Gunna, Top Off: inside the meaning of the lyrics

Top Off is one of the most popular songs ever made by the American rapper Gunna. It’s a song where he revealed how his life has changed after becoming a famous rapper, and how his roots stay linked to his hometown, Atlanta. And since it represents an important piece of Gunna’s life, people still keeps reading the lyrics of the song today, trying to understand his thoughts and justify how his life is evolving today. In this article we will explain the meaning of the song and talk about how Gunna’s life goes now.

You can find the official streaming of the song below.

Gunna - Top Off [Official Audio]

Watch this video on YouTube.

Top Off: the lyrics and their meaning

Top Off was released in 2018, as part of the Drip Season 3 mixtape. In those days Gunna’s career as a rapper was just started, after his early affiliation with Young Thug’s imprint in 2016. When Top Off is released, Gunna has already several releases out and he’s already wealthy. But, as he says in the song, he still feels like a Atlanta guy, coming from the streets.

This is clearly the effect that fame and success brought in his life: he’s now rich, he can buy the luxury objects he deserves to show off his wealth, and can give expensive presents to the girls he likes. He also has a personal bodyguard, as it often is the case with people coming from the ghetto.

Got Chanel, I can see now
I got back on my feet now
I can take care my team now
I’ma hold my whole team down (Team down)
N***s hate, I don’t see how
Made it out of the damn south (Damn south)

Money helped him to come out from the streets, obviously, and he’s happy about it. But Atlanta and his roots still represent a constant attraction. That’s why Gunna talks about going back “to the Traphouse”, the place where he probably used to go when he was living in Atlanta streets.

Call the Locs, I go loco (I go loco)
I go back to the traphouse (To the traphouse)
Break the bricks and the bales down (The bales down)
Cashing in and I cash out (I cash out)
Turn that s**t to a stash house (To a stash house)
I ain’t taking no handouts (No handouts)
Money calling, I’m en route (I’m en route)

In the chorus, Gunna may mean that he’s still connected to the business he had in Atlanta. He goes back there just to make business, “cashing it and cashing out”, only because it’s “money calling”. This is probably the reason why people analyse the lyrics still today: Gunna is currently in Jail, since May 2022, accused of criminal activity related to street gangs, and he’s been arrested together with other rappers of the Young Stoner Life label, including Young Thug, the founder.

This can be the meaning behing Top Off lyrics, therefore: Gunna gets rich, has the chance to leave street life behind, but he just cannot. Because it’s part of the way he is. And because it’s the way he makes money. Today we can question ourselves if the risk was worth it or not, of course, but the rap context just follows different rules than the ones we all have in mind. So understanding the urges of artists like Gunna is something we can do only by deepening their lyrics.

The complete lyrics

Yeah, my n***a, we
We really poppin’ this s**t for real, n***a, yeah
No cap
(Boy)
No rap cap (Yeah)

I took the top off (Yeah)
I’m dripping like hot sauce (I’m dripping like hot sauce)
I got drank and it’s clean raw (Yeah, it’s clean raw)
Baby give me that mean mouth (That mean mouth)
Hit that p***y like golf ball (Like golf ball)
I can do this without y’all (Without y’all)
Call the Locs, I go loco (I go loco)
I go back to the traphouse (To the traphouse)
Break the bricks and the bales down (The bales down)
Cashing in and I cash out (I cash out)
Turn that s**t to a stash house (To a stash house)
I ain’t taking no handouts (No handouts)
Money calling, I’m en route (I’m en route)
F**k them n***s, they bend down (They bend down)
Blow a bag when I’m in town (I’m in town)

They say, “Gunna, you the best” (Gunna, you the best)
I done went and got a check (Went and got a check)
I’m about to flex (Yeah, flex)
It’s an Audemars Piguet (Audemars Piguet)
Rocking diamonds, I’m wet (Yeah, I’m wet)
I got water ’round my neck (Water ’round my neck)
I done start to worry less (Nah, I don’t worry)
Went and bought my b* *h a Lexus (Yeah, yeah), Hi-Tech my fresh (Yeah, fresh)
N***s sending me threats (Sending me threats)
I done bought another vest (Bought another vest)
I’m protecting my flesh (Yeah, protecting)
N***a, pardon my back (Pardon my back)
Fendi fur on my hat (Fur, fur)
I don’t hang wit’ no rats (Yeah, I don’t hang)
I could never get attached (Nah)

Got Chanel, I can see now
I got back on my feet now
I can take care my team now
I’ma hold my whole team down (Team down)
N***s hate, I don’t see how
Made it out of the damn south (Damn south)
And I don’t even know how (Know how)
‘Bout to pull me a Benz out (Benz out)

Yeah, I drip when I’m in town
I’m just tryna stay in bounds (In bounds)
Ain’t no milk I’m a cash cow (Cash cow)
Gunna came with his own sound (His own sound)
You ain’t stealing his flow now (No)
Blowin’ smoke and it’s so loud (It’s so loud)
I been bringing these hoes out (These hoes out)
Gunna get in his zone now (Zone now)
Eat the greens, salad (Yeah), yeah, n***a still rappin’ (Rappin’)
Racks got me relaxin’ (Relaxin’)
Bought me a gold Patek (Gold Patek)
Yeah, I’m fly and I’m flashy (I’m flashy)
Yeah, n***a we havin’ (Havin’)
Tell me your profession (What’s your profession?)
We gang banging active (Gang banging active)
YSL legends

Top Off: the lyrics and their meaning

The complete lyrics

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