Jay-z - The Prelude lyrics

You know, you've got this.. fantasy in your head about

gettin outta the life and, settin the corporate world on its ear

What the FUCK you gonna do except hustle?

Besides pimpin... you really ain't got the stomach for that

The game's fucked up

Nigga's beats is bangin, nigga your hooks did it

Your lyrics did and your gangster look did it

So I would write it if y'all could get it

Bein intricate'll get you wood, critic

On the internet, they like you should spit it

I'm like you should buy it, nigga that's good business

Hehe, forget this rap shit I need a new hustle

A little bit of everything, the new improved Russell

I say that reluctantly cause I do struggle

As you see I can't leave so I do love you

But I'm just a hustler disguised as a rapper

In fact you can't fit this hustle inside of a wrapper

Back when crack was

What these pills are, I was a real star

Complete with real, cars, no video ones

You can come and set up a camera, let the video run

And my real life, complete with real, ice

VVS boulders oh they're visibly set

Head and shoulders, my invisible neck

You see Hova, wasn't digital yet

Befo' Steve Jobs, made the iPod

Was gettin head, jobs, we call that intimate

Back when rappers wouldn't dare play lyrical roulette

With a automatic weapon I was reppin with a tec

(Fresh) like (Mannie) be, chain like anti-freeze

Shoebox full of cash, dealer man hand me ki's

Pantries full of Arm & Hammer, don't take Nancy Drew to see

what it do, I'm a damn G

Just sent a million dollars through a hands free

That's big money talk, can you answer me?

Before the answer was a 3

I 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 shit

Bought a 6, quarter seven, skipped on them quarter eights

Bought a 9 for non-stop 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 quit

I used to think rappin at 38 was ill

But last year alone I grossed 38 mill'

I know I ain't quite 38 but still

The flow so (Special) got a (38) feel

The real is back, hehehehe