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The first time Jay Z has rapped over a DJ Toomp beat. He samples “The Love We Share is the Greatest of them All” by Tom Brock.
The track corresponds with the scenes from American Gangster where things begin to fall apart for Frank. His behaviour becomes more erratic and dangerous, which earns him t...
[Intro]
Uhh, uhh, uhh
Uhh...
It's that Roc-A-Fella music, soulful
[Chorus]
Say hello, to the bad guy (hello) they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (hello) say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
Ay (say hello) ay, ay, ay
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't
[Verse 1]
I ain't playing, life's short so I aim
I ain't waiting for life start betraying 'em
It's twice as hard to get a job that's paying 'em
So I ain't paying attention to what you're saying
Raindrops keep falling on my brain
'Cause I'm in the drop on flames
I'm so hot even if the weather change
I don't have no top, I'm insane
'Member dark-skinned Jermaine
Suede in the rain, I'm sorta kinda the same
'Cept I'm no lame and you gonna know my name
Before I go the world gon' feel my pain
They saying I'm a bad guy, why's that?
'Cause when my back's against the wall, nigga I react
Secretly though, I know you admire that
You wish you had the balls to fire back, brrrap!
Say hello, uhh uh, hello, uhh uh
You wish you had the balls to fire back, brrap!
[Chorus]
Say hello, to the bad guy (hello) they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (hello) say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
Ay (say hello) ay, ay, ay
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't
[Verse 2]
I ain't no ordinary nigga
Look around, this ain't what ordinary gets ya (IT AIN'T!)
Extraordinary figures (damn)
I'm an extraordinary nigga
Before my name became Jigga
Before I sang I had that thang on slippers
Can't complain 'bout what they ain't gon' give ya
That ain't gon' get ya shit, might as well give up
Or get up, get out and get something nigga
Get a job my nigga, or get to dumping
Only God can judge him, only he without sin
Tell me if my means, justify my ends
'Til then, I'm just gon' fly in the Benz
Wire my friends through Western Union
Shhhhh, supplies in
My system knocking, here comes the bad guy again
Say hello, uhh uh, hello, uhh uh
Hello, uhh here comes the bad guy again
[Chorus]
Say hello, to the bad guy (hello) they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (hello) say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
Ay (say hello) ay, ay, ay
[Verse 3]
... let me tell you what I ain't
We ain't thugs for the sake of just being thugs
Nobody do that where we grew at, nigga duh
The poverty line we not above
So out comes the mask and gloves 'cause we ain't feeling the love
We ain't doin crime for the sake of doing crimes
We movin dimes 'cause we ain't doing fine
One out of three of us is locked up doing time
You know what this type of shit can do to a nigga mind
My mind on my money, money on my mind
If you owe me ten dollars you ain't giving me nine
Y'all ain't give me forty acres and a mule
So I got my Glock 40 now I'm cool
And if Al Sharpton is speaking for me
Somebody give him the word and tell him I don't approve
Tell him I remove the curses
If you tell me our schools gon' be perfect
When Jena Six don't exist
Tell him that's when I'll stop saying bitch, BEEEITCH!
[Chorus]
Say hello, to the bad guy (hello) they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (hello) say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (say hello)
They say I'm a menace (hello) that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (say hello)
Ay (say hello) ay, ay, ay
Say Hello was written by JAY-Z & DJ Toomp & Tom Brocker.
Say Hello was produced by DJ Toomp.
During his VH1 Storytellers session Hov explained the meaning behind the track:
The album is a journey. It starts with a song called ‘Pray,’ and ends with a song called ‘Fallin’.' ‘Say Hello’ is when you accept that [you are ‘the bad guy’], you accept your fate. Then it all starts to fall from ther...
[The ‘Say Hello’ session] reminded me of the Fade to Black movie, because in the room it was Jay, me, No I.D., Jermaine Dupri, L-Rock, Guru, and Ty Ty.
They was like, ‘All right Toomp, let’s see what you got.’ I dug into my computer, and there was one main track I was messing with that I felt he wo...
I sampled Tom Brock’s “The Love We Share is the Greatest of them All.” It’s kinda pimped out with a Southern flow to it. It reminds you of something Jay-Z would do, but I put my touch to it with the 808s and bass lines. But it’s a slower track and drum-heavy.