gonna win (Gon' win)

I just let the rubber band snap

But I can't sleep through the night, can't sleep through the night

Still seein' your face in the glass

Why do you call when you're short on cash?

Can't sleep through the night, I'm losin' my mind tonight

Gold rings on my fingers, still your perfume lingers (It lingers)

Empty bottles and bigger banks (Bigger banks), givin' nobody any thanks (Any thanks)

Not the money (Money, money), not the fame, not the jewelry (Not the jewelry)

But I can't sleep through the night, can't sleep through the night

Still seein' your face in the glass

Why do you call when you're short on cash? (Short on cash)

Can't sleep through the night, I'm losin' my mind tonight (I'm losin' it)

Bankrolls on the table (You hear me now), watchin' local cable (Cable now)

Hatin' that I'm able (I'm able now), hatin' that I'm able (I'm able now)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stackin' /ˈstækɪn/ B1	verb - To pile or accumulate items, often money.
diamond /ˈdaɪəmənd/ A2	noun - A precious stone consisting of a clear and colorless crystalline form of pure carbon.
pocket /ˈpɒkɪt/ A1	noun - A small bag sewn into or on clothing for carrying small articles.
bankrolls /ˈbæŋkroʊlz/ B2	noun - A person's supply of money.
plastic /ˈplæstɪk/ A2	adjective - Artificial, superficial, or lacking sincerity.
bitter /ˈbɪtər/ B1	adjective - Harsh, stinging, or filled with resentment.
jagged /ˈdʒæɡɪd/ B2	adjective - Having ragged, notched, or sharp points.
perfume /ˈpɜːrfjuːm/ B1	noun - A fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils.
lingers /ˈlɪŋɡərz/ C1	verb - To stay in a place longer than necessary; to remain.
jewelry /ˈdʒuːəlri/ A2	noun - Personal ornaments such as necklaces, rings, or bracelets.
swallowin' /ˈswɒləwɪn/ B1	verb - To cause food or drink to pass from the mouth to the stomach.
fame /feɪm/ B1	noun - The state of being known or talked about by many people.
sinkin' /ˈsɪŋkɪn/ A2	verb - To go down below the surface of something.
cable /ˈkeɪbl/ A2	noun - A broadcasting system in which television signals are transmitted via cables.
rubber /ˈrʌbər/ A2	noun - A tough elastic polymeric substance.

Key Grammar Structures

• My pocket's gettin' thicker, the watch is movin' quicker

  ➔ Present Continuous for changing situations

  ➔ Using "gettin'" (getting) and "movin'" (moving) describes a progressive change in state.

• Why do you call when you're short on cash?

  ➔ Present Simple with a subordinate time clause

  ➔ The clause starting with "when" functions as an adverbial clause of time in the present.

• Can't sleep through the night, I'm losin' my mind tonight

  ➔ Ellipsis (omission of subject)

  ➔ The subject "I" is omitted before "Can't" for stylistic emphasis in informal speech.

• Hatin' that I'm able

  ➔ Gerund as the head of an elliptical phrase

  ➔ "Hatin'" (hating) acts as a reduced participial phrase reflecting the subject's current state.

• I just let the rubber band snap

  ➔ Causative verb construction (let + object + bare infinitive)

  ➔ The verb "let" is followed by the object "the rubber band" and the base form verb "snap".

• Still seein' your face in the glass

  ➔ Present participle as a descriptive state

  ➔ "Seein'" (seeing) is used to express an ongoing sensory perception.

• Givin' nobody any thanks

  ➔ Double negative / Negative pronoun usage

  ➔ The phrase combines "nobody" and "any" to intensify the negative sentiment in a non-standard way.

• Not the money, not the fame, not the jewelry

  ➔ Parallel structure for emphasis

  ➔ Repeating the negative particle "not" creates a rhetorical effect of list-building.