JAY-Z - The Prelude lyrics

You know
You've got this fantasy in yo' head about
Gettin' outta the life and settin the
Corporate world on it's 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 didn't your gangsta 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"
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 all invisibly set
Head and shoulders, my invisible neck
You see Hova wasn't digital yet
Befo' Steve Jobs made the iPod
Was getting head jobs, we call that interneck
Back when rappers wouldn't dare
Play lyrical roulette
With a automatic weapon I was
Rappin' with a TEC
Fresh like Mannie be, chain like anti-freeze
Shoebox full of cash, dealer man hand me keys
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 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, hehehehe