Critical analysis of "Bling Bling"
A breakdown of the personalities of Baby, Lil' Turk, Lil' Wayne, Manny Fresh, Juvenile, and The B.G. derived from their "flow"

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Verse One: Baby

"I sold my fingers to afford ice."

Nigga, I got these hoes iced up enough
While my lil B.G.'s on the bus puttin' out cigarette butts
But me personally, playboy, I don't give a fuck
And I'ma always show love to my cut

Here we see an illustration of Baby's supposed generosity toward others.  He is willing to provide his "hoes" with "ice," and he is unafraid to expose his true emotions to his "cut."  It is later revealed, however, that he has ulterior motives for such an affluence of benevolence.  His "not giving a fuck," for example, drops a listener a hint towards the path to understanding Baby's true self.  He cannot keep up this facade for long.

Hit the club, light tha bitch up
The Cash Money motto: we got to drank 'til we throw up

A perception of indestructibility is typical of young successful black males.  Suffering from this delusion, Baby believes that he is immune to the effects of smoking and drinking.  He is sure to note that vomiting does not faze him, which further augments his feelings of invincibility as well as an air of toughness.

Nigga, point the hoe out, guaranteed I can fuck

A case of extreme overconfidence.  He feels that he can persuade any woman to have sexual intercourse with him.  To what can we attribute this display of self-love?  The lines that follow will explain.

Wootay, I'm tattooed and barred up
Medallion iced up, Rolex bezelled up
And my pinky ring is platinum plus
Earrings be trillion cut
And my grill be slugged up

It all becomes clear as we find that Baby is deeply intertwined into an existence revolving around money and ostentation.  It is probable that he draws all his emotional energy from his platinum-coated everything, thus leading us to believe that Baby's self esteem is akin to that of many teens belonging to the "goth" subculture.  The aforementioned "ice" on the "hoes" was probably put in place by Baby in an attempt to further surround himself with it, rather than to please the women with gifts.

My heart filled with anger, 'cause, nigga, I don't give a fuck
Stack my cheese up
'Cause one day I'ma give this street life up

Reminding us once again that he "doesn't give a fuck," Baby appears to backtrack immediately after a display of emotion.  He attempts to restrict himself to a life of outward monotony, but cementing our theories is Baby's admittance of angst.  He is now torn between two worlds:  a life of extravagance and a life of danger and poverty.  Although he is extremely well off, his deep rooted insecurities are preventing him from letting go of his meager beginnings on the "street"; Baby fears all that is unfamiliar and new.  He paints a shocking visual of the hoarding of his wealth while continuing to feel generalized anger toward humanity and dissatisfaction with his life.

Beef I don't discuss
A nigga outta line gonna get his motherfuckin' head bust
Cash Money Millionaires plus
Don't touch sum'in', nigga, you can't fuck

Despite being displeased with his own existence, Baby definitely has his guard up.  His angst is now spilling over into the part of his psyche governing his behavior toward others.  The "Cash Money Millionaires" are his only friends and his only support.  Anything or anyone threatening his sense of belonging will not be tolerated.  We cannot expect someone with a mind state like Baby's to be capable of utilizing a verbal approach to solve conflicts, or "beef," as he calls them.

Twenty inches with TV's is a must
By the year two thousand I'ma gut out my bus

Baby is reminding us that he shall continue to build upon his wealth until he feels secure enough in his riches, and possibly himself, to let loose of his life on the "streets."

Verse Two: Lil' Turk*

Note devious snarl, elitist gaze, and display of "ice."  Fire in the background, because he hails from Turkey, aka HELL.

You know you're ın trouble when the guy's fuckıng name ıs Turk.

A lil' nigga seventeen, playin' with six figures
Got so much ice you can skate on a nigga
When you see cash money, you know you stay flossin'

As a greedy Turkısh bastard, Lil' Turk, like Baby, feels the need to immediately alert the listener to the fact that he possesses riches.  However, unlike Baby, he seems to have thoroughly abandoned his humble Turkısh roots.  (Personal note:  I can't say that I blame him.)

