Kanye West Album

Kanye, can I talk to you for a minute?
Me and the other faculty members was wonderin could you do a lil som...
Somethin beautiful
Somethin that the kids is gon love when they hear it
Thas gon make them start jumpin up and down and sharin candy an' stuff

[Chorus]
[Kanye West:]
And all my people thats drug dealin jus to get by stack ya money till it gets
sky high
We wasnt supposed to make it past 25 but the jokes on you we still alive
Throw your hands up in the sky and say we don't care what people say

[Verse One:]
If this is your first time hearing this
You are about to experience something cold man
We never had nothing handed took nothing for granted
Took nothing from no man, man i'm my own man
But as a shorty i looked up to the dopeman
Only adult man i knew that wasnt a broke man
Flickin starter coats man, Man you ount no man
We don't care what people say
This is for my niggas outside all winter
Cuz this summer they aint finna to say next summer im finna
Sittin in the hood like community colleges
This dope money here is Lil Treys scholarship
Cause aint no to tuition for havin no ambition
And aint no loans for sittin your ass at home
So we forced to sell crack rap and get a job
You gotta do something man your ass is grown

[Chorus]
[Kanye West:]
Drug dealin jus to get by stack ya money till it gets sky high

Kids Sing Kids Sing

[Kanye and Kids:]
We wasnt supposed to make it past 25 but the jokes on you we still alive
Throw your hands up in the sky and say we don't care what people say

[Verse Two:]
The second verse is for my dogs working 9 to 5
That still hustle cause a nigga can't shine off $6.55
And everybody selling make-up, Jacobs
And bootleg tapes just to get they cake up
We put shit on layaway then come back
We claim other kids on our income tax
We take that money cop work than push packs to get paid
And we don't care what people say
Momma say she wanna move south
Scratchin lottery tickets Eyes on a new house
Around the same time Doe ran up in dudes house
Couldnt get a job
So since he couldnt get work he figured hed take work
The drug game bolemic its hard to get weight
So niggas money is homo its hard to get straight
So we gon keep baking to the day we get cake.
And we dont care what people say
My Niggas

[Chorus]
[Kanye West and Kids:]
Drug dealin jus to get by stack ya money till it gets sky high

Kids Sing Kids Sing

We wasnt supposed to make it past 25 but the jokes on you we still alive
Throw your hands up in the sky and say we don't care what people say

[Verse Three:]
You know the kids gonna act a fool
When you stop the programs for after school
And they DCFS them some of them dislecsic
They favorite 50 Cent song's 12 Questions
We scream, rock, blows, weed park
so now we smart
We aint retards the way teachers taught
Hold up hold fast we make mo'cash
Now tell my momma i belong in the slow class
It's bad enough we on welfare
You trying to put me on the school bus with the space for the wheel chair
Im trying to get the car with the chromy wheels here
You tryin to cut our lights like we dont live here
Look at whats handed us our fatheres abandoned us
When we get the hammers gone and call the ambulance
Sometimes i feel no one in this world understands us
But we dont care what people say
My Niggas

[Chorus]
[Kanye West and Kids:]
drug dealin jus to get by stack ya money till it gets sky high

Kids Sing Kids Sing

We wasnt supposed to make it past 25 but the jokes on you we still alive

I'm no longer confused but don't tell anybody.
I'm about to break the rules but don't tell anybody.
I got something better than school but don't tell anybody.
My momma would kill me but don't anybody.
she wants me to get a good ass job just like everybody.

(feat. Syleena Johnson)

[Chorus - 4x]
Oh when it all, it all falls down
I'm telling you ohh, it all falls down

[Verse - Kanye West]
Man I promise, she's so self conscious
She has no idea what she's doing in college
That major that she majored in don't make no money
But she won't drop out, her parents will look at her funny
Now, tell me that ain't insecurrre
The concept of school seems so securrre
Sophmore three yearrrs aint picked a careerrr
She like fuck it, I'll just stay down herre and do hair
Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs
Cause her baby daddy don't really care
She's so precious with the peer pressure
Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexus (a Lexus)
She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off now she look like Eve
And she be dealing with some issues that you can't believe
Single black female addicted to retail and well

[Chorus - repeat 2x (w/ Kanye ad-libs)]

[Verse - Kanye West]
Man I promise, I'm so self conscious
That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches
Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy
I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that versace!
Then I spent 400 bucks on this
Just to be like nigga you ain't up on this!
And I can't even go to the grocery store
Without some ones thats clean and a shirt with a team
It seems we living the american dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
We shine because they hate us, floss cause they degrade us
We trying to buy back our 40 acres
And for that paper, look how low we a'stoop
Even if you in a Benz, you still a nigga in a coop/coupe

[Chorus - repeat 2x (w/ Kanye ad-libs)]

[Verse - Kanye West]
I say fuck the police, thats how I treat em
We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom
We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em
Things we buy to cover up what's inside
Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth
That's why shortys hollering "where the ballas' at?"
Drug dealer buy Jordans, crackhead buy crack
And a white man get paid off of all of that
But I ain't even gon act holier than thou
Cause fuck it, I went to Jacob with 25 thou
Before I had a house and I'd do it again
Cause I wanna be on 106 and Park pushing a Benz
I wanna act ballerific like it's all terrific
I got a couple past due bills, I won't get specific
I got a problem with spending before I get it
We all self conscious I'm just the first to admit it

One glad morning
When this life is over
I'll fly away

To the land where
Choices never end
Oh, I'll fly away

Oh I'll fly away
Oh glory
I'll fly away
When I die
Hallelujah by and by

(feat. GLC, Consequence)

[Hook: GLC]
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Man, man, man
If my manager insults me again I will be assaulting him
After I fuck the manager up then I'm gonna shorten the register up
Let's go back, back to the Gap
Look at my check, wasn't no scratch
So if I stole, wasn't my fault
Yeah I stole, never got caught
They take me to the back and pat me
Askin' me about some khakis
But let some black people walk in
I bet they show off their token blackie
Oh now they love Kanye, let's put him all in the front of the store
Saw him on break next to the 'No Smoking' sign with a blunt and a Marl'
Takin' my hits, writin' my hits
Writin' my rhymes, playin' my mind
This fuckin' job can't help him
So I quit, y'all welcome
Y'all don't know my struggle
Y'all can't match my hustle
You can't catch my hustle
You can't fathom my love dude
Lock yourself in a room doin' five beats a day for three summers
That's a different world like three summers
I deserve to do these numbers
The kid that made that deserves that Mayback
So many records in my basement
I'm just waitin' on my spaceship, blaow

