Green’s Dictionary of Slang

out of money, impoverished; thus in need of.

1968		N. Heard Howard Street 172: Hip never let her go there unless he was really up tight for money.
1979		E. Torres After Hours 13: I’m a li’l up tight right now.
2005		W.D. Myers Autobiog. of My Dead Brother 102: Tania told me that if I was ever uptight for something to eat, I could come here and Connie [a waitress] would fix me up.