PRhyme features production by DJ Premier, as well as samples from psychedelic soul composer and producer Adrian Younge.
Courtesy
PRhyme Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just let it go Preem
Z06 'vette, gripping feeling almost there
Listening to Bon Jovi, rolling 'Living on a Prayer'
Privy to the gossip, that's what's said about me constant
It's the life and times of Bumpy Johnson meets Nucky Thompson
I used to rap about death, now I'm only concerned to live
Nowadays chances are that if you see me throw the match
It ain't to lose the fight, it's to walk away from a burning bridge
I'm from a family of alcoholics and coke addicts
Daddy taught me if the ass is so fat it's a fact
That if you with your ho, don't matter it's still appropriate to scope at it
Living life with no balance, driving drunk on co-pilot
Driving 'till I total it
I'm trying to stay afloat, but I got nobody to throw a rope at it
The game is just a game of splits and politics with no ballot
All kind of clips with mo' malice than Pusha
If you profiling, it's probably be more violence than looking
I'm so stylish, but I ain't talking eBay, no high end fashion either
If you catch me by the runway it's the one that's for the PJ
This one is for my lyricists - courtesy of my DJ
(I can't control it, can't hold it, it's so nuts)
(Hustle hard in any hustle that you pick)
(I respect that)
I done had a lot of niggas say they wanna hurt me
Somehow, some way they just end up in my mercy
Just show some courtesy
(Hell yeah, nigga you know, niggas still got it)
(Believe that shit)
I got killas 'round the way ready to move that work for me
Niggas wanna ride my wave, bitches wanna surfboard me
All I want is courtesy, who cares about the radio?
And you can take the cassette deck from off your old boombox
And it wouldn't matter
It still squares on your radio to keep your
Wealth
I learned to stay to yo - self
I call for Shantelle to spray paint a mural in Watts
Of me spray painting a mural of Miracle Watts
Shoutout to Michael 5000 Watts
I'm on than lean movement like I'm out here tryna box
Look, nigga, this is a boss thing, uh
Meaning you getting the laze dot to your offspring
I'm a lost being, uh
Try to cross me without falling off, I'm afraid not
I'm a frayed knot like a draw string
I'm preaching to the congregation like I'm Peter Popoff
If you can imagine
Me hopping up out of the cabin like I'm one of the dukes of hazard
Like fuck it, leave the top off like time for foreplay
That last line that was before ya time
Like Big Ben sitting in Beyoncé doorway
While I'm receiving Four Seasons, Norwegian top in Norway
Listening to rappers kick knowledge
That they probably got from Toure'
These Michael Eric Dyson niggas claiming they king
Not knowing the kind of drama that that bring
Imma be the first established rapper to hop in that battle rap ring Turn that to gatling
My next album gon be so dark and so fly
I should CD package it wrapped in batwings
The Soultrain music awards actors rock fake as wrestling
Dressed bottom to top in leather looking like bacon in Vaseline
How you looking like beef jerky, beefing in every verse
But never beefing in person? Randy Savage
You wouldn't snap a slim Jim
You wouldn't rip a wrapping on Christmas in Santa's attic
With the hands of Eddie Scissors, ain't you average?
Put your motherfucking hands up
My job is to move the crowd, move the motherfucking crowd
Put your motherfucking hands up
In "Courtesy", PRhyme's Royce da 5'9" raps about his current life and how far he's come since his younger days. He opens the song reminiscing about cruising in his Z06 'vette and listening to Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer". While he acknowledges that gossip is constantly swirling about him, he compares his life to that of legendary gangster Bumpy Johnson and Nucky Thompson, a character from the TV show Boardwalk Empire. Royce then dives into how his rap content has changed over the years, shifting from tackling dark, violent themes to valuing the importance of relationships, but still maintaining a competitive edge. Royce reflects on his father’s teachings, including the often misogynistic advice that if a woman’s backside is large enough, it's appropriate to stare at it.