[Hook: GLC]
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Verse 2: Consequence]
Man, I'm talkin' way past the sky
Let's go, yeah
And I didn't even try to work a job
Represent the mob
At the same time thirsty on the grind
Chi state of mind
Lost my momma, lost my mind
+My life, my love+ that's not mine
Why you ain't signed?
Wasn't my time
Leave me alone, work for y'all
Half of it's yours, half of it's mine
Only one to ball
Never one to fall
Gotta get mine
Gotta take mine
Got a tech nine
Reach my prime
Gotta make these haters respect mine
In the mall 'til 12 when my schedule wore headset nine
Puttin' known ass on shelves
Waitin' paitently I ask myself
Qhere I wanna go, where I wanna be
Life is much more than runnin' in the streets
Holla at 'ye, hit me with the beat
Put me on my feet
Sound so sweet
Yes I'm the same ol' G, same goatee
Stayin' low key, nope
Holler at God "Man why'd you had to take my folks?"
Hope to see Freddy G., Yusef G
Love my G, Rolly G
Police watch me smoke my weed, count my G's
Got a lot of people countin' on me
And I'm just tryin' to find my peace
Should of finished school like my niece
Then I wouldn't finally wouldn't use my piece, blaow
Aw man, all this pressure

[Hook: GLC]
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Verse 3: Consequence]
I remember havin' to take the dollar cab
Comin' home real late at night
Standin' on my feet all damn day
Tryin' to make this thing right
And havin' one of my co-workers say "Yo you look just like
This kid I seen in the old Busta Rhymes video the other night"
Well easy come, easy go
How that sayin' goes
No more broad service, cars, and them TV shows
I all had that snatched from me
And all the faculties all turn their back on me
And didn't wanna hear a rap from me
So naturally actually had to face things factually
Had to be a catastrophe with the fridgest starin' back at me
Cuz nothing's there, nothing's fair
I don't wanna ever go back there
So I won't be takin' no days off 'til my spaceship takes off

[Hook: GLC]
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky
I've been workin' this graveshift and I ain't made shit
I wish I could buy me a spaceship and fly past the sky

[Outro: GLC]
I wanna fly, I wanna fly
I said I want my chariot to pick me up

Yo, We at war
We at war with terrorism, racism but most of all we at war with ourselves
(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me) with me with me with me [fades]

You know what the Midwest is?
Young & Restless
Where restless Niggaz might snatch your necklace
And next these Niggaz might jack your Lexus
Somebody tell these Niggaz who Kanye West is
I walk through the valley of Chi where death is
Top floor the view alone will leave you breathless Uhhhh!
Try to catch it Uhhhh! It's kinda hard hard
Getting choked by the detectives yeah yeah now check the method
They be asking us questions, harass and arrest us
Saying "we eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast"
Huh? Yall eat pieces of shit? What's the basis?
We ain't going nowhere but got suits and cases
A trunk full of coke rental car from Avis
My momma used to say only Jesus can save us
Well momma I know I act a fool
But I'll be gone til November I got packs to move I Hope

[HOOK x2]
(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the Devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that I pray is that me feet don't fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don't think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Jesus Walks with me)
I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long

To the hustlas, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah
Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly
I know he hear me when my feet get weary
Cuz we're the almost nearly extinct
We rappers are role models we rap we don't think
I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way yall need Jesus
So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes
But if I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?
Well let this take away from my spins
Which will probably take away from my ends
Then I hope this take away from my sins
And bring the day that I'm dreaming about
Next time I'm in the club everybody screaming out

(Jesus Walks)
God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks)

(feat. Jay-Z, J-Ivy)

[Intro:]
Yeah Grandmama
Told you i won't let you down
Told you i won't let this rap game change me, right?

[Chorus]
When it comes to being truem, at least true to me
One thing i found,one thing i found
I know u'll neva let me down,
Get up i get(down)
Get up i get(down)
Get up i get(down)
Get up i get(down)
Get up i get(down)
Get up i get(down)
[Jay-z]
Yo, yo first i snatched the street then i snatched the charts,
First had they ear now i hav they're heart,
Rappers came and went,
I've been hear from the start,
Seen them put it together
Watch them take it apart,
See the rollers roll up wit ribbons
I see the we poe, we sold then we driven
So when i reload, he holds #1 position
When u hot i'm hot
And when my feet cold mines is sizzelin
It's plain to see
Nigga's can't f*** wit me
Cuz ima be that nigga fo life
This is not an image
This is got given
This is hard liven
Mixed wit crystall sippin
It's the most consistent
[chorus]
I get down for my grandfather who took my momma
Made her sit that seat where white folks aint wanna us to eat
At the tender age of 6 she was arrested for the sit in
With that in my blood i was born to be different
Now niggas can't make it to battles to chose leadership
But we can make it to jacobs to ****** the dealership
That's why i hear new music
And i jus dun b feelin it
Racism still alive they jus be consealin it
But i know they don't want me in the damn club
They even made me show I.D to get up in to sam's club
I did dirk and went to church and get my hands scrubbed
That why i've baptised at least 3 or 4 times
But in the land where nigga's pray
U con's are getting paid
It gon take a lot more than coupons to get *****
Notin sadder than that day my girl father past away
So i promised to MR.rany i'm gonna marry your daughter
And u know i'd like to thank u for they way that she was brought up
And i know that u were smiling when u see that car i bought her
But i can't complaint what the accident did to my left eye
Cuz look what a accident did to left eye
First Aaliyah and now romeo must die
I know a got angels watchin me from the other side

(feat. Talib Kweli, Common)

[Kanye West]
I'm tryin to catch the beat, uh
I'm tryin to catch the beat
I'm tryin to catch the beat, uh uh, uh
I'm tryin to catch the beat

[Chorus: Kanye West]
N-now, th-th-through ya motherfuckin hands
GET EM HIGH
All the girls pass the weed to ya motherfuckin man
GET EM HIGH
Now I ain't never tell you to put down ya hands
KEEP EM HIGH
And if ya losin yo high than smoke again
KEEP EM HIGH

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
N-n-n-now, my flow
Is in the pocket like Wallace, I got the bounce like hydrolics
I can't call it, I got the swerve like alchoooool-ics
My freshman year I was goin through hell, a problem
Still I, built up the nerve to drop my ass up outta collllllll-ege
My teacher said I'se a loser, I told her why don't you kill me
I give a fuck if you fail me, I'm gonna folllllllllll-ow
My heart, and if you follow the charts, to the plaques or the stacks
You ain't gotta guess who's back, you see
I'm so shy that you thought it was bashfull but this
bastard's flow will bash a skull
And I will, cut your girl like Pastor Tro
And I don't, usually smoke but pass the 'dro
And I won't, give you that money that you askin fo'
Why you think, me and Dame cool, we ask hoes
That's why we here your music in fast fo'
Cuz we don't wanna here that weak shit no mo'

[Chorus: Kanye West]
N-now, th-th-through ya motherfuckin hands
GET EM HIGH
All the girls pass the weed to ya motherfuckin man
GET EM HIGH
Now I ain't never tell you to put down ya hands
KEEP EM HIGH
And if ya losin yo high than smoke again
KEEP EM HIGH

