"The Prelude" lyrics - JAY-Z

You know, you've got this fantasy in your head about
Gettin' outta the life & 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
Niggas beats is banging
Nigga ya hooks did it
Ya lyrics didn't
Ya gangsta look did it
So I would write it if yall could get it
Being intricate'll get ya wood critics
On the internet
They like you should spit it, Im like you should buy it
Nigga thats good business
Forget this rap shit I need a new hustle
A little bit of everything, a new improved russell
I say that reluctantly 'cause I do struggle
As you see I can't leave so I do love you
But im 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 and come set up a camera
Let the video run
In my real life complete with real ice
VVS boulders all invisibly set
Head and shoulders my invisible neck
You see hova wasnt digital yet
B4 steve jobs made the ipod
Was gettin head jobs, we call that intimate

Back when rappers wouldnt dare play lyrical roulette
With an automatic weapon I was rappin with a tek
Fresh like manny b changed like antifreeze
Shoe box full of cash
Dealer man hand me keys
Pantries full of arm n hammer
Dont take nancy drew to see what it do
Ima damn g
Just sent a million dollars through a handsfree
Thats big money talk can you answer me?
Before the Answer was a 3 I was down in gerogetown with a hoya chick, loya chick
Sure hes rich now 'cause he saw this shit, all this shit
Thats why they call him hov 'cause he came before all this shit
Bought a 6, quarter 7 skipped on them quarter 8s
Bought a 9 for nonstop glockwork all the time
Guess whos back
Since this is a New Era got a fresh new hat
10 yr veteran
I been said I been through with this bullshit game
But I never can
I used to think rappin at 38 was ill
When last year alone I grossed about 38 mill
I know I aint quite 38 but still
The flow so Special got a.38 feel
The real is back