What We Do
Beanie Sigel/Freeway/Jay-Z Lyrics

Man if I get rocked, this shit for my kids nigga
If I get arrested or killed, it's for the sake of my children

Even though what we do is wrong...
Although we know that our illegal activities are morally dubious...

We still hustle 'til the sun come up
...we continue to work hard until dawn

Crack a 40 when the sun go down
Drink cheap malt liquor at nightfall

It's a cold winter
The season is harsh and unforgiving

Y'all niggaz better bundle up
You should prepare for the cold weather

And I bet it be a hotter summer, grab a onion
I anticipate that the upcoming summer will be even worse, so stock up on supplies

Yes the ROC gets down, you hot now, listen up
Our record label is highly successful, so pay attention to what we say

Don't you know cops' whole purpose is to lock us down?
The police are only interested in imprisoning us

And throw away the key
They will not show mercy and will keep us in jail for a long time

But without this drug shit your kids ain't got no way to eat, huh?
If we didn't sell drugs, our children would starve

We still try to keep Mom...smilin'...
We attempt to make our mother happy despite our difficult circumstances

'Cause when the teeth stop showin' and the stomach start growlin'
When our mother is hungry and struggling, we have to step up

Then the heat start flowin'
We will resort to violence to protect our family's well-being

If you from the hood I know you feel me ([Jay-Z:] Keep goin'...)
I know that those from similar backgrounds can relate to me

If a sneak start leanin' and the heat stop workin'
If a gun fails or jams, and we're in danger...

Then my heat start workin' I'm-a rob me a person
...we will resort to robbing someone to survive

Catch a nigga sleepin' while he out in the open...and I'm-a get him ([Jay-Z:] Keep flowin'...)
If someone isn't vigilant, we'll take advantage of their carelessness

We gotta raise our kids while we livin'
We have to provide and care for our children while we are alive

Make a million off-a record bail my niggaz outta prison
I want to make enough money to bail out my friends who are incarcerated

Fuck a Bentley or a Lexus just my boys in the squadder
I'm not interested in luxury cars, just my close friends

Nigga talk reckless then I hit 'em with the Smif 'n...
If someone speaks disrespectfully, I will respond with violence

But I'm never snitchin' I'm a rider
I will never rat out my fellow criminals, I'm loyal to them

If my kids hungry snatch the dishes out ya kitchen
If necessary, I will take food from those who have more to feed my children

I'll be wylin' til they pick me outta line-up...
I'll continue my reckless behavior until I'm arrested or killed

We keep the nines tucked, chopped dimes up, rap about it
We carry concealed weapons and sell drugs, and brag about it in our music

Wyle out, fuck niggaz up, laugh about it
We act crazy and violent, and find it amusing

I'm not tryin' to visit the morgue but Freeway move out 'til I sit with the Lord
I don't want to die, but my friend Freeway is willing to take risks until he dies

'Til I...get my shit together, clean up my sins
I hope to improve my life and reform by getting rid of my criminal past

Freeway got it in like 10 in the mornin'
Freeway is involved in drug dealing at an early hour

And I can get it to ya like 10 while you yawnin' mang...
I can sell you drugs as soon as you wake up in the morning

Still deliver the order mang!
I will continue to provide the necessary product

And I ain't talkin' bout chicken and gravy mang!
I'm not selling food, I'm selling drugs

I'm talkin' bout bricks 'o ye-yo, halves and quarters
I'm selling large amounts of cocaine

4 and a halves of hash you do the math
I'm selling significant amounts of hashish

Swing past us scoop up your daughter
Come visit us and bring your daughter, she'll want to be with a gangsta rapper

She want to roll wit' a thug that rap, you do the math
Your daughter is attracted to bad boys, you understand why

He won't blast 'til my stacks in order mang!
I won't resort to violence until I've made enough money

... Mang! Lemme get 'em Free
Let me take over, Freeway

Hove never slackin' mang, zippin' in the black Range
Jay-Z is always working hard, driving around in a luxury car

Faster than the red ghost, gettin' ghost wit' Pac-Mang
He moves faster than anything, like a video game character

One-time know a got a knack to get that change
The police are always after us, but we are skilled at acquiring money

Leader of the black gang, are-O-see mang
Jay-Z is in charge of the ROC, a powerful gang

Bang like T-Mac, ski mask air it out
He is aggressive and skilled at shooting, and wears a mask to hide his identity

Gotta kill witnesses 'cause Free's beard's stickin' out
They need to eliminate witnesses who can identify Freeway by his unique beard

Y'all don't want no witness shit, we squeeze hammers mang
You don't want to be a witness to our crimes, or we'll use guns

Bullets breeze by you, like Lousiana mang...
Our bullets move quickly and can easily hit you

But I gotta feed Tianna mang...
Jay-Z has a daughter and needs to support her

So I move keys you can call me the Piano Man
He doesn't sell drugs himself, but rather moves large quantities to others

Rain...sleet, hail...snow man
He will sell drugs in any weather conditions

Slang dough, E, hydro man...
He sells various illegal substances

...no, B. Sige in the third lane
Beanie Sigel is driving in the third lane

Gramps still prayin' workin on my nerves man...
His grandfather annoys him by constantly praying

Like, "Son you gotta get your soul clean...
His grandfather urges him to repent and cleanse his soul

Before they blow them horns like Coltrane..."
Before he dies and goes to Hell, like the jazz musician Coltrane warned of in his music

But still I cry tears of a hustler
He is proud of his work as a drug dealer, but is also moved to tears by its negative impact on others

Wipe tears from my mother, pull out beers for her brothers...
He consoles his mother and provides alcohol for his uncles

That's above us, make beds for the babies
He's willing to do anything to help the children in his community

Tuck kids under covers, buy cribs for their mothers
He cares for the young and provides for expectant mothers

Shit I'll probably be wylin' with their fathers
He will probably be involved in risky behavior with the children's fathers

Tell Ms. Robert, tell Enijah that I'm ridin' for her father
He wants the women he knows to know that he is loyal to their family members

That's like my brother, like same mother different father
They share a bond like that of siblings, even though they aren't blood-related

Any problems dog know I got 'em
He will help out any friend in need

And still we grind from the bottom
He and his peers continue to work hard despite their difficult circumstances

Just to make it to the bottom sold crack in the alleyways
They will do whatever it takes to survive, including selling drugs in dangerous places

Still gave back Marcy a Dollar Day
He donates to his community, giving money to Marcy Projects

Real gangstas make hood holidays
He believes that people like him are the ones who make positive change in their neighborhoods

They ain't thank us but we still paid homage mang
Even though they are underappreciated, they still show respect to others

Soul Food Sunday lookin' like Big Momma's mang
Their family gatherings are reminiscent of those in the popular movie Big Momma's House

Tell the gang I never break my promise mang... mang... unnh!
He wants his gang to know that he is always true to his word