10 Bands – English Lyrics

• By: Drake
• Album: If You're Reading This It's Too Late

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the world of contemporary English slang and confident expression with Drake's '10 Bands.' This track from his acclaimed mixtape 'If You're Reading This It's Too Late' offers an authentic glimpse into modern hip-hop lyricism, rich with colloquialisms and direct language. By exploring its lines, you can learn about common phrases related to money and success, as well as Drake's unique narrative style. Its straightforward yet impactful delivery makes it an engaging song for understanding natural conversational English in a musical context.

[English]

10 Bands, 50 bands 100 bands, fuck it man

Let's just not even discuss it man O-M-G

Niggas sleep, I ain't trippin' I'ma let em sleep

I ain't trippin' let em rest in peace

I can tell ya how it happened

I can tell ya bout them safe house nights out in Calabasas

I can tell you not a rapper

Tryna sell these story I don't even open up the package

Who you with? What you claim?

I was paying momma's rent was I turning 17

Sold it dirty like Diana never clean

My ex ask me where I'm moving I said "On to better things"

10 Bands, 50 bands 100 bands, fuck it man

Let's just not even discuss it man O-M-G

Niggas sleep, I ain't trippin' I'ma let em sleep

I ain't trippin' let em rest in peace

I been in the crib with the phones off

I been at the house taking no calls

I done hit the stride got my shit going

In the six cooking with the wrist motion

Drapes closed I don't know what time it is

I'm still awake I gotta shine this year

I could never ever let the streets down

Haven't left the condo in a week now

10 Bands, 50 bands 100 bands, fuck it man

Let's just not even discuss it man O-M-G

Niggas sleep, I ain't trippin' I'ma let em sleep

I ain't trippin' let em rest in peace

I been on a mission haven't left the condo

This that OvO that SZN this that new Toronto

I get boxes of free Jordan like I play for North Carolina

How much I make off the deal, how the fuck should I know?

All my watches always timeless you can keep the diamonds

Treating diamonds of Atlanta like it's king of diamonds

Take a flick I look like Meechie look like Bleu DaVinci

I treat V Live like it's 07 in Magic City

Man I told my city I'd be gone till November, then November came

Then I came, right back on my worst behav'

6 God put both hands together that's amazing grace

6 God selfish with the love, I need all the praise

(Woo)

They got me feeling like the one again

(Woo)

They got me feeling like the one again

Yeah shout goes out to Nike checks all over me

I need a FuelBand just to see how long the run has been

10 Bands, 50 bands 100 bands, fuck it man

Let's just not even discuss it man O-M-G

Niggas sleep, I ain't trippin' I'ma let em sleep

I ain't trippin' let em rest in peace

I been in the crib with the phones off

I been at the house taking no calls

I done hit the stride got my shit going

In the six cooking with the wri-wri-wri-wri

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
bands /bændz/ C1	noun - slang for large amounts of money, usually thousands of dollars
sleep /sliːp/ A1	verb - to rest with eyes closed, usually for a period of time noun - a state of rest in which the body is not active
trippin /ˈtrɪpɪn/ B2	verb - slang for acting irrationally or being overly worried
rest /rɛst/ A1	verb - to cease work or movement in order to relax noun - a period of relaxation
peace /piːs/ A1	noun - a state of calm and absence of conflict
crib /krɪb/ B2	noun - slang for someone's home or apartment
house /haʊs/ A1	noun - a building for people to live in
stride /straɪd/ B2	noun - a long step taken while walking or running verb - to walk with long, decisive steps
cooking /ˈkʊkɪŋ/ B1	verb - preparing food by heating it noun - the act of preparing food
wrist /rɪst/ A1	noun - the joint connecting the hand to the forearm
drapes /dreɪps/ A2	noun - fabric curtains that hang on a window
awake /əˈweɪk/ B1	verb - to stop sleeping; to become conscious adjective - not asleep; conscious
condo /ˈkɒn.doʊ/ B2	noun - short for condominium; a privately owned apartment in a building
mission /ˈmɪʃ.ən/ B1	noun - a specific task or purpose that someone is assigned to achieve
Toronto /təˈrɒnt.oʊ/ B2	proper noun - the largest city in Canada, located in the province of Ontario
Jordan /ˈdʒɔːr.dən/ B1	proper noun - brand of athletic shoes; also a neighboring Middle‑Eastern country
deal /diːl/ A2	noun - an agreement or arrangement, especially in business verb - to conduct business or negotiate terms
watches /ˈwɒtʃɪz/ A1	noun - time‑keeping devices worn on the wrist
diamonds /ˈdaɪməndz/ A2	noun - precious gemstones made of carbon, often used in jewelry
grace /ɡreɪs/ A2	noun - elegant beauty or a favor granted freely

Key Grammar Structures

• Let's just not even discuss it man

  ➔ Imperative with “let’s” + negative infinitive

  ➔ “Let’s” is short for “let us” and introduces a suggestion. The negative infinitive is formed with “not even **discuss**”.

• I ain't trippin', I'ma let em sleep

  ➔ Colloquial negation “ain’t” and future intention “I’ma”

  ➔ “**ain’t**” replaces “am not/are not” in informal speech; “**I’ma**” is a contraction of “I am going to”.

• I can tell ya how it happened

  ➔ Modal verb “can” + infinitive, informal pronoun “ya”

  ➔ “**can**” expresses ability or permission; the infinitive “tell” follows it. “**ya**” is a casual form of “you”.

• I was paying momma's rent was I turning 17

  ➔ Past progressive + non‑standard clause with inversion

  ➔ The first part “I **was paying** …” uses the past progressive. The second part “**was** I turning 17” switches subject and verb, a colloquial inversion that is not grammatical in formal English.

• I get boxes of free Jordan like I play for North Carolina

  ➔ Comparative clause with “like” + full clause

  ➔ The word “**like**” introduces a comparison that contains a full clause “I play for North Carolina”.

• How much I make off the deal, how the fuck should I know?

  ➔ Rhetorical question with fronted complement + modal “should”

  ➔ The clause “**How much I make** …” places the wh‑phrase at the front for emphasis. The modal “**should**” forms a questioning expectation: “should I know?”.

• I need a FuelBand just to see how long the run has been

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (“to see”) after “just”

  ➔ “**to see**” explains the purpose of needing the FuelBand: *I need it **to see** …*.

• They got me feeling like the one again

  ➔ Causative construction “got + object + present participle”

  ➔ “**got**” functions as a causative verb: *They **got** me **feeling** …* meaning they caused me to feel that way.

• I been in the crib with the phones off

  ➔ Zero‑copula present perfect (dialect) – omission of auxiliary “have”

  ➔ In standard English the sentence would be “I **have been** in the crib…”. The auxiliary “have” is dropped, a feature common in many informal registers.