The Prelude

Lyrics

[Intro: Pain In Da Ass] You know, you've got this fantasy in yo' head aboutGettin' out of the life and setting the corporate world on its earWhat the fuck you gonna do except hustle?Besides pimpin', you really ain't got the stomach for that [Verse: Jay-Z] The game's fucked up, nigga's beats is bangin', nigga, your hooks did itYour lyrics didn't—your gangsta look did it So I would write it if y'all could get it Bein' intricate'll get you wood, criticOn the internet, they like, "You should spit it"I'm like, "You should buy it, nigga, that's good business" Haha Forget this rap shit, I need a new hustleA little bit of everything, the new, improved Russell I say that reluctantly, 'cause I do struggleAs you see, I can't leave, so I do love you But I'm just a hustler disguised as a rapperIn fact, you can't fit this hustle inside of a wrapper Back when crack was what these pills areI was a real starComplete with real cars, no video onesYou can come and set up a camera, let the video run And my real life complete with real iceVVS boulders all invisibly set Head and shoulders, my invisible neck You see, Hova wasn't digital yetBefore Steve Jobs made the iPodWas getting head jobs, we call that "interneck" Back when rappers wouldn't dare play lyrical rouletteWith a automatic weapon I was rappin' with a TEC Fresh like Mannie be, chain like anti-freezeShoebox full of cash, dealer-man hand me keysPantries full of Arm & HammerDon't take Nancy Drew to see what it do, I'm a damn G (Ugh) Just sent a million dollars through a hands-freeThat's big money talk—can you answer me? Before the answer was a threeI was down in Georgetown with a Hoya chick, lawyer chick Sure, he's rich now 'cause he saw the shit, all this shit That's why they call him Hov, 'cause he came before all this shitBought a six, quarter seven, skipped on them quarter eightsBought a nine for nonstop Glock work all the time (Woo!) Guess who's back Since this is a New Era, got a fresh, new hat Ten-year veteran, I've been set I've been through with this bullshit game, but I never can I used to think rappin' at 38 was illBut last year alone, I grossed 38 mil'I know I ain't quite 38, but stillThe flow so special, got a 38 feel The real is backHahahaha