I Know This Game

[intro]
… it forced a lot of dudes I’ve seen that used to work at the record labels is out here grinding now, and its hard for them! Because they don’t really know how to do it! You know, they be like, “damn yo, the labels closed down, like I’m really supposed to do this …

Yeah... I know this game!
I know this one right here
If anything I know this
After these years
Check it out

[Verse 1]
I know the game from the inside
First person, actual facts
I got actual plaques
See the disappearance now of the wack (It's gone)
Some fell through the cracks
The labor of love, broke their backs
Some work ethics was lax
Couldn’t afford the hot tracks
Some bubbled and they blew through they stacks
Some took it to the streets with the jacks
Wound up in Clinton Max
Some fell ‘cause they didn’t pay tax
Make songs that was glossy as shellac
Took a e-pill & wacked
The God he is sharp as a tack
From the days of backpacks
White people and black
Outlasted a lot of acts
From New York to North Cacs
You stealing from Saks
Reeling from attacks
Nothing about you attracts
Got a suit but old slacks

[Verse 2]
Promoters send half and a plane ticket
To get to their city and they want you to kick it
I’m asking, “everything alright?”
“We gon be good tonight?”
If they say they need to holla
They done fucked up the dolla
The venue, the menu, problems at the door
Blame it on the law
They did this before
Fifty dollar tickets in a twenty dollar space
In a hotel room they pleading their case
“This ain’t never happened!”
“We did shows with rapping!”
Two or three promoters, who’s the fucking captain?
“Yo I’ll take care of y’all”
“I swear in a week”
“You want some more Henny?”
“You want that freak?”
Nah, motherfucker, I want all my bread
I’ll take another drink, but I’m good on the head
And let me hold a watch and a chain instead
I got bills, you trying to keep me in the red!

[Verse 3]
A label?
You do better working for cable
Labels is dead and the grind is instead
I know some A&R’s that now wash cars
They was signing rap stars when they was in power
Sony fired everybody, everybody’s sour (Damn)
Now rap moguls gotta blend with the locals
What was that fly shit you said about my vocals?
A former label head lives right on my block
“You still rock with hip hop?”
“Nah straight rock!”
No label is able to stop me
Push they head right down where my cock be
The independent grind is mine and that’s fine (It's fine)
Remember saying label was a hell of a line
Now they left behind like the dinosaurs
They shitted on niggas
First week sales and first week figures
It didn’t add up, they was pullin' them triggers!
“Yo this shit looks like it’s gonna break”
“Let’s pull out this shit now and save ours”

[outro]
As you get older man, you see man, like, it ain't gonna pay man, just do the show, get the dough, and go
That be the motto…