play close, v. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

play close v.

(US black) to become intimate with, esp. with the aim of using one’s supposed friend for one’s own purposes.

1990		N. George ‘CPT Time’ in Buppies, B-Boys, Baps and Bohos (1994) 60: He could have been wondering why this fool in the car was playing him so close.
2002		50 Cent ‘Wanksta’ 🎵 And you play me close, for sure Imma pop my heat / Niggas sayin they gone merk 50 How? We ridin around wit guns the size of Lil’ Bow Wow.

In phrases

play someone too close (v.)

1. (US black) to involve oneself too intimately and without invitation in another person’s life.

1983		R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].
1990		Too $hort ‘Ghetto’ 🎵 I’d shoot that fool / If he played me too close and tried to test my cool.
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 93: When one inmate tells another he is playing me too close, he is insinuating that he is becoming angry and the other should stop teasing or harassing him.

2. to tease or intimidate someone.

2000

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony ‘Can’t Give it Up’ 🎵 on BNTHResurrection [album] My nigga don’t play too close, my thugs in heaven and shit / My niggas’ll pop with the pistols, and snap out the holsters / And cover a snitch all wet.