Released: January 28, 2016
Songwriter: J. Cole
Producer: Vinylz J. Cole
[Intro]
Hey, hey!
Hey, yeah!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah, up top, hands, sing
[Chorus]
Nigga why you actin' like a ho?
Know that I'ma ride for ya, either way it go
Tell me, girl why you be stressin' me for time?
When you tell me you love me, can't you see I'm tryna climb?
Damn my nigga why you actin' like a bitch?
If you scared to take a chance, how the fuck we gon' get rich?
Come here baby why you always insecure?
Hold on tight to a nigga and be sure
[Verse 1]
Ain't a way around it no more, I am the greatest
A lotta niggas sat on the throne, I am the latest
I am the bravest, go toe to toe with the giants
I ain't afraid of you niggas, I'll end up fading you niggas
'Fore it's all said and done, this nigga need medicine
My uzi, it weighed a ton, I need me a better gun
In fact I just might need two, cause niggas say they the one
And I got something to prove
Forgive me lord here they come, BLAOOW
[Chorus]
Nigga why you actin' like a ho?
Know that I'ma ride for ya, either way it go
Tell me, girl why you be stressin' me for time?
When you tell me you love me, can't you see I'm tryna climb?
Damn my nigga why you actin' like a bitch?
If you scared to take a chance, how the fuck we gon' get rich?
Come here baby why you always insecure?
Hold on tight to a nigga and be sure
[Verse 2]
My inhibition's fighting my intuition
Premature premonition, showing me the demolition
Of these phony niggas, so ahead of my time
Even when I rhyme about the future I be reminiscing
You want the truth well come and listen
I'm like that time you bagged a dime and checked ya phone
And saw it was a number missing
As fate passes you by, half of you try
The other half of you fry, too high to actually fly
One day you'll have to decide, who you gon' be
A scary nigga or a nigga that's gon' rule like me
Keep it true like me, Cole you might be
Like the new Ice Cube, meets the new Ice-T
Meets 2 Live Crew, meets the new Spike Lee
Meets Bruce like Wayne, meets Bruce like Lee
Meets '02 Lil Wayne, in a new white tee
Meets KD, ain't no nigga that can shoot like me!
BLAOOOW!
[Chorus]
Nigga why you actin' like a ho?
Know that I'ma ride for ya, either way it go
Tell me, girl why you be stressin' me for time?
When you tell me you love me, can't you see I'm tryna climb?
Damn my nigga why you actin' like a bitch?
If you scared to take a chance, how the fuck we gon' get rich?
Come here baby why you always insecure?
Hold on tight to a nigga and be sure
[Bridge]
Who's the king?
Came from the bottom nigga, with stains on my shirt
What you expected from me, I came from the dirt
(Who's the king?)
Money my motivator, the songs that I sing
Picture a peasant passin' from pawn to a king
You tell me ya still love me, if so then let me go
Will I return or will I burn, never know
Look in my eyes and see the future
But don't sugar coat it
[Verse 3]
Listen...
History repeats itself and that's just how it goes
Same way that these rappers always bite each others flows
Same thing that my nigga Elvis did with Rock n Roll
Justin Timberlake, Eminem and then Macklemore
While silly niggas argue over who gon' snatch the crown
Look around, my nigga, white people have snatched the sound
This year I’ll prolly go to the awards dappered down
Watch Iggy lose the Grammy as a nigga crack a smile
I'm just playin', but all good jokes contain true shit
Same rope you climb up on, they'll hang you with
But not Jermaine, my aim too sick
I bang nigga, I came to bring the pain my brain too quick
You see how I maneuver this game, I ain't stupid
I recognize that life is a dream, and I dream lucid
And break the chains and change minds
One verse at a time, and claim 2-6
And fuck it, if the shoe fits, who's the king?
Hey, hey!
Hey, yeah!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah, up top, hands, sing
[Chorus]
Nigga why you actin' like a ho?
Know that I'ma ride for ya, either way it go
Tell me, girl why you be stressin' me for time?
When you tell me you love me, can't you see I'm tryna climb?
Damn my nigga why you actin' like a bitch?
If you scared to take a chance, how the fuck we gon' get rich?
Come here baby why you always insecure?
Hold on tight to a nigga and be sure
[Verse 1]
Ain't a way around it no more, I am the greatest
A lotta niggas sat on the throne, I am the latest
I am the bravest, go toe to toe with the giants
I ain't afraid of you niggas, I'll end up fading you niggas
'Fore it's all said and done, this nigga need medicine
My uzi, it weighed a ton, I need me a better gun
In fact I just might need two, cause niggas say they the one
And I got something to prove
Forgive me lord here they come, BLAOOW
[Chorus]
Nigga why you actin' like a ho?
Know that I'ma ride for ya, either way it go
Tell me, girl why you be stressin' me for time?
When you tell me you love me, can't you see I'm tryna climb?
Damn my nigga why you actin' like a bitch?
If you scared to take a chance, how the fuck we gon' get rich?
Come here baby why you always insecure?
Hold on tight to a nigga and be sure
[Verse 2]
My inhibition's fighting my intuition
Premature premonition, showing me the demolition
Of these phony niggas, so ahead of my time
Even when I rhyme about the future I be reminiscing
You want the truth well come and listen
I'm like that time you bagged a dime and checked ya phone
And saw it was a number missing
As fate passes you by, half of you try
The other half of you fry, too high to actually fly
One day you'll have to decide, who you gon' be
A scary nigga or a nigga that's gon' rule like me
Keep it true like me, Cole you might be
Like the new Ice Cube, meets the new Ice-T
Meets 2 Live Crew, meets the new Spike Lee
Meets Bruce like Wayne, meets Bruce like Lee
Meets '02 Lil Wayne, in a new white tee
Meets KD, ain't no nigga that can shoot like me!
BLAOOOW!
[Chorus]
Nigga why you actin' like a ho?
Know that I'ma ride for ya, either way it go
Tell me, girl why you be stressin' me for time?
When you tell me you love me, can't you see I'm tryna climb?
Damn my nigga why you actin' like a bitch?
If you scared to take a chance, how the fuck we gon' get rich?
Come here baby why you always insecure?
Hold on tight to a nigga and be sure
[Bridge]
Who's the king?
Came from the bottom nigga, with stains on my shirt
What you expected from me, I came from the dirt
(Who's the king?)
Money my motivator, the songs that I sing
Picture a peasant passin' from pawn to a king
You tell me ya still love me, if so then let me go
Will I return or will I burn, never know
Look in my eyes and see the future
But don't sugar coat it
[Verse 3]
Listen...
History repeats itself and that's just how it goes
Same way that these rappers always bite each others flows
Same thing that my nigga Elvis did with Rock n Roll
Justin Timberlake, Eminem and then Macklemore
While silly niggas argue over who gon' snatch the crown
Look around, my nigga, white people have snatched the sound
This year I’ll prolly go to the awards dappered down
Watch Iggy lose the Grammy as a nigga crack a smile
I'm just playin', but all good jokes contain true shit
Same rope you climb up on, they'll hang you with
But not Jermaine, my aim too sick
I bang nigga, I came to bring the pain my brain too quick
You see how I maneuver this game, I ain't stupid
I recognize that life is a dream, and I dream lucid
And break the chains and change minds
One verse at a time, and claim 2-6
And fuck it, if the shoe fits, who's the king?