Showbiz & A.G. is a Producer/MC duo consisting of Showbiz (Producer) and A.… Read Full Bio ↴Showbiz & A.G. is a Producer/MC duo consisting of Showbiz (Producer) and A.G. (MC). They are a group hailing from The Bronx, New York City formed in 1990 and are members of the group D.I.T.C.. Show and A.G. were the first out the box from the superb Diggin' in the Crates Crew, an elite team of MCs and producers who can claim much clout and influence on genuine East Coast hip-hop. The spirit of rap's forefathers can be felt in the gritty weight of this duo's pioneering sound.

Learning from their cohort Lord Finesse, the two started an underground buzz by street promoting their demos then selling the tapes out of the trunks of their cars. The street sales helped them polish their debut single "Soul Clap" b/w "Party Groove," a cut that banged dance clubs and got love on Yo! MTV Raps for many a week, a self-titled EP was released in March of 1992. Their debut album, Runaway Slave, followed in the fall and is seen as an early-'90s hip-hop essential. The album brought a bouncing hardcore sound of crisp, jazzy horns, stiff drum kicks, and snapping snares that could get a party hopping but could also satisfy the non-dancing purist nodding his head in the back of the club. The album truly is a D.I.T.C. family affair and introduced such legendary names as the late Big L, Fat Joe, and Diamond D, whose classic debut solo album Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop dropped the same week in 1992.

The albatross of making unadulterated rap music is that it sometimes costs a crew acclaim, for Show and A.G. are some of rap's disturbingly underrated. The sequel to their raw, stripped sound came in 1995 with the under-appreciated Goodfellas and the two were major contributors to D.I.T.C.'s eponymous debut album in 2000.

I'm Not the One
Showbiz & A.G. Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now I'm around the way yeah you got it that's right
Checking this girl named Bonita used to see her on the late night
I seen this kid I used to hustle with
Yo he don't act the same since I got a name and I went legit

He's acting kind of shiesty
Daddy's jealous that's what they tell us I guess he might be
I'm not scrambling but I'm still making G's

Not off of keys but CD's and LP's

I got the word he's gonna try and rob me
He used to be my man, damn, am I worried? No, not hardly
He forgot, or he stopped believing
I'm the same brother on the block, pop pop for the slightest reason

If he want it, then it's no sweat
It's either kill or be killed, and I'm not ready to go yet
Yeah, he was cool, there was no one cooler
But if my man try to flip, I'm going out like Rick the Ruler

He tried to get me but I lucked up, yup
He made his move but he fucked up, yup
So when I see him, he's a goner
His cash flow gotta be low cause I'm knocking down his street corner

Every day I'm on my P's and Q's
Since I'm clocking G's I'm packing twos
And you know four pounds is a lot of weight
I got him, straight through his chest so I guess that's checkmate

After he dropped, I copped a bag of tella
Trow on my hood like I should, I'm a Goodfella
And that late night bitch, she turned into a snitch
Started running from the lip, so I'm coming with a clip

Now she's returned to tell me "What have you learned?"
If you try to pull my number then you're gonna get burned

Overall Meaning

The verses from "I'm Not the One" by Showbiz & A.G. are about a person who has been successful in the music industry and has become wealthy through selling CDs and LPs. On the streets, this person reunites with a former friend who used to hustle with them. However, since the artist has become successful and legitimized, the friend began to act shiesty and jealous. The artist gets word that this friend is planning to rob them, but they are not worried as they are always alert and ready to act. The artist reminisces about the good days with this friend, but ultimately chooses to cut ties and defend themselves against any harm.

The first few lyrics describe the artist hanging out in their neighborhood and seeing an old acquaintance named Bonita. They then mention how they've heard about their former friend becoming envious and wanting to rob them. The artist acknowledges they've made money off of selling LPs and CDs and not through illegal means like their former friend.

The lyric "It's either kill or be killed, and I'm not ready to go yet" demonstrates a feeling of helplessness and necessity of self-defense in a dangerous environment. The artist doesn't want to be in a situation where they need to kill another person but is ready to defend themselves if needed. They also mention being alert and always "on their P's and Q's" because of their association with the streets.

Finally, the artist speaks about a girl who they believe became a snitch after they got into an issue with their former friend. They mention their knowledge that she would be coming and that they were ready to take action against her. This verse could be interpreted as a warning to any other potential snitches that the artist will not tolerate any betrayal.

Line by Line Meaning

Now I'm around the way yeah you got it that's right
I am in the neighborhood, that's correct.

Checking this girl named Bonita used to see her on the late night
I am observing a lady named Bonita whom I used to meet at late night.

I seen this kid I used to hustle with
I met a person with whom I used to do illegal work previously.

Yo he don't act the same since I got a name and I went legit
Since I became famous and started doing legal work, my acquaintance behaves differently when around me.

He's acting kind of shiesty
The person is behaving in a secretive and suspicious manner.

Daddy's jealous that's what they tell us I guess he might be
Perhaps the person is envious of my success, which others are talking about.

I'm not scrambling but I'm still making G's
Although I am not involved in illegal work anymore, I am still earning well.

Not off of keys but CD's and LP's
I am making money from selling CDs and vinyl records, not dealing with drugs.

I got the word he's gonna try and rob me
Someone informed me that the person I used to hustle with might attempt to steal from me.

He used to be my man, damn, am I worried? No, not hardly
Although I used to consider him a friend, I'm not afraid of him robbing me.

He forgot, or he stopped believing
Perhaps he doesn't remember or no longer trusts me.

I'm the same brother on the block, pop pop for the slightest reason
I'm still the same person I used to be, always ready to defend myself even for the slightest reason.

If he want it, then it's no sweat
If he wants to rob me, it won't be a problem for me.

It's either kill or be killed, and I'm not ready to go yet
As the situation is a matter of survival, I have to protect myself even if it means killing him.

Yeah, he was cool, there was no one cooler
He was a great person to hang out with, and no one was as cool as him.

But if my man try to flip, I'm going out like Rick the Ruler
If my acquaintance turns against me, I'll have to handle the situation like Rick the Ruler did.

He tried to get me but I lucked up, yup
Although he attempted to steal from me, fortunately, I dodged the bullet.

He made his move but he fucked up, yup
However, his attempt to rob me failed.

So when I see him, he's a goner
If I run into him again, he's as good as dead.

His cash flow gotta be low cause I'm knocking down his street corner
Since I'm occupying his drug turf, he must be facing financial troubles.

Every day I'm on my P's and Q's
I remain aware and alert every day to avoid any harm.

Since I'm clocking G's I'm packing twos
Since I'm earning well, I'm carrying two weapons for protection.

And you know four pounds is a lot of weight
In the drug world, four pounds of drugs are a significant amount.

I got him, straight through his chest so I guess that's checkmate
I killed him, so I won this dangerous game we were playing.

After he dropped, I copped a bag of tella
After he was killed, I purchased some heroin.

Trow on my hood like I should, I'm a Goodfella
I'm putting on my hood as I should, proving that I'm a part of the criminal world.

And that late-night bitch, she turned into a snitch
And that woman who used to meet me late night became an informant for the authorities.

Started running from the lip, so I'm coming with a clip
As she began to speak too much, I'm going after her with a gun.