[Verse 2: Kanye West]
N-n-n-n-n-now who the hell is this
E-mailin me at 11:26, tellin me that she 36-26, plus double-d
You know how girls on black planet be when they get bubblee
At NYU but she headed from Kansas, right now she just lampin, chillin on
campus
Sent me a picture with a feelin on Candice
Who said her favorite rapper was the late great Francis
W-H-I-T, it's gettin late mami, your screen saver say tweet
So you got to call me, and bring a friend for my friend
His name Kweli
(You mean Talib, lyric sticks to your rib)
I mean
(That's my favorite CD that I play at my crib)
I mean
(You don't really know him, why is you lyin)
Yo Kwe, she don't believe me, please pickup the line
She gon' think that I'm lyin, just spit a couple of lines
Then maybe I'll be able to give her dick all the time, and get her high

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
Yeah
I can't believe this nigga use my name for pickin up dolls but
GET EM HIGH, I need some tracks you tryin to pull tracks out
And my rhymes as fittin to blow you tryin to blow back south
Well ok, you twisted my arm, I'll asist with the charm, aiyyo
I though you meet that chickit that got friends with yo moms
And she's the bomb, boy she got the boujI behavior
Always got somethin to say like a bookee playa hater
Anyway, I don't usualy fuck a interneter
Draws stuck to they arm like Nicorette
You really fuckin that much, you tryin to get off cigarettes
And she think it's fly, she ain't met a real nigga yet
I appoligize if I come off a little inconsiderate
I got the bubble cushion a sister could get ahead of it

[Verse 4: Common]
Get em high like noon, or the moon or room filled with smoke
A high filled with dope
Y'all assumed I was doomed, out of tune, but I still feel the notes
The real nigga quotes
Real rappers is hard to find, like a remonte, control rap is not a
Used soup it still got life, that's why I abuse you who are not thugs
Rock clubs, it's like Tiger, Woods in the hood, to have my own reality show
Called Soul Survivor, I stole all liver, niggaz in you
You'se a bitch I got ones that are thicker than you
How could I ever let your words affect me, they say Hip-Hop is dead
I'm here to resurrect me, mosh is to sexy to even make songs like these
That's why the raw don't know your name, like Alicia Keys
To many featured emcees, and pro-ducers is populer
Twelve thousand spins, nobody got to coppin her
Album, how come, you the hot garbager
The years clear your image and snooped up
Label got you souped up, tellin you you sick
Man you a dick with a loose nut
Video hard to watch like Medusa
Even your club record need a booster
Chimped up, with a pimp cup, illeaterate nigga
Read the infa, red across your head I'm bread king like Simba
Bolder then Denver, I ain't a Madd Rapper just a emcee with a temper
You dansin for money like honey, I did this my way
So when the industry crash, I survive like Kanye
Spittin through wires and fires, emcees retirin
Got yo hands up, get them motherfuckers higher then

[Chorus: Kanye West]
N-now, th-th-through ya motherfuckin hands
GET EM HIGH
All the girls pass the weed to ya motherfuckin man
GET EM HIGH
Now I ain't never tell you to put down ya hands
KEEP EM HIGH
And if ya losin yo high than smoke again

[Girl #1]
Ay Wussup gurl

[Girl #2]
Heyy gurl

[Girl #3]
Hey How u doin'?

[Girl #1]
Ay you know i finally got my shit together been watchin that workout plan gurl!!

[Girl #2]
Well you lookin' all good and stuff you got you a-

[Girl #1]
Gurl i know it's that workout

[Girl #2]
Got you a six pack shakuar and stuff

[Girl #1]
Don't say it

[Girl #3]
my nigga my nigga i'm tired of puttin 1-8-7 in my niggas pager that shit aint
workin' no more

[Girl #1]
Gurl you know i'ma video hofesional now (Gurl) since i copped this new workout
plan my shit
is right rollin' in lexus, acruasss everything gurll

[Girl #3]
Gurl u need to let me know where i can cop that how much is it?

[Girl #1]
Gurl you know you ain't gotta pay nuttin' around me i'm tha bootleg queeen i'll
give it to
you for free.99

[Both girl #2, and #3]
FREE.99!!

[Girl #3]
That's my dawg you always lookin out for us

[Girl #2]
My nigga now i can throw away my bus pass and shit oh my God

[Girl #3]

[Intro]
You just popped in the Kanye West
Get right for the summer workout tape
And ladies if you follow these instructions exactly
you might bear to pull you a rapper, a NBA player
Man, at least a dude wit' a car
So first of all we gon' work on the stomach
Nobody wants a little tight ass!

[Verse 1]
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and get them sit ups right and
Tuck your tummy tight and do your crunches like this
Give head, stop breathe, get up, check your weave
Don't drop the blunt and disrespect the week
Pick up your son and don't disrespect your seed
It's a party tonight and ooh she's so excited
Tell me who's invited: you, your friends and my dick
What's scary to me is Henny makes girls look like Halle Berry to me
So excuse me miss, I forgot your name
Thank you, God bless you, good night I came..
I came...
I came..

[Chorus]
It's been a week without me
and she feel weak without me
She wanna talk it out but
Ain't nothin' to talk about
'Lest, she talkin' about freakin' out
then maybe we can work it out
Work it out (Come on) [4x]
Work it out now
Maybe we can work it out (Come on, come on)

[Verse 2]
Oh girl your silhouette make me wanna light a cigarette
My name Kanye from the Jigga set Twista set get it wet
Ooh girl your breath is HARSH
Cover your mouth up like you got SARS
Off them tracks yea I bought them cars
Still killa a nigga on 16 bars
We ain't sweatin' to the oldies we jukin to a cold beat
Maybe one day girl we can bone
so you can brag to all your homies now
But I still mess with a big firl if you ain't fit girl I'll hit girl
1 and you brought 2 friends OK 3 more now hop in the Benz
Four door do you know the difference between a 5, 6, 7, 8
All the mocha lattes you gotta do Pilates
You gotta pop this tape in before you start back dating
Hustlers, gangstas, all us, ballas

[Chorus]
It's been a week without me
and she feel weak without me
She wanna talk it out but
Ain't nothin' to talk about
'Lest, she talkin' about freakin' out
then maybe we can work it out
Work it out (Come on) [4x]
Work it out now
Maybe we can work it out (Come on, come on)

[Interlude: Ladies speaking w/ Kanye in the background]
[Jill] Hi may name is Jill, I just want to say thanks to
Kanye's workout plan. I was able to pull a NBA player
and like now I shop every day on Rodeo drive
I just want to say, thank you Kanye! woooo! woooo! woooo!

