Summer '88, or was it '89
Or was it winter-time, ah, nevermind
I'm in my room, boomin' drawin' LL Cool J album covers
With crayolas on construction paper
I'm trying to f*** my neighbor, I'm tryna hook my waves up
I'm tryna pull my grades up, to get them saddle lace ups
Before Le marc was Jacob, before them girls wore makeup
Before my voice would break up, before we'd tour them shake clubs
Before my mama wake up, before my palms would cake up
Before they told me they love me and we'll never breakup
Before the time she makes love, to someone that I thought was, my homeboy
But boy was, I wrong now
I don't budge, don't want much, just a roof and porch
And a Porsche, and a horse and unfor-tunately
But of course an assort-ment of tor-ches that scor-ches the skin, when they enter
Intru-ders, whose tutors did a lousy job
How's he god if he let's Lucifer let loose on us
That noose on us won't loosen up but loose enough to juice us up
Make us think we do so much and do it big
Like they don't let us win, I can't pretend
But I admit it, it feel good when the hood pseudo-celebrate
Hence why every time we dine we eat until our belly aches
Then go grab the finest wine and drink it like
We know which grape and which region it came from
As if we can name 'em, hint hint, it ain't um Welch's
Hell just fell three thousand more degrees cooler
Y'all can't measure my worth
But when you try, you'll need a ruler made by all the Greek gods
Because the odds have always been stacked against me when back's against the wall
I feel right at home, y'all sitting right at home
All Kelly green with envy while I'm jelly beans descending
Into the palm of a child, looks up at mama and smiles
With such a devilish grin, Like "where the hell have you been"
She yelling that selling's a sin, well so is telling young men
That selling is a sin, if you don't offer new ways to win
A dolphin gone shake his fin, regardless if he is in
Or out of water, most important thing for him is to swim
And flipper didn't hold his nose, so why shall I hold my tongue?
I miss the days that O' and Market Hole had scowl on his arm?
And I set off these alarms, when camera's snap snap snap snap
Return fire, pa-pa-pa, pa, pa-pa, pa, pa, pa
They'll learn why, near privacy, so essential
They won't make no laws, I break their laws till they see out our window
I take the fall to make them all treat human kind more gentle
Forsake them all, I hate them all, don't like em don't pretend to
Yea something tells me, we ain't in Kansas anymore
All that s*** that used to be cool ain't cool anymore
All the women you been pursuing, now they want more
And they deserve it all, don't settle for what ain't yours
i always knew this verse was 10/10 but actually reading it typed out blows my mind how someone could come up with this
i always knew this verse was 10/10 but actually reading it typed out blows my mind how someone could come up with this
It's one of those verses where you just sit back and say "wow".
first time i heard Thug come in on that beat like that i thought i was gonna reincarnate
My man legit renegated a whole album
damn ross really got a good ear for beats holy s***
damn ross really got a good ear for beats holy s***
That beat switch is crazy
That beat switch is crazy
ross pulls the mafia boss persona better then anyone i swear
ross pulls the mafia boss persona better then anyone i swear
He was the modern Biggie at one point in his career
The unconditional, critical mission, listen to
The indivisible, mystical, it was meant for you
And meant for me, infinitely
Even been to prisons to visit you
Ask, "What would Christians do?"
Well some are harassing Native Americans
If God is love, why is hate in the air again?
Search for Samaritans in the hood, misunderstood
A savior comes, will he only come for the good?
