The Mask
Fugees Lyrics

Have you ever worn the mask one-two one-two
Have you ever had to hide your true identity?

M to the A to the S to the K
Shortened spelling of 'mask'

Put the mask upon the face just to make the next day
Wearing the mask to survive another day

Feds be hawkin me
The federal government is watching me

Jokers be stalking me
People are lurking and trailing me

I walk the streets and camouflage my identity
I blend in with the crowd and conceal who I am

My posse in the Brooklyn wear the mask
My gang in Brooklyn also wears a mask

My crew in the Jersey wear the mask
My team in New Jersey also hides their identity

Stick up kids doing boogie woogie wear the mask
Even robbers are wearing masks to disguise themselves

Yeah everybody wear the mask but how long will it last
Everyone seems to be wearing a mask, but is it a sustainable solution?

I used to work at Burger King. A king taking orders
I was once a fast food worker, taking orders from customers

Punching my clock. Now I'm wanted by the manager
Once an employee, now I am considered a wanted person by the manager

Soupin me up sayin 'You're a good worker,'
The manager previously praised me for my work

'How would you like a quarter raise, move up the register'
The manager offered me a raise and promotion

'Large in charge, but cha gotta be my spy'
The manager wants me to be a spy for him

'Come back and tell me who's baggin my fries'
The manager wants me to spy on my fellow employees

'Getting high on company time.'
Other employees are using drugs while on the job

Hell no sirree, wrong M.C
I refuse to be a spy, and I am the wrong person to ask

Why should I be a spy, when you spying me
I don't see the point in spying for someone who is already spying on me

And you see whatcha thought ya saw but never seen
You think you saw something, but you actually missed it

Ya missed ya last move, Checkmate! Crown me King
You made a mistake, and now I have won the game

Pulled my 22 pistol whipped him in his face
I hit someone in the face with my gun

Hired now I'm fired, sold bud now I'm wired
I was hired and then fired, and now I am involved in drug dealing and drug use

Eyes pitch red but da beat bop my head
My eyes are red from drugs, but I am still grooving to the music

Hit the streets for relief, I bumped into the Feds
I went outside to relax but ran into law enforcement

I got kidnapped they took me to D.C.
I was kidnapped and taken to Washington, D.C.

Have me working underground building missiles for World War III
I was forced to work on secret, military projects

Brothers be gaming, Ladies be claiming
Men are playing games, and women are trying to establish relationships

My posse Uptown wear the mask
My crew in Uptown Manhattan also wears masks

My crew in the Queens wear the mask
My team in Queens also wears masks

Stick up kids with the Tommy Hil wear the mask
Even robbers who wear designer clothes like Tommy Hilfiger are wearing masks

I thought he was the wonder, and I was stunned by his lips
I was impressed and distracted by his attractive features

Taking sips of an Amaretto sour with a twist
We were drinking Amaretto sours with a twist of some flavor

Shook my hips to the bass line, this joker grabbed my waistline
I was dancing to the music when someone unexpectedly grabbed my waist

Putting pressure on my spine trying to get L-Boog to wind
He was trying to convince me to dance with him

I backed up off him then caught him with five finger to his face
I pushed him away and hit him in the face with my hand

I had to put him in his place
I had to stand up for myself

This kids invading my space
He was getting too close and making me feel uncomfortable

But then I recognized the smile, but I couldn't place the style
I recognized his smile, but I couldn't remember where I knew him from

So many fronts in his mouth, I thought he was the Golden Child
He had a lot of gold teeth, and I thought he was someone famous

Then it hit me that's Tariq from off the street around my Grams
I finally remembered that he was Tariq, someone I knew from around my grandmother's neighborhood

I haven't seeen him since fifteen, when he got booked for doing scams
I haven't seen him since we were both fifteen, when he got in trouble for doing scams

I tried to walk away but he wouldn't let me leave
I attempted to leave, but he stopped me

He ran up quick behind me asking, 'Yo what happened to my nigga Steve?'
He approached me suddenly and asked me about our mutual friend, Steve

Steve was like this kid I went with back in Grammar School
Steve was someone we went to elementary school with

I chuckled knucklehead I seen him yesterday he's cool
I laughed, calling him a knucklehead, and told him that I saw Steve yesterday and he's doing well

He's busted, 'so who you checking for now?'
He joked that Steve was a busted friend, and asked who I was checking for now

Probably some intellectual
I replied, saying that I was probably interested in someone who is intelligent

I kept the conversation straight and he kept trying to make it sexual
I tried to keep the conversation on track, but he kept trying to make it sexual

Then his old lady tried to play me waved her hands up in my face
Then his girlfriend or wife tried to intimidate me by waving her hands in my face

Yo I told her check your man cause Bitch you acting out of place
I told her to control her partner, and called her a rude word because of her behavior

3 A.M. in the morning on the Boulevard
It was 3 A.M. on a street called Boulevard

I'm still at large engaged with my entourage
I am still out and about with my group of friends

Me and Godfather and a 67 Dodge
Myself, someone referred to as the Godfather, and a 1967 Dodge vehicle

I stepped out the note to post up my guard
I stepped out of the car to protect myself

Searching for my car that was stolen from Scotland Yard
I was looking for my car that had been taken and hidden in a secret location

My first instinct was to check the chop shop garage
I first thought to check the garage where stolen cars are taken apart and sold for parts

As I rung the bell someone tapped me on my back
As I was ringing a doorbell, someone touched me on the back

I turned around to look it was a rookie in a mask
I turned to see that it was a new police officer wearing a mask

He said, 'I got a itchin' on my trigger
He told me that he was tempted to shoot me

Don't move nigga I'm taking you for murder.'
He told me not to move, and that he was arresting me for murder

See cops got two faces like two laces on my Reeboks
Police officers have two sides, just like the two laces on my Reebok shoes

My knees knock as I step back for a clearer shot
I was nervous and my knees were shaking as I tried to step back and get a better view

Well did you shoot him? Naw kid I didn't have the balls
Someone asked if I shot him, and I replied that I didn't have the courage to do so

That's when I realized I'm pumpin' too much Biggie Smalls
I realized that I was listening to and influenced by too much music by rapper Biggie Smalls

Brothers be beefin', cops be thiefin'
Men are fighting each other, and police officers are doing illegal things

Brothers be schemin', and should be teamin'
Men should be working together instead of plotting against each other

Jokers be smokin', and staying broke n
Some people are spending too much money on smoking and not saving any money

Bitches be teasin', and money skeezin'
Women are flirting but not following through, and some people are trying to steal money

Niggas be creapin', baby mothers be weepin'
Men are cheating on their partners, causing problems for the women and children involved

My posse in the Haiti wear the mask
My group of friends in Haiti also wears masks to hide their identity

My crew in Jamaica wear the mask
My team in Jamaica is also wearing masks

Stick up kids bumping Fugee-La wear the mask
Even robbers who are listening to my music are also wearing masks to conceal their identity

Yeah everybody wear the mask but how long will it last?
Many people are wearing masks to hide who they really are, but how much longer will this temporary solution last?