The Way I Am
Dogg/Eminem/Nate Dogg Lyrics

Man, whatever
I don't care about anything right now

Dre just let it run
Dr. Dre, let the music keep playing in the background

Ayo, turn the beat up a little bit
Hey, can you increase the volume of the rhythm?

Ayo, this song is for anyone
This track is meant for everybody to listen to

Fuck it, just shut up and listen, ayo
Forget everything else and just pay attention

I sit back with this pack of Zig-Zag's and this bag
I relax with a pack of Zig-Zag rolling papers and this weed

Of this weed, it gives me the shit needed to be
This cannabis gives me the inspiration to become

The most meanest MC on this—on this Earth
The most aggressive rapper on this planet Earth

And since birth I've been cursed with this curse to just curse
From birth, I've had a curse to only rap using vulgar language

And just blurt this berserk and bizarre shit that works
I rap this insane and unusual stuff that sells and helps me relieve tension

And it sells and it helps in itself to relieve all this tension
My music sells and helps me release my anxiety and stress

Dispensing these sentences, getting this stress
Releasing my stress by spitting these verses

That's been eating me recently off of this chest
That's been bothering me lately and influencing my writing

And I rest again peacefully
Finally, I can rest again in peace

But at least have the decency in you
Have some basic respect when you see me

To leave me alone, when you freaks see me out
Don't bother me when you see me in public

In the streets when I'm eating or feeding my daughter
When I'm out on the streets having a meal or spending time with my child

To not come and speak to me, I don't know you
Don't come up to me and try to talk to me if we're strangers

And no, I don't owe you a mothafuckin' thing
I don't owe you anything at all

I'm not Mr. N'Sync, I'm not what your friends think
I'm not some commercial pop artist, nor am I what your friends might assume

I'm not Mr. Friendly, I can be a prick if you tempt me
I'm not always nice; I can be rude if provoked

My tank is on empty, no patience is in me
I'm drained and don't have any tolerance for anything

And if you offend me, I'm lifting you ten feet in the air
If you insult me, I'm so angry that I'll pick you up and throw you

I don't care who was there and who saw me just jaw you
I don't care about witnesses or the consequences of hitting you

Go call you a lawyer, file you a lawsuit
You can go get a lawyer and try to sue me

I'll smile in the courtroom and buy you a wardrobe
I'll happily appear in court and even pay for your new clothes if I lose

I'm tired of all you, I don't mean to be mean
I'm sick and tired of you all, but I don't mean to be hostile

But that's all I can be, it's just me
But that's just who I am

And I am whatever you say I am
I am portrayed as whatever the media or society perceives me to be

If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
If I wasn't what people say I am, why would I keep portraying myself that way?

In the paper, the news, every day I am
Newspapers and news programs talk about me constantly

Radio won't even play my jam
Radio stations refuse to air my music

'Cause I am whatever you say I am
This all happens because I allow people to label me as they please

I don't know, it's just the way I am
I don't know why I'm like this, it's just who I am

Sometimes I just feel like my father
At times, I feel like I'm following in my father's footsteps

I hate to be bothered with all of this nonsense
I can't stand being bothered with all this stupidity around me

It's constant, and, "Oh, it's his lyrical content
People are always criticizing my rap lyrics

The song 'Guilty Conscience' has gotten such rotten responses."
The public has reacted negatively to my song 'Guilty Conscience'

And all of this controversy circles me
All this negativity and drama revolves around me

And it seems like the media immediately points a finger at me
The media always blames me for anything negative happening

So I point one back at 'em, but not the index or pinkie
I respond to them by pointing at them, but not with my index or little finger

Or the ring or the thumb, it's the one you put up
I reply with my middle finger, the one that represents 'fuck you'

When you don't give a fuck, when you won't just put up
When you don't care about anything and won't tolerate any bullshit

With the bullshit they pull, 'cause they full of shit too
Dealing with their lies and nonsense because they're hypocrites

When a dude's getting bullied and shoots up his school
When someone gets harassed and retaliates by shooting up a school

And they blame it on Marilyn and the heroin
People blame celebrities and drugs instead of taking responsibility or looking at social issues

Where were the parents at? And look where it's at!
They also question the parents and point at them for their children's actions

Middle America, now it's a tragedy
It's a shame that tragedies happen in middle America

Now it's so sad to see, an upper-class city havin' this happening
It's heart-breaking to see a prosperous city suffering from these issues

Then attack Eminem 'cause I rap this way
People criticize Eminem for rapping in his unique style

But I'm glad, 'cause they feed me the fuel that I need
He appreciates the criticism since it fuels him to create better music

For the fire to burn, and it's burning, and I have returned
The criticism fuels his creativity and passion, and he's back with a vengeance

I'm so sick and tired of being admired
He's exhausted from being admired and wants a break

That I wish that I would just die or get fired
He'd prefer to either die or get kicked out of the music industry instead of constantly being admired

And dropped from my label, let's stop with the fables
He desires to be let go from his record label and for everyone to stop spreading lies about him

I'm not gonna be able to top on "My Name Is"
He can't surpass the success of his hit song 'My Name Is'

And pigeon-holed into some poppy sensation
He's frustrated with being categorized into a commercial and shallow music genre

To cop me rotation at rock-n-roll stations
Radio stations only want his music to play for commercial and popularity purposes

And I just do not got the patience
He doesn't have the patience for this kind of treatment

To deal with these cocky Caucasians
He's done putting up with these arrogant white people

Who think I'm some wigger who just tries to be black
They all assume he's a white person trying to act black

'Cause I talk with an accent and grab on my balls
He talks with his Detroit accent and touches his crotch, which people assume to be 'black' behavior

So they always keep asking the same fucking questions
They always interrogate him with the same damn questions

What school did I go to, what hood I grew up in
They keep asking him where he came from and what his upbringing was like

The why, the who, what, when, the where and the how
They keep probing him with why, who, what, when, where and how questions to no end

'Til I'm grabbing my hair and I'm tearin' it out
He's so frustrated that he's pulling his own hair out

'Cause they driving me crazy, I can't take it
He can't handle their constant scrutiny and questioning

I'm racin', I'm pacin', I stand and I sit
He's agitated and pacing back and forth

And I'm thankful for every fan that I get
He genuinely appreciates his fans despite his frustrations

But I can't take a shit
He can't even go to the bathroom without someone bothering him

In the bathroom without someone standing by it
Someone is always hovering near him even when he's in the restroom

No, I won't sign you an autograph
He refuses to sign autographs

You can call me an asshole, I'm glad
He's fine with being called an asshole