The lost tribe of Shabazz and the second class
God, I see you in the streets where the checks is cashed
Hear you in the heartbeat, hopin' that love'll last
I know you in the words, "Where the first is last"
They try to use math to quantify you
In 2005, you saved lives by the Bayou
I know you in the mouth of the spouse singing, "I do"
The most vital is how I describe you
Even when the hard times come
I'll be standing in your love
Grateful, grateful for this life
You turned on the light (hey, hey)
Even when the hard times come
I'll be standing in your love
Grateful, grateful for this life
You turned on the light
We were Buffalo Soldiers, dreadlocked Rastas
Praying to Jehovah, Rafa, in the back of cop cars
Even then we knew that love was not far
It's in the passion of the teachers and the rockstars
The Muslim sisters singing "allahu akbar"
It's coming from where Maya and Pop are
It's in the grandchild's stare up at Papa
"Love is love" became the mantra
The montage for creation, we need it in relation
When two ships pass, one love is the flotation
It's what God used to put the planet in rotation
It's what the culture used to build a hip hop nation
From the basement to the attic, where cookie show for magic
It's what we told the world when we said our lives matter
Turn the student to a master, hustler to a pastor
That's why I'm a rapper, it's all that I'm after
Smile, ho, take a picture with me
I drive solo and my gas is on E
'Cause if I get pulled over, then there’s a problem
Baby Keem got issues and money can't solve them (Ayy)
I got a b**** that love to do the extras
I pull a bad b**** whenever I want (Ayy)
I keep kickstand rock band in my trunk (Ayy)
Baby Keem just humbled a model
Not a fake one, a real one, don't stunt (Hol' up)
Instagram pics, that's just a front (Hol' up)
Lil' b****, you ain't gettin’ no gun (Tick tick)
Flex up, why my check bought a necklace? I wrecked it
Hoes in my backseat, f***, I guessed it (Ayy)
Ballsy target practice, bullseye
Nigga, it’s just for you and I (Ayy)
Ayy, first thing’s first when I pop, I'ma get your ho thirsty
I sign my paycheck in cursive, I'm worthy (Yeah)
Hoes in the fifth always talkin' ’bout my fashion
I tell her watch her tone, Baby Keem ain't no virgin (Yeah, yeah)
B****, I don't have insurance to the wheels because I skrrt it (Yeah, yeah)
I just lied to your b****, she want me to insert it (Ayy, yeah)
My Rollie, ayy, you ain't seen light, I stole it, ayy
Ten toes on the deck, I'm floated, ayy (Yeah)
Scary with the clip unloaded, ayy (Yeah)
Yeah, parked on the deck, finna scoop up, lil' stupid (Whoa)
If you ain't take the L, you's a liar, stupid (Whoa)
I still got a b**** on the side, lil' stupid
Just talked to my lil' Rocky yesterday, undisputed
Oh, you got my b****? I dip it in again, I did, I did
She gon' say my name if you hit again, I did, I did
She can never find a new me, ain't no one equivalent (Yeah, yeah)
And I make her want to leave him but I'm only visitin' (Ayy, yeah)
Walk up in this b****, I'm feelin' like the black Brad Paisley (Whoa)
Stay ten toes 'cause the opps don't faze me (Whoa)
2019 and I'm back on your playlist (Oh my God)
I was born to get a bag, you niggas complacent (Oh my God)
Out with the old, I said in with the new (Ayy)
Let me old hoes view my snaps 'cause I'm cool, ayy
My mama did it, ayy, 'cause her son chose up, ayy (Yeah, yeah)
Now I'm spendin' racks on a four by four truck (Yeah, yeah)
I don't hang with emotionals
Big rock band, walk around for promotional
Stats on me, b****, stop talkin' to me, ayy
Stats on me, b****, stop talkin' to me (Ayy, ayy, ayy, ayy)
They shipping that Lam to the crib while I'm on tour
When I get off of this bus it's gon' be pedal to the floor
'Fore a n-a even step foot through the door it's gon' be laps in that ho
Dolo - fool I ain't got time for no b****es
But I do got a Rolex where my long sleeves ending
A house on my wrist, a car on each pinky
I got all of this from laughing at them lames
While I'm rolling up my sticky, lightning struck again
Jet Lifers, n-s always rewriting history
Fools hear our verses and rewrite that s*** they scribbling
B****es see my b****es and consider trying women
I pulled up drunk, talking s*** in the lobby of my building
Push the button and the elevator took it straight to the ceiling
Doors open in the living room, that's penthouse pimping
Yea girl I did it, I'd advise you to play your position
'Fore you see another ho in your jersey tryna score 30
Ya heard me, a n*a been focused since I said hi to 'er
We higher than the Eiffel
You suckas is like food. Fool, who designed you?
