Released: February 10, 2004
Featuring: J. Ivy JAY-Z
Songwriter: Bruce Kulick J. Ivy Michael Bolton JAY-Z Kanye West
Producer: Kanye West
[Chorus]
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I've found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Yo, first I snatched the streets, then I snatched the charts
First I had they ear, now I have they heart
Rappers came and went, I've been here from the start
I seen them put it together, watched them take it apart
Seen the Rovers roll up with ribbons
I seen them re-po'd, re-sold, then re-driven
So when I reload, he holds number one position
When you hot, I'm hot
And when your feet cold, mines is sizzling
It's plain to see, niggas can't fuck with me
'cause I'ma be that nigga for life
This is not an image, this is God-given
This is hard-livin', mixed with Cristal sippin'
It's the most consistent, Hov
Give you the most hits you can fit inside a whole disc and
Nigga I'm home on these charts, y'all niggas visitin'
It's Hov tradition, Jeff Gordon of rap
I'm back to claim pole position, holla at ya boy
[Chorus]
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I've found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up
[Verse 2: Kanye West]
I get down for my grandfather who took my mama
Made her sit in that seat where white folks ain't want us to eat
At the tender age of 6, she was arrested for the sit-ins
And with that in my blood I was born to be different
Now niggas can't make it to ballots to choose leadership
But we can make it to Jacob's and to the dealership
That's why I hear new music and I just don't be feelin' it
Racism's still alive, they just be concealin' it
But I know they don't want me in the damn club
They even made me show ID to get inside of Sam's Club
I done did dirt and went to church to get my hands scrubbed
Swear I've been baptized 'least three or four times
But in the land where niggas praise Yukons and getting paid
It's gonna take a lot more than coupons to get us saved
Like it take a lot more than doo rags to get you waves
Nothing sad as that day my girl's father passed away
So I promised to Mr. Rainey I'm gonna marry your daughter
And you know I gotta thank you for the way that she was brought up
And I know that you were smiling when you see the car I bought her
You sent tears from heaven when you seen my car get balled up
But I can't complain what the accident did to my left eye
'Cause look what an accident did to Left Eye
First Aaliyah now Romeo must die
I know I got angels watching me from the other side
[Chorus]
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I've found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
[Verse 3: J. Ivy]
We are all here for a reason on a particular path
You don't need a curriculum to know that you're a part of the math
Cats think I'm delirious but I'm so damn serious
That's why I expose my soul to the globe; the world
I'm trying to make it better for these little boys and girls
I'm not just another individual
My spirit is a part of this that's why I get spiritual
But I get my hymns from Him
So it's not me, it's He that's lyrical
I'm not a miracle, I'm a heaven-sent instrument
My rhythmatic regiment navigates melodic notes
For your soul and your mental
That's why I'm instrumental, vibrations is what I'm into
Yeah I need my loot by rent day
But that ain't what gives me the heart of Kunta Kinte
I'm trying to get us "us free" like Cinque
I can't stop, that's why I'm hot
Determination, dedication, motivation
I'm talking to you of my many inspirations
When I say I can't let you or self-down
If I were on the highest cliff, on the highest riff
And if you slipped off the side and clinched on to your life
In my grip, I would never ever let you down
And when these words are found
Let it be known that God's penmanship has been signed
With a language called love
That's why my breath is felt by the deaf
And while my words are heard and confined to the ears of the blind
I too dream in color and in rhyme
So I guess I'm one of a kind in a full house
'Cause whenever I open my heart, my soul or my mouth
A touch of God reigns out
Take 'em to church
[Chorus]
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get, get up, I get
Get up, I get, get up, I get
Get up, I get, get up, I get down
[Verse 4: Jay-Z & Kanye West]
Who else you know been hot this long?
