Last Call
Kanye West Lyrics

(Let's run it, let's run it, let's run it)
Let's get started and make things happen

Yo, fuck you, Kanye, first and foremost
I'm frustrated with Kanye for making me go through this process

For making me do this shit, muhfucker
Kanye has pushed me to the point of needing to do this

Had to throw everybody out the muhfuckin' room
I had to remove everyone from the room because they were not cooperating

'Cause they don't fuckin'
Because they weren't supportive or interested in what I was doing

I'd like to propose a toast
I want to make a celebratory statement

I said toast, motherfucker
Let's raise a glass and celebrate

And I am
I am now ready to speak

(Here's to the Roc)
Cheers to Roc-A-Fella

And they ask me, they ask me, they ask me, I tell them
People ask me about my success and I tell them

(Here's to Roc-A-Fella)
Cheers to Roc-A-Fella again

Raise your glasses, your glasses, your glasses to the sky and
Lift your glasses high to celebrate

(Here's to the Roc)
Cheers to Roc-A-Fella once more

This is the last call for alcohol, for the
This is the final opportunity to celebrate and drink to

(Mr. Rockefeller)
Cheers to Mr. Rockefeller

So get your ass up off the wall
Stop standing around and join in the celebration

The all around the world Digital Underground Pac
Referring to the influence of global hip hop legends like Digital Underground and Tupac Shakur

The Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer of the Roc
An important, but often overlooked figure in the Roc-A-Fella label

I take my chain, my 15 seconds of fame
I take my moment in the spotlight, no matter how short it may be

And come back next year with the whole fucking game
I aim to come back even stronger next year and dominate the entire industry

Ain't nobody expect Kanye to end up on top
No one expected Kanye to achieve such huge success

They expected that College Dropout to drop and then flop
People expected Kanye's album to be a failure after the College Dropout

Then maybe he stop savin' all the good beats for himself
People speculated that Kanye was only keeping the best beats for his own projects

Roc-A-Fella's only niggas that helped
Roc-A-Fella was the only label that supported Kanye's success

My money was thinner than Sean Paul's goatee hair
I had very little money, similar to Sean Paul's thin goatee hair

Now Jean Paul Gaultier cologne fill the air, here
Now I'm surrounded by luxury and success, represented by the scent of high-end cologne

They say he bougie, he big-headed
People accuse Kanye of being too high-class and arrogant

Would you please stop talking about how my dick head is
Please stop focusing on my ego and arrogance

Flow infectious, give me 10 seconds
My rapping style is captivating and grabs attention instantly

I'll have a buzz bigger than insects in Texas
I'll become widely popular and influential, surpassing even the buzz of Texas insects

It's funny how wasn't nobody interested
It's ironic how no one was interested in me before

'Til the night I almost killed myself in Lexus
Until the night I almost committed suicide in my Lexus

Now was Kanye the most overlooked? Yes sir
Was Kanye underestimated and ignored? Yes, indeed

Now is Kanye the most overbooked? Yes sir
Now am I in high demand and overwhelmed with opportunities? Yes, indeed

Though the fans want the feeling of A Tribe Called Quest
Fans desire the nostalgic vibes of A Tribe Called Quest

But all they got left is this guy called West
But all they have now is me, Kanye West

That'll take Freeway, throw him on tracks with Mos Def
I collaborate with artists like Freeway and Mos Def to create amazing tracks

When you call him Kwa-li or Kwe-li, I put him on songs with Jay-Z
When people mispronounce his name, I put him on tracks with Jay-Z

I'm the Gap like Banana Republic and Old Navy, and ooh
I am versatile and can appeal to different markets, like Gap, Banana Republic, and Old Navy

It come out sweeter than old Sadie
The final product turns out better than expected

Nice as Bun-B when I met him at the Source awards
I impressed Bun-B when I met him at the Source awards

Girl he had with him, ass coulda won the horse awards
The girl he was with had an incredible physique, deserving of an award

And I was almost famous, now everybody love Kanye
I was once almost famous, but now everyone loves and admires me

I'm almost Raymond
I am striving for even greater success, just like Usher's alter ego, Raymond

Some say he arrogant. Can y'all blame him?
Some criticize me for being arrogant, but can you really blame me?

