Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs.
Ghostface Killah was raised in the Stapleton housing projects in Staten Island, New York. In his autobiographical song "All That I Got Is You", Ghost tells the story of his childhood. He raps about how he grew up in a three bedroom apartment without his father, who left him at the age of six. Apparently, his mother had nine children.
His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing.
He was also a close friend of the three founding members of Wu-tang clan
Pay Checks
Ghostface Killah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's all right -- yyyyeaaaaaaaaah!
[Ghostface Killah]
Hold up, gots to boost those tray ups
Think I'm playin' pa, reach and get glazed up
Face all sprayed up, on the floors
The left side of your cheek, go ahead and pick that face up
Ya'll niggas know how Pretty Toney get down
Made The Post in '98, f**k an album, when I need CREAM
It's on, nigga, faggots, better check out their accountants
When I hung around broke niggas, and broke bitches
You know what that means, it equals no riches and
I can't have that, I got a lot of wiz'es
They spoiled, told 'em they don't have to move drizzers
Whatever they see, is none of they business
I do what I do, to get that spinach
Whether it's kill 'em, spray 'em, play 'em, all on the streets
I weigh 'em, saute 'em, Ghost and Kay Slay 'em
[Chorus 2X: Ghostface Killah]
This kid about his papers, paychecks
Thinkin' you can pay me now, any bear feelings, just say it
Go 'head brother, just as fast as you front
It be an honor just to lay you down
[Trife Da God]
The first check I ever got
Son I spent it up top, blowin' a cop, cop, cop, cop, cop...
I had 2 Cent, plus my car fare home
It wasn't even Broadway until I got those stones
I was sixteen, shit, I barely knew what a gram was
Studied Scarface, so I knew what the plan was
To get that CREAM, and serve them fiends
Around the same time my nigga Buck converged with Beans
Two way team, posted up on the benches
Wit a magnet for a stash, that I kept hid under the black fences
Jakes shootin' through the middle, like Kerry Kittles
I was baggin' up small hittin' fiends, with very little
Though they switched nickels on niggas, and pointed out bitches
In the precinct got the snitchin', so they hit 'em off with something decent
Avoid the sweeping, them boys is beastin'
On point, but I'm kinda paranoid when they creepin'
[Ghostface Killah]
Faggot ass niggas, when I ride get the f**k out the way
When I see jewels, all I know is take
I'm like a seed at a birthday party, all I want is cake
In other words, papes, sellin' herbs and tapes
Movin' birds and weight, through suburban states
God damn it, I told ya'll niggas
This is a Theodore stickup
Wake ya bitch up, watch the fifth pick up!
[Chorus 2X]
[Outro: Ghostface Killah]
Yeah, you heard what the bitch said
When we wasn't makin' too much muthaf**kin' CREAM and shit
We was beatin' the shit out of niggas
Takin' their little Summer Youth shit
Buyin' beer and weed and shit
Shakin' niggas upside down on some cartoon shit
Change fall all out of their pockets and shit
Yellin' and tellin' the cops, f**k ya'll niggas!
This is Theodore, bitch
The song "Pay Checks" by Ghostface Killah featuring Trife is a track that glorifies getting money through illegal means. The lyrics paint a picture of a life chasing money by any means necessary, including selling drugs, committing crimes, and robbing people. The song speaks about the need to get paid and to keep making more money, even if it means hurting others or breaking the law.
Ghostface Killah opens the song with a boastful verse, proclaiming his dominance and his willingness to commit crimes to make money. He raps about his disregard for others and his focus solely on acquiring more and more money. Trife's verse touches on his own experiences living a life of crime, selling drugs and robbing people. He shares an anecdote about the first paycheck he ever got and how he immediately spent it on drugs.
The chorus emphasizes the importance of money, with Ghostface Killah rapping about being willing to take on anyone who stands in his way. The outro features a woman's voice, who apparently is recounting stories of violence and criminal behavior, hinting at the dark world that these rappers inhabit.