(Oh yeah, we ain't finished)
Started from nothing but he got this strong
(The Roc is in the building)
Built the Roc from a pebble, peddled rock before I met you
Pedaled bikes, got my nephews pedal bikes because they special (Wooooo)
Let you tell it, man, I'm falling
Well, somebody must have caught him
'Cause every fourth quarter, I like to Mike Jordan them
Number one albums, what I got? Like four of them
More of them on the way, the eighth wonder on the way
Clear the way, I'm here to stay
Y'all can save the chitter chat, this and that
This is Jay, dissing Jay will get you maced
When I start spitting them lyrics niggas get very religious
Six Hail Marys, 'Please Father forgive us'
Young the archbishop, the Pope John Paul of y'all niggas
The way y'all all follow Jigga
Hov's a living legend and I'll tell you why
Everybody wanna be Hov and Hov's still alive
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I've found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Yo, first I snatched the streets, then I snatched the charts
First I had they ear, now I have they heart
Rappers came and went, I've been here from the start
I seen them put it together, watched them take it apart
Seen the Rovers roll up with ribbons
I seen them re-po'd, re-sold, then re-driven
So when I reload, he holds number one position
When you hot, I'm hot
And when your feet cold, mines is sizzling
It's plain to see, niggas can't fuck with me
'cause I'ma be that nigga for life
This is not an image, this is God-given
This is hard-livin', mixed with Cristal sippin'
It's the most consistent, Hov
Give you the most hits you can fit inside a whole disc and
Nigga I'm home on these charts, y'all niggas visitin'
It's Hov tradition, Jeff Gordon of rap
I'm back to claim pole position, holla at ya boy
[Chorus]
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I've found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up
[Verse 2: Kanye West]
I get down for my grandfather who took my mama
Made her sit in that seat where white folks ain't want us to eat
At the tender age of 6, she was arrested for the sit-ins
And with that in my blood I was born to be different
Now niggas can't make it to ballots to choose leadership
But we can make it to Jacob's and to the dealership
That's why I hear new music and I just don't be feelin' it
Racism's still alive, they just be concealin' it
But I know they don't want me in the damn club
They even made me show ID to get inside of Sam's Club
I done did dirt and went to church to get my hands scrubbed
Swear I've been baptized 'least three or four times
But in the land where niggas praise Yukons and getting paid
It's gonna take a lot more than coupons to get us saved
Like it take a lot more than doo rags to get you waves
Nothing sad as that day my girl's father passed away
So I promised to Mr. Rainey I'm gonna marry your daughter
And you know I gotta thank you for the way that she was brought up
And I know that you were smiling when you see the car I bought her
You sent tears from heaven when you seen my car get balled up
But I can't complain what the accident did to my left eye
'Cause look what an accident did to Left Eye
First Aaliyah now Romeo must die
I know I got angels watching me from the other side
[Chorus]
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I've found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
Get up, I get down, get up, I get down
[Verse 3: J. Ivy]
We are all here for a reason on a particular path
You don't need a curriculum to know that you're a part of the math
Cats think I'm delirious but I'm so damn serious
That's why I expose my soul to the globe; the world
I'm trying to make it better for these little boys and girls
I'm not just another individual
My spirit is a part of this that's why I get spiritual
But I get my hymns from Him
So it's not me, it's He that's lyrical
I'm not a miracle, I'm a heaven-sent instrument
My rhythmatic regiment navigates melodic notes
For your soul and your mental
That's why I'm instrumental, vibrations is what I'm into
Yeah I need my loot by rent day
But that ain't what gives me the heart of Kunta Kinte
I'm trying to get us "us free" like Cinque
I can't stop, that's why I'm hot
Determination, dedication, motivation
I'm talking to you of my many inspirations
When I say I can't let you or self-down
If I were on the highest cliff, on the highest riff
And if you slipped off the side and clinched on to your life
In my grip, I would never ever let you down
And when these words are found
Let it be known that God's penmanship has been signed
With a language called love
That's why my breath is felt by the deaf
And while my words are heard and confined to the ears of the blind
I too dream in color and in rhyme
So I guess I'm one of a kind in a full house
'Cause whenever I open my heart, my soul or my mouth
A touch of God reigns out
Take 'em to church
[Chorus]
When it comes to being true, at least true to me
One thing I found, one thing I found
Oh no, you'll never let me down
Get up, I get, get up, I get
Get up, I get, get up, I get
Get up, I get, get up, I get down
[Verse 4: Jay-Z & Kanye West]
Who else you know been hot this long?
(Oh yeah, we ain't finished)
Started from nothing but he got this strong
(The Roc is in the building)
Built the Roc from a pebble, peddled rock before I met you
Pedaled bikes, got my nephews pedal bikes because they special (Wooooo)
Let you tell it, man, I'm falling
Well, somebody must have caught him
'Cause every fourth quarter, I like to Mike Jordan them
Number one albums, what I got? Like four of them
More of them on the way, the eighth wonder on the way
Clear the way, I'm here to stay
Y'all can save the chitter chat, this and that
This is Jay, dissing Jay will get you maced
When I start spitting them lyrics niggas get very religious
Six Hail Marys, 'Please Father forgive us'
Young the archbishop, the Pope John Paul of y'all niggas
The way y'all all follow Jigga
Hov's a living legend and I'll tell you why
Everybody wanna be Hov and Hov's still alive
The College Dropout
- All Falls Down
- Slow Jamz
- Heavy Hitters
- I’ll Fly Away
- Graduation Day
- School Spirit (Skit 1)
- Intro
- School Spirit (Skit 2)
- Lil’ Jimmy (Skit)
- Workout Plan
- Breathe In Breathe Out
- Family Business
- Never Let Me Down
- Through the Wire
- We Don’t Care
- Jesus Walks
- Spaceship
- Two Words
- Last Call
- Get Em High
- The New Workout Plan
- School Spirit
- The College Dropout (Original Version) (2003)
- The College Dropout (2004)