It was straight embarrassing how y'all played him
It was humiliating how everyone underestimated me

Last year shoppin' my demo, I was tryna shine
Last year, I was trying to make a name for myself and showcase my talent

Every motherfucker told me that I couldn't rhyme
Everyone doubted my skills as a rapper, saying I couldn't rhyme

Now I could let these dream killers kill my self-esteem
I could let these people who want to crush my dreams destroy my confidence

Or use my arrogance as the steam to power my dreams
Instead, I use my confidence and arrogance as fuel to drive me towards my dreams

I use it as my gas, so they say that I'm gassed
I use my confidence as motivation to prove my critics wrong, even if they say I'm exaggerating

But without it I'd be last, so I ought to laugh
But without my confidence, I would be left behind, so I have to laugh at the doubters

So I don't listen to the suits behind the desk no more
I no longer pay attention to the executives in suits making decisions

You niggas wear suits 'cause you can't dress no more
You wear suits to compensate for your lack of style

You can't say shit to Kanye West no more
You have nothing to say to Kanye West anymore, as I have achieved great success

I rocked 20,000 people, I was just on tour, nigga
I performed in front of 20,000 people while on tour, man

I'm Kan, the Louis Vuitton Don
I am known as Kan, the personification of luxury and success

Bought my mom a purse, now she Louis Vuitton Mom
I bought my mom a designer purse, now she's known as Louis Vuitton Mom

I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards
I didn't accept my circumstances, I worked hard to change my situation

I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars
I prayed for a better future and made my own destiny

I went to the malls and I balled too hard
I went to the shopping malls and spent extravagantly

"Oh my God, is that a black card?"
"Wow, is that a prestigious black credit card?"

I turned around and replied, "Why yes
I responded, "Yes, it is

But I prefer the term African American Express"
But I prefer to call it an African American Express card"

Brains, power, and muscle, like Dame, Puffy, and Russell
I possess intelligence, influence, and strength, similar to figures like Dame Dash, Puff Daddy, and Russell Simmons

Your boy back on his hustle, you know what I've been up to
I am back to hustling and working hard, you know what I've been doing

Killin' y'all niggas on that lyrical shit
I am dominating everyone with my lyrical skills

Mayonnaise-colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips
I drive a white Mercedes-Benz that stands out, representing my success

So this A&R over at Roc-A-Fella, named Hip Hop
There was an A&R executive named Hip Hop at Roc-A-Fella

Picked the "Truth" beat for Beanie
He chose the beat for Beanie Sigel's song "Truth"

And I was in the session with him, I had my demo with me
I was present in the recording session with Beanie Sigel, and I had my own demo with me

You know, like I always do
As I usually do

I played a songs, he's like "Who that spittin'?" I'm like "It's me"
I played some songs, he asked who was rapping, and I proudly said it was me

He's like, "Oh, okay."
He responded casually, showing interest

Uh, he started talkin' to me on the phone, going back and forth
We began a conversation over the phone, discussing various topics

Just askin' me to send him beats
He asked me to send him more beats

And I think he's tryna get into managing producers
I believe he wants to explore managing producers as well

'Cause he had this other kid named Just Blaze he was messin' with
He was also working with another young producer named Just Blaze

And um, he was friends with my mentor, No I.D.
He had a connection with my mentor, No I.D.