Royce's description of his personal life shows his vulnerability and the obstacles that he's facing. He comes from a family of substance abusers and admits to driving drunk with a "co-pilot". Royce expresses feeling alone and continues to struggle with balancing his life amidst the chaos that is the music industry. For him, the game is just a never-ending cycle of splits and politics. He finishes by giving a shoutout to his fellow lyricists and acknowledging the work of his DJ, giving them the respect they deserve.
Overall, "Courtesy" showcases Royce da 5'9" as a rapper that has grown and matured over the years. He has experienced the highs and lows of life, from the flashy sports car to the turmoil of addiction and the struggle to stay afloat. Yet, he has remained focused and competitive, while also realizing the value of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Z06 'vette, gripping feeling almost there
I am driving my Z06 Corvette and I am almost there, enjoying this moment to the fullest
Listening to Bon Jovi, rolling 'Living on a Prayer'
I'm listening to Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer and enjoying the ride
Privy to the gossip, that's what's said about me constant
I am aware that there are people constantly talking about me and my life
It's the life and times of Bumpy Johnson meets Nucky Thompson
My life is a mix of the life and times of Bumpy Johnson and Nucky Thompson
I used to rap about death, now I'm only concerned to live
I used to rap about death but now I am more concerned about living my life to the fullest
I value relationships, still I keep it competitive
I really care about relationships but I still keep things competitive
Nowadays chances are that if you see me throw the match
If you see me lose a game, it's not because I wanted to lose but because I wanted to walk away from a bad situation
It ain't to lose the fight, it's to walk away from a burning bridge
Walking away from a situation that could go wrong is important to me
I'm from a family of alcoholics and coke addicts
My family has a history of alcoholism and drug addiction
Daddy taught me if the ass is so fat it's a fact
My dad taught me that if someone has a really nice butt, it's a fact
That if you with your ho, don't matter it's still appropriate to scope at it
It's still okay to look at someone's butt even if you're with your girlfriend
Living life with no balance, driving drunk on co-pilot
I'm living life with no balance, driving drunk with a co-pilot
Driving 'till I total it
I am driving until I can't anymore, even if it means crashing my car
I'm trying to stay afloat, but I got nobody to throw a rope at it
I am trying to survive but I don't have any help
The game is just a game of splits and politics with no ballot
The music industry is full of splits and politics that don't have any democratic process
All kind of clips with mo' malice than Pusha
There are so many different music videos with more malice than Pusha's
If you profiling, it's probably be more violence than looking
If you are profiling someone, it is more likely to lead to violence than if you just look at them
I'm so stylish, but I ain't talking eBay, no high end fashion either
I have my own style, but it's not from eBay or from high end fashion shops
If you catch me by the runway it's the one that's for the PJ
If you see me by the runway, it's for the private jet
This one is for my lyricists - courtesy of my DJ
This song is dedicated to all the lyricists out there, and my DJ is responsible for the music
I got killas 'round the way ready to move that work for me
I have people who are willing to do illegal work for me
Niggas wanna ride my wave, bitches wanna surfboard me
Some people want to ride along with me, like I'm a wave or a popular trend
All I want is courtesy, who cares about the radio?
