One Step Closer
Jay Z/Linkin Park Lyrics

If you havin' girl problems I feel bad for you son
If you are experiencing relationship issues, I sympathize with you

I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!
I have numerous issues to deal with, but relationship woes are not among them

He's got the Rap Patrol on the gat patrol
He has bodyguards to protect him and his possessions

Foes that wanna make sure his casket's closed
Enemies that want to harm him to the point of death

Rap critics that say he's 'Money, Cash, Hoes'
Critics that discredit his talent and accuse him of only rapping about money, cash, and women

He's from the hood stupid, what type of facts are those?
He is from a disadvantaged background, so it is ridiculous for critics to expect him to ignore money and material things

If you grew up with holes in your zapatos
If you grew up poor and with worn-out shoes

You'd celebrate the minute you was havin' dough
You would celebrate as soon as you had money and financial stability

So fuck critics, you can kiss the whole asshole
Critics can go insult themselves

If you don't like the lyrics, you can press fast forward
If you don't enjoy the lyrics, you can skip the song

Got beef with radio if we don't play they show
Having a problem with the radio if they refuse to play their music

They don't play our hits, we don't give a shit, so!
If their songs are not played, they do not care

All these mags try and use our ass
Publications try to take advantage of them

So advertisers can give 'em more cash for ads, fuckers!
So advertisers can pay magazines more money for advertisements

I don't know what you take us as
I'm unclear what preconceived notion you have formed about us

Or understand the intelligence that Jay-Z has
You may not realize the level of intelligence Jay-Z possesses

From, rags to riches, we ain't dumb
We've come from a humble background and worked our way to success, we are not foolish

Now the year is ninety-four, in my trunk is raw
The setting is 1994, and I have illegal drugs in my car trunk

In the rear view mirror is the motherfuckin' law
I see police officers behind me through my car's rearview mirror

I got two choices y'all, pull over the car or (or?)
I have two options, stop the car or escape from the police

Bounce on the Devil, put the pedal to the floor (c'mon!)
Escape the police and speed away quickly

And I ain't tryin' to see no highway chase with Jake
I do not want to engage in a high-speed chase with the police

Plus I got a few dollars, I can fight the case
I have enough money to hire a lawyer to fight any legal issues that may arise

I heard 'Son, do you know why I'm stoppin' you for?'
An officer asked me the reason for stopping me

Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low
The officer stopped me because of my race and how I was dressed

Or do I look like a mind reader sir? I don't know
I cannot guess what the officer is thinking or why he stopped me

(Well you was doin' fifty-five in the fifty-four
The officer indicates that I was going over the speed limit by one mph

License and registration and step out of the car
The officer requested to see my driver's license and registration and asked me to exit the car

Are you carryin' a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are)
The officer asked me if I had any weapons with me, assuming that since I am young and black, I would have a weapon on me

I ain't steppin' out of shit, all my papers legit
I refuse to comply with the officer's request because all my documents are valid and correct

(Well do you mind if I look around the car a little bit?)
The officer asked me if I would allow him to search my car

Well my glove compartment is locked, so is the trunk in the back
I informed the officer that my glove compartment and the trunk of my car are locked

And I know my rights, so you gon' need a warrant for that
I am aware of my legal rights and refused to let the officer search my car without a warrant

(Aren't you sharp as a tack!
The officer admires my cleverness

You some type of lawyer or something?
The officer assumes I am a lawyer because of my knowledge of the law

Ha, I ain't passed the bar, but I know a little bit
I am not a lawyer, but I know some aspects of the law

Enough that you won't illegally search my shit
I know enough about the law to prevent the officer from conducting an unlawful search of my car

(Well we'll see how smart you are when the canines come)
The officer threatened to bring in dogs to search my car instead

Now once upon a time, not too long ago
A story from the past, not too distant

A nigga like myself had to strong arm a ho
I had to fight to get my way with a difficult person, not necessarily a woman

This is not a ho in the sense of havin' a pussy
The person being referred to is not necessarily a woman with genitals

But a pussy havin' no God damn sense, try an' push me
The person mentioned is acting foolishly and challenging me

I try to ignore him, talk to the Lord
I attempt to avoid and pray about the person and situation

Pray for him, but some fools just love to perform
Despite my attempts to avoid conflict, some people enjoy causing trouble

You know the type, loud as a motorbike
The kind of person who is loud and obnoxious

But wouldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight
The type of person that doesn't follow through on their words and is all bark no bite

And only thing that's gon' happen is I'mma get to clappin' and
The outcome is that I will clap or shoot my gun in response to their actions

He and his boys gon' be yappin' to the Captain
The person and their friends will complain to their superiors

And there I go, trapped in the Kit-Kat again
I end up stuck in the legal process again

Back through the system with the riff-raff again
Going through the legal system with those deemed inferior or of lower status

Fiends on the floor, scratchin' again
Drug addicts are on the ground scratching themselves again

Paparazzis with they cameras, snappin' them
Paparazzi are taking photos of the situation

D.A. try to give a nigga shaft again
The District Attorney is trying to trick me or make me suffer again

Half a mill' for bail cause I'm African
I have to pay a high bail amount because of my race

All because this fool was harassin' them
All this trouble started because of the foolish person that was antagonizing me

Tryin' to play the boy like he's saccharin
Trying to treat me like I'm fake or phony

But ain't nuttin' sweet bout how I hold my gun
There's nothing pleasant or nice about how I use my weapon

Everything you say to me
Everything that you say to me

(I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!)
I have many problems, but a girl is not one of them

I need a little room to breathe
I require some personal space

And I'm about to, break
I am close to breaking down

Shut up when I'm talkin' to you!
Be quiet when I speak to you

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Stop talking

Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
Stop talking, repeated several times for emphasis

I'm about to break!
I am close to breaking down emotionally