And No I.D. told him
No I.D. advised him

"Look, man, if you wanna mess with Kanye you gotta tell him that you like the way he rap"
"If you want to work with Kanye, you have to compliment his rapping skills"

I was all, I dunno if he was gassin' me or not
I wasn't sure if he was genuinely impressed or just trying to flatter me

But he's like he wanna manage me as a rapper and a producer
He expressed his interest in managing me both as a rapper and a producer

I'm like, oh shit
I was surprised and excited by the opportunity

I was messin' with, uh, D-Dot also
I was also working with Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie

People were like this, started talking about the ghost production
People began speculating about ghost production and who was actually creating the beats

But that's how I got in the game
That's how I initially entered the music industry

If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here
If it wasn't for those opportunities, I wouldn't have achieved success

So you know, after they picked that "Truth" beat
After they chose the beat for "Truth"

I was figuring I was gonna get some more work
I anticipated receiving more opportunities and projects

But shit just wasn't poppin' off like that
But things didn't work out as anticipated

I was stayin' in Chicago, I had my own apartment
I was living in Chicago, in my own apartment

I be doin' like just beats for local acts just to try to keep the lights on
I was producing beats for local artists in order to make ends meet

And then to go out and buy, get a Pelle Pelle off lay-away
I would save up money to buy a Pelle Pelle jacket on layaway

Get some Jordans or something or get a TechnoMarine
I would splurge on things like Air Jordans or a TechnoMarine watch

That's what we wore back then
That was the fashion trend at the time

I made this one beat where I sped up this Harold Melvin sample
I created a beat by increasing the tempo of a Harold Melvin sample

I played it for Hip over the phone
I shared the beat with Hip Hop over the phone

He's like, "Oh, yo that shit is crazy
He responded enthusiastically, saying that the beat was amazing

Jay might want it for this compilation album he doin' called The Dynasty"
Jay-Z might be interested in using it for his compilation album, The Dynasty

And at that time, like the drums really weren't soundin' right to me
At that time, I felt that the drums in the beat needed improvement

So I went and um, I was listening to Dre Chronic 2001 at that time
So I listened to Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001 album for inspiration

And really I just, like bit the drums off "Xxplosive"
I borrowed the drums from the song "Xxplosive" in the process

And put it like with it sped up sample
I combined it with the sped-up sample

And now it's kind of like my whole style, where it started
That became the foundation of my signature style

When he rapped on "This Can't be Life"
When he recorded his verse for the song "This Can't Be Life"

And that was like, really the first beat of that kind that was on The Dynasty album
That was the first beat of its kind to be featured on The Dynasty album

I could say that was the the resurgence of the soul sound
That marked the revival of the soulful sound in hip hop

You know, I got to come in and track the beat
I had the opportunity to record and produce the beat

And at the time I was still with my other management
At that time, I was still working with my previous management team

I really wanted to roll with Hip Hop
I really wanted to sign with Hip Hop as my new manager

Just I, I just needed some fresh air, you know what I'm sayin'?
I needed a change and a fresh start

'Cause I, I been there for a while
Because I had been in the same situation for a long time

I appreciate what they did for me but
I'm grateful for their support, but

You know there's a time in every man's life where he gotta make a change
At some point, everyone needs to make a change in their life

And try to move up to the next level
And aim to reach the next level of success

That day I came and I tracked the beat and I got to meet Jay-Z and he said
On that day, I recorded the beat and got the chance to meet Jay-Z. He said

"Oh, you a real soulful dude"
"Oh, you have a genuine soulful vibe"

And he, uh, played the song 'cause he already spit his verse by the time I got to the studio
He played the song because he had already recorded his verse before I arrived at the studio

You know he do it one take
He is known for recording his verses in a single take

He said tell me what you think of this
He asked for my opinion on the song

And I heard it, and I was thinking like, man
When I heard it, I was thinking

I really wanted more like of the simple type Jay-Z
I was hoping for a more straightforward and simple Jay-Z style on the song

I ain't want like the, the more introspective, complicated rhy- or the, in my personal opinion
I didn't want the more introspective and complex rhymes, but that's just my personal opinion

So he asked me, "What you think of it?"
He asked for my honest opinion on the song

And I was like, "Man, that shit tight," you know what I'm sayin'? What I'ma tell him?
I responded, "Man, that song is great," you know? What else can I say?

