Respect
Notorious BIG feat Diana King Lyrics

No big up our gun men, seen? (Big up, big up)
Let's not praise our gunmen in the open, understood?

Cuh dis ah 94' when ah RAA fi kill people and kyaan dun
Because it's 1994, and we have a real risk of being killed and our enemies can't do anything about it.

Nuh waan pussy hole hold di kaanah
We don't want weak people who can't handle a gun holding it.

Watch this, lawd
Listen closely to what I'm about to say.

Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem
I'm giving my respect to all the gunmen out there.

Gun men alone, keep gun men friend
Gunmen stick together and only socialize with each other.

Fire bun, fi all the informer dem
We condemn all informers and wish them harm.

Informer lone keep informer friend
Informers keep to themselves and befriend their own kind.

Nineteen seventy somethin' nigga I don't sweat the date
I was born in the 1970s, but I don't worry about the specifics of the date.

My moms is late so I had to plan my escape
My mother was slow to pick me up, so I had to make other arrangements.

Out the skins in this world of fly girls
I'm surrounded by attractive women.

Tanqueray and Hennessy until I cold hurl
I'm drinking heavily and reaching the point of vomiting.

Ten months in this gut what the fuck
I've been in my mother's womb for ten months, what the hell?

I wish moms'd hurry up so I could get buck
I wish my mother would hurry up so I can get active and have some fun.

Wild juvenile rippin' mics and shit
I was a young rebel, rapping with intense passion.

New York New York ready for the likes of this uh
New York is ready for my brand of music.

Then came the worst date May 21st
On May 21st, the worst event in my life happened.

2:19, that's when my momma water burst
At 2:19 am, my mother's water broke.

No spouse in the house so she rode for self
My mother was alone, so she had to transport herself to the hospital.

To the hospital, to see if she could get a little help
She went to the hospital seeking assistance.

Umbilical cord's wrapped around my neck
When I was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck.

I'm seein' my death and I ain't even took my first step
I was already facing death, even before taking my first breath.

I made it out, I'm bringin' mad joy
Against the odds, I survived, and I'm now bringing happiness to many.

The doctor looked and said, "He's gonna be a Bad Boy"
The doctor sensed that I would grow up to be a tough guy.

Now I'm thirteen, smokin' blunts, makin' cream
By age thirteen, I was smoking marijuana and making money.

On the drug scene, fuck a football team
I'm more interested in making deals and earning money than playing sports.

Riskin' ruptured spleens by the age of sixteen
I put myself in danger from a young age, and I'm still doing so.

Hearin' the coach scream ain't my lifetime dream, I mean
I have no interest in being yelled at by a coach for the rest of my life.

I want to blow up, stack my dough up
I want to become enormously successful and earn a lot of money.

So school I didn't show up, it fucked my flow up
Skipping school ruined my momentum and progress.

Mom said that I should grow up and check myself
My mother advised me to mature and hold myself accountable.

Before I wreck myself, disrespect myself
Don't make foolish decisions that will harm me or my reputation.

Put the drugs on the shelf? Nah, couldn't see it
I couldn't imagine stopping my drug habits.

Scarface, King of New York, I want to be it
I aspire to be like the legendary gangster Scarface and dominate New York City.

Rap was secondary, money was necessary
I was more interested in making money than pursuing music.

Until I got incarcerated, kinda scary
Getting arrested was a wake-up call, and it frightened me.

C74-Mark 8 set me straight
Being in jail made me realize how much I needed to change.

Not able to move behind the great steel gate
Being confined and limited behind bars was a humbling experience.

Time to contemplate, damn, where did I fail?
I had time to think while in jail and question where I went wrong.

All the money I stacked was all the money for bail
The money I saved was all used up to get me out of jail.

Watch mi respect, to all the gun men dem
I still have respect for all the gunmen.

Ninety-four, now I explore new horizons
Despite the setbacks, I am exploring new ventures in 1994.

Mama smile when she see me, that's surprisin'
My mother was happy to see me and the changes I've gone through.

Honey's is tantalizin', they freak all night
Women are tempting, and they love to engage in sexual activities.

Peep duckin' cops on the creep all night
I'm always on guard and avoiding the police, even at night.

As I open my eyes and realizin' I changed
I'm acknowledging my transformation and the changes I've made.

Not the same deranged child stuck up in the game
I'm no longer the same crazy kid obsessed with the street life.

And to my niggas livin' street life
To my friends still living in the streets, I have something to say.

Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest
Take care of yourself, live your best life, and don't stress excessively.

Still tote your vest man, niggas be trippin'
Always carry your bulletproof vest, as the streets can be dangerous.

In the streets without a gat? Nah, nigga you're slippin'
Being in the streets without a gun is a grave mistake, and it's foolish.

If I'm trippin' on The F with weed on my breath
If I'm high on marijuana while riding the F train,

Original hustler with the muffler on the TEC
I'm an original hustler, with a gun muffler to silence my shots.

Respect to the Mack's and the Ac's
Shout-out to the players and the hustlers.

To the freaks in the Jeeps, lick shots to my peeps
Greetings to the people cruising around in fancy cars and firing shots for their crew.

Now this is Diana King doing a Yankee thing
Now Diana King is introducing her own style to the American market.

In a Biggie Small's thing, do it, Jah
Performing in the style of Notorious B.I.G., doing it well, Jah bless.

Have mercy
Goodness gracious!

The gunman inna di party
There is a gunman at the party.

And everybody feel irie
Despite the gunman, everyone is feeling good.

And everybody just follow me, follow me, follow me
Everyone is following me as I lead them.

The wul ah we in ah di party
The whole gang is here at the party.

And everybody look irie
Everyone looks good and feels happy.

Now di man them sexy, sexy, sexy
Now all the men are looking very attractive.

Do it!
Let's get it done!

No mercy fuh nuh big up unnu self
We won't show any mercy to people who are arrogant and selfish.

Cuh we nuh watch nuhtin to say or see
Because we don't care about anyone's opinion or criticism.

Hardcore ting we ah deal with
We're engaging in a tough and serious matter.

Oh yes, we are the best
We believe that we are the best.

No other guy cyaan
No other man can compare.

Say it mami, damn, why you actin' like that man?
Come on, woman, why are you acting like that?

'Cause I don't be doin' this
Because I don't normally do this.

I'm sayin', you know it ain't nothin'
I'm just saying, it's not a big deal.

It's just part of sex, ya know'm saying
It's just a part of sex, you know what I'm saying?

But you know I don't do this, I don't even know how to do this
You know I don't do this, I don't even know how to do it.

I'm just sayin' mami, jus-just a little peck mami, for daddy
I'm just saying, woman, just give me a little kiss, just for me.

Just a little peck
Just a small kiss.

Like that?
Is that good?

That's what I'm sayin', yeah
That's what I'm trying to say, yes.

You know I don't be doin' this though tho', you know that
You know I don't do this normally, you know that.

Whatever bitch, damnit
Whatever, woman, damn it.