[Asandra] My name is Asandra, and I just want to say
that ever since listenin' to Kanye's workout tape
I was able to get my phone bill paid, I got sounds and 13's
put up in my Cavalier and I was able to get a free trip to Cancun
And what's most importantly is that I ain't gotta fuck Ray Ray's
broke ass no mo'

(Work it mo' juge it mo' pump it mo, Chi-town mo' let's go mo')

[Alamae] My name is Alamae from Moville, Alabama
and I just want to say since listenin' to Kanye's workout tape
I been able to date outside the family, I got a double wide
And I row the plain, row the plain, row the plain

[Girl] Thanks to Kanye's workout plan
I'm the envy of all my friends
See I pulled me a baller man (yeah)
And I don't gotta work at the mall again

[Beat changes]

(Lemme break ya wit' a piece of)
My favorite work out plan (oh! oh! oh!)
I wanna see you work out (yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah)
(It's that old Michael Jackson shit)

That's right put in work, move your ass, go wizzerk
Get your salad, no dessert
Get that man you deserve
It's Kanye's workout plan
I said it's Kanye's workout plan (Ladies and gentlemen)
It's Kanye's workout plan (Allow myself to introduce myself)
His woooorrrrkkoouut plan (This time around I want y'all to clap like this)

That's right put in work
Move your ass, go wizzerk
Eat your salad, no dessert
Get that man you deserve (Stop!)
It's Kanye's workout plan (Ok bring)
I said it's Kanye's workout plan (I know y'all ain't tired)
It's Kanye's workout plan (But I hope not, 'cuz on this one I need ya)
His woooorrrrkkoouut plan (to give me a soul clap ok? double time)

That's right put in work (Woo!)
Move your ass, go wizzerk (Ow!
Eat your salad, no dessert (Ugh!)
Get that man you deserve

That's right put in work (Put in work)
Move your ass, go wizzerk (Go wizzerk)
Eat your salad, no dessert (No dessert)
Get that man you deserve (You hear, ugh)

That's right put in work (That's right put in work)
Move your ass, go wizzerk (Go wizzerk)
Eat your salad, no dessert (Eat your salad, no dessert)
Get that man you deserve (Woo!)

(Okay, okay, okay, that's, that'd be good) [Applause and cheering]
(I appreciate your time)
I want to see you work out for me

(feat. Twista, Jamie Foxx)

[Luther Vandross]
Are you gonna be
Say that you're gonna be

[Jamie Foxx]
Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh...

[Jamie Foxx - Chorus]
She said she wants some Marvin Gaye, some Luther Vandross, a little Anita, will
definitely set this party off right
(Are u gonna be, are u gonna be, are u gonna be, are you gonna be are you gonna
be, well well well well well)
She said she want some Ready for the World, some New Edition, some Minnie
Ripperton, and definitely set this party off right
(Are u gonna be, are u gonna be, are u gonna be, are you gonna be are you gonna
be, well well well well well)

[Kanye West]
I told her to drive over in your new whip
Bring some friends you cool with
Imma bring da cool whip
Then I want you to strip
See you is my new chick
So we get our grind on
She be grabbin, callin me Biggie like Shine home
Man I swear she fine homes
Why she always lying though
Tellin me them diamonds when she know they rhinestones
She got a light skinned friend look like Michael Jackson
Got a dark skinned friend look like Michael Jackson
I play 'Ready for the World' - she was ready for some action
My dawg said you aint no freak, so you got to prove my man wrong
Imma play this Vandross
You gon' take your pants off
Imma play this Galdys Knight
Me and you gon' get right

[Chorus X2]

[Twista]
Got you lookin at the gliss at my hands and wrists
While i'm layin back smokin on my canibus
When it come to rockin the rythm like Marvin and Luther
I can tell you aint no messin with Kan-man and Twist
From the Chi and I be
Sippin Hennessy
Play some R&B
Tryina smoke a B
Lookin properly
Feelin on a G?
And always (Well Well Well Well Well)
Come with me and sip on some Evelyn Champagne
You aint know Twista can work it like the Whispers
Hit the stop light, get into some Isaac
The rims still moving so I'm bumping a little spinners
While I'm
Smokin on a B
Dippin through the streets
Bumpin R&B
And I got to leave
something to the 23's?
And I do it (well well well well well)
When my earth and the wind smoke a fire
Let me when get your sheets wet listening to Keith Sweat
Put you in a daze for maze
Fullfilling our every temptation slow jamming having deep sex
You ready for the world girl
Come on over make me touch you all over your body baby don't say no to me
An every moment you controllin' me I'm lovin the way you be holding me when I be
listening to Jodeci
And when I come over and bend your ass
You be bumpin Teddy Pendergrass
I'da hit it from the back to the melody to roll it slow
Now I gotta go up in it fast, but imma finish last
No matter how much of a thug you see
I still spit it like it's R&B, so to the club with me
And with some Luther come on and hope you finna and stilla be in love with me

[chorus X2]

[Twista]
Baby drop another slow jam
And all us lovers need hold hands
And if you aint got no man hop up on my brohem
I keep it pimpin like an old man
You gots to roll with the plan
Cuz after that then I
Take it to the dome
Then I got to bone
Stay up in the zone
Got to get you home
Gotta run up on
And I do it (well well well well well)
Baby drop another slow jam
And all us lovers need hold hands
And if you aint got no man hop up on my brohem
I keep it pimpin like an old man
You gots to roll with the plan
Cuz after that then I
Take you to my home
And we could get it on
Disconnect the phone
Just to get you goin'
Tryina make you moan

(feat. Ludacris)

[Hook: Ludacris]
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya deez out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
When I pull the piece out niggas like "Peace out!"

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Golly, more of that bullshit ice rap
I got to 'pologize to Mos and Kweli (probably)
But is it cool to rap about gold
If I told the world I copped it from Ghana and Mali? (Mali!)
First nigga with a Benz and a backpack
Ice chain, Cardi lens, and a knapsack
Always said if I rapped I'd say somethin' significant
But now I'm rappin' 'bout money, hoes, and rims again
And it's still about the Benjamins
Big faced hundreds and whatever other synonyms
Strippers named Cinnamon
More chips than Pentium
What'cha gon' buy next? Whatever new trend it is
I'm tryin' to spend my stacks
And I'm so broke I look back like "Damn, was I on crack?"
I mean twelve platinum chains, was I on that?
What the hell was wrong with me dog?
Sing along with my y'all

[Hook: Ludacris]
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya deez out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
When I pull the piece out niggas like "Peace out!"

[Verse 2: Kanye West]
Now even though I went to college and dropped out of school quick
I always had a Ph.D.: a Pretty Huge Dick
Ladies tired of gettin' ripped off by guys like this
And givin' head is like 'oh well, the shoes and the toothpick'
Well, I'm in the club for a limited time
Act now and get some action for $3.99
Later on I might charge for ménage
Heard her man was the boss of the floss
But she still want to toss me the drawers
And it ain't gon' cost me because she my caddy
Cuz she grabbed my golf balls in the club
And I'm still actin' calm than a mug
She asked "Can you drive me and the hunnies to where my Altima was?"
While we drive she tellin' me 'bout problems with her man
Baby I fully understand
Let me help you with a plan
While he trickin' off, don't get no rich nigga
Give ME some head, that'll really piss hI'm off
[inhales]

[Hook: Ludacris]
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya deez out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out
When I pull a piece out niggas like "Peace out!"

