The Prelude

You know, you 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, ****'s beats is bangin', ****, your hooks did it

Your lyrics didn't, your gangster looks did it, so I would write it

If y'all could get it, bein' intricate, I guess you would, critic

On the internet they like to should spit it, I'm like you should buy it,

****, that's good business

Forget this rap shit, I need a new hustle

A little bit o' 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 all invisibly set

Head and shoulders, my invisible neck, you see

Hova wasn't digital yet, before Steve Jobs made the iPod

Was gettin' head job, we call that initimate

Back when rappers wouldn't dare play lyrical roulette

With an automatic weapon, I was rappin' with a Tec

Fresh like Mannie B, chain like anti-freeze, shoebox full of cash

Dealer man hand me keys, pantries full o' Arm & Hammer

Don't take Nancy, Drew to see what it do, I'ma damn G

I'm just sent a million dollars with your hands free

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

Before the answer was a three, I was down in Georgetown

With a Hoya chick, lawyer chick, sure he's rich now

'Cause he saw the shit, holy shit, that's why they call him Hov

'Cause he came before all this shit

Bought a 6, quarter seven, skip on 'em, quarter eight

Bought a 9 for non-stop, clockwork, 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 up, been through with this bullshit

Paid, 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 flows so special

Got a 38 feel, the real is back