Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: hip-hop
Song Meaning of “Cocaine Cowboy” by DJ Khaled
‘Cocaine Cowboy’ by DJ Khaled speaks of the growing prevalence of drugs in the lifestyle of many modern-day hustlers and gangsters. The song tracks the process of how the dealings of the drug-ridden world are taking a toll on the characters of the hustlers and dealings.
The first verse paints a vivid image of the street life as Khaled spits, “Where I’m from, they got some real coke cowboys coming straight out of Miami/everything I see is money, cash and honey.” Here he provides a realistic understanding of the allure and hustle that comes with this type of lifestyle. He goes on to warn of the consequences of the life and seeing the material benefits that come with it, “Cops on my neck, had wire tapping they tech/til’ them prosecutor try to getcha’respect.” In other words, there is seemingly no escape from the trials and pitfalls of life as a drug dealer.
In the second verse, Khaled’s character wishes to rise above his circumstances yet knows that is an idealistic pipe dream. “Do it again and never wait for me,” he laments, “It’s a pity, I need more than one fifty/Can’t get no love in this city.” He expresses his feelings of powerlessness and isolation, as even relationships don’t stay steady in this world.
The song’s chorus is where Khaled displays the notion that once you are in the ‘cocaine cowboy’ lifestyle, it latches on to you, sucking you in and taking over despite its dire consequences. He personifies the lifestyle by chanting, “This cocaine cowboy don’t play/Got me riding through the slums daily.” Despite the dangers and the continuous warnings, his connection to the hustler lifestyle is undeniable, and it has created his current situation.
In the end, ‘Cocaine Cowboy’ by DJ Khaled serves as a powerful warning to the good and bad that comes with the hustler lifestyle. Khaled does not present the streets and drug-riddled atmosphere as glamorous, but instead as a landscape filled with choices and consequences that one needs to be aware of.