Album Cover Respect

Respect

The Notorious B.I.G.

4

No people pon gun men, seen? (big up, big up)

Comes on 94′ where the African people and [?]

[?] on the corner

Watch this, lawd

Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem

Gun men alone, keep gun men friend

Fire bun, fi all the informer dem

Informer lone keep informer friend

Nineteen-seventy something, nigga I don't sweat the date

My moms is late so I had to plan my escape

Out the skins, in this world of fly girls

Tanqueray and Hennessy until I cold hurl

Ten months in this gut, what the fuck

I wish moms would hurry up so I could get buck

Wild juvenile ripping mics and shit

New York, New York, ready for the likes of this

Then came the worst date, May 21st

2: 19, that′s when my momma water burst

No spouse in the house so she rode for self

To the hospital, to see if she could get a little help

Umbilical cord's wrapped around my neck

I'm seeing my death and I ain′t even took my first step

I made it out, I′m bringing mad joy

The doctor looked and said, "He's going to be a bad boy"

Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem

Gun men alone, keep gun men friend

Fire bun, fi all the informer dem

Informer lone keep informer friend

Now I′m thirteen, smoking blunts, making cream

On the drug scene, fuck a football team:

Risking ruptured spleens by the age of sixteen

Hearing the coach scream ain't my lifetime dream!

I mean I want to blow up, stack my dough up

So school I didn′t show up, it fucked my flow up

Mom said that I should grow up and check myself

Before I wreck myself, disrespect myself

Put the drugs on the shelf? Nah, couldn't see it

Scarface, King of New York, I want to be it

Rap was secondary, money was necessary

Until I got incarcerated--kinda scary

C74-Mark 8 set me straight

Not able to move behind the great steel gate

Time to contemplate, damn, where did I fail?

All the money I stacked was all the money for bail

Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem

Gun men alone, keep gun men friend

Fire bun, fi all the informer dem

Informer lone keep informer friend

Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem

Gun men alone, keep gun men friend

Fire bun, fi all the informer dem

Informer lone keep informer friend

Ninety-four, now I explore new horizons

Mama smile when she see me, that′s surprising

Honeys is tantalizing, they freak all night

Peep ducking cops on the creep all night

As I open my eyes and realizing I changed

Not the same deranged child stuck up in the game

And to my niggas living street life

Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest

Still tote your vest man, niggas be tripping

In the streets without a gat? Nah, nigga you're slipping

If I'm pimping on The F with weed on my breath

Original hustler with the muffler on the Tec

Respect to the macks in the Ac′s

To the freaks in the Jeeps, lick shots to my peeps

Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem

Gun men alone, keep gun men friend

Fire bun, fi all the informer dem

Informer lone keep informer friend

Me holla respect, to all the gun men dem

Gun men alone, keep gun men friend

Fire bun, fi all the informer dem

Informer lone keep informer friend

Now this is Diana King doing a Yankee thing

In a Biggie Small′s thing, do it, Ja!

Have Mercy!

The gunman in all de party

And everybody feel irie

And everybody just follow me, follow me, follow me!

Have Mercy!

The halloween at de party

And everybody look irie

Now I demand them sexy, sexy, sexy

Do it!

No mercy for the people [?]

[?] seen?

Hardcore thing we are be with

Oh yes, we are the best

Shit mami, damn, why you actin like that man?

'Cause I don′t be doin' this

I′m sayin', you know it ain′t nothin'

It's just part of sex, ya know′m saying

But you know I don′t do this, I don't even know how to do this

I′m just sayin', jus-just a little peck mami, for daddy

Just a little peck

Like that?

That′s what I'm sayin′, yeah

You know I don't be doin' this though tho′, you know that

Whatever bitch, damnit