[Joe Budden]
Ladies and gentlemen..
You are now listenin' to The Growth (Look)
This my guide to the rappers
Before you go ahead and decide to be a rapper (Talk to 'em)
I know you think it's +Money, Cash, Hoes+
But funny when that goes
You'll be questionin' life after
Like "why did I have to" (I know it)
Seems like "yeah", seems quite clear
But these maggots take your dream and make it a nightmare
You been waitin' for some years
But everything is fake, it's like a rear view mirror, nothin' is as it appears
Can't trust people 'cause it's all about tryina succeed
It's all about the backstabbin' and greed
It's all about the wrong things
Sucks, it's all useless
And it starts to interfere with your love for the music (d***!)
Catch 22, most dudes'll give it all for their shot
For most n*****, this is all we got
Should you quit the whole thing?
'Cause it's enough bullshit in the whole thing
To almost make you wanna kiss the whole thing...(Chea!)
Goodbye
[Hook - repeat 2X]
So long, goodbye
Tired, of the game
Let's get there
[Joe Budden]
Sometimes you think you better off with that 9 to 5
Til you remember all the times you got fired
Sometimes you wanna dress down, walk out with no jewelry (But!)
But you can't, you under real heavy scrutiny
You ain't got a truck that's hooked up with rims
Kids'll see you like "d***, why I looked up to him?"
It makes some wanna quit, it makes some stand tall
If you don't sign that autograph, then it's one fan lost
Sometimes you don't feel like it
Everybody wanna be on you
Sometimes you just wanna be normal
Want the afore-mentioned
Sometimes you don't wanna be mentioned
Sometimes you just wanna blend in
Might think the statement's weird
When the world'll trade for your life (On some..)
Real s*** I'll trade for theirs
Tell me now what's the answer
When they know you had a death in the family
And you still gotta smile for the camera
You thought everything would be all to the good
You ain't got as much money as you thought you would (Didn't blow!)
Some people sell out, f*** everything they shot
from their heart for that number one spot on the charts
That's what it is, I can't paint it no clearer
How you 'sposed to see straight when it's all smoke and mirrors?
(All smoke and mirrors)
Quit the whole thing, 'cause it's enough bullshit in the whole thing
To almost make you wanna kiss the whole thing...(Chea!)
Goodbye
[Hook]
Arrivederci!
[Joe Budden]
Just when you think you wanna go on without the hype
Is when you go to do a show and see the crowd so hyped (And the...)
Die hard fans say "you changed my whole life"
So I sacrifice mine and gratify you with the rhymes (Yeah!)
Folks from the hood, that see you as a stand out
Outweigh the n***** in the hood with their hand out
And goin' 5 days a week with no sleep's
A lot better than a cold park bench with no sheets
So f*** politics, f*** inuendo (Oh!)
'Cause you never seen a dropout so influential
Quit the whole thing, 'cause it's enough bullshit in the whole thing
It's my choice so I'm with the whole thing (Chea!)
Like "what"
[Hook]
Ladies and gentlemen..
You are now listenin' to The Growth (Look)
This my guide to the rappers
Before you go ahead and decide to be a rapper (Talk to 'em)
I know you think it's +Money, Cash, Hoes+
But funny when that goes
You'll be questionin' life after
Like "why did I have to" (I know it)
Seems like "yeah", seems quite clear
But these maggots take your dream and make it a nightmare
You been waitin' for some years
But everything is fake, it's like a rear view mirror, nothin' is as it appears
Can't trust people 'cause it's all about tryina succeed
It's all about the backstabbin' and greed
It's all about the wrong things
Sucks, it's all useless
And it starts to interfere with your love for the music (d***!)
Catch 22, most dudes'll give it all for their shot
For most n*****, this is all we got
Should you quit the whole thing?
'Cause it's enough bullshit in the whole thing
To almost make you wanna kiss the whole thing...(Chea!)
Goodbye
[Hook - repeat 2X]
So long, goodbye
Tired, of the game
Let's get there
[Joe Budden]
Sometimes you think you better off with that 9 to 5
Til you remember all the times you got fired
Sometimes you wanna dress down, walk out with no jewelry (But!)
But you can't, you under real heavy scrutiny
You ain't got a truck that's hooked up with rims
Kids'll see you like "d***, why I looked up to him?"
It makes some wanna quit, it makes some stand tall
If you don't sign that autograph, then it's one fan lost
Sometimes you don't feel like it
Everybody wanna be on you
Sometimes you just wanna be normal
Want the afore-mentioned
Sometimes you don't wanna be mentioned
Sometimes you just wanna blend in
Might think the statement's weird
When the world'll trade for your life (On some..)
Real s*** I'll trade for theirs
Tell me now what's the answer
When they know you had a death in the family
And you still gotta smile for the camera
You thought everything would be all to the good
You ain't got as much money as you thought you would (Didn't blow!)
Some people sell out, f*** everything they shot
from their heart for that number one spot on the charts
That's what it is, I can't paint it no clearer
How you 'sposed to see straight when it's all smoke and mirrors?
(All smoke and mirrors)
Quit the whole thing, 'cause it's enough bullshit in the whole thing
To almost make you wanna kiss the whole thing...(Chea!)
Goodbye
[Hook]
Arrivederci!
[Joe Budden]
Just when you think you wanna go on without the hype
Is when you go to do a show and see the crowd so hyped (And the...)
Die hard fans say "you changed my whole life"
So I sacrifice mine and gratify you with the rhymes (Yeah!)
Folks from the hood, that see you as a stand out
Outweigh the n***** in the hood with their hand out
And goin' 5 days a week with no sleep's
A lot better than a cold park bench with no sheets
So f*** politics, f*** inuendo (Oh!)
'Cause you never seen a dropout so influential
Quit the whole thing, 'cause it's enough bullshit in the whole thing
It's my choice so I'm with the whole thing (Chea!)
Like "what"
[Hook]