[Verse 3: Kanye West]
I blow past low class niggas with no cash
In the fo' dash six, bitch you can go ask
So when I go fast popo just laugh
Right until I run out of gas or 'til I go crash
Whatever comes first I'm prepared for the worst
Whatever comes second I'll be there with my weapon
Pullin' up in the Lexuses/'lexeses, one on both hand
So I guess them GSes was ambidextrous
Coulda sworn her breasteses was sendin' me messages
"K I need a free hand mammogram
I got weed, drink, and a Handicam
All of which is legal in Amsterdam"
So say my name like Candyman
And I'ma come and fix you up like the handyman
But if you don't need a fix, girl you gotta leave
You can't take that all at one time ya gotta breathe

[Hook: Ludacris]
Yeah, breathe in, breathe out
If ya iced up, pull ya sleeves out
Push a big truck, pull ya keys out
Girls go wild and pull ya deez out
Breathe in, breathe out
Let them hoes fight, pull her weave out
If a nigga act up, pull a Desert E's out

Now beat that
And your mothers sayin “go to college”
So u finish college and its wonderful
U feel so good
And after all the partying and crazing
And don't forget about that drug habit u picked up at school bein around your
peers
Hey now you'll get that 25 thou, job a year and
You'll spend all your money on crack cocaine, but it'll be you're your money
No more borrowin money from mom for my high
So now you get ur degree tattooed on your back your so excited about it
If u continue to work at the GAP, after several interviews, Oh my god!
You'll come in at an entry level position and when u do that
If u kiss enough ass, you'll move up to the next level
Which is being a secretary's secretary!
And boy is that great, you get to take messages for the secretary
Who never went to college
Shes actually the bosses niece, so now your apart of the family
You know what college does for you?
It makes you really smart man
All you kids want to talk in the back of the class not me, I listened, ok
I was a hall monitor, This was meant to be,
You know how many classes I took, extra classes extra classes
No I've never had sex but you know what, my degree keeps me satisfied
When a lady walks to me says “hey u know whats sexy?”
I say “no, I don't know what it is, but I bet I can add up all the change in

[Intro]
School spirit motherfuckers

[Chorus]
Alpha, step. Omega, step
Kappa, step. Sigma, step
Gangstas walk, pimps gon' talk
Oooh hecky naw that boy is raw
AKA, step. Delta, step
S G Rho, step. Zeta, step
Gangstas walk, pimps gon' talk
Oooh hecky naw that boy is raw

[Verse 1]
I'ma get on this TV, momma
I'ma, I'ma break shit down
I'ma make sure these light skinned niggaz
Never ever never come back in style
Told 'em I finished school, and I started my own business
They say, 'Oh you graduated?'
No, I decided I was finished
Chasin' y'all dreams and what you've got planned
Now I spit it so hot you got tanned
Back to school and I hate it there, I hate it there
Everything I want I gotta wait a year, I wait a year
This nigga graduated at the top of my class..
I went to Cheesecake, he was a motherfucking waiter there

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
I got a Jones like Norah for your sorror'
Bring more of them girls I've seen in the Aurora
Tammy, Becky, and Laura, or'a Shirley
I'm tryin' to hit it early, like I'm in a hurry
See, that's how dude became the young pootie tang tippy tow
Rocafella chain, yeah that's my rapper style
Rosary piece, yeah that's my Catholic style
Red and white One's, yeah that's my Kappa style
And I ain't even pledge
Crack my head on the steering wheel and I ain't even dead
If I could go through all that and still be breathing
Bitch bend over, I'm here for a reason

[Chorus]

[Outro]
I feel a woo coming on, cuz. I feel a woo coming on, cuz
WOO
There it was
I feel some woos coming on, cuz. A couple woos coming on, cuz
WOO, WOO
There they was
I feel a woo coming on, cuz. I feel a woo coming on, cuz
WOO
There it was
A couple woos coming on, cuz. A couple woos coming on, cuz
WOO, WOO

You keep it going man, you keep those books rolling,
You pick up those books your going to read
And not remember and you roll man.
You get that associate degree, okay,
Then you get your bachelors, then you get your masters
Then you get your master's masters,
Then you get your doctron,
You go man, then when everybody says quit
You show them those degree man, when
Everybody says hey, your not working,
Your not making in money,
You say look at my degrees and you look at my life,
Hey i'm 52, so what, hate all you want,
But i'm smart, i'm so smart, and i'm in school,
And these guys are out here making all this
Money all these ways, and I'm spended mine to be smart.
You know why?
Because when i die, buddy, you know

(feat. Mos Def, Freeway, The Harlem Boys Choir)

[Kanye West]
We in the streets playa, getcha mail
It's only two places you'll end up - either dead or in jail
Still nowhere to go...still nowhere to go
Now throw ya hands up bustless, bustas, boostas, hoes
Everybody, fuck that
Still nowhere to go...sill nowhere to go..

[Mos Def]
Two words, United States, no love, no brakes
Low brow, high stakes, crack smoke, black folks
Big Macs, fat folks, ecstasy capsules
Presidential scandals, everybody MOVE
Two words, Mos Def, K West, hot shit
Calm down, get back, ghetto people, got this
Game ball, lock shit, dump off, cock shit
We won't stop shit, everybody MOVE
Two words, BK , NY, bedstuy
Two hawks, too hungry, too many, that's why
These streets know game, can't ball, don't play
Every traffic, one lane, everybody MOVE
Two words, Mos Def, black check, hot shit
Calm down, get back, ghetto people, got this
Game point lock, long pump cocked
We won't stop, everybody MOVE

[Chorus: Kanye West (Harlem Boys Choir)]

[1] - Now throw ya hands up bustless, bustas (Throw your hands up high)
Boostas, hoes, everybody, fuck that (ohhhhhh)
Still nowhere to go...still nowhere to go... (ohhhhhh)

[2] - and keep ya hands up bustless, bustas (Till they reach the sky)
Boostas, hoes, everybody, fuck that (ohhhhhh)
Still nowhere to go...still nowhere to go... (ohhhhhh)

