"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" is a song by

Geto Boys Geto Boys (originally spelled Ghetto Boys) was an American hip-hop group originally formed in Houston, Texas. The Geto Boys enjoyed success in the 1990s with the group's classic lineup consisting of Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D, earning ...

, featured on their 1991 album ''

We Can't Be Stopped ''We Can't Be Stopped'' is the third studio album by Geto Boys, released on July 9, 1991. It was among their most successful records in terms of units sold. The album is analysed track-by-track by Geto Boys in Brian Coleman's book '' Check the ...

'' . The lyrics describe the mental anguish and exhaust of life as a gangster, including dealing with symptoms of

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...

suicidal ideation Suicidal ideation, or suicidal thoughts, means having thoughts, ideas, or ruminations about the possibility of ending one's own life.World Health Organization, ''ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics'', ver. 09/2020MB26.A Suicidal ideatio ...

, and

loneliness Loneliness is an unpleasant emotional response to perceived isolation. Loneliness is also described as social paina psychological mechanism which motivates individuals to seek social connections. It is often associated with a perceived lack ...

. It also samples "Hung Up on My Baby" by

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, actor, songwriter, and composer. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwri ...

, from his 1974 film ''

Tough Guys ''Tough Guys'' is a 1986 American action comedy film directed by Jeff Kanew and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach, Charles Durning, Dana Carvey and Darlanne Fluegel. It is the eighth film of Touchstone Pictures, and the final ...

''. At the song's peak, it reached 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, making it the highest-charting single by the Geto Boys.

Background

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

Reception and legacy

"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" has received critical praise since it was first released. In 2012,

Rolling Stone Magazine ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cov ...

ranked it the fifth greatest hip-hop song of all time and at No. 192 on their "Top 500 Best Songs of All Time". The song was ranked number 18 out of 100 Best Rap Songs Of All Time by LiveAbout. 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.

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

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." The song was also included in ''

The Pitchfork 500 ''The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to the Present'' is a book compiling the greatest songs from 1977 to 2006, published in 2008 by Pitchfork Media. The book focuses on specific genres including indie rock, hip-hop, el ...

'', a compilation book of the greatest 500 songs from 1976 to 2006. On a 2019 episode of NPR's

Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 AM ...

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.

References and sampling

"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 Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler ...

also covered the song with

Anybody Killa James Lowery (born June 26, 1974), also known as Anybody Killa, or ABK, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan, United States, whose stage persona is that of a Native American warrior. He was signed to Psychopathic Records, but is now under ...

(also known as ABK) and

Lil Wyte Patrick Dhane Lanshaw (born October 6, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wyte, is an American rapper. He is a member of the rap collective Hypnotize Minds and owner of the independent label Wyte Music. Early life Growing up in Frayse ...

on their 2012 album, '' Smothered, Covered & Chunked.'' Brazilian rapper,

Gabriel o Pensador Gabriel Contino, better known as Gabriel o Pensador (Portuguese for "Gabriel the Thinker") is a Brazilian rapper, writer, and composer known for his conscious lyrics which speak of activism, and issues of race, politics, social problems, and the C ...

sampled "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" in his song, "Lavagem Cerebral", from the 1993 album, ''Gabriel o Pensador''. Rapper Kodak Black sampled the song in his song, Transportin’. "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" was referenced by

Prodigy Prodigy, Prodigies or The Prodigy may refer to: * Child prodigy, a child who produces meaningful output to the level of an adult expert performer ** Chess prodigy, a child who can beat experienced adult players at chess Arts, entertainment, and ...

, in his single,
Mac 10 Handle
.

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

referenced the song in,
When Will They Shoot
. Hip-hop duo,

Clipse Clipse, also known as The Clipse, is an American hip hop duo, chiefly active from 1994 to 2010. It consists of brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton. Pusha T was known as Terrar during the group's early years, while No Mal ...

, referenced the Geto Boys song o
"Nightmares
, off of their 2006 album, ''

Hell Hath No Fury Hell Hath No Fury may refer to: Literature * "Hell hath no fury", an interpreted line based on a quotation from the 1697 play ''The Mourning Bride'' by William Congreve * ''Hell Hath No Fury'', a 1951 novel by Sydney James Bounds, writing as Re ...