All I care about is people showing me respect, I don't care about radio play
And you can take the cassette deck from off your old boombox
You can take the cassette deck out of your old boombox
And it wouldn't matter
It wouldn't make any difference
It still squares on your radio to keep your wealth
It still makes you rich by getting airplay on the radio
I learned to stay to yo - self
I learned to stay true to myself
I call for Shantelle to spray paint a mural in Watts
I asked Shantelle to spray paint a mural in Watts
Of me spray painting a mural of Miracle Watts
The mural would be of me spray painting a mural of Miracle Watts
Shoutout to Michael 5000 Watts
I want to give a shoutout to Michael 5000 Watts
I'm on than lean movement like I'm out here tryna box
I'm focused on the lean movement, like I'm training to be a boxer
Look, nigga, this is a boss thing, uh
Listen, this is what being a boss is like
Meaning you getting the laze dot to your offspring
What I'm saying is that your child will benefit from your hard work
I'm a lost being, uh
I'm feeling like a lost soul
Try to cross me without falling off, I'm afraid not
Don't try to cross me without getting hurt
I'm a frayed knot like a draw string
I feel like a frayed knot, like a drawstring that's coming apart
I'm preaching to the congregation like I'm Peter Popoff
I'm like a preacher, talking to my fans in a way that's similar to how Peter Popoff preaches
If you can imagine
Imagine this
Me hopping up out of the cabin like I'm one of the dukes of hazard
I'm getting out of a car like I'm in The Dukes of Hazzard TV show
Like fuck it, leave the top off like time for foreplay
Like saying 'screw it', let's drive with the top down like it's foreplay
That last line that was before ya time
That last line was from a time before you were even born
Like Big Ben sitting in Beyoncé doorway
Like Big Ben (a famous clock tower in London) sitting in front of Beyoncé's house
While I'm receiving Four Seasons, Norwegian top in Norway
While I'm staying in a Four Seasons hotel, wearing a top from Norway, in Norway
Listening to rappers kick knowledge
I'm listening to other rappers talk about important issues
That they probably got from Toure'
They probably got their knowledge from the critic and writer, Toure'
These Michael Eric Dyson niggas claiming they king
People like Michael Eric Dyson who think they are the king of knowledge
Not knowing the kind of drama that that bring
Not realizing the kind of drama and controversy that can come with that
Imma be the first established rapper to hop in that battle rap ring
I am going to be the first established rapper to enter a battle rap arena
Turn that to gatling
I'm going to turn it into a battle scene with lots of gunfire
My next album gon be so dark and so fly
My new album is going to be dark and cool at the same time
I should CD package it wrapped in batwings
I should package the CDs in batwings
The Soultrain music awards actors rock fake as wrestling
The actors at the Soultrain music awards look fake, like in wrestling
Dressed bottom to top in leather looking like bacon in Vaseline
Their leather clothing looks like they're wearing bacon covered in Vaseline
How you looking like beef jerky, beefing in every verse
They look like beef jerky and have beef with everyone in their lyrics
But never beefing in person? Randy Savage
But they never really fight in real life? This is like Randy Savage
You wouldn't snap a slim Jim
You wouldn't even be able to snap a Slim Jim (like Randy Savage did in commercials)
You wouldn't rip a wrapping on Christmas in Santa's attic
You wouldn't even be able to open a Christmas present in Santa's attic
With the hands of Eddie Scissors, ain't you average?
With the hands of Eddie Scissors, how could you be average?
Put your motherfucking hands up
Raise your hands
My job is to move the crowd, move the motherfucking crowd
My job is to get the crowd pumped up and excited
Put your motherfucking hands up
Raise your hands again!
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADRIAN YOUNGE, CHRISTOPHER MARTIN, RYAN MONTGOMERY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kdot Mart
Royce is damn underrated as a lyricist!! He's top tier in my book. This beat really brings out his flow...
Cesar Escamilla
Word man! A LOT of Detroit rappers don't get the recognition they deserve. Correct me if I'm wrong, haha but I think he's from the D.
The Nameless
Cesar Escamilla That also cause there are a lot that suck.
Leopoldo Montemayor
Mos def man!
The Nameless
Leopoldo Montemayor There is also people like Bizzare and Big Sean who are terrible
Don Julio
Yeah, the D is one of the most underrated city's.
Dillaville
Holy fuck, u guys will bring real hip-hop back!
MyStatement4U
This is so amazing. Royce can pull sick sick flow's. Underrated? Yes. Dope track!
sam vas
It kills me that people can press the dislike button on this track, let alone this project. You gotta recognize the talented lyrics and production and time put in this. Good shit nickel and preemo
Alien Pumpkinhead
This sounds like a 90s hip hop beat. How can you not like it?