Catch cha girl down bad, ya know we straight tossin'
I ain't seen a clique yet that can stunt like mine
I ain't seen a marette that can run like mine

His vague language (broken Englısh?) is open to interpretation.  However, it is obvious that Lil' Turk is attempting to reiterate his point that all that belongs to or associates with him is superior.

1999, and it's our turn to shine
Fifty or better on our wrist and they all blind

It has already been established that "ice" and money are used to enhance the rappers' self images.  Here we are presented with a second reason for all the "bling":  to draw attention to oneself.  It is not surprising that this point of view is brought to us by a Turk who most likely feels inadequate not only due to his own shortcomings, but those of his natıve country.

Pourin' vodka 'til I die, drink 'til I faint
'Til a nigga tell me I need another drink

Here again we see a mentality that reflects a feeling of invincibility.

My nigga Baby told me, "Work, nigga, trick to them hoes"
Nigga Baby told me, "Work, nigga, better than treatin' yo nose"

Lil' Turk is allowing peer pressure to dictate the way he treats women.  However, this is not the full story.

I'm the freak of the click
Keep it on the tuck, so I creep on a bitch
And I play it on the raw

Tragic, but not shocking.  Lil' Turk is expressing his issues with the opposite sex.  His fear and distrust of women can be attributed to the fact that the entire country of Turkey consists of only filthy men on IRC advertising their penis lengths in centimeters.  Coming to America must have been quite a culture shock, and he is making the most of his new opportunities with women.  The choice to "creep" is the method by which he keeps his emotions, and those of the ladies, at arm's length.

Never sleep with a bitch
Keep it real with my niggaz

It would appear that Lil' Turk has chosen to remain celibate.  If his purpose for female companionship, and "creeping," is related to neither his emotional nor physical needs, one deduces that his mental health is the only beneficiary in these situations.  Women play the same role to Lil' Turk as "ice" plays to all of the rappers.  It is also worthwhile to make note of his opinion that keeping his distance from "bitches" is paramount in order to "keep it real with his niggaz."

Never weep for a bitch,
Never weep for a bitch

The repetition of this line is very interesting.  One must peer farther into the psyche of Lil' Turk to understand its meaning.  For now, we can merely speculate.  A popular hypothesis suggests that he is reminding himself to never cry over women, as that would compensate his "hard" image.  Another popular notion suggests that Lil' Turk was hurt by a woman in the past.  He is now chanting these lines to desensitize himself to their charms, thus avoiding future trauma.

(Chorus) Lil' Wayne

Apparently, "drop it like it's hot" also applies to Lil' Wayne's pants.

Bling bling
Every time I come around your city
Bling bling
Pinky ring worth about fifty
Bling bling
Every time I buy a new ride
Bling bling
Lorinsers on Yokahama tires
Bling bling

The chorus reflects the interests of all other artists with a part in this song.  Its purpose is to drill into your head, once again, the fact that all people associated with the "Big Tymers" and "Hot Boys" are extremely wealthy.  Lil' Wayne was chosen to perform this repetitive section due to his mental incapability to do much more than chant a few key phrases.

Verse Three: Manny Fresh

It's the nigga with tha Lex bubble
Candy coated helicopter with tha leather cover

That's a high school football jersey.

Manny Fresh is making an attempt to deviate from normal means of expression.  Instead of boasting of "ice," he tells of his other possessions.  Ultimately, there is no deviation at all:  the method of description may have changed, but the final message remains intact.  Manny Fresh, like the rest, feels that he must rely on his riches to indicate to others that he is a person of worth.

If ya suckin' not fuckin' take off the rubber
Then toss that bitch nigga cause I don't love her

Like Lil' Turk, Manny Fresh does not desire a meaningful relationship with a woman.  He is, however, unafraid to take part in sexual acts with them.

Balla, Manny bought a private plane
Then turned around and sold that bitch to Juve and Wayne
They put 30 inch Lorenzos on that thing, man

The ties of friendship are strong in this "crew."  With so much mention of each other and little positive mention of "hoes," one may be led to believe that the inner struggles of the rappers extend into confusion over their sexuality.

I know you niggaz out there just don't understand

This line is desperately out of place.  What's not to understand about friendship and "bling"?  Clearly, Manny Fresh is trying to lead our thoughts elsewhere.  It would appear that he is making an attempt to allude to his lacking of a sense of belonging without compromising his "game."