''.

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

interpolates "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" on the 1994 song
"One More Chance"
In the Outkast song
"She Lives in My Lap"
Andre 3000 samples Scarface's vocals from the track. The Game's track, "Walk in the Streets" references the song with the lines: ''"Must I remind you that Geto Boy track/Your mind is playin' tricks on you, you'll never go plat"''. The Game further references the Geto Boys' track in his 2010 song, "Big Money", with the hook, ''"I got big money, I drive big cars/Everybody know me/It's like I'm a movie star"''. Beanie Sigel'
"Feel It In the Air"
off of his 2005 album, " The B. Coming" samples Scarface's introduction to the song by rapping, ''"I sit alone in my four cornered room staring at hammers"''.

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limited ...

interpolates "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" in their 1998 song
"Illusion"
featuring

Wyclef Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

and

Pras Prakazrel Samuel Michel (; born October 19, 1972) is a Haitian-American rapper, producer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the hip hop group Fugees, alongside Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. After the Fugees, he earned two ...

, from their self-titled debut album. A vocal sample from "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" is used in Killer Mike's "Big Money, Big Cars" featuring

Chamillionaire Hakeem Temidayo Seriki (born November 28, 1979), better known by his stage name Chamillionaire (), is an American rapper. He was the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click from 2001 until the group split in 2005. He began his ...

and

Messy Marv Marvin Watson Jr. (born March 19, 1976), better known by his stage name Messy Marv, is an American rapper who began his career in the Fillmore District of San Francisco, California. Messy was also known as a collaborator in the rap group Kaalman ...

released in 2008 on the album, I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II. Additionally, rapper

Jean Grae Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known professionally as Jean Grae (formerly What? What?), is an American rapper from Manhattan, New York City. Jean rose in the underground hip hop scene in New York City and has built an international f ...

references Geto Boys' rapper, Bushwick Bill's dream sequence from "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" in her 2004 song, "Going Crazy".

Atom & His Package Adam Goren (born January 14, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and teacher best known as the artist Atom and His Package. Goren is a singer and guitarist who has released more than 18 albums under various aliases. His music is i ...

covered/parodied the song on his debut album ''Atom & His Package,'' also known as ''The First CD''. In a 2012 Complex Magazine interview, rapper

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...

cited "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" as his "favourite song in the world". Kid Cudi further revealed that the song was the inspiration for his hit single, "

Day 'n' Nite "Day 'n' Nite" is a song by American rapper Kid Cudi. The song was written and produced by Cudi alongside his longtime collaborator and friend, Brooklyn-based producer Dot da Genius. It was issued as Cudi's commercial debut single on February 5, ...

", saying, "I love it so much I wanted to make my own version of it. And then "Day 'n' Nite" came out of it". Kid Cudi later sampled the song on his third studio album, ''

Indicud ''Indicud'' (stylized in all lowercase) is the third studio album by American rapper Kid Cudi. It was released on April 16, 2013, by GOOD Music, Wicked Awesome Records, and Republic Records. It was the first album of Cudi's solo career to not be ...

'' (2013), on the track "Beez" featuring

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

member, RZA. It was also featured on popular 2013 video game

Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

on fictional radio station West Coast Classics. In the 2018

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

television miniseries, ''

Maniac Maniac (from Greek μανιακός, ''maniakos'') is a pejorative for an individual who experiences the mood known as mania. In common usage, it is also an insult for someone involved in reckless behavior. Maniac may also refer to: Film * ' ...

'', "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" is featured in multiple episodes. On

Atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...

's 2021 song, "Something",

Slug Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a smal ...

interpolates the line "It wasn't even close to Halloween" for their song.

Track listing

#"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Radio Version) #"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Dirty Version) #"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Club Version) #"Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (Instrumental)

Charts

Certifications

References

{{authority control 1991 singles Geto Boys songs Gangsta rap songs Horrorcore songs 1991 songs Songs about suicide Songs about diseases and disorders Songs about loneliness