Cory McKay (March 2, 1973), better known by his stage name Cormega often ab… Read Full Bio ↴Cory McKay (March 2, 1973), better known by his stage name Cormega often abbreviated to Mega, is an American rapper from Queens, New York. Cormega’s streetwise poetics and perseverance has made him one of the most respected East Coast lyricists.

Cormega was raised in Long Island City, Queens, forming childhood friendships with future rappers such as Nas, AZ, Nature, and Capone-N-Noreaga.

1980s
He was featured on Hot Day's "Going Straight Up" from his album "It's My Turn". He was also featured on Blaq Poet & DJ Hot Day's track "Set It Off" from their album "Without Warning" in 1991.

1990s
Cormega was sentenced to 5–15 years in prison for armed robbery in 1991. Despite his incarceration, Cormega gained some attention following a shout-out from Nas on his song "One Love", from the critically acclaimed Illmatic album.

Cormega was released from prison on appeal after serving almost 4 years in New York's Mid-State Correctional Facility. Following his release in 1995, Cormega became determined to pursue rapping. Nas included him on a song entitled "Affirmative Action" for his second album It Was Written. The song also featured AZ and Foxy Brown, and became The Firm's first appearance. Based on his performance, he was signed to Def Jam and recorded an album called The Testament. Based on the buzz from "Affirmative Action," Nas, his manager Steve Stoute and producers Dr. Dre and Trackmasters joined to produce The Firm. Cormega was replaced with another artist, Nature, because either he would not sign a contract with Stoute or Stoute felt Nature was a better rapper. This led to an alleged altercation between Cormega and Nature. Cormega's dispute with Stoute also ended his friendship with Nas. Following the end of his membership in The Firm, Alex Trojano contributed in producing his album The Testament. Meanwhile, following a falling-out over creative differences with his manager Chris Lighty and Def-Jam imprint Violator Records, his debut album The Testament was indefinitely shelved. During the recording for The Testament Cormega responded to Nas' "One Love" in the form of a letter also entitled "One Love".

2000s
In 2000, he was released from his contract and he started his own record company, Legal Hustle Records. Cormega vented his disappointment with Nas and The Firm in a mixtape song titled "Never Personal".This song was never directly pointed to Nas, but the media made it look like that. In 2001, he released his new debut album, The Realness, which was acclaimed by critics. Many of the songs share a theme of betrayal. Nas responded to Cormega on his song "Destroy and Rebuild" from his album Stillmatic. Cormega retaliated with more mixtape tracks, "A Slick Response" and "Realmatic". Nas revisited the Cormega beef in his song "The Cross" on the album God's Son. In reference to Cormega, Nas rapped "What I've discovered is my brother's tryin to be/The next me, yeah I support him but he's blinded I see/ Jealousy he love me to death and I'm buggin I love him for life/ We both still mournin on our mother's life" (referencing the fact that Cormega's mother was murdered when he was four).

Cormega's follow-up album, The True Meaning won the Source Magazine's prestigious Underground Album of the Year Award. In 2004, he followed up with Legal Hustle (a compilation album showcasing his label's artists) and other talented hip-hop lyricists such as Ghostface Killah, Large Professor, AZ, Kurupt, Jayo Felony, and several others. This album is considered by some as more of a project than an actual solo album; nonetheless it was well received. In 2005, he was able to release The Testament on his own label, which saw good reviews and sales and featured the original banned version of "Dead Man Walking" as a hidden track.

In early September 2005, Cormega posted a statement on his website that he and Nas had spoken and ended their feud. Cormega explained that their conversation had come about due to the death of Cormega's grandmother. Both rappers have stated the possibility of a collaboration. On December 22, 2006 at the Nokia Theatre Times Square, Cormega appeared on stage at a Nas concert and went on to perform with Nas (and Foxy Brown as well), further evidence that their feud is over.

The feud was settled in Cormega's home in early December 2005, when Cormega and Nas realized that it was destructive for each of them. It is not known who was responsible for their meeting but both artists are now working alone. In the mid-2000s Cormega helped produce a few albums and was featured on several songs with The Jacka and the Mob Figaz.

An album collaboration with Lakey The Kid entitled My Brother's Keeper was released independently on August 22, 2006. On November 20, 2007, Cormega finally released his DVD in-the-making Who am I?. The DVD took over four years of filming of Cormega in all aspects of his life and what others thought of Cormega, unedited. The DVD was released as a soundtrack plus DVD. Cormega intended to release an album which was to be entitled Urban Legend before T.I.'s album of the same name was released (Cormega mentions this on the Who Am I DVD, dated circa 2003); the new title is Born and Raised. The album was released October 20, 2009. The first single is called "Journey."

