The Music Of Business

(Xzibit): Yea. That's what I'm talking about

(Ras K.): Yea

(Xzibit): The homie John John up in this motherfucker

(Ras K.): Yea

(Xzibit): Mr. X to the Z with a public service announcement

for all you faggot ass rappers

(Ras K.): What's that?

(Xzibit): They think just because a nigga's rapping

with a label behind him, it's all great

(Ras K.): Yep

(Xzibit): It's modern day pimps and hoes going on

Ask EPMD, rap is still out of control

Cause hip-hop plus glocks = Scott La Rock, Tupac and Biggie Smalls

I figure y'all niggaz brawl for lack of protocol

Now I'm gonna take matters into my own hands, like masturbation

Another 39 suicidal rap is at heavens gate waiting to battle with Satan

Rassassination: taking heads like decapitation (ching!)

Trapped in infatuation (really)? Back up off me

Kiss my ass. Then wake up n' smell the coffee

See, when you're broke and unknown, your baby's mama clown you

Your family down's you. Don't want your own kid around you

You ain't shit. Don't do shit

Ain't gone never be shit. So its quits

Two video's later, she's on your dick (Bitch)

When your albums selling, she "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

Bragging to her friends: "That's just my babies daddy!"

And sadly, niggaz start acting like they shit don't stink

But wait: you getting cut like the wedding cake

The music business is straight Mafioso:

Jewish, Italiano, and Black

My BMI/ASCAP platinum placque rap track

Bootleg my shit to japan. At Swap Meets, sell my same shit back

Long sharks break legs. We break beats state to state

And record deals? That shit belong with a fucked up interest rate

(Chorus 2x):

(Parish Smith sample): Music Please, music please

(Color Me Bad Sample): "Why you treat me so bad?"

(Parish Smith sample): Music please..music please

(Other sample): "I don't know why baby!"

(Xzibit): Just handle your business

(Verse 2)

It's sort of like the label is the devil:

R&B, Pop, Gospel to Heavy Metal

They make doe pimping the ghet-to

Label mates: different rats in the same rat race

The production company is the nigga that you learn to hate

Management is your crimy. Your lawyer is your liar

And when your famous but po', you set your accountants office on fire

It's like this: they loan you $1

For you just to break even, they stack $10

When you finally make one dollar, your profit is Andrew Jack-son ($20)

You skinny. They got plenty. The Benjamins? Before you see any

They getting G's: big cheese.

No Vaseline fucking dope M.C.'s, "so freeze"

Call the police chief? It takes a thief

Here's everything you need to know about the record industry,

like a chief.

'Cause labels is doing $300,000 deals;

Blowing coke smoke up my ass, but we both know crack kills.

Not very many, rappers ever see a penny

But double platinum is two million units. CD's cost $20.

(Too true) So here's a clue

Somebody just make $40,000,000 and it sho' wasn't you

(Chorus 2x):

(Parish Smith sample): Music Please, music please

(Color Me Bad Sample): "Why you treat me so bad?"

(Parish Smith sample): Music please..music please.

(Other sample): "I don't know why baby!"

(Xzibit): Just handle your business.

Want to know the relationship between hip-hop and drugs?

'Cause professional athletes, black actors, rappers, and thugs

all sleep in the same bed together

Rich black niggaz only kick it with other black people with cheddar

Same lifestyle: legal or illegal

It be us, swinging a three fuck getting skeed up with peanuts

Which leads up to this: a high turnover ration

Groupies turn tricks and be quick to give fellatio.

MC's get the pussy and fame.

Brothers essex floss with a corporate card

and charge it to the rappers name

But the label owners make all the real money

Just ask David Geffrey, Barry Gordy, Russel, or Puffy (ching, ching!)

Business? You don't get what you deserve. You negotiate

And everything is renegotiable based on the sales you generate

But hip-hop fans don't buy albums, and, then again, tend to player hate

The rapper that went Pop. But before this, I never knew

Skills don't pay the mother fucking bills. Money do

Is you stupid? How nice I represent don't pay rent

The R&B ho who jock Theo on the radio buy your CD doe.

Rap magazines be screaming they keep it real

but keep it fake on the cover

Pulling tennis shoe and clothing advertisements. No wonder

Like Common "I Used to Love H.E.R."

Now I just fuck H.E.R. with two rubbers

(Chorus: repeats until end):

(Parish Smith sample): Music Please, music please

(Color Me Bad Sample): "Why you treat me so bad?"

(Parish Smith sample): Music please..music please

(Other sample): "I don't know why baby!"

(Xzibit): Just handle your business