[Kanye West (Harlem Boys Choir)]
Aiyyo, two words, Chi town, South side, world wide
Cuz I, rep that, till I, fuckin die
One neck, two chains, one waist, two gats
One wall, twenty plaques, dudes say, "Gimme that"
I am limelight, Blueprint, 5 Mics
Go get his rhyme like, shoulda been signed twice
Most imitated, Grammy nominated
Hotel accommodated, cheerleader, prom dated
Barbershop, playa hated, mom and pop, bootlegged it
Felt like it rained till the roof caved in
Two words, Chi town, raised me, crazy
So I live by two words, "Fuck you, pay me"
Screamin, Jesus save me
You know how the game be
I can't let em change me
Cuz on Judgment Day, you gon blame me
Look God, it's the same me
I (Throw) basically know now (Your) we could (Up) racially profile (High)
Cuffed up and hosed down, pimped up and hoe down (ohhhhhh)
Plus I got a whole city to hold down (ohhhhhh)
From the bottom to the top
So only place to go down

[Chorus 2nd verse]

[Freeway]
Two words, Freeway, two letters, A-R
Turn y'all rap niggaz into two words, fast runners
Like Jackie Jurner, you better sleep with your burner
The heat skeet, blow a reef through ya car
My God, two words, no guns, break arms
Break necks, break backs, Steven Segul
Free...young bars, fresh men of the Roc
Left the beef in the pot Jay sent for his dogs
and broads, forget ya squad, let em find for yourself
Have you screamin out four words "Send for the Lord"
Two words, Freeway's slightly retarded
Fuck around, throw a clip in ya artist, leave with his broad..

[Harlem Boys Choir (Mos Def)]
Throw... (red) Your... (white)
Hands... (blue) Up... (black)

Throw... (calm) Your... (down)
Hands... (move) Up... (back)

Throw... (motherfuckers) Your... (askin)
Hands... (who is) Up... (that)

Throw... (you know) Your... (it's the)
Hands... (almighty) Up... (Mighty Johnny Jack)

Throw... (Mos) Your... (Def)
Hands... (K) Up... (West)

Throw... (there go) Your... (people)
Hands... (get this) Up... (shit off ya chest)

Throw... (north) Your... (to the south)
Hands... (to the east) Up... (to the west)

Throw... (we got) Your... (that concert)
Hands... (it was no) Up... (contest)

Yo G, they can't stop me from rapping can they?
Can they huh?
I spit it through the wire man
Just too much stuff on my heart right now man
I'll gladly risk it all right now
It's a life or death situation man
Y'all don't really understand how I feel right now man
It's your boy Kayne to the....
Chi-Town what's goin on man

[Verse 1]
I drink a - Boost for breakfast, an Ensure for dizzert
Somebody ordered pancakes, I just sip the sizzurp
That right there could drive a sane man be-serk
Not to worry Mr. H-to-the-Izzo's back to wi-zzerk
How do you console my mom or give her life support
Telling her her son's on life support
And just imagine how my girl feel
On the plane, scared as hell that her guy look like Emmett Till
She was with me before the deal, she been tryin to be mine
She a Delta, so she been throwin that +Dynasty+ sign
No use in me tryin to be lyin, I been tryin to resign
Trying to be a millionaire - HA! I used two lifelines
In the same hospital where Biggie Smalls died
The doctor said I had blood clots, but I ain't Jamaican man
Story on MTV and I ain't tryin to +Make a Band+
I swear this right here, history in the makin man

I really apologize how I sound right now man
This ain't fair at all man
They got my mouth wired shut for like
I don't know the doctor said like six weeks
You know we had reconstru....
I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
I looked in the mirror, half of my jaw was in the back of my mouth
Man I couldn't believe it
But I'm still here for yall right now yo
This is what I gotta say yo
Yeah, turn me up yeah

[Verse 2]
What if somebody from the Chi that was ill got a deal
on the hottest rap label around
But he wasn't talking bout coke and birds it was more like spoken word
Except he's really puttin it down
And he explained the story about how blacks came from glory
And what we need to do in the game
Good dude, bad night, right place, Wrong time
in the blink of a eye - his whole life changed
If you could feel how my face felt, you would know how Mase felt
Thank God I ain't too cool for the safe belt
I swear to God driver two wanna sue
I got a lawyer for the case to keep what's in my safe, safe
My dawgs couldn't tell if I
I looked like Tom Cruise on +Vanilla Sky+, it was televised
All they heard was in accident like GEICO
They thought I was burnt up like Pepsi did Michael
I must gotta angel
Cause look how death missed his ass
"Unbreakable", what you thought they'd call me Mr. Glass
Look back on my life like the ghost of Christmas past
Toys R Us where I used to spend that Christmas cash
And I still wont grow up, I'm a grown ass kid
Swear I should be locked up for stupid shit that I did
But I'm a champion, so I turned tragedy to triumph
Make music that's fire, spit my soul through the wire

Yaknahmsayin?
When the doctor told me I had a um...
I was gonna have to have a plate in my chin
I said dawg, don't you realize I'll never make it on my plane now?
Its bad I got all this jewelry on

[Intro: Kanye West]
How's your son? (all, all, all the things, things)
He make the team this year? (all, all, all the things things)
Aw th-, they said he wasn't tall enough?
(all, all, all the glitter in that gold)
Yeah me we gon' cook this up (now gold is not a reality)
(real is what you live to be)

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
This is family business
And this is for the family that can't be with us
And this is for my cousin locked down, know the answer's in us
That's why I spit it in my songs so sweet
Like a photo of your granny's picture
Now that you're gone it hit us
Super hard on Thankgiving and Christmas, this can't be right
Yeah you heard the track I did man, this can't be light
Somebody please say grace so I can save face
And have a reason to cover my face
I even made you a plate, soul food, know how Granny do it
Pumpkin bread on the side, know how the family do it
When I brought it why did God have to look all to it?
As kids we used to laugh
Who knew that life would move this fast?
Who knew I'd have to look at you through a glass?
And look, tell me you ain't did it, you ain't did it
And if you did, then that's family business

[Hook: Choir]
And I don't care 'bout (all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the things)
All these fancy things
I tell you that all (all the glitter) I'm waiting for
Now all I know I know all these things

[Verse 2: Kanye West]
This is family business
And this is for everybody standin' with us
Come on, let's take a family Grammy picture
Hey B, remember when they ain't believe in me?
Now she like "See, that's my cousin on TV"
Now, we gettin' it and we gon' make it
And y'all gon' hate it and I'm his favorite
I can't deny it, I'm a straight rider
But when we get together be electric slidin'
Grandma, get 'em shook up
Aw naw, don't open the photo book up
I got an Aunt Ruth that can't remember your name
But I bet them Polaroids'll send her down memory lane
You know that one auntie, you don't wanna be rude
But every holiday nobody eatin' her food
And you don't wanna stay there cuz them your worst cousins
Got roaches at their crib like them your first cousins
Act like you ain't took a bath with your cousins
Fit three in the bed while six of y'all
I'm talkin' 'bout three by the head and three by the leg
But you ain't have to tell my girl I used to pee in the bed

[Interlude: Choir]
Rain, rain, rain go away
Let the sun come out and all the children say
Rain, rain, rain go away
Let the sun come out and all the children say

