Intro (Eightball)
Yeah, Yeah...s***e Age forever..n***** and hoes better recognize
Eightball & MJG...been ten toes down in this game
since we were two young playas in a one horse town
then hopped to a m****f***in grasshopper
n****, my life would have been done got cut off...
If my dues weren't paid.
Chorus (Cee-Lo)
It's ah, skinnin lines between wrong and right
Trapped in a trap til the mornin light
Ghetto ain't left me no choices, I had to fight
My momma and daddy was too young to raise me right.
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
n***** dead, n***** gone, I still ain't afraid.
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid.
MJG
In the middle of doin crime (Uggh), it never stopped me from writin rhymes
It never stopped me from playin music,
God, but it didn't mean I had to use it
It was obvious, I had to give up the streets - for the beats
Not knowin, but havin faith on just how long that it would be
Before I made it, before somebody picked up my tape and played it
With a remark like, "Hey, played that instrumental, you cat's got potential."
In the process of doing talent shows, parties, and mix tapes
We even put it down on some of our homeboys jail release dates
I can remember in the past closin down at fast foods
Strictly stickin to my dreams, but feelin like I'd be the last dude
Who can make it in this rap, I thought that they ain't go see me in Memphis
It was like a time they looked over Tennesseee,
and didn't know Hip-Hop was in us.
To all my vets in the game, I got love, stay on your toes
Cause back in the days, I use to use your 4-5 instrumental to do my shows
And look, I was 17 - when I signed my first contract
And about 18 1/2 when I signed my worst contract, we hurt from that
And til this day, they still distributin - our first tape
before Comin Out Hard, now can you feel it?
Be humble and patient with whatever you should choose
Cause, to get to where I am right now, I don't paid my dues.
Chorus
Eightball
A C-note for a concert, I know that sounds preposterous
n****, we didn't have a pot to p***
So we got on stage and we rocked the b****.
f*** the chee$e, I love to see...My n***** in the front row
Get buck wild, start a fight, the police make a n**** stop the show
n***** all in the parkin lot, bustin shots, f***** with hoes
Box chevy with the spokes and vogues,
n***** didn't know s*** about a 20 inch Mo-Mo
Hard head, young n**** don't believe that s***, til I see that s***
See them heavyweight n*****, one day, I'm gonna be that s***
Ok, everybody know everybody done sold dope, ran with a gang
Pimp some hoes, and..snorted a little c**e..but uhh..
I'm s***e agein..and we'll forever be
Eightball, the fat mack, and...M-J f***** G
Turn the page, from then to now, and we still grindin
Small clubs and small towns think they bouncin, and we find them
Put them on the guest list, make them pump their fist and get buck to this
Make one of them weed smokin, gangsta b****** get f***** to this
Expand, give all my true fans what they demand
Do my part again and uhh...come out hard again and uhh..
Keep s***e agein, and we'll forever be...
Eightball, the fat mack, and...M-J f***** G.
Chorus
Yeah, Yeah...s***e Age forever..n***** and hoes better recognize
Eightball & MJG...been ten toes down in this game
since we were two young playas in a one horse town
then hopped to a m****f***in grasshopper
n****, my life would have been done got cut off...
If my dues weren't paid.
Chorus (Cee-Lo)
It's ah, skinnin lines between wrong and right
Trapped in a trap til the mornin light
Ghetto ain't left me no choices, I had to fight
My momma and daddy was too young to raise me right.
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
n***** dead, n***** gone, I still ain't afraid.
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid.
MJG
In the middle of doin crime (Uggh), it never stopped me from writin rhymes
It never stopped me from playin music,
God, but it didn't mean I had to use it
It was obvious, I had to give up the streets - for the beats
Not knowin, but havin faith on just how long that it would be
Before I made it, before somebody picked up my tape and played it
With a remark like, "Hey, played that instrumental, you cat's got potential."
In the process of doing talent shows, parties, and mix tapes
We even put it down on some of our homeboys jail release dates
I can remember in the past closin down at fast foods
Strictly stickin to my dreams, but feelin like I'd be the last dude
Who can make it in this rap, I thought that they ain't go see me in Memphis
It was like a time they looked over Tennesseee,
and didn't know Hip-Hop was in us.
To all my vets in the game, I got love, stay on your toes
Cause back in the days, I use to use your 4-5 instrumental to do my shows
And look, I was 17 - when I signed my first contract
And about 18 1/2 when I signed my worst contract, we hurt from that
And til this day, they still distributin - our first tape
before Comin Out Hard, now can you feel it?
Be humble and patient with whatever you should choose
Cause, to get to where I am right now, I don't paid my dues.
Chorus
Eightball
A C-note for a concert, I know that sounds preposterous
n****, we didn't have a pot to p***
So we got on stage and we rocked the b****.
f*** the chee$e, I love to see...My n***** in the front row
Get buck wild, start a fight, the police make a n**** stop the show
n***** all in the parkin lot, bustin shots, f***** with hoes
Box chevy with the spokes and vogues,
n***** didn't know s*** about a 20 inch Mo-Mo
Hard head, young n**** don't believe that s***, til I see that s***
See them heavyweight n*****, one day, I'm gonna be that s***
Ok, everybody know everybody done sold dope, ran with a gang
Pimp some hoes, and..snorted a little c**e..but uhh..
I'm s***e agein..and we'll forever be
Eightball, the fat mack, and...M-J f***** G
Turn the page, from then to now, and we still grindin
Small clubs and small towns think they bouncin, and we find them
Put them on the guest list, make them pump their fist and get buck to this
Make one of them weed smokin, gangsta b****** get f***** to this
Expand, give all my true fans what they demand
Do my part again and uhh...come out hard again and uhh..
Keep s***e agein, and we'll forever be...
Eightball, the fat mack, and...M-J f***** G.
Chorus