Philip Martin (born in Inglewood, California), better known by his stage na… Read Full Bio ↴Philip Martin (born in Inglewood, California), better known by his stage name Bishop Lamont, is an American rapper from Carson, California currently signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label. Dr. Dre met Bishop Lamont while on set filming The Game's music video Dreams. After giving him high praises on an L.A. radio station, Dr. Dre signed Bishop Lamont in 2005. Bishop Lamont was featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype section, but he was already signed to Aftermath by the time the issue hit stands.

Bishop Lamont is credited for his numerous soundtrack contributions. He has appeared in the soundtrack for the video game "True Crime: Streets of LA." He can also be heard on three EA Sports video games. The tracks "The Best" and "We Got Next" are included in Madden 2007 and NBA Live 2006 , and the track "I'm a Soldier" was included in NFL Street 2, respectively. In addition, Lamont has the title track "Welcome To Havoc", featured in Havoc, a film starring Anne Hathaway.

Bishop Lamont is very active in the mixtape circuit. Two tracks entitled "Do It" (produced by Scott Storch) and "Wartime Is Now" (produced by Dae one, one of Bishop Lamont's Wardogz crew) circulated on the internet. Bishop Lamont is also prominently featured on Warren G's album In the Mid-Nite Hour. Bishop Lamont raps on six of the tracks and sings the hook on another. Bishop Lamont also has a mixtape called "Who I Gotta Kill To Get A Record Deal Vol.1" (the mixtape Dr. Dre heard before signing Bishop).

Bishop Lamont is widely believe to be one of the rappers to be featured on Dre's highly anticipated album, Detox. He is also working on his debut album, tentatively titled "The Reformation" which is due out in the summer or fall of 2007. Bishop Lamont recently stated in an interview with WestCoastRydaz that after The Reformation & Detox he will be working on The Impossible Possible that will be entirely produced by Dr. Dre & Scott Storch.

The truth
Bishop Lamont Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Intro] [Bishop talking]
The following view expressed in the recording in no way reflect the thoughts of my label.
It's just me. Stacee Adams, every motherfuckin' hood in America.
Every ghetto in the world. Niggas feelin' the same way.

[Verse One] [Bishop Lamont]
So on huff, niggas think I'm roided
This west coast shit, you punks almost destroyed it

Wack ass, backwards niggas always spill it to spoil it
Take a shit in the sink and wash they hands in the toilet

[Stacee Adams]
Man it's the pinnacle
Five star general, slash criminal
With guns on the hunt for the cash, a hundred mil or two
Ask Adams and Bishop
Same difference
Two of the best, come from the west on the same mission
Blood or Crip, I got love for this shit
We can all buy cribs, throw dubs on the six

[Bishop Lamont]
But see, niggas like him, I can't fuck with them
+Follow The Leader+ is classic, but I don't follow the trends
Niggas do whats ever out cause they say that it's in
Hmmm, if you don't get it, nod your head and pretend
Goin' out like that, being a bitch to get wealth
I'm a vampire in the mirror, I can't see myself

[Chorus] [Bishop] [x2]
Niggas say they the truth but can't handle the truth
They say they keep it real but homie where's your proof?
Real recognize real no matter the distance
Go all around the world, it's the same damn difference

[Verse Two] [Bishop Lamont]
The president got guns and sell drugs like the gangstas and thugs
But all you see on TV is us
The Terminator kid took you for political advancement
Damn I wonder why they still ain't killed Charles Manson
Or Richard Ramirez
Ain't they murderers?
I guess ex-gang bangers are worse than Satan worshipers
I'm like, "God damn. He was writin' children books.
They writin' pentagrams in they hands"

[Stacee Adams]
They try'd to give a nigga 20 years for a gun without a trail
All the while
The pastor at church is a pedophile
What kind of sick fuck violates an innocent child
Same nigga pull a K out and shoot in the crowd
Like a bitch fuckin' niggas for free, she's still whorin'
Same difference
Might as well get paid for it
It's like a race against time, who can die the richest?
Whether it's crime or you get it legit, same difference

[Chorus] [Bishop] [x2]
Niggas say they the truth but can't handle the truth
They say they keep it real but homie where's your proof?
Real recognize real no matter the distance
Go all around the world, it's the same damn difference

[Verse Three]
I love Pooty Tang but fuck Chris Rock
John Lennon was assassinated, what about Pac?
And Biggie
Didn't all three get shot?
It's the same damn difference, they just niggas off the block
The plot
Get's thicker if you want it to
Shit, I think they killed Eazy, I'll explain on part two
It's a story about power and greed and dividends
And how they did Eazy Ruthless when he made ?

[Stacee Adams]
Shit, they might as well said, "Fuck it"
Put the gauge to this chin
Same difference
Another legend lost in the end
They tell me, keep my friends close and my enemies even closer
For the bread?
Your own brother will butter you with the toaster
It all revolve around money and power
Arrest us for sellin' cane when they supplying the powder
It's contradicting
Dollars and cents
Politicians just as crooked as the niggas in jail
Same difference

[Chorus] [Bishop] [x2]
Niggas say they the truth but can't handle the truth
They say they keep it real but homie where's your proof?