[Verse 3: Kanye West]
I woke up early this mornin' with a new state of mind
A creative way to rhyme without usin' knives and guns
Keep your nose out the sky, keep your heart to God
And keep your face to the risin' sun
All my niggas from the Chi, that's my family dog
And my niggas ain't my guys, they my family dog
I feel like one day you'll understand me dog
You can still love your man and be manly dog
You ain't got to get heated at every house warmin'
Sittin' here, grillin' people like George Foreman
Why Uncle Ray and Aunt Shiela always performin'?
The second he storm out then she storm in
Y'all gon' sit down, have a good time this reunion
And drink some wine like Communion
And act like everything fine and if it isn't
We ain't lettin' everybody in our family business

[Interlude: Choir]
(all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the things)
They don't mean a thing
(all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing, a thing

[Hook: Choir]
And I don't care 'bout (all the, all the diamond rings, diamond rings)
They don't mean a thing (all, all, all the things)
All these fancy things
I tell you that all (all the glitter) I'm waiting for
Now all I know I know all these things

[Females:] (oooh) All these things (these things)
[Males:] All these things (oooh) all these things (these things)
[F:] All these things (oooh) all these things (these things)
[M:] All these things (oooh) all these things (these things)
[F:] All these things (oooh) all these things (these things)
[M:] All these things (oooh) all these things (these things)
[F:] All these things (oooh) all these things (these things)

[Intro: Jay-Z (Kanye)]
[laughing]
Yo fuck you, Kanye, first and foremost
For making me do this shit. Muh'fucker
Had to throw everybody out the motherfucking room
'Cause they don't fucking..

(I'd like to propose a toast)
(I said toast motherfucker)

[Chorus: Kanye]
And I am
And they ask me, they ask me, they ask me, I tell them
Raise your glasses, your glasses, your glasses to the sky
This is the last call for alcohol, for the..
So get your ass up off the wall

[Verse 1]
The all around the world Digital Underground, Pac
The Rudloph the red nosed reindeer of the Roc
I take my chain, my 15 seconds of fame
And come back next year with the whole fucking game
Ain't nobody expect Kanye to end up on top
They expected that College Dropout to drop and then flop
Then maybe he stop savin' all the good beats for himself
Rocafella's only niggaz that help
My money was thinner than Sean Paul's goatee hair
Now Jean Paul Gaultier cologne fill the air, here
They say he bourgie, he big-headed
Won't you please stop talking about how my dick head is
Flow infectious, give me 10 seconds
I'll have a buzz bigger than insects in Texas
It's funny how wasn't nobody interested
'Til the night I almost killed myself in Lexus

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
Now was Kanye the most overlooked? Yes sir
Now is Kanye the most overbooked? Tes sir
Though the fans want the feeling of A Tribe Called Quest
But all they got left is this guy called West
Better take Freeway, throw him on tracks with Mos Def
Call him Kwa-lI or Kwe-li, I put him on songs with Jay-Z
I'm the Gap like Banana Republic and Old Navy, and oooh
It come out sweeter than old Sadie
Nice as Bun-B when I met him at the Source awards
Girl he had with him - ass coulda won the horse awards
And I was almost famous, now everybody love Kanye
I'm almost reignin'
Some say he arrogant. Can y'all blame him?
It was straight embarrassing how y'all played him
Last year shoppin my demo, I was tryin' to shine
Every motherfucker told me that I couldn't rhyme
Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem
Or use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams
I use it as my gas, so they say that I'm gassed
But without it I'd be last, so I ought to laugh
So I don't listen to the suits behind the desk no more
You niggaz wear suits 'cause you can't dress no more
You can't say shit to Kanye West no more
I rocked 20,000 people, I was just on tour, nigga
I'm Kan, the Louis Vuitton Don
Bought my mom a purse, now she Louis Vuitton Mom
I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards
I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars
I went to the malls and I balled too hard
'Oh my god, is that a black card?'
I turned around and replied, why yes but I prefer the term
African American Express
Brains, power, and muscle, like Dame, Puffy, and Russell
Your boy back on his hustle, you know what I've been up to
Killin y'all niggaz on that lyrical shit
Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips

[Chorus]
"... last call for alcohol, for my niggaz"