I was on the train, man, you know
I was on the right path, you know

So after that I went back home
After that, I returned home

And, man I'm, I'm just in Chicago, I'm tryna do my thing
I was just in Chicago, trying to make a name for myself

You know, I got groups, I got acts I'm tryna get on
I had artists and groups I was trying to promote

And like wasn't nothin really like poppin' off the way it should have been
But nothing was happening as expected

One of my homies that was one of my artists, he got signed
One of my friends who I was managing as an artist got signed

But it was supposed to really go through my production company
But the deal was supposed to be made with my production company

But he ended up going straight with the company
But he ended up signing directly with the record label

So, like I'm just straight holdin' the phone
So, I'm just left with disappointment

Gettin' the bad news that dude was tryna leave my company
Receiving the bad news that the artist was trying to leave my company

And I got evicted at the same time
I also faced eviction around the same time

So I went down and tracked the beats from him
I went down to his studio and recorded the beats he wanted

And I took that money, came back, packed all my shit up in a U-Haul
I used the payment for the beats to rent a U-Haul and pack up my belongings

Maybe about ten days before I had to actually get out
Just about ten days before I had to move out of my place

So I ain't have to deal with the landlord, 'cause he's a jerk
I avoided dealing with the unpleasant landlord by leaving ahead of time

Me and my mother drove to Newark, New Jersey, I hadn't even seen my apartment
Me and my mother drove to Newark, New Jersey, and I hadn't even seen my new apartment

I remember I pulled up, I unpacked all my shit
I arrived, unpacked all my belongings

You know, we went to IKEA, I bought a bed, I put the bed together myself
We went to IKEA, bought a bed, and I assembled it on my own

I loaded up all my equipment, and the first beat I made was, uh, "Heart of the City"
I set up all my equipment, and the first beat I created in my new place was "Heart of the City"

And Beans was still working on his album at that time
Beanie Sigel was still in the process of working on his album

So I came up there to Baseline, it was Beans' birthday, matter of fact
I went to Baseline Studios where Beanie was recording, and it happened to be his birthday

And I played like seven beats
I played around seven beats for them

And, you know I guess he was in the zone, he already had the beats that he wanted
Beanie was focused and already had the beats he wanted for his album

I had did "Nothing Like It" already at that time
I had already produced the beat for the song "Nothing Like It"

But then Jay walked in
But then Jay-Z walked into the studio

I remember he had a Gucci bucket hat on
I vividly remember him wearing a Gucci bucket hat

I remember it like, like it was yesterday
I remember it very clearly, as if it happened yesterday

And Hip Hop said, "Yo, play that one beat for him"
Hip Hop requested that I play that specific beat for Jay-Z

So I played "Heart of the City"
I played "Heart of the City" for him

And really I made "Heart of the City," I really wanted to give that beat to DMX
I originally made "Heart of the City" with the intention of giving it to DMX

Then I played another beat, then I played another beat
After that, I played another beat, and then another one

And I remember that Gucci bucket, he took it and like put it over his face
I remember Jay-Z taking the Gucci bucket hat and covering his face with it

And made one of them faces like, ooh
He made an impressed or surprised expression

Two days later I'm in Baseline and I seen Dame
Two days later, I was at Baseline Studios and I saw Dame Dash

Dame didn't know who I was and I was like, "Yo, what's up I'm Kanye"
Dame didn't recognize me, so I introduced myself as Kanye

"You that kid that gave all them beats to Jay? Yo, this nigga got classics to your beats, B"
"You're the kid who gave all those beats to Jay? This guy has made classics with your beats, man"

You know how he talk his shit
You know how he boasts and talks confidently

I'm like "oh, shit"
I was surprised and impressed

And all this time I'm starstruck, man
Throughout all of this, I'm still in awe of these famous individuals

I'm still thinking 'bout, you know I'm picturing these niggas on the show
I'm still thinking about them, picturing them on TV shows and in the industry