2010s
Cormega has stated his desire to work with a variety of artists including Scarface, Lauryn Hill, Slick Rick, as well as past collaborators M.O.P., Mobb Deep, and tha Dogg Pound.
Cormega's Album "Raw Forever" was released on 2011.

His latest work is the Album Mega Philosophy. It was produced by Large Professor and released on July 22, 2014.

Usual Suspects
Cormega Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What's all the noise about?
Have some respect shut the fuck up
Driveby money talkin shit yo back the truck up
Y'all niggaz don't respect me but you fear me
And fear is better than respect, y'all niggaz hear me?
If I smack the shit outta this nigga
His man over here be like, "Yo what? Nigga what?"
But his man is like, "Psych yo"

Take it from one extreme to the next
And my shit always bounce like D-M, to the X
I can bring it from up here, to enough is enough
Down to, "Aight I think it's safe to take off the cuffs"
I play wit words, blurs and slurs, flip styles
Take his and hers, niggaz is couraged, I get wild
So don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry
I've got a lot of enemies, and they'd all like to bang me
(What?) Catch me when I'm sleepin', with one eye closed
One guy chose the dogs; left one got froze, filled with holes

Ugh, it's gonna be a long time befo' dey touch this here
It's Gotti's, Consigliere, let's take it there and make a milli, yeah
Which Bentley's? Ice drippin' off the jewels, daily
Ja the one, what? Y'all don't hear me, nigga
Y'all remember, see-M-see, '95 December
Fine women, illegal tender, such is life
When I feel like I ain't to be held, who could hold me?
Hoes try to console me, rec' exec's want to own me
Damned if I die slowly, drugged out broke and lonely
Like so many who pushed roadie before me
Ja, hit em precisely, God just don't make too many like me
Inadvertently shittin' on the Top 20
Y'all niggaz kill me, talkin' like y'all can't be touched
See by the time y'all realized, I be done touched you up
Blazed you up, your whole style, chump nigga, what?
Think again if you thought I gave a fuck!

Yo
Yo independently, reppin thoroughly throughout the N-why
We thump and get high, infrared nigga, dead eye
Aimin' at the sky's limit, jumpin' in, we all in it
The good life, tryin" ta live it

Yo
Yo independently, reppin thoroughly throughout the N-why
We thump and get high, infrared nigga, dead eye
Aimin' at the sky's limit, jumpin' in, we all in it
The good life, tryin" ta live it

Yo whaddup to all my thug-lawn, niggaz in plush cars
Rikers Island killers with rug scars, police fuck y'all (Yeah)
Live niggaz, I love y'all for representin'
Ya have respect of prison, came home, caught a Expedition
Look in my eye, you see realness
The Mobb tonic quest for million, my Lex with ill rims
My name ringin', chain swingin', ain't richest?
Are you my heir? Like do we present the same vision?
My insight is deep, mental intuition
Type essential, due to this trife life we livin'
My cypher, e-lite snipers in the mountains
The Bridge under pressure for mad years and countin'
What? My connect eatin' papaya, supplyin' me
Cormega represent a live nigga dynasty
9's and Tek's, my hollow heads outlined your vest
My only fear is twenty five years of death

One deep from Jersey, on the Island doin' six
Now ain't that a bitch, they sayin', "Hussein never shit"
I shot more niggaz than thorough niggaz in your crew
You and your mother know don't go against, be on you
Mad career criminal, crimin' be like a hobby
Probably drinkin my notty or ill just shootin' my shotty
Nigga you get extorted, flippin' styles, poppin' chicks
Bullets small as his G-be-30, niggaz lose it quick
I had to get out of town, I done shot another dick
Niggaz'll roll tricks to keep they mind off shit
I tack up parole, they supervise my whole side
Money wise, surprised, thug niggaz on the rise
These card cats is federal, you soft and shreddable
Picturin' every rappers comin' at me all edible
I lift past your crew, you know what I'm about
Guinness-style, Outlawz, just hit up another out

Hmmm, yeah, yeah, now
Runnin' wit five niggaz, criminal disguised niggaz
The live niggaz, pull a Mac what? Surprise niggaz
Holdin' my mics stiletto like; invitin' these water-head brothers
To get splashed back and take it light
Slidin' back when I was sixteen, Romelo my brother
Told me laid back, aced up, to play it mellow
Seein how I'm a young Othello
Don't confuse me wit them brothers who lost playin' black DeNiro
The boss of this, gettin' tossed to Crist'
The barber shit, we ballin' flawlessly
For-ever y'all brothers tried but never to touch me
The God, heated up beyond the frequency
Now it's time to put you niggaz under pressure, we form
Here I am, if it's on then it's on
If the world was yours, could you keep it from a nigga like me?
Hold your head, we about to see, motherfucker

Yeah, Usual Suspects, never suspect niggaz yeah
What y'all thought I was gone?

