Jay-z The Prelude Lyrics

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, '€œYou should spit it'€?



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

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

Shoe box 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 handsfree

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



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 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