Overall, the song "Pay Checks" reflects the harsh realities of life in the inner city and the desperate need to make money by any means necessary.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold up, gots to boost those tray ups
Wait a minute, I need to make some money quickly
Think I'm playin' pa, reach and get glazed up
You don't believe me? Try me, and I'll make you regret it
The left side of your cheek, go ahead and pick that face up
You got hit so hard that your face is on the ground
Of course I'mma f**k with ya'll niggas, ya'll pussy (yeah)
I'll mess with you because you're weak and easily intimidated
Ya'll niggas know how Pretty Toney get down
You know who I am and what I'm capable of
Made The Post in '98, f**k an album, when I need CREAM
I don't need to make albums, I can make money quickly
It's on, nigga, faggots, better check out their accountants
Be prepared because I'm coming for you, and your accountant should be worried
When I hung around broke niggas, and broke bitches
I used to associate with poor people, but not anymore
You know what that means, it equals no riches and
Being around broke people means you won't make any money
I can't have that, I got a lot of wiz'es
I can't afford to be broke because I have a lot of responsibilities
They spoiled, told 'em they don't have to move drizzers
My kids are privileged, and I don't want them to have to work
Whatever they see, is none of they business
My kids don't need to know about my illegal activities
I do what I do, to get that spinach
I do whatever it takes to make money
Whether it's kill 'em, spray 'em, play 'em, all on the streets
I'll do whatever I need to on the streets to make money, including violence
I weigh 'em, saute 'em, Ghost and Kay Slay 'em
I'm involved in drug dealing and will even kill people I don't like
This kid about his papers, paychecks
I'm focused on making money
Thinkin' you can pay me now, any bear feelings, just say it
If you owe me money, don't be afraid to tell me
Go 'head brother, just as fast as you front
If you're going to act tough, I'll take you down quickly
It be an honor just to lay you down
I'm not afraid to use violence to get what I want
The first check I ever got
I remember the first time I made money
Son I spent it up top, blowin' a cop, cop, cop, cop, cop...
I spent my first paycheck on drugs
I had 2 Cent, plus my car fare home
I was broke after spending all my money on drugs
It wasn't even Broadway until I got those stones
I didn't have any money until I sold some drugs
I was sixteen, shit, I barely knew what a gram was
I was young and naive when I got involved in drugs
Studied Scarface, so I knew what the plan was
I learned about drug dealing from the movie Scarface
To get that CREAM, and serve them fiends
I sell drugs to make money and serve addicts
Around the same time my nigga Buck converged with Beans
My friend Buck started dealing drugs at the same time as me
Two way team, posted up on the benches
We worked together to sell drugs on the streets
Wit a magnet for a stash, that I kept hid under the black fences
We had a secret stash of drugs that we kept hidden
Jakes shootin' through the middle, like Kerry Kittles
The police were constantly trying to catch us
I was baggin' up small hittin' fiends, with very little
I was selling small amounts of drugs to addicts
Though they switched nickels on niggas, and pointed out bitches
Some people were untrustworthy and betrayed us
In the precinct got the snitchin', so they hit 'em off with something decent
The police gave leniency to people who snitched on us
Avoid the sweeping, them boys is beastin'
We had to avoid getting caught by the police
On point, but I'm kinda paranoid when they creepin'
I'm always ready for the police to show up and arrest us
Faggot ass niggas, when I ride get the f**k out the way
I don't have time for weak people who won't make me money
When I see jewels, all I know is take
I will steal from people to make money
I'm like a seed at a birthday party, all I want is cake
All I want is money
In other words, papes, sellin' herbs and tapes
I make money by selling drugs and mixtapes
Movin' birds and weight, through suburban states
I sell drugs in different areas to make more money
God damn it, I told ya'll niggas
I warned you all about what I'm capable of
This is a Theodore stickup
I am part of a gang called Theodore and we are involved in criminal activities
Wake ya bitch up, watch the fifth pick up!
I will rob and harm anyone who gets in my way
Yeah, you heard what the bitch said
I am not afraid to use violence to get what I want
When we wasn't makin' too much muthaf**kin' CREAM and shit
When we weren't making a lot of money
We was beatin' the shit out of niggas
We were using violence to intimidate people
Takin' their little Summer Youth shit
We were robbing teenagers
Buyin' beer and weed and shit
We were spending our money on drugs and alcohol
Shakin' niggas upside down on some cartoon shit
We were robbing people like cartoon villains
Change fall all out of their pockets and shit
We were stealing money from people's pockets
Yellin' and tellin' the cops, f**k ya'll niggas!
We were not afraid of the police and would talk back to them
This is Theodore, bitch
We are part of the gang Theodore and you should be afraid of us
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@personalconcierge1076
This is my FAVORITE
@bastianankenbrand5387
Greetings from south Germany Bavaria 2022 ❤️ wu tang is my heart 🍻
@michaelarrington2345
not alot of people know the beginning was a 50 cent diss. Wu-Tang clan rocks the world.
@tajniborac
Ghost knows how to start the song "hold 🆙"!
@DankSi
when the beat speeds up and trife flows faster, thats the stuff
@marvinwooten4420
its the GHOST!!!!!!
@0y0
doooooooope
@juanamariarodriguezherrera3588
👽💚
@babyboyclark4431
😅😂😂😂Ghost!
@585sammy
I laughed too first time 🤣