Never that, it's been deaded
Y'all see

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Usual Suspects" by Cormega are a complex web of reflections on power, respect, fear, and criminality, and they are delivered in a style that blends street poetry, vivid imagery, and verbal dexterity. At the start of the song, Cormega asserts himself as a tough and commanding figure who demands silence and obedience, and who knows how to intimidate and manipulate his rivals. He highlights the tension between respect and fear, and suggests that fear can be a more effective means of control, especially when it is combined with violence and unpredictability. He also showcases his skill at wordplay and his ability to shift between different flows and tones, from aggressive threats to ironic commentary.

Throughout the song, Cormega weaves a tapestry of stories and characters that illustrate the harsh realities of the street life, from drug deals and shootouts to jail sentences and betrayals. He name-drops various people and places that have shaped his experience, from Gotti (presumably John Gotti, the boss of the Gambino crime family) and Ja (likely Ja Rule, Cormega's former collaborator and a fellow Queens rapper) to Rikers Island (a notorious prison in New York City) and The Bridge (a reference to the Queensboro Bridge, a landmark in Cormega's hometown). He also uses metaphors and similes to convey his emotions and perspectives, such as comparing his rhymes to bullets ("My hollow heads outlined your vest") and his insights to intuition ("Type essential, due to this trife life we livin'").

The chorus of the song features a repeated refrain that underscores the theme of solidarity and resilience among Cormega and his crew. They emphasize their independence and determination to thrive and enjoy the "good life," despite the obstacles and dangers that surround them. They also express their loyalty and appreciation for each other, recognizing their common struggles and values. Overall, "Usual Suspects" is a raw and powerful manifestation of Cormega's artistic and personal identity, as well as a glimpse into the realities of urban survival and ambition.

Line by Line Meaning

What's all the noise about?
I'm wondering why there is so much commotion and talk going on.

Have some respect shut the fuck up
Show some respect and be quiet.

Driveby money talkin shit yo back the truck up
People who talk about money without substance need to back off.

Y'all niggaz don't respect me but you fear me
Even though you may not respect me, you still fear me.

And fear is better than respect, y'all niggaz hear me?
Fear holds more power and influence than respect, do you understand?

If I smack the shit outta this nigga
If I were to physically hit this person hard.

His man over here be like, 'Yo what? Nigga what?'
His friend nearby would react with surprise and confrontation.

But his man is like, 'Psych yo'
However, his friend quickly dismisses the confrontation.

Take it from one extreme to the next
Escalating from one extreme situation to another.

And my shit always bounce like D-M, to the X
My music always has a lively, energetic appeal like DMX's.

I can bring it from up here, to enough is enough
I can elevate my performance to the highest level, but there's a limit.

Down to, 'Aight I think it's safe to take off the cuffs'
Even to the point where it's safe to remove handcuffs.

I play wit words, blurs and slurs, flip styles
I play with words, creating confusion and altering styles.

Take his and hers, niggaz is couraged, I get wild
I'm bold and aggressive, taking what others claim as theirs.

So don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry
If you provoke me and make me angry, it won't end well for you.

I've got a lot of enemies, and they'd all like to bang me
I have many enemies who would love to harm me.

(What?) Catch me when I'm sleepin', with one eye closed
Don't try to catch me off guard, I'm always alert.

One guy chose the dogs; left one got froze, filled with holes
One person chose the aggressive path and got killed, while another was left injured.

Ugh, it's gonna be a long time befo' dey touch this here
It will take a long time before anyone can match or surpass my skills.

It's Gotti's, Consigliere, let's take it there and make a milli, yeah
I am Gotti's trusted advisor, let's go all out and make a million dollars.

Which Bentley's? Ice drippin' off the jewels, daily
Which luxury cars should we choose? Dripping with expensive jewelry every day.

Ja the one, what? Y'all don't hear me, nigga
Ja Rule is the chosen one, but you all don't understand.

Y'all remember, see-M-see, '95 December
You all remember Cormega, the memorable rapper from December 1995.

Fine women, illegal tender, such is life
Attractive women and illegal money are part of the reality of life.

When I feel like I ain't to be held, who could hold me?
When I don't want to be restrained, who has the power to control me?

Hoes try to console me, rec' exec's want to own me
Women try to comfort me, while record executives want to control me.

Damned if I die slowly, drugged out broke and lonely
I refuse to live a slow, miserable life filled with drugs and destitution.

Like so many who pushed roadie before me
Similar to others who gave in to temptation before me.

Ja, hit em precisely, God just don't make too many like me
Ja Rule, hit them with precision. There are very few individuals like me.

Inadvertently shittin' on the Top 20
Unintentionally surpassing and outperforming those in the top 20 charts.

Y'all niggaz kill me, talkin' like y'all can't be touched
You all entertain me, acting as if you're untouchable.

