10 More of the Most FIRE Hip Hop Tracks in the World

I recently shared a post with my 10 most FIRE hip hop tracks in the world here. I did this because I love hip hop and rap and I also love FIRE. At least the FI part. And the more I became aware of and educated in FIRE, the more I noticed its concepts in everyday life…including the music that I listen to.

Anyway, the response to that post has been awesome with a ton of readers suggesting lots of other great FIRE hip hop tracks.

Because of this, I’m inspired to build another list of 10 more of the most FIRE hip hop tracks in the world!

A quick disclaimer: The most frequent track that I get readers asking about is Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems by B.I.G. This is a classic and probably the best FIRE track ever. That’s why I didn’t include it. We all know that song…or at least we should. I’m going for some deeper cuts. But full respect to B.I.G., Puff Daddy, Mase, and Bad Boy Records on that one.

10 more of the most FIRE hip hop tracks

Let’s go!

1. Mortgage Free – 2 Chainz & DJ Premier

FIRE Principle:

Debt Management

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“The goal in life is to be mortgage free
Control your emotions, have integrity
If you wanna use my likeness, I need equity
And if you really tryna win you need to bet with me”

Analysis:

I love DJ Premier productions and was super excited when I heard this release which carries a lot of classic beat elements of old DJ Premier.

In terms of lyrics though, this song is pure FIRE. The goal in life is to be mortgage-free. Yes it is, 2 Chainz! Rarely in hip hop do you hear this side of the home buying story. Usually rappers are buying homes way out of budget based on a short term in flux of cash, not keeping in mind long term cash flow decreases and perpetually high mortgage payments. Just look at Nelly trying to off load his mansion…

Put in a wider perspective, the goal in life is to be debt free. And this is what I aim to do.

2. Money Longer – Lil’ Uzi Vert

FIRE Principle:

Lifestyle Creep

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“Turn to a savage, pocket got fatter, she call me daddy
Smoking that gas, gone off that xanny, she on the powder
Nowadays I am on, my haters got sadder
Money got longer, speaker got louder, car got faster”

Analysis:

Just like my last list of tracks, not all of these ones will represent good FIRE principles. Some will illustrate what to avoid. And that is exactly what Lil’ Uzi Vert does here.

This song is basically about the issues that arise as he became more famous and successful:

• Money got longer i.e. he makes more money. Good!
• Speaker got louder, car got faster i.e. he’s buying more expensive consumer goods. That’s lifestyle creep…Not good!

That’s all not to speak of the drug references and issues therein.

Lesson to be learned: manage lifestyle creep whether you are a physician or a hip hop star. Start by practicing intentional spending.

3. Hustlin’ – Rick Ross

FIRE Principle:

Hustle real hard. Hustle…hustle…real hard.

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“My roof back, my money right
I’m on the pedal, show you what I’m runnin’ like
Everyday I’m hustlin’
Everyday I’m hustlin'”

Analysis:

Love this song. It’s a bit of a classic at this point as it was Rick Ross’ big debut when I was still in college in Atlanta. But, the principle is solid as ever.

We all need to hustle. There’s no way around it if we want to get our money right. Passive i.e. leveraged income is the goal. But that way to grow that leveraged income is to create seed money via your active work. And that is where you need to hustle. Live now like no one wants to (although as a doctor we still have a great life even when saving and investing a lot), so you can live later like no one can.

Whether you are focusing solely on your doctor income and working to optimize compensation or building out your other streams of income via physician side gigs, there is one work of advice…

Hustle.

4. Money in the Grave – Drake & Rick Ross

FIRE Principle:

Take care of yourself first

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“Rich […] and I’m really bein’ modest
‘Cause the way I do my deals, never treated like a artist
Want the house?
You could DM my accountant
My per diem six figures and I’m countin’
Nine figures was the goal ’til I hit it
These […] ain’t livin’, so bury mine with me
When I die, put my money in the grave”

Analysis:

I went back to back with Rick Ross here, adding in a little Drake along the way. But it’s another great FIRE hip hop track.

I’m going to stretch my takeaway of this track a bit so bear with me. Ultimately, this is more about how they have been so successful and others don’t deserve it so they are taking their money with them when they pass.

But, I’m going to extend the meaning to taking care of yourself first. What I mean by this is twofold:

• Pay yourself first
• Take care of your retirement first

Too many of us get a paycheck and pay everyone else first…the bank, our credit cards, subscription services, etc. And we keep what is left over…which too often is little or nothing. Change your financial habits to pay yourself first and then pay everyone else. If you need to cut someone out…do it!

Second, you can’t finance your retirement. You can finance other things like your kid’s college tuition, etc. In fact, here are 5 other ways to pay for your kid’s college. So take care of yourself first. Then, when you are set, spread the love.

5. Can’t Tell Me Nothing – Kanye West & Young Jeezy

FIRE Principle:

Spend intentionally

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“Wait ’til I get my money right
I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven
When I awoke I spent that on a necklace
I told God I’d be back in a second
Man, it’s so hard not to act reckless.”

Analysis:

I’ve been watching the jeen-yus documentary on Kanye on Netflix and really have loved it. So naturally this song of his popped into my head when thinking of more FIRE hip hop tracks.

Say what you want about Kanye, but he has always been vulnerable in his raps which I appreciate. And he often has publicized his mistakes with money like I have.

Here, he talks about how he is always trying to get his financial situation straight, but keeps spending it on dumb consumer things that maybe he doesn’t even want and definitely doesn’t need.