The Streets is Watching or whatever
Shows or events like The Streets is Watching

I'm lookin', these were superstars in my eyes
I viewed them as superstars

And they still are, you know
And they still are, even now

So, Jay came in and he spit all these songs like in one day, and in two days
Jay-Z came in and recorded multiple songs in just one or two days

I gotta bring up one thing, you know, go back to in story
I need to mention one thing that happened earlier in the story

The day I did the 'Can't be Life' beat I tracked
The day I produced the beat for 'Can't Be Life'

I remember Lenny S, he had some Louis Vuitton sneakers on, he think he fly
I recall Lenny S wearing Louis Vuitton sneakers, thinking he was stylish

And Hip Hop was there, I think Ty-Ty, John Meneilly, a bunch of people
Hip Hop, Ty-Ty, John Meneilly, and others were present

I didn't know all these people at the time, they was in the room
At that time, I wasn't familiar with all these people who were in the room

And I said, "Yo, Jay I could rap"
I confidently told Jay-Z that I could rap

And I spit this rap that said, uh "I'm killin' y'all niggas on that lyrical shit
I rapped a verse that said, "I'm outshining all of you with my lyrical skills"

Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips"
"I drive a white Benz and make miracles happen"

And I saw his eyes light up when I said that line
I noticed his eyes brighten up when I delivered that specific line

But you know the rest, the rap was like real wack and shit, so that's all the response
But the rest of my rap was mediocre, so that's all the response I received

He said, "Man, that was tight"
"Man, that was good"

And that was it, you know, I ain't get no deal or nothin'
That was the end of it, I didn't get a deal or anything

Okay, fast forward
Now let's jump ahead

So, Blueprint, "H to the Izzo," my first hit single
So, with the album Blueprint and the hit single "H to the Izzo", I achieved success

And I just took that proudly, built relationships with people
I embraced that success and formed connections with others

My relationship with Kweli I think was one of the best ones to ever happen to my career as a rapper
My friendship with Kweli was one of the most beneficial things for my rap career

Because, you know, of course later he allowed me to go on tour with him
Because, later on, he invited me to join him on tour

Man, I appre-, I love him for that
I truly appreciate and love him for that

And at this time, you know I didn't have a deal
At this time, I didn't have a record deal

I had songs, and I had relationships with all these A&R's
I had songs and connections with many A&R executives

'Cause they wanted beats from me, so they'd call me up, I'd play them some beats
They wanted beats from me, so they would call me, and I would play them some of my beats

"Gimme a beat that sound like Jay-Z"
"Give me a beat that sounds like Jay-Z"

You know, they dick riders, whatever
They were simply trying to imitate or please others

So I'll play them these post-Blueprint beats or whatever and then I'll play my shit
I would play them beats similar to those on Jaz-Z's Blueprint album, and then I would play my own beats

I'll be like, "Yo, but I rap too"
I would say, "I also rap"

Ayy, I guess they was lookin' at me crazy 'cause you know
They probably looked at me weird because

'Cause I ain't have a jersey on or whatever
I wasn't dressed or representing a specific basketball team

Everybody out there listen here
Everyone listening to this

I played them 'Jesus Walks' and they didn't sign me
I played them 'Jesus Walks', but they didn't sign me

You know what happened, it was some A&R's that fucked with me though
Some A&R executives did appreciate my work

But then like the heads, it'd be somebody at the company that'll say "nah"
But the executives in charge would ultimately reject me

Like Dave Lighty fucked with me, my nigga Mel brought me to a bunch of labels
Dave Lighty showed interest in me, and my friend Mel introduced me to various record labels

Jessica Rivera, man
Jessica Rivera, she played a role

I'm not gonna say nothin' to mess my promotion up
I won't say anything negative to ruin my chances of success

Let's just say I ain't get my deal
Let's just say I didn't get a record deal

The nigga that was behind me, I mean, he wasn't even a nigga
The person who supported me, although not Black himself

The person that actually kicked everything off was Joe 3H from Capitol Records
The person who initiated everything was Joe 3H from Capitol Records

