Statik Selektah
The Music Industry (Remix)
[Intro: Termanology]
Termanology
Consequence
Akrobatik
5'9", Crooked I, Fizzy Wo' on the beat
[Verse One: Termanology]
I ain't complain' about a label not signing me
I just got signed, my people like, "Finally."
Took long enough but I ain't really sweat it
I knew I'd get me the cheddar, pathetic the way we spend it
Our relatives wouldn't let us invent a venomous record
Instead they'd rather have us check in college and get accredited
In debt if we ever quit it, I did it, stayed on my shit and
Delivered quality records regardless if they spin it
Shout out to real DJ's who always held me down
And let me get up on their show when I get in town
Let me spit a 16 and play that hot shit
Cause they in love with that real hip hop shit
Not for the profit and bread up in they pocket
Jocking all of these flossy cats spitting that nonsense
Consequence repping N.Y.C. now
Akrobatik, he be repping for B now
5'9" he be repping for the D now
Crooked I repping killer Cali now
Fizzy Wo' stay repping M.O.P. now
Termanology, I'll still kill you with a freestyle
[Chorus: A Tribe Called Quest Sample]
DJ to DJ
This is for all y'all
It isn't easy
Gain respect, ummm
Industry rule number four thousand and eighty
Record company people are shady
[Verse 2: Royce da 5'9"]
From the beats to the technique table
Streets to the net, keep blazing my raps be for self, baby
My jacket is flawless
After I spit, I can turn around my lyrics back in the toilet
That means I spit that shit
Radio don't want it, but I still got chips
I am legend, but not Will Smith
Just, everybody else on the earth don't exist
[Verse 3: Crooked I]
Adidas with no strings in them, Levi's with the crease in them
Kangols, I was seen in them
Four-finger rings, yeah I would sleep in them
Ever since the beginning, I spit with extreme venom
Now they don't respect rap phenomenons
Only rappers who dancing like Omarion
And I like Omarion
But this is hip-hop, homie, what kind of shit are we on?
[Chorus: A Tribe Called Quest Sample]
DJ to DJ
This is for all y'all
It isn't easy
Gain respect, ummm
Industry rule number four thousand and eighty
Record company people are shady
[Verse 4: Akrobatik]
I came up in a time where the focus was rhyming
These rappers didn't come a dime a dozen
And every drug dealer didn't sign they cousin
Before every rap site online was buzzing, Ak was rugged
But we know, record company people are shady though
So I infiltrated the radio
Now I got daily flows for the fellas and the ladies, yo
I fought for it, now they pay me dough, and yo
[Verse 5: Consequence]
Now what do I need to give a publicist a check for
When I can get more purse from playing Jay-Z in Connect 4
And when it seemed like my career was on death's door
Five videos later, of course they going to expect more
'Cause it feels like I was just this close
To getting y'all to feel the kid like Chris Stokes
'Cause anything that this kid wrote became an instant quote
They circle back now like "his shit's dope"
So industry rule for 2008:
"As long as Con's around, ain't nobody that's safe"
As long as Term's around, ain't nobody that's safe
And this turn around, I'm going straight for the safe, uh
[Outro: A Tribe Called Quest Sample (Record Scratching)]
It isn't easy
All y'all
How far must you go to gain respect, ummm
Industry rule number four thousand and eighty
Record company people are shady
This is for all y'all
Shady