I think we can all relate. As physicians, we make better long term money that athletes and rappers (I’ll prove it!). The path to building wealth is simple for us. We often envision it and dream about it. But too many of us waste these opportunities because we are not intentional about it.

I see doctors working longer than they want to pay off a house or car or something else that is not bringing them commensurate joy. I’m not perfect either. I make mistakes with intentional spending still too. But the more we are aware of it, the better off we are.

6. Devastated – Joey Bada$$

FIRE Principle:

Patience

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“I used to feel so devastated
At times I thought we’d never make it, yeah
But now we on our way to greatness
And all that ever took was patience
I-I-I-I used to feel so devastated
At times I thought we’d never make it, yeah
But now we on our way to greatness
And all that ever took was patience
Just getting better each day
Stacking that cheddar cheese cake.”

Analysis:

I love this song. For a long time it was like an anthem to me. We all know that progress is not linear. There are ups and downs. But the important thing is that we find our passion and show patients and persistence.

Remember…enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare.

I’ve experienced this in medicine, with this blog, in real estate, and a number of other endeavors. Believe in yourself, be patient, and keep following your passions as your guiding star.

7. Blessings – Big Sean

FIRE Principle:

Create a FIRE plan. Live the FIRE plan.

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“Yeah, I’m that invested, but you can’t attest it
Million dollar goals, managed to manifest it
The family never going anorexic
I pay my mortgage and electric.”

Analysis:

There are a few Big Sean tracks that I could have chose from with regards to FIRE. But I went with this one because it underscores a very simple principle.

Create goals. Then create a plan to reach those goals. After that, all you have to do is follow your plan and you are guaranteed to reach your goals.

It sounds overly simplified but it’s not. I see too many doctors never establish how much they need or want to retire. And because of that they either fail to invest or invest willy nilly and realize too late they can’t stop working when they want.

It’s fun to create your financial goals! And while it can seem intimidating you develop your written financial plan, you can use my actual financial plan as a guide and edit it to fit your goals!

8. Trophies – Drake

FIRE Principle:

Pay in cash

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“Had hit records on my demo
Did y’all boys not get the memo
I do not stay at the Intercontinental
And anything I got is not a rental, I own that m***********
Figured out this s***, it’s simple
My stock been going up like a crescendo”

Analysis:

Drake isn’t renting anything. He owns it. And he can pay in cash for a lot since he is probably the most wealthy rapper currently. But that is irregardless.

We should all strive to do the same. Pay for items in cash. Don’t lease or borrow. Really a primary home may be the only exception but even then the mortgage should not be more than 2x your income (ours is 1.2x our income).

If you can’t pay for something in cash, you can’t afford it. It’s simple. Wait until you can pay in cash. Or buy a cash flowing asset like a rental property that will continue to make money for you that you can use to buy this luxury item.

9. The Choice is Yours – Black Sheep

FIRE Principle:

401k or real estate…it doesn’t matter

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“You can get with this, or you can get with that
You can get with this, or you can get with that
I think you’ll get with this, for this is where it’s at.”

Analysis:

This is a real old one…like ’90s old. Great beat. Memorable hook that I’m sure you are all familiar with. And overall a good message about making the right choices in life.

But, the choice I am talking about here is investing in traditional stocks and bonds in accounts like a 401k or investing in real estate, ideally cash flowing rental properties. And there is no wrong choice!

And I quote, “You can get with this or you can get with that.”

Too many of us get caught in the minutia of crafting the perfect financial plan. But in reality, our financial plan just has to get us to our financial goals as I talked about above. And there are a lot of ways to successfully do that.

The worst situation is that all this analysis paralysis stops us from actually starting. So choose the investment vehicle(s) that you prefer and get started.

You can see the pros and cons of 401k investing versus real estate here: 401k vs Real Estate: Which Is Best?.

But there’s not even a need for an absolute choice. Why not just do both with a hybrid investing plan…that’s what Selenid and I do!

10. C.R.E.A.M. – Wu-Tang Clan

FIRE Principle:

C.R.E.A.M.

Just a taste of the relevant lyrics:

“My life got no better, same damn ‘Lo sweater
Times is rough and tough like leather
Figured out I went the wrong route
So I got with a sick-a** clique and went all out
Rollin’ in MPV’s, every week we made 40 G’s
[…] Ch-chick-pow! Move from the gate now
Cash rules everything around me
C.R.E.A.M., get the money
Dollar dollar bill, y’all.”

Analysis:

Ok fine…I went with a real on-the-nose classic for the finale. But it’s just such a great FIRE track.

For the uninitiated, C.R.E.A.M. stands for Cash Rules Everything Around Me. So, is this is good or a bad FIRE principle or message?

I guess it all depends on perspective…much like anything in this world.

From the perspective of a burned out, financial clueless trainee name Jordan, C.R.E.A.M. represented how money constrained me. It represented my scarcity mindset. Money ruled me. I traded time for money.

From the perspective of someone who improved their financial well-being and is on the road to financial freedom, C.R.E.A.M. represents my abundance mindset. I have power over my money, not the other way around. I use money for the good it can do me and others. And now I am on the path of trading money for my time.

So, what does C.R.E.A.M. mean to you now? What do you want it to mean in 1 year?

And there you have it…10 more FIRE hip hop tracks for your playlist!

If you are looking for more basic FIRE principles, these 3 posts are some of my favorites:

• How Much Is Enough Retirement Savings?
• Still Need a Written Personal Financial Plan? 
• The 3 Most Tempting Current Investments to Avoid

What do you think? What does FIRE have to do with music for you? Avoid songs I missed in any genre that should be included? Let me know in the comments below!