He wanted to sign me really bad
He had a strong desire to sign me

Dame was like, "Yo, you got a deal with Capitol? Okay, man, just make sure it's not wack"
Dame responded, "Oh, you have a deal with Capitol? Just make sure it's a good one"

Then one day I just went ahead and played it
One day, I decided to take a risk and play my music

I wanted to play some songs, cause you know Cam was in the room, Young Guru, and Dame was in the room
I wanted to share some of my songs with Cam, Young Guru, and Dame who were present

So I played, actually it's a song you'll never hear
So I played a song that will never be released

Well maybe I might use it so, it's called 'Wow'
Well, I might actually use it in the future, it's called 'Wow'

I go to Jacob with 25 thou', you go with 25 hundred, wow
I go to Jacob the Jeweler with $25,000, while you only have $2,500, a big difference

I got eleven plaques on my walls right now
I have eleven platinum records displayed on my walls

You got your first gold single, damn, nigga, wow"
You just achieved your first gold single, impressive

Like the chorus went like
The chorus went something like

Don't bite that chorus, I might still use it
Don't copy that chorus, I might still use it in the future

So I play that song for him and he's like "oh, shit"
I played that song for Jay-Z, and he responds with surprise and excitement

"I ain't gonna front, it's kinda hot"
"I won't lie, it's quite impressive"

Like they still weren't looking at me like a rapper
They still didn't view me primarily as a rapper

And I'm sure Dame figured
And I'm sure Dame assumed

Like, man, if he do a whole album, if his raps is wack
Like, if he were to release a whole album and his raps were bad

At least we can throw Cam on every song and save the album, you know
At least we can feature Cam on every song to salvage the album

So, uh, Dame took me into the hallway
So, Dame took me to the hallway for a conversation

He's like "Yo, man, B, B, you don't want a brick, you don't want a brick"
He advised, "You don't want your album to be a failure"

"You gotta be under an umbrella or you'll get rained on"
"You need to be part of a bigger company to succeed"

I told Hip Hop and Hip Hop was like, "oh, word?"
I shared the advice with Hip Hop, and he responded with surprise and interest

Actually, even with that I was still about to take the deal with Capitol
Despite the advice, I was still considering signing with Capitol

'Cause it was already on the table and 'cause of my relationship with 3H
Because the deal was already presented and I had a good relationship with 3H

That, you know, 'cause I told him I was gonna do it, and I'm a man of my word
I had previously expressed my intention to sign with Capitol and I believe in keeping my word

I was gonna roll with what I said I was gonna do
I intended to follow through with my previous plan

Then, you know, I'm not gonna name no names
Then, you know, I won't mention any names

But people told me, "Oh, he's just a producer rapper"
But others told me, "Oh, he's just a producer who raps"

And told 3H that told the heads of the Capitol
And they informed 3H, who in turn relayed the message to the higher-ups at Capitol Records

And right, the day I'm talking about, I planned out everything I was gonna do, man
On that specific day that I'm referring to, I had everything planned out

I had picked out clothes, I already started booking studio sessions
I had chosen my outfits and scheduled studio sessions

I started arranging my album, thinking of marketing schemes, man, I was ready to go
I began organizing my album and brainstorming marketing strategies, I was fully prepared

And, and they had Mel call me, they said, "Yo, Capitol pulled on the deal"
Then, they had Mel contact me and inform me that Capitol had backed out of the deal

And, you know I told them that Roc-A-Fella was interested and
I had informed them that Roc-A-Fella was interested in signing me

I don't know if they thought that was just something I was saying to gas them up
They may have thought I was just trying to impress them with false information

To try to push the price up or whatever
To potentially negotiate for better terms or a higher fee

I went up,I called G, I said, "Man, you think we could still get that deal with Roc-A-Fella?"
I went up, I called G, and asked, "Do you think we can still secure a deal with Roc-A-Fella?"

So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you celebrate and raise your glass?

So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you join in and raise your glass?

So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you celebrate and raise your glass?

So won't you raise your glass, won't you?
So won't you join in and raise your glass?