See by the time y'all realized, I be done touched you up
By the time you realize, I will have already defeated and surpassed you.

Blazed you up, your whole style, chump nigga, what?
I completely destroyed your style, exposing you as a weak person.

Think again if you thought I gave a fuck!
Reconsider your assumption that I care about your opinion or feelings.

Yo
Hey

Yo independently, reppin thoroughly throughout the N-why
I represent myself independently and with full dedication in my neighborhood.

We thump and get high, infrared nigga, dead eye
We fight and get high, skilled and precise in our actions.

Aimin' at the sky's limit, jumpin' in, we all in it
We aim for limitless success and embrace every opportunity.

The good life, tryin ta live it
We strive to live the good life and make the most of it.

Yo whaddup to all my thug-lawn, niggaz in plush cars
Greetings to all my fellow gangsters, riding in luxurious cars.

Rikers Island killers with rug scars, police fuck y'all (Yeah)
The killers from Rikers Island with scars from intense battles, expressing their disregard for the police.

Live niggaz, I love y'all for representin'
I appreciate and respect all the real individuals who represent.

Ya have respect of prison, came home, caught a Expedition
You have gained respect while in prison and after being released, you acquired an expensive SUV.

Look in my eye, you see realness
When you look into my eyes, you can see my authenticity.

The Mobb tonic quest for million, my Lex with ill rims
The Mobb's relentless pursuit of millions, with a luxurious Lexus equipped with stylish rims.

My name ringin', chain swingin', ain't richest?
My name is well-known, I have expensive chains, but am I the richest?

Are you my heir? Like do we present the same vision?
Are you my successor? Do we share the same goals and aspirations?

My insight is deep, mental intuition
I possess profound insight and intuitive understanding.

Type essential, due to this trife life we livin'
It's necessary to have a certain attitude and demeanor in this difficult life we lead.

My cypher, e-lite snipers in the mountains
In my circle, there are skilled shooters positioned in strategic locations.

The Bridge under pressure for mad years and countin'
The Queensbridge neighborhood has faced immense challenges and oppression for a long time.

What? My connect eatin' papaya, supplyin' me
My supplier is enjoying wealth and luxury, providing me with what I need.

Cormega represent a live nigga dynasty
Cormega represents a successful and prosperous group of real individuals.

9's and Tek's, my hollow heads outlined your vest
My guns with hollow point bullets will easily penetrate and defeat your bulletproof vest.

My only fear is twenty five years of death
The only thing I fear is spending a long time in prison, which feels like death.

One deep from Jersey, on the Island doin' six
Alone and without support from others, I'm serving a six-year prison sentence on Rikers Island.

Now ain't that a bitch, they sayin', 'Hussein never shit'
It's ironic how people now say that I, Hussein, was never a significant force.

I shot more niggaz than thorough niggaz in your crew
I have killed more people than any of the hardcore individuals in your crew.

You and your mother know don't go against, be on you
Both you and your mother know that it would be unwise to oppose me or challenge me.

Mad career criminal, crimin' be like a hobby
I am a professional criminal, engaging in illegal activities as if it were a hobby.

Probably drinkin my notty or ill just shootin' my shotty
I might be drinking my Hennessy or shooting my shotgun.

Nigga you get extorted, flippin' styles, poppin' chicks
You are being blackmailed and pretending to have different personas, trying to impress women.

Bullets small as his G-be-30, niggaz lose it quick
Bullets as small as his genitals (G-be-30) can make people lose control and panic.

I had to get out of town, I done shot another dick
I had to leave town after shooting someone again.

Niggaz'll roll tricks to keep they mind off shit
People will engage in distractions to avoid thinking about their problems.

I tack up parole, they supervise my whole side
I am on parole, and they closely monitor every aspect of my life.

Money wise, surprised, thug niggaz on the rise
Surprisingly, street-smart individuals are becoming wealthy and successful.

These card cats is federal, you soft and shreddable
These fraudsters are being targeted by the government, but you are vulnerable and easily defeated.

Picturin' every rappers comin' at me all edible
I can envision all the rappers trying to challenge me and imagining them as easily disposable.

I lift past your crew, you know what I'm about
I surpass your crew in every way, and you know what I'm capable of.

Guinness-style, Outlawz, just hit up another out
In a remarkable and impressive manner, Outlawz has achieved yet another success.

Yeah, Usual Suspects, never suspect niggaz yeah
Yes, the Usual Suspects are a group of individuals who are never suspected.

What y'all thought I was gone?
Did you all think I disappeared?

Never that, it's been deaded
No, that's never the case, it has been resolved.

Y'all see
You all can witness it.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeffrey Atkins, Michael Mcdermon, Carlos Wilson, Louis Wilson, Earl Simmons, Corey Mccay, Daren Vanderpool, Ricardo Wilson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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