Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville, Killah Priest became infatuated with hip-hop as a child, listening to old-school and new school acts like Eric B. & Rakim alike. He also was influenced by local rappers, like GZA and Onyx's Suave, who would often play local parties. Killah Priest began working on his rhyming and eventually earned a considerable reputation in Brooklyn , but instead of pursuing his musical career further, he took a sabbatical in order to educate himself, primarily about religion and history.
Killah Priest returned to rapping in 1995, appearing on several Wu projects. All of his cameos were noteworthy, but his role on Liquid Swords earned special attention. By the end of 1996, he formed his own side project, the Sunz of Man. In 1997, GZA suggested to Geffen that they sign Killah Priest, and the label took his advice.
Killah worked on the album with True Master and 4th Disciple, two producers associated with the Clan. The resulting album, Heavy Mental, was dense with religious imagery and filled with evocative sounds. It received excellent reviews upon its March 1998 release and was a respectable commercial success, debuting at number 24 on the pop charts.
Killah Priest issued his second album, View from Masada, in the spring of 2000, further bolstering his status as one of the most compelling solo artists in the Wu-Tang stable. After that he has released more projects such as Priesthood and Black August.
Whut Part Of The Game?
Killah Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh so you a killer now?
What part of the game is that?
O so you a thug?
What part of the game is that?
So you sold mad drugs?
O so y'all gangsters now?
[Killah Priest]
First of all everybody cant mc
Second of all, y'all all sound wack to me
Third y'all sound like a group of wannabes
Either it's 2Pac or another B.I.G
Here's the truth for you rappers, be your self
But y'all scared to do that, 'cause won't see no wealth
Matter of fact when y'all leave the ring leave those belts
I ain't gonna stop till every word is felt
See most of y'all cats never bust no gats
And most of y'all cats never sold no crack
And most of y'all cats better thank God for rap
Cause most of y'all left the hood and can't come back
Believe that, niggaz ain't trying to see no plaques
Specially if your pockets are fat and theirs is flat
Niggaz like an applause, ever heard of gun clap
Ever heard that click clack, rat a tat tat
Damn money what part of the game is that?
So y'all gangsters now?
What part of the game is that?
O so now y'all thugs?
What part of the game is that?
O you sold mad drugs?
What part of the game is that?
O so you killers now?
What part of the game is that?
O you gangsters?
What part of the game is that?
You gotta be something
What part of the game is that?
O you a hustler?
What part of the game is that?
See a lot of y'all cats never been upstate
So why you getting mad and all bent out of shape
Gangster rap? Come on y'all was on roller skates
And now ya trying to blow up on the next man's mistake
I've been broke too long to let a nigga rob me
Be up in your lobby, at least 5 deep
Creep in your crib and pop 5 in your sheet
Pop another one nigga trying to rob me
We ride in these streets, survive in these streets
Niggaz get high, niggaz die in the streets
Fuck that, I roll up on the side of your jeep
In the range asking for change, hiding my heat
Get smart, I let one fly through your seat
Through your heart, leave a nigga lying beneath
2000 who wanna side with the Priest
and I'm lounging all my niggas playing for keeps
Chorus:
Oh so you Biggie now?
What part of the game is that?
Nah you think you Pac?
What part of the game is that?
Oh you a warlord now?
What part of the game is that?
Hey yo Ras tell em
What part of the game is that?
[Ras Kass]
I'm live evil, I know live people
Anxious to bang you wit heavy metal like Magneto
Now who really on some gangster shit?
Not every nigga with a stomach tattoo, bandanna and a click homey
You ain't dope just 'cause you sniff it, or lace ya blunt with it
That just makes you a wack rapper and a drug addict, get it
These niggaz rhyme like they AK spray shit
Sell a ki of yay shit, gotta ride, homicide, every single day shit
Get smacked in the streets by some real nigga who don't play shit
Hit the pavement screaming it's just entertainment
And that ain't it, life sucks like fumigation
My obligation, expose all you funny bunnies
Rappers acting slash fudge packing for the money
'Cause next week if the new fad was hip hop fags
You'll find a lot of these thug niggaz in drag, believe that
Oh so you a thug?
What part of the game is that?
Nah you a gangster
What part of the game is that?
Oh now you a killer
What part of the game is that?
Oh now you a warlord
What part of the game is that?
I can't get no money?
What part of the game is that?
The lyrics of Killah Priest's Whut Part Of The Game? challenge the authenticity of those who claim to be gangsters, thugs, and killers in the music industry. The song asserts that many rappers are imitating the style of popular artists such as Tupac or Biggie without having their own voice, creating a false persona to be successful. Killah Priest argues that real gangsters don't need to announce their status with tattoos, bandanas, or gunshots, and that true success comes from being yourself. Rapper Ras Kass adds another layer to the argument, calling out those who use drugs and violence for the sake of appearing tough or edgy, and exposing the hypocrisy of rappers who would switch their image for a trend. Overall, the lyrics of Whut Part Of The Game? criticize the commodification of gangster culture in music, and encourage artists to be genuine and thoughtful in their artistic expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh so you a killer now?
What makes you think that you can kill people now?
What part of the game is that?
What aspect of this lifestyle does that represent?
O so you a thug?
Oh, now you're acting like a violent criminal?
So you sold mad drugs?
