Let Me Explain

Yeah, uh, thought this was your way out?

Listen, yeah, yo

A young cat planning ways to get the paper then blow

Thinking that this rap game will give him fame and some dough

Frustrated with his job cause the wages are low

He's out for stardom, nice clothes and chains that glow

He started out by writing some conscious lyrics in his raps

Innocent kid who never slung pistols and gats

Who ever got arrested for committing criminal acts

Going to school, staying disciplined and detached

From the streets where salesmen stay flipping them packs

But day and night, he let his ink leak on the page

Imagining receiving praise while emceeing on stage

And as the years keep creeping, his dreams seem to fade

Confused cause he ain't got a record deal at this age

Now he's considering illegitimate schemes to get paid

So he could leave the hood and move to where his seed could be raised

Whoever thought trying to be an MC would be this stressful?

Record companies always seem to reject his demo

Saying he ain't commercial enough to be successful

His only option now is to settle in the ghetto

Or make records about materials and packing metal

Which really ain't his personality type or M.O

But might land him a deal with a Rollie and a bezel

So how you gon' react when stardom begins to tempt you?

Stay true to self or compromise with the devil?

You got the glamour, the glitz, the fortune and fame

But was it worth the sacrifice for the portion you gained?

You lived the high life and now it's taking a toll

But that's the price you gotta pay for forsaking your soul

But wait a sec, give me time to explain

Women and fast cars and diamond rings can poison a rap star

But wait a sec, give me time to explain

Women and fast cars and diamond rings can poison a rap star

So your decision was made and now you sealed your fate

Only concerned with going platinum and the mills you make

You chose this path but it was out of pure desperation

Thinking you might get rid of all the stress that you were facing

But as a result, the pressure's only escalating

You used to drop jewels in your rhymes, educating

Now the image of a thug is what your pen is portraying

So you could get some royalty checks while your record is playing

You a little too obsessed with the attention you're gaining

And maybe getting money is why your perception is changing

Plus your best friends are saying that you living foul and reckless

Sleeping with groupie chicks who always around your presence

Your girl found out and now she moving out your residence

Took your child, split your bank accounts and investments

People that you call your friends got foul intentions

They only stick around when they see you counting presidents

But you don't care, you just enjoying your success at this

Living out the dreams you write about in your sentences

A little fame and you ain't been the same ever since

But now your whole music career is losing relevance

Causing you to wake up and come back to your senses

Got you looking back thinking how much you regretted this

You came up from the bottom and you traveled far

Only to see the fast life can poison a rap star

You got the glamour, the glitz, the fortune and fame

But was it worth the sacrifice for the portion you gained?

You lived the high life and now it's taking a toll

But that's the price you gotta pay for forsaking your soul

But wait a sec, give me time to explain

Women and fast cars and diamond rings can poison a rap star

But wait a sec, give me time to explain

Women and fast cars and diamond rings can poison a rap star

You got the glamour, the glitz, the fortune and fame

But was it worth the sacrifice for the portion you gained?

You lived the high life and now it's taking a toll

But that's the price you gotta pay for forsaking your soul

But wait a sec, give me time to explain

Women and fast cars and diamond rings can poison a rap star

But wait a sec, give me time to explain

Women and fast cars and diamond rings can poison a rap star