Verse Four: Juvenile

Does this face express inner anguish, or did tattooing himself with a boxcutter and ballpoint pen just hurt like a bitch?

I'm a 1999 driver
I'm a uptown third ward magnolia T.C. driver
Ol' ignorant ass always stunting
Big ballin' ass nigga, you can see him when he comin'

Since when is "stunting" found in the same line as "ignorant"?  Is Juvenile rebelling against all he once stood for?  The descriptive term "ballin' ass" indicates angst and sarcasm.  Juvenile, in spite of being another enthusiast of "ice," seems to be cognizant of a plane of existence extending beyond the "bling."

Booted up, diamond up
Golds be shinin' up
Mothafuckas be blindin' up
Niggas at the second line be sayin', "I'll be damned"
Up in they best fits sayin', "Juve got me, damn"

As we've previously seen, rappers' emotional displays typically do not extend beyond one or two lines.  Juvenile has already reverted to speaking of his "ice" and the envy of his peers.  This is also the second reference in the song to the "bling" causing blindness.  Although discussion of acts of violence is kept to a minimum in this particular song, several of the rappers make a point to indicate that resorting to physical brawls is not necessary for them to cause harm to others; their "bling" is mighty enough to cause blindness without the bearer of the "bling" so much as lifting a finger.

(Chorus) 2x

Verse Five: B.G.

I be that nigga with the ice on me
If it cost less than twenty, it don't look right on me
I stay flossed out all through the week

A continuation of the typical mental masturbation often practiced by individuals who adorn themselves with "ice."

My money long, if you don't know, I'm the B.G.

Notice emphasis on the "ice" in an attempt to divert your attention from B.G.'s retarded mug.

I be fuckin' niggas' bitches all in they home

B.G. is asserting himself.  He lets the listener know who he is, what his purpose is, and his method of accomplishing it.  His short term goals in life include having intercourse with women who are already engaged in relationships with other men.  To add insult to injury, he plans to do this in the home of the man.  Rather than seek out single women, B.G. chooses to destroy relationships for several reasons.  It provides him with a challenge; overcoming the obvious adversities gives him a sense of achievement.  By wedging himself into the affairs of others, and subsequently splitting the individuals apart, B.G. gains a sense of power as well.  Finally, as we have seen with the urge to cause blindness, B.G. must also gain pleasure from hurting people.

Niggaz be like, "Look at that Benz on all that chrome"
Diamonds worn by everybody that's in my clique
Man, I got the price of a mansion 'round my neck and wrist

The other rappers of the song typically bragged about one of three categories:  their friends, their "ice," or their other extraordinary possessions.  B.G., on the other hand, covers all bases.  It is believed that he takes extra care to describe his "clique," his car's "dubz," and his "ice" because he feels inadequate about his appearance (see photo at right).

My nigga Baby gettin' a special built machine
A Mercedes Benz 700 V14

"Blingin'" by association.

I know you niggaz can't believe that
I can't wait to see ya haters' face when ya see that
Man, look at that

This is an order from B.G. to the listener:  you will feel envy when you see Baby's new "ride."  Subsequently, you will direct a portion of this envy toward B.G. since he is associated with Baby.  Again, he is attempting to reaffirm his status as a "baller" by reminding us of the company he keeps.  His referring to anyone expressing disapproval of him or of his "clique" as a "hater" indicates that his self esteem is in such a poor state that he is unable to withstand any sort of constructive criticism or dissension.  In the next set of lines, we see a reiteration of his violent tendencies.  Could this be the cause?

Niggaz wear shades just to stand on side of me
Folks say, "Take that chain off, boy, ya blindin' me"

Another reference to blindness.  Nothing is said about his agreement to remove the "ice" that is causing harm to others.  One may deduce that this is because he wishes to retaliate against anyone patronizing him by calling him "boy," but we have already discovered that B.G. simply enjoys inflicting pain, regardless of the recipient.

All day my phone ringin', bling bling bling
Can see my earring from a mile, bling bling

... In case you forgot.

(Chorus) 2x




*I know he's not really Turkish.