You made a lot of money from drug trafficking?
O so y'all gangsters now?
Oh, now you're all part of a gang and committing criminal activities together?
First of all everybody cant mc
Not everyone can be a good rapper
Second of all, y'all all sound wack to me
Your music is not good and sounds bad
Third y'all sound like a group of wannabes
You all sound like you're trying too hard to fit in
Either it's 2Pac or another B.I.G
All of you are copying the same style as famous rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G
Here's the truth for you rappers, be your self
You should be true to yourself as a rapper
But y'all scared to do that, 'cause won't see no wealth
But you're afraid to do that because it might not make you rich
Matter of fact when y'all leave the ring leave those belts
In fact, when you leave the rap game, don't take any awards with you
I ain't gonna stop till every word is felt
I won't stop rapping until every word has an impact on people
See most of y'all cats never bust no gats
Most of you have never really used a gun
And most of y'all cats never sold no crack
And most of you have never really sold drugs
And most of y'all cats better thank God for rap
And you should be grateful that you have a career in music instead of a life of crime
Cause most of y'all left the hood and can't come back
Because most of you have left your community and can never go back there
Believe that, niggaz ain't trying to see no plaques
Believe me, people don't care about your music awards
Specially if your pockets are fat and theirs is flat
Especially if you are rich and they are poor
Niggaz like an applause, ever heard of gun clap
People like to applaud at concerts, but have you ever heard the sound of gunshots?
Ever heard that click clack, rat a tat tat
Have you ever heard the sound of a gun being loaded and fired rapidly?
Damn money what part of the game is that?
What aspect of this lifestyle involves making money in this way?
You gotta be something
You have to fit into a certain type of person or lifestyle
See a lot of y'all cats never been upstate
Many of you have never been to prison
So why you getting mad and all bent out of shape
So why are you getting upset and emotional about it?
Gangster rap? Come on y'all was on roller skates
You were not always acting like a gangster and were once just a normal person
And now ya trying to blow up on the next man's mistake
And now you're trying to become famous by using someone else's mistake or misfortune
Be up in your lobby, at least 5 deep
I'll be with five other people in your building's lobby
Creep in your crib and pop 5 in your sheet
I'll sneak into your home and shoot you five times while you're in bed
Pop another one nigga trying to rob me
I'll shoot anyone who tries to rob me
We ride in these streets, survive in these streets
We live and survive in these tough neighborhoods
Niggaz get high, niggaz die in the streets
People get addicted to drugs and often die because of it
Fuck that, I roll up on the side of your jeep
I don't care about that, I'll pull up next to your car
In the range asking for change, hiding my heat
I'll pretend to ask for money while hiding my gun
Get smart, I let one fly through your seat
If you try to act tough, I'll shoot you through your car seat
Through your heart, leave a nigga lying beneath
I'll shoot you in the heart and you'll die on the ground
2000 who wanna side with the Priest
In the year 2000, who wants to join my side?
and I'm lounging all my niggas playing for keeps
And I'm relaxing with my friends, who are all serious and ready to defend themselves
I'm live evil, I know live people
I'm very cruel and I know violent people
Anxious to bang you wit heavy metal like Magneto
I'm eager to shoot you with a gun like Magneto from X-Men
Who really on some gangster shit?
Who is actually involved in criminal activities?
Not every nigga with a stomach tattoo, bandanna and a click homey
Not everyone with tattoos, bandanas, and a group of friends is a real gangster
You ain't dope just 'cause you sniff it, or lace ya blunt with it
You're not cool just because you use drugs or mix them with your weed
That just makes you a wack rapper and a drug addict, get it
Seriously, that just makes you a bad musician and a drug addict
These niggaz rhyme like they AK spray shit
These rappers talk about shooting guns like it's cool
Sell a ki of yay shit, gotta ride, homicide, every single day shit
They sell drugs and commit murders every single day
Get smacked in the streets by some real nigga who don't play shit
They'll get hit in the face by a real gangster who doesn't mess around
Hit the pavement screaming it's just entertainment
They'll lie on the ground and say it's all just for entertainment
And that ain't it, life sucks like fumigation
And that's not even the worst of it, life is terrible like being exposed to chemicals
My obligation, expose all you funny bunnies
My duty is to call out all of you fake gangsters
Rappers acting slash fudge packing for the money
Rappers who act tough but are secretly gay for money
'Cause next week if the new fad was hip hop fags
Because if being gay suddenly became popular, many rappers would switch to that
You'll find a lot of these thug niggaz in drag, believe that
You'd be surprised how many so-called tough guys would start wearing women's clothing
I can't get no money?
Am I not able to make money doing something else instead of rapping?
Contributed by Olivia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Crafty Spirit
Unfortunately, the message of this song didn't age π It seems even KP's and Ras' critique holds nowadays more than 20 years ago
craig steeves
Well said!!
Joeski072
This shit still fire 17 years later
TripSe7en
Kas verse was a prophecy. Thatβs exactly what happened!
Stephen Williams
19 years later This shit stii fucking fire
Michael Torres
Cant believe this ish got so little views...straight classic
Matt Sharkey
Prophetic song from an OG
Sha Alexis
2022 and everything this song said is true 20 years later
Civir O.
Who missed Rass prophecy in that last bar?
Jay Osiris
I caught it