N-a I was built to make sure this sucka s*** get kilt
Homie I'm a whale, big mufuckin' fish
Of course you gon' see a ocean where I live
Of course if I rolled it, it's top shelf hemp
Of course she got them Jordans on tryna impress him
Titties out when I fall in, bring the whole city out
I did it for Slim
Jet Life
I'm loving your light, vulnerable
Letting your guard down, it's honorable
'Specially when the past ain't been that
Friendly to you, but there’s magic in that
You the flower that I gotta protect
And keep alive in the winter time, ayy, don't you die yet
You been way more than a friend of mine, we more like fam
I raise you, you raise me, let's turn this whole life 'round
You can confide in me
I could take the weight up off your shoulderblades
And try to store the pain inside of me
Ayy, why the world do you like that?
Like they don't know you God-sent, but me, I view you like that
I'm sneaking glances, thanking God that he drew you like that
Beautiful Black child, come and shed your black cloud
For your vibe and your smile, I don't mind a lil' rain
I'm your dog, ears perk up at the sound of your name
Count on your main, wildfire, can't handle your flame
Download your shame, wild high, come drown in your fragrance
You that red pill that a nigga found in the Matrix
Before I had you, this s*** was fantasy
You plant a seed to grow some roots, a branch and leaves
Becomes a tree of life until our nights are filled
With peace from stress and strife
And that's the blessing that I get from wifing you
'Cause you entrusted me with the key to your heart
Beating you smart, 'cause even though I need a new start
Due to my past transgressions, you believed in me
I guess the light I see in you is what you see in me, Lord
Maybe not the best, but one of the best. The first couple lines sum up the decade for me perfectly as we have seen a explosion of hip hop commercially like never before.
Is hip-hop just a euphemism for a new religion?
The soul music of the slaves that the youth is missing
But this is more than just my road to redemption
Malcolm West had the whole nation standing at attention
As long as I'm in Polo smiling, they think they got me
But they would try to crack me if they ever see a black me
I thought I chose a field where they couldn't sack me
If a nigga ain't shootin' a jump shot, running a track meet
But this pimp is, at the top of Mount Olympus
Ready for the World's game, this is my Olympics
We make 'em say ho 'cause the game is so pimpish
Choke a South Park writer with a fishstick
I insisted to get up offa this d***
And these d****, niggas can't resist it
Remind me of when they tried to have Ali enlisted
If I ever wasn't the greatest nigga, I must have missed it!
Lookin' at my b****, I bet she give your ass a bone
Lookin' at my wrist, it'll turn your ass to stone
Stretch limousine, sipping rosé all alone
Double-headed monster with a mind of his own
Cherry-red chariot, excess is just my character
All-black tux, nigga's shoes lavender
I never needed acceptance from all you outsiders
Had cyphers with Yeezy before his mouth wired (Ugh!)
Before his jaw shattered, climbing up the Lord's ladder
We still speeding, running signs like they don't matter
Ugh, hater talking never made me mad
Never that, not when I'm in my favorite papertag
Therefore, G4s at the Clearport
When it come to tools, fool, I'm a Pep Boy
When it came to dope, I was quick to export
Never tired of ballin', so it's on to the next sport
New Mercedes sedan, the Lex sport
So many cars, DMV thought it was mail fraud
Different traps I was getting mail from
Polk County, Jacksonville, rep Melbourne
Whole clique appetites had tapeworms
Spinning Teddy Pendergrass vinyl as my J burns
I shed a tear before the night's over
God bless the man I put the sights over
Getting 2Pac money, twice over
Still a real nigga, red Coogi sweater, dice-roller
I'm making love to the angel of death
Catching feelings, never stumble, retracing my steps