Lil Wayne
The Empire & Rich Boy Lyrics

Let me take ya through my hood where I was born and raised
Allow me to guide you through the neighborhood where I grew up

Where niggas tote semi-automatics, busting them K's
Where individuals carry semi-automatic weapons and use them aggressively

Heavy guns and dope boys harassed by the police
Powerful firearms and drug dealers constantly targeted and bothered by law enforcement

Still getting pulled over and asked by the police
Continuously being stopped by the police and questioned

Bama wasn't made for a nigga to win
The environment in our area is not conducive to success for individuals like us

See the color of ya skin get ya put in the pen
The mere fact of having a certain skin color can lead to imprisonment

It's real life, over dice, Dwayne dead and gone
These are the harsh realities of our existence, where even playing dice can lead to someone's death

Sending niggas to the pen or the funeral home
Causing individuals to end up either in prison or in a casket

I be feeling like the Lord will never answer me back
I often feel as though God does not respond to my prayers

So I'm holding on my gat just in case they attack
Therefore, I carry my firearm with me as a precaution in case of threats or attacks

Bullet holes in ya house it'll make it hard to sleep
If your residence has bullet holes, it can create a sense of unease and difficulty sleeping

Ya see the fiends on the street want the hard for cheap
You observe the addicts in the neighborhood who desire drugs at a low cost

Lotta niggas doing life from undercovers and fake friends
Many individuals are serving life sentences due to the actions of undercover operatives and deceitful companions

It's real how them penitentiary bars'll break men
The reality is that incarceration can emotionally and mentally break individuals

I could never win an Oscar 'cause I don't know how to act
I would never be successful in the film industry due to my lack of acting skills

So on my first million dollars and I ain't know how to act
When I first earned a million dollars, I didn't know how to handle it

Then the second million came, then more came after that
Subsequently, I acquired additional millions of dollars

Then more came after that, Hurricane after that
The wealth continued to accumulate even after experiencing a hurricane

DAMN!, and y'all saw the aftermath
It was a shocking situation, and you witnessed the aftermath

And in my hood we don't front, so I do give back
In my neighborhood, we don't pretend, so I make charitable contributions

When you see a hood nigga you gotta tilt your hat
When encountering someone from the neighborhood, it is customary to acknowledge them with a slight gesture

And since I'm a hood nigga I do just that
And since I am a person from the neighborhood, I follow that tradition

OGs used to tell me you just rap
Older individuals advised me that all I needed to do was focus on my music career

Lil nigga all you need to do is rap
Young man, your main focus should be solely on your rap skills

And just when I thought I was gonna do just that
And just as I was about to solely pursue rap

Poppa was a Rolling Stone and them stones was crack
My father was absent, constantly moving, and involved in illegal drug activities

Fuck being like Mike I wanna be like pop
I have no desire to emulate Michael Jordan, I aspire to be like my father

Then I picked up a mic I wanna be like 'Pac
Afterward, I started rapping and desired to be like Tupac Shakur

Please put down the pipe you don't need that rock
I urge you to stop using drugs, you don't require that cocaine

Please put up a fight for the kids that watch
Please stand up and fight for the sake of the children who are observing

Us in the spotlight and then they mock
When we are in the public eye, people ridicule and deride us

But caskets get closed and then they drop
However, once the coffins are closed, people move on

And cases get closed and they are dropped
Furthermore, legal cases are often closed and forgotten

'Cause no one knows and nobody got
Since no one possesses the knowledge or evidence

Any outlaw info, 'cause they better not
No one dares to provide information or evidence about illegal activities

Three words to a witness they get shot
If a witness utters three words, they are shot

Let me tell you what this is, this is the block
Allow me to explain what this is; this is the neighborhood

Always talk to God, never listen to cops
I consistently communicate with God, never heeding the words of law enforcement

It's cool to love to win but it's better to hate to lose
While it's acceptable to enjoy winning, it's more motivating to despise losing

There's only one Nas by the hundred thousand you's
There is only a singular Nas in the midst of countless imitators

You lose money chasing women, never lose women chasing money
You may lose financial resources pursuing romantic interests, but you will never lose romantic interests pursuing wealth

Niggas is broke plus the wolves is hungry
Many individuals are financially destitute, and there are desperate individuals preying upon them

Morgues full of dead niggas who was taking money
Morgues are filled with deceased individuals who were involved in illegal financial activities

Morgues full of niggas with the last shit they ate in they stomach
Morgues contain deceased individuals with their final meal still in their stomach

Spinach and steak, GORE-TEX boot prints still on his face
The deceased person had recently consumed spinach and steak, and there are boot prints from GORE-TEX shoes on his face

It's still on his face when we visit his wake
Those marks on his face are still visible when we attend his memorial service

Whatever's undone I'd do it, fight against a whole army
I am willing to complete any unfinished tasks and even fight against an entire army

One gun I'll use it, some Sun Tzu shit
I will employ a single weapon, utilizing strategies influenced by Sun Tzu

Creeping on ya like walking pneumonia
I sneak up on you, just like someone suffering from walking pneumonia

You're far from opponents; we could spar for the moments
You are not worthy adversaries; we can engage in combat momentarily

I stay in deceitful conversations with creep with foul natures
I engage in deceitful discussions with individuals who possess malicious intentions

Attempted murders trials, the basics
I have experience with trials related to attempted murders, it is a common occurrence

Threatening the witnesses and relatives of dead victims
Engaging in acts of intimidation against witnesses and the family members of deceased victims

It's the shit we live, uh, Queensbridge thug matrimony, clap a phony
This is the harsh reality we experience, the union of Queensbridge thugs ending the life of an imposter

Bullets even hit a cracker in his Abercrombie
Bullets even strike an individual, possibly derogatorily referred to as a 'cracker', wearing Abercrombie clothing

Psycho analyst was asking me what happened to me?
A psychoanalyst inquired about the issues I have experienced

See the yak got to me, then the gat got to me
The alcohol affected me mentally, and then the firearm influenced me

Then the homies on the block with the stacks of money
Subsequently, my friends on the neighborhood block were flaunting their considerable wealth

Then these beautiful bitches was bending backs for me
Additionally, attractive women were willing to do whatever it takes to please me

Then lames put the rap game in a casket slowly
However, mediocre individuals gradually diminished the quality of the rap music industry

Man I don't give a fuck, this is rap to me
Honestly, I don't care about any of that; this is my perspective on rap music