One of the first things that I noticed while watching Mean Streets was the issue surrounding money. Money essentially dominates everything because it is motive for our works (going to college, getting a job, etc.). We need money to buy food, clothing, housing, and just about everything. However, money is also often the culprit behind conflict and crimes, as evident in the tension between the characters in Mean Streets. For example, the altercation between the characters in the pool table scene brings question as to, are they really “friends”? The definition is broad and open to many interpretations. Maybe for them, “friends” are those with money? Additionally, the police officer that was supposed to come to do his job of controlling violence is sent away after being bribed. This further shows that money plays an important role in crimes. Compared with Ghostface’s, “Shakey Dog”, the song is presented much more intense with the vulgar lyrics right from the beginning and the depiction of crime. Most aspects of the song are negative and that can be a statement and insight as to how the rapper functions in life (robbery, crime, and not caring about anything except money). Mean Streets does show some form of warmth in friendships and even though “Shakey Dog” is a four-minute song, there is no inclusion of that aspect like the one present in Mean Streets, which makes a distinction between the two.