The Life

(album: Shyne - 2000)

It's a new day in the rap game!
Nobody sells records but Shyne Po!

[Verse 1]
My life had it's ups and downs, but I don't regret nothing
I had the whole tri-state high, nigga I ain't fronting
at Fifteen I sold my first bag of dope
used to stick Dominicans, burner under the coat
getting like 15 grams, a half a Ki
at Fifteen man, a nigga just glad to be
getting some shorts, me and my Man from a Hundred and Fifth
he knew some Dominican niggas that wanted a clique
to hold 'em down, shoot niggas in the head
throw 'em out windows if they were late with the bread
basically I'm enforcing
around heavy coke, when nobody's looking I'd be dipping in the portion
they wasn't missing it
so I got my hustle on the side, flipping it
selling like 500 bottles and Nicks, started minor
but I always knew I'd turn a big apple into cider.

Niggas...niggas just ain't built like me...
stand up niggas...since 15
I been serving fiends and loading magazines...
taking shots..burning blocks..
this ain't no fucking rap.

[Verse 2]
Everything was everything 'till my Man got pinched
he had a shoot-out with the cops in front of the precinct
other than that, I went from enforcer to moving product, straight white
powder now, getting it
the hardest nigga in the street
my first car was a 190 Benz with Louie Vaton seats
buying out the bar at the rooftop
I had a few spots
one called the jukebox
where I was getting like 50 a brick
2 or 3 bricks a day, making mothafuckas sick
my Cousin Ron a crook from the Brook was torching
any niggas whispering or talking 'bout extortion
shit was going right and only one better
when I got my Italian connect, hitting me with pure Heroin
moved to 116th, started seeing real dinero then
empire building, the shit was taking flight
had my bitches cutting up like 10 Ki's a night
mixing lactose, Bonita, and Quenii
I was the first Black nigga with mafia ties
leased my soul to the Devil with the option to buy.

Yo..banging for real..
niggas is thinking rap, I'm thinking laundromat..
we washing this money...
you think this shit is about rhymes...
you'll find yourself under the fucking ground...you know?..
we get low when the Feds is in town..
this is justice..
we playing the pop charts and still letting them things pop off...

[Verse 3]
At 21 I was a legend, had the game transformed
controlling manufacturing and distribution of Heron
throughout the tri-state, high stakes
I spent Hundreds of Thou's out of paper bags
you couldn't name a car I ain't have
every minute new tags
Seven series to the Five-Sixty drop nigga
I was giving away blocks nigga
fast cars, fast money, slow deaths
this things of ours
had me doing a hundred miles an hour
through the City evading the Feds
started this shit called the counsel and we all made a pledge
not to fuck each others bitches
or touch each others riches
on top or broke
never break this oath
every nigga in the counsel was a boss
we used to put coke on our dick and make bitches suck it off
it was alright 'till I got caught
charged with an Eight-Forty-Eight
behind Marion steel gates
niggas started shitting, acting bizarre
driving my cars, fucking my broads, breaking the laws
same niggas I took care of and got money wit' was on some funny shit
if I was different I'd snitch
what would you do if you got Millions with niggas and they had no love for ya?
couldn't pay for ya lawyer
I figured shit, why sit in a cell to rot?
I'll be out in Ten, start over again
throw those boys in the pot, but I couldn't do it
you couldn't understand it of you ain't been through it
there's rules to this shit and I couldn't break 'em
death before dishonor 'till I meet Satan...I know he's waiting.

God forgive me...you've never seen a nigga like me in your life...
I'm what these lil' niggas rap about...
thats me they talking 'bout in they rhymes...
I did that time...I flipped that dime...
shoot-outs, jet planes, cocaine and automobiles...
The Life...love it.