Real recognize real no matter the distance
Go all around the world, it's the same damn difference

Overall Meaning

The song "The Truth" by Bishop Lamont featuring Stacee Adams presents a commentary on the systemic issues faced by people living in disadvantaged areas, particularly in the black communities in America. The lyrics convey a sense of frustration with the corruption and hypocrisy that seems to exist at every level of society, from politicians to religious leaders. The first verse highlights the issues of misinformation and negativity often propagated by media outlets, which can have a damaging impact on communities that are already struggling.

The chorus emphasizes the idea that so-called "truth-tellers" often do not have the ability to truly handle the truth. It suggests that people will say they are real or honest, but have no proof of their claims. The second verse draws attention to institutionalized discrimination and the tendency to demonize black communities, with a focus on the issue of police brutality. The third verse discusses the rampant greed and power grab that seems to fuel many of the problems faced by those in poor areas. The song ultimately looks at the interconnectedness between all of these issues and how they contribute to systemic change.

Line by Line Meaning

The following view expressed in the recording in no way reflect the thoughts of my label.
My label may not agree with what I'm about to say.

It's just me. Stacee Adams, every motherfuckin' hood in America. Every ghetto in the world. Niggas feelin' the same way.
But this is how I and many others in every corner of the world feel.

So on huff, niggas think I'm roided
People think I'm on steroids when I'm just naturally strong.

This west coast shit, you punks almost destroyed it
West coast rap almost went down the drain because of you weak rappers.

Wack ass, backwards niggas always spill it to spoil it
You trash rappers always gotta hate and try to ruin what others have built.

Take a shit in the sink and wash they hands in the toilet
You're so disgusting you poop in the sink and then wash your hands in the toilet.

Man it's the pinnacle. Five star general, slash criminal. With guns on the hunt for the cash, a hundred mil or two
I'm at the top of my game. I'm a general of the streets who will do whatever it takes to make millions.

Ask Adams and Bishop. Same difference. Two of the best, come from the west on the same mission
Whether you ask me or Stacee Adams, we're both among the greatest and we share the same goals.

But see, niggas like him, I can't fuck with them. +Follow The Leader+ is classic, but I don't follow the trends
I can't hang with those who only follow popular trends. I respect the classics but I won't just mimic what's popular.

Niggas do whats ever out cause they say that it's in. Hmmm, if you don't get it, nod your head and pretend
People just do what's trendy without thinking for themselves. If you don't understand, you just nod along and pretend.

Goin' out like that, being a bitch to get wealth. I'm a vampire in the mirror, I can't see myself
I won't compromise my values for money. I'm like a vampire, I can't even see myself in the mirror because I stand for something.

Niggas say they the truth but can't handle the truth. They say they keep it real but homie where's your proof? Real recognize real no matter the distance. Go all around the world, it's the same damn difference
People claim to be honest but can't actually handle the truth. Actions speak louder than words and people all over the world know when others are fake.

The president got guns and sell drugs like the gangstas and thugs. But all you see on TV is us
The government is just as corrupt as criminals but they use media to pin the blame on us.

The Terminator kid took you for political advancement. Damn I wonder why they still ain't killed Charles Manson. Or Richard Ramirez. Ain't they murderers?
The government uses tragic events for their own gain. Why haven't they killed notorious killers like Charles Manson or Richard Ramirez?

I guess ex-gang bangers are worse than Satan worshipers. I'm like, "God damn. He was writin' children books. They writin' pentagrams in they hands"
The government and society condemn ex-gang members more harshly than those who worship Satan. It's crazy how someone who wrote children's books is demonized more than those who engage in occult practices.

They try'd to give a nigga 20 years for a gun without a trail. All the while. The pastor at church is a pedophile. What kind of sick fuck violates an innocent child
They nearly ruined an innocent man's life for having a gun, while religious leaders who abuse children get away with it. It's sickening.

Same nigga pull a K out and shoot in the crowd. Like a bitch fuckin' niggas for free, she's still whorin'. Same difference. Might as well get paid for it
Someone who casually shoots in a crowd is just like a prostitute who gives it away for free. They're both whoring themselves out, might as well get paid for it.

It's like a race against time, who can die the richest? Whether it's crime or you get it legit, same difference
Everyone is in a rush to get rich before they die, whether they do it legally or illegally.

I love Pooty Tang but fuck Chris Rock. John Lennon was assassinated, what about Pac? And Biggie. Didn't all three get shot?
I appreciate some things in life but not others. It's not fair how some musicians like John Lennon, Tupac, and Biggie get assassinated while others don't.

It's the same damn difference, they just niggas off the block. The plot. Get's thicker if you want it to. Shit, I think they killed Eazy, I'll explain on part two
Celebrities and regular people get treated differently. There's a bigger conspiracy going on if you dig deeper. I think someone murdered Eazy-E but I'll explain that later.

They tell me, keep my friends close and my enemies even closer. For the bread? Your own brother will butter you with the toaster. It all revolve around money and power
People say I should trust even my enemies but that's just for the money. Your own family will betray you for some cash.

Arrest us for sellin' cane when they supplying the powder. It's contradicting. Dollars and cents. Politicians just as crooked as the niggas in jail. Same difference
The government arrests us for selling drugs but they're the ones supplying the ingredients. Politicians are just as corrupt as the people they put in jail.

Contributed by Grayson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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