Rich Niggaz
J. Cole Lyrics

I hate rich niggas goddammit
I dislike wealthy individuals because I have never been affluent myself.

Cause I ain't never had a lot dammit
I have never had an abundance of anything.

Who you had to kill, who you had to rob
Did you engage in extreme measures like murder or theft to attain wealth?

Who you had to fuck just to make it to the top dammit.
Did you sleep with people in order to gain success?

Or maybe that's daddy money, escalator no ladder money
Perhaps that is just money inherited from a wealthy family, which can elevate someone without much effort.

Escalading new caddy money
This cash was likely spent on showy status symbols.

Worst fear going broke cause I'm bad with money.
I am scared of becoming destitute due to my poor financial management skills.

Crooked smile nigga momma never had the money damn
I am self-conscious about my imperfect smile now, but my mother never had the luxury of caring about that kind of thing.

I ain't trippin'
I am not concerned about it anymore.

A nigga Jordan I ain't Pippen yeah
I am as skilled as Michael Jordan but underrated, like Scottie Pippen.

Up the steps I ain't slippin'
I am continuing to climb the ladder of success without faltering.

Tears blood sweat I ain't crippin, Pierce
I have endured great physical and emotional pain, but I am not crippled like Paul Pierce.

A song you can sing along with when you down
This is an uplifting song for when you are feeling low.

On some let you know you ain't alone shit
It is meant to communicate that you are not the only one struggling.

When your momma ain't at home cause she got a second job
Your mother is working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.

Delivering pizzas you think she out there getting robbed
You may worry that your mother is in danger while working in a risky job like pizza delivery.

Please God watch her I know how niggas do
Please protect her from harm, as I know how dangerous people can be.

Half cracker but a nigga too
Although I am biracial, I am still black.

Talking all that shit 'bout your step-pops
You may talk poorly about your step-father.

How he was a dog now look at you
You may judge him for his past, but now you are also struggling.

I ain't bad as that nigga plus dawg I'm a grown man now
I may not be perfect, but I have matured beyond being compared to him.

But if a plane crash and only it killed his lame ass
If he died in a plane crash, I would not be sad.

Did Kay dirty now it's back to broke
You treated someone poorly named Kay, and you are now struggling financially again.

Refund check she used that to float.
Kay used her tax refund check to stay afloat financially.

Momma gets depressed falls in love with the next maniac
Your mother becomes depressed and starts a relationship with a questionable person.

On crack use that to cope
She may use crack as a way to deal with her emotions.

Make a nigga smoke a whole sack of dope
You use drugs as a way to cope with life's struggles.

Writing rhymes tryna bring back the hope
You are writing music in an attempt to inspire hope in people and yourself.

Try to ride the storm out and crashed the boat
You tried to wait out hard times, but instead, it caused more problems.

Could've drowned, but I grabbed the rope
Despite coming close to failure or defeat, you persevered and saved yourself.

And there go you
But here you are, still indulging in materialism and lies.

Selling me dreams and telling me things you knew
You continue to sell falsehoods and offer dreams you know cannot come true.

You got what I want
I desire the things you have.

I got what you need
I possess the skills or knowledge that could benefit you.

How much for your soul and uh
What is the price you would pay to achieve your desires?

You ain't crazy, motherfucker
You are not insane, as you may fear.

You're just afraid of change
You are scared of the uncertainty of change.

That's new, maybe that's true
This realization is new and might be accurate.

But listen here I got a bigger fear
However, I have an even larger concern.

Of one day that I become you
I am afraid of becoming like you –materialistic, dishonest, and unhappy.

And I become lost and I become heartless
If I continue in this direction, I may lose who I am and become cold and callous.

And numb from all the Ménages
I could become desensitized to pleasure and meaningful relationships.

Just one bitch don't feel the same no more
I may lose interest in intimate relationships and become jaded.

Henny don't really kill the pain no more
Alcohol no longer provides me the temporary relief it once did.

Now I'm Cobain with a shotgun aimed at my brain
I feel hopeless and suicidal, similar to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain.

Cause I can't maintain no more
I am overwhelmed and cannot keep up with the pressures of life.

Money can't save your soul
No amount of wealth can fill the emotional void or save you from despair.