[Outro]
So this A&R over at Rocafella, named Hiphop
picked the Truth beat for Beanie. And I was in the session with him
I had my demo with me. You know, like I always do
I play the songs, he's like "Who that spittin?"
I'm like "It's me." He's like "Oh, well okay."
Uhh, he started talkin to me on the phone
going back and forth, just askin me to send him beats
And I'm thinking he's trying to get into managing producers
cause he had this other kid named Just Blaze he was messin with
And um, he was friends with my mentor, No ID
And No ID told him, "look man, you wanna mess with Kanye
you need to tell him that you like the way he rap"
[No ID:] "Yo, you wanna sign him, tell him you like how he rap"
I was all, I dunno if he was gassin' me or not
but he's like he wanna manage me as a rapper AND a producer
[Hiphop:] "I'll sign you as a producer and a rapper",
I'm like oh shit
I was messin with, uh, D-Dot also
People were like this, started talking about the Ghost production
But that's how I got in the game. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here
So you know. After they picked that Truth beat
I was figuring I was gonna do some more work
But shit just went poppin off like that. I was stayin in Chicago
I had my own apartment. I be doin' like, just beats for local acts
just to try to keep the lights on, and then to go out and buy
get a Pelle Pelle off lay-away, get some Jordans or something
or get a TechnoMarine, that's what we wore back then
I made this one beat where I sped up this Hal Melville sample
I played it for Hip over the phone, he's like "oh, yo that shit is crazy
Jay might want it for this compilation album he doin, called The Dynasty."
And at that time, like the drums really weren't soundin' right to me
so I went and um, I was listening to Dre Chronic 2001 at that time
and really I just, like picked the drums off Xxplosive and put it like
with it sped up, sampled, and now it's kind of like my whole style
when it started, when he rapped on 'This Can't be Life.'
And that was like, really the first beat of that kind that was on the Dynasty
album
I could say that was the, the resurgence of this whole sound
You know, I got to come in and track the beat, and at the time
I was still with my other management. I really wanted to roll with
Hiphop. 'Cause I, I just needed some fresh air, you know what I'm
sayin, 'cause I been there for a while, I appreciated what they did
for me, but, you know there's a time in every man's life where he
gotta make a change, try to move up to the next level. And that day I
came and I tracked the beat and I got to meet Jay-Z and he said, "oh
you a real soulful dude" [Jay-Z: "you a real soulful dude"]. And he
uh, played the song 'cause he already spit his verse by the time I got
to the studio, you know how he do it, one take. And he said
[Jay-Z:] "check this out, tell me what you think of this, right here"
"tell me what you think of this." And I heard it, and I was thinking
like, man, I really wanted more like of the simple type Jay-Z, I ain't
want like the, the more introspective, complicated rhy- or the, in my
personal opinion. So he asked me, "what you think of it?"
[Jay-Z:] "so what you thinkin?"
And I was like, "man that shit tite,"
you know what I'm sayin', man what I'ma tell him? I was on the train
man, you know. So after that I went back home. And man I'm, I'm just
in Chicago, I'm trying to do my thing. You know, I got groups. I got
acts I'm trying to get on, and like there wasn't nothin really like
poppin' off the way it should have been. One of my homeys that was one
of my artists, he got signed. But it was supposed to really go through
my production company, but he ended up going straight with the
company. So, like I'm just straight holdin' the phone, gettin' the bad
news that dude was tryin' to leave my company. And I got evicted at
the same time. So I went down and tracked the beats from him, I took
that money, came back, packed all my shit up in a U-Haul, maybe about
ten days before I had to actually get out. So I ain't have to deal
with the landlord 'cause he's a jerk. Me and my mother drove to
[Mother:] "Come on, let's just go"
Newark, New Jersey. I hadn't even seen my apartment.
I remember I pulled up
[Mother:] "Kanye, baby, we're here",
I unpacked all my shit. You know, we went to Ikea, I bought a
bed, I put the bed together myself. I loaded up all my equipment, and
the first beat I made was, uh, 'Heart of the City.'
And Beans was still working on his album at that time, so I came up
there to Baseline, it was Beans' birthday, matter of fact, and I
played like seven beats. And, you know I could see he's in the zone
he already had the beats that he wanted, I did nothing like already at
that time. But then Jay walked in. I remember he had a GuccI bucket
hat on. I remember it like, like it was yesterday. And Hiphop said
"yo play that one beat for him." And I played 'Heart of the City.' And
really I made 'Heart of the City,' I really wanted to give that beat to DMX.
[Hiphop:] "No I think Jay gon' like this one right here".
And I played another beat, and I played another beat. And I remember that
GuccI bucket, he took it and like put it over his face and made one of
them faces like 'OOOOOOOOOOH.' Two days later I'm in Baseline and I seen
Dame. Dame didn't know who I was and I was like "yo what's up I'm Kanye."
[Dame:] "Yo, you that kid, Kanye?"
"You that kid that gave all them beats to Jay?
Yo, this nigga got classics"
[Dame:] "Jay got classics, G."
You know I ain't talkin shit.
I'm like "oh shit." And all this time I'm starstruck, man. I'm
still thinking 'bout, you know I'm picturing these niggaz on the show
The Streets is Watching, I'm lookin, these were superstars in my
eyes. And they still are, you know. So, Jay came in and he spit all
these songs like in one day, and in two days... I gotta bring up one
thing, you know, come back to the story, the day I did the 'Can't be
Life' beat on track, I remember Lenny S, he had some Louis Vuitton
sneakers on, he think he fly. And Hiphop was there, I think Tata, John
Minnelli, a bunch of people. I didn't know all these people at the
time they was in the room, and I said, "yo Jay I could rap." And I
spit this rap that said, uh "I'm killin y'all niggaz on that lyrical
shit. Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips." And I saw his
eyes light up when I said that line. But you know the West, the rap
was like real wack and shit, so that's all the response.
He said "man that was tite."
[Jay-Z:] "That, that was cool. That was hot."
That was it. You know, I ain't get no deal then, hehe.
Okay, fast forward.
So, Blueprint, H to the Izzo, my first hit single. And I just
took that proudly, built relationships with people. My relationship
with KwelI I think was one of the best ones to ever happen to my
career as a rapper. Because, you know, of course later he allowed me
to go on tour with him. Man, I appre-- I love him for that. And at
this time, you know I didn't have a deal, I had songs, and I had
relationships with all these A&R's, and they wanted beats from me, so
they'd call me up, I'd play them some beats. "Gimme a beat that sound
like Jay-Z." You know, they dick riders. Whatever. So I'll play them
these post-Blueprint beats or whatever and then I'll play my shit. I'll
be like, "yo but I rap too." Hey, I guess they was lookin' at me crazy
'cause you know, 'cause I ain't have a jersey on or whatever
Everybody out there listen here. I played them 'Jesus Walks' and they
didn't sign me. You know what happened, it was some A&R's that fucked
with me though, but then like the heads, it'd be somebody at the
company that'll say "naw." Like, Dave LottI fucked with me, my
nigga Mel brought me to a bunch of labels. Jessica Rivera, man
[Jessica:] "Man, you niggaz is stupid if y'all don't sign Kanye, for real."
I'm not gonna say nothin to mess my promotion up
"Y'all niggaz is stupid". Let's just say I didn't get my deal.
The nigga that was behind me, I mean,
he wasn't even a nigga, you know?
The person who actually kicked everything off was Joe 3H from Capitol
Records. He wanted to sign me really bad.
[Joe:] "We gonna change the game, buddy."
Dame was like, "yo you got a deal with Capitol,
okay man, just make sure it's not wack."
[Dame:] "you gotta make sure it's not wack."
Then one day I just went ahead and played it, I wanted to
play some songs, 'cause you know Cam was in the room, Young Guru, and
Dame was in the room. So I played... actually it's a song that you'll
never hear, but maybe I might use it. So, it's called 'Wow.'
"I go to Jacob with 25 thou, you go with 25 hundred, wow
I got eleven plaques on my walls right now
You got your first gold single, damn, nigga, wow."
Like the chorus went. Don't bite that chorus, I might still use it. So
I play that song for him, and he's like "oh shit"
[Dame:] "Oh shit it's not even wack."
"I ain't gonna front, it's kinda hot."
[Dame:] "it's actually kinda hot."
Like they still weren't looking at me
like a rapper. And I'm sure Dame figured, 'like man. If he do a whole
album, if his raps is wack at least we can throw Cam on every song and
save the album, you know. So uh Dame took me into the office, and he's
like "yo man, we, we on a brick, we on a brick"
[Dame:] "you don't wanna catch a brick"
You gotta be under an umbrella, you'll get rained on.
I told Hiphop and Hiphop was all, "oh, word?" Actually, even with
that I was still about to take the deal with Capitol 'cause it was
already on the table and 'cause of my relationship with 3H. That, you
know, 'cause I told him I was gonna do it, and I'm a man of my word, I
was gonna roll with what I said I was gonna do. Then, you know, I'm
not gonna name no names, but people told me, "oh he's just a producer
rapper" and told 3H that told the heads of the Capitol, and right--
the day I'm talking about, I planned out everything I was gonna do
man, I had picked out clothes, I already started booking studio
sessions, I started arranging my album, thinking of marketing schemes
man I was ready to go. And they had Mel call me, they said
"yo... Capitol pulled on the deal"
[Mel:] "Yo, Capitol pulled out on the deal."
And, you know I told them that Rocafella was interested
and I don't know if they thought that was just something I was saying
to gas them up to try to push the price up or whatever. I went up... I