Big Brother
Kanye West¿ÏÑÇ¡¤Î¤Ë¹ÌØ Lyrics

Stadium status
I am now at the highest level of fame and recognition in the music industry

My big brother was Big's brother
Jay-Z, my mentor, was also mentored by the late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.

Used to be Dame and Big's brother
Jay-Z was also close friends with rapper and entrepreneur Damon Dash

Who was hip hop brother
Jay-Z is an important figure in the hip-hop community

Who was No I.D friend
Common producer No I.D was friends with Jay-Z

No I.D My mentor
No I.D played a significant role in shaping Kanye's sound and music career

Now let the story begin
This is the start of my story with Jay-Z

Its the hard knock life tour
Referring to Jay-Z's famous tour and album 'Hard Knock Life Vol. 2'

Sell out, picture us in the mall
We were selling out shows and were so popular that we couldn't even go to the mall without being recognized

Copin iceberg and yell out Jigga
Wearing trendy clothing and shouting out Jay-Z's nickname, Jigga

Yea that's what we would yell out, yell out
This was a common phrase among us

You know the name, do gotta spell out or tell bout
Jay-Z is so well-known that there's no need to explain who he is

J a y an Ye so shy
Jay-Z and Kanye are both quiet and reserved people

Now he won't even step to his idol to say hi
Kanye is surprised that Jay-Z won't even approach his own idol who is also in the same room

Standing there like a mime and let the chance pass by
Kanye was too afraid to approach Jay-Z and missed his chance to start a conversation

Back of my mind he could change your life
Kanye knew that Jay-Z had the power to make or break his music career

With all these beats I did at least let him hear it
Kanye played some of his music for Jay-Z to hear

At least you could brag to your friends back at the gig
Even if Jay-Z didn't like the music, at least Kanye could say he played it for him

But he got me out my mama crib
Jay-Z helped Kanye get out of his mother's house and start a music career

Then he help me get my mama a crib
Jay-Z helped Kanye buy a house for his mother

Begin
This is the beginning of Kanye's relationship with Jay-Z

If you feel the way I feel why don't you wave your hands
If you're also a fan of Jay-Z, let me see you show your support

Fresh off the plane I'm off to Baseline
Right after landing, I'm heading to the recording studio

Nothing handed out, I'm about to take mine
I didn't get any special treatment, I had to work hard for my success

Around the same time of that Blueprint 1
This was around the time that Jay-Z released his album 'The Blueprint'

And these beats in my pocket was that blueprint for him
The beats Kanye had made were what Jay-Z needed for his 'Blueprint' album

He would bob his head and say, damn, oh, that's you
Jay-Z liked Kanye's beats and was impressed by his talent

But by The Black Album I was blacking out
By the time Jay-Z's album 'The Black Album' came out, Kanye had already become very successful

Party at S.O.B's and we had packed the crowd
Kanye and Jay-Z had a successful concert at the popular music venue 'S.O.B's'

Big brother got his show up in Madison Square
Jay-Z had a show at the famous Madison Square Garden

And I'm like yea, yea we gonna be there
Kanye was excited to go to the concert and perform alongside Jay-Z

But not only did I not get a chance to spit it
Kanye didn't get a chance to perform one of his songs with Jay-Z

Carleen told me I could buy two tickets
Kanye was only offered the option to buy tickets to the concert

I guess big brother was thinking a little different
Jay-Z had different plans than Kanye and didn't include him in the performance

And kept little brother at bay, at a distance
Jay-Z kept Kanye at a distance and didn't let him have too much control

But everything I felt was more bogus
Kanye felt like Jay-Z was being fake and not genuine

Only made me more focused, only wrote more potent
This situation only made Kanye work harder and create better music

Only thing I wanna know is why I get looked over
Kanye is frustrated that he gets overlooked despite his talent

I guess ill understand when I get more older
Kanye thinks he'll understand why things happen this way later on in his life

Big brother saw me at the bottom of the totem
Jay-Z saw Kanye starting from the bottom

Now I'm at the top and everybody on the scrotum
Now that Kanye is successful, everyone wants to be around him

Have you ever walked in the shadow of a giant
Have you ever been compared to someone much greater than you?

Not only a client, the presidito, Hola Hovito
Jay-Z was not only a person Kanye worked with, but someone he also looked up to and respected

The game getting foul, so here's a free throw
The music industry is getting worse, so this is my chance to prove myself

I was always on the other side of the peep hole
Kanye was always on the outside looking in

Then I dropped Jesus Walks now I'm on a steep hole
After releasing the song 'Jesus Walks', Kanye's career began to skyrocket

And we know
Everyone knows how talented and successful Kanye has become

New jack city gotta keep my brother
Kanye needs to work hard to keep his place in the music industry and support those who helped him get there

But to be number 1, I'm a beat my brother
Kanye is determined to become more successful than Jay-Z

On that Diamonds remix I swore I'd spaz
On the remix of the song 'Diamonds', Kanye promised to deliver an amazing performance

Then my big brother came through and kicked my ass
Jay-Z came in and outperformed Kanye on the remix

Sibling rivalry, only I could see
Kanye sees himself as being in competition with Jay-Z, despite their close relationship

It was the pride in me that was driving me
Kanye's pride is what motivated him to try and become more successful than Jay-Z

At the Grammys I said I inspired me
Kanye said during the Grammys that he has been inspired by himself, as well as Jay-Z

But my big brother who I always tried to be
Despite Kanye's desire to surpass Jay-Z, he still sees him as someone to look up to and emulate

When I kick a flow it was like, pick and roll
Kanye and Jay-Z work together seamlessly when making music

'Cause even if he gave me the rock, its give and go
Even if Jay-Z gave Kanye the opportunity to perform, they would still work together as a team

I guess Beanies style was more of a slam dunk
Beanie Sigel's music is more straightforward and easy to understand than Kanye's

And my shit was more like a finger roll
Kanye's music is more complex and takes more thought to understand than Beanie Sigel's

but I had them singles though
Kanye still had successful singles even if his music wasn't as straightforward

And them hoes at the show gonna mingle yo
Women at the concert are going to be interested in Kanye

I told Jay I did a song with Cold Play
Kanye told Jay-Z that he made a song with the band Coldplay

Next thing I know he got a song with Cold Play
Jay-Z went on to make his own song with Coldplay

Back in my mind I'm like damn, no way
Kanye is surprised that Jay-Z made a song with the same band that he did

Translate español
Translate into Spanish

No way Jose
No way, I don't believe it

Then I went and told J Brown
Kanye told another friend, J Brown, about the situation with Coldplay

Should of known that was gonna come back around
Kanye should have known that his words would reach Jay-Z

Should of told you like a man, should of told you first
Kanye should have been honest with Jay-Z from the beginning

But I told somebody else and that's what made shit worse
Kanye telling others about the Coldplay situation made Jay-Z upset

So here's a few words from your kid brother
Kanye is addressing Jay-Z as his older 'brother'

If you admire somebody you should go ahead and tell um
You should always tell your heroes how much you admire them

People never get the flowers while they could still smell um
People don't always get appreciated while they're still around

A idol in my eyes, God of the game
Jay-Z is Kanye's idol and someone he looks up to greatly

Heart of the city, Rockafella chain
Jay-Z is an important part of the music industry and his record label, Roc-A-Fella Records

Never be the same, never be another
There will never be another Jay-Z

Number 1 young Hov also my big brother
Jay-Z is not only the best, but he is also like an older brother to Kanye

And that's where the story ends
This is the end of my story with Jay-Z

Don't kill this shit
This is important, don't ruin it