Released: May 30, 2019

Songwriter: Steve Haberman Mary Ellen Haberman Madlib Freddie Gibbs

Producer: Madlib

[Intro]
Yeah, yeah (It's a wave)
Crime pays, crime pays (Yeah)
Yeah, yeah

[Verse 1]
Crime pays, nigga, crime pays
Choppin' up this change with cocaine in my microwave
Made it through my whole month with my lights out, I seen brighter days
Watch this shit get knee high, boy, you live and you die by this game
Homeboy just caught HIV, he lived and he died by his ho
Have we ever hit the same bitch before? Ain't nobody know
Have we ever hit the same bitch before? Wasn't nobody business
Niggas be fuckin' these hoes and say, "Fuck insurance and doctor visits"

[Bridge]
Fly like the wind, it's time to begin your life
(Niggas be sellin' dope and say, "Fuck insurance and doctor visits")
You've got control to start again and do it right
Look to the sky and you will feel how to live a life that's real
(That's real)
Truth and perfect harmony, when the spirit is free
(Yeah, yeah)

[Verse 2]
Crime pays, nigga, crime pays
Choppin' up this change with cocaine in my microwave
Diamonds in my chain, yeah, I slang but I'm still a slave
Twisted in the system, just a number listed on the page
Made it through my whole month with my lights out, I seen brighter days
Watch this shit get knee high, boy, you live and you die by this game
Bitch, don't touch my body
'Cause I put your body all off in a body sling
You ain't gon' hurt nobody
Go body for body but we the body gang
The ho that you brought out to Cali
Boy she only fuckin' with you 'cause you fuckin' with Kane
Thought she was boostin' her credit
With niggas like you that just ain't got enough on their name
Thought I would front you another one
Niggas like you that just ain't got enough on the books
Talkin' that shit in the booth but when niggas come shoot at you
You couldn't do nothin' but look
My niggas done bust a four nickel on your nigga
Bust him, now he on a shit bag
His homie done borrowed a car and he got it shot up
Now I know that his bitch mad
He steadily called up my phone and you huffin' and puffin'
'Cause they at your bitch, duckin'
And Roc, he done went and bought Jeezy a pair of new shoes
That nigga was dick-suckin', yeah

[Bridge]
(Dick suckin'-ass nigga)
Fly like the wind, it's time to begin your life
(That nigga was dick suckin')
You've got control to start again and do it right
Look to the sky and you will feel how to live a life that's real
Truth and perfect harmony, when the spirit is free

[Outro]
Crime pays, nigga, crime pays
Yeah, crime pays, nigga, crime pays
Crime pays, nigga, crime pays
We champion people
This station rules the nation with version
Huh!

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib

MC Freddie Gibbs and classic producer Madlib got together in 2014 and added Piñata to the long list of the latter’s stellar collaborative albums.

After years of rumors and teasing, the second installment of their collaboration, Bandana, released on June 28, 2019.

Asked by Pitchfork what a fan of his might think of his collaboration with Madlib at first, Gibbs said,