Released: August 28, 1990

Songwriter: Marley Marl LL Cool J

Producer: Marley Marl

[Intro]
(Nothing can save ya
Nothing can save ya
Nothing can save ya
*scratched* Nothing)
Just throw your hands in the air
And wave 'em like you just don't care
Keep 'em there
Yo, run the jewels, run the jewels, run the jewels
(Can you feel it?)

[Verse 1]
I used to be rollin' like a millionaire
Cash in a flash, bankroll to spare
Homeboys hangin', champagne and girls
Got my main woman diamonds, my mistress pearls
Everybody laughin' at my corny jokes
I was stupid; I thought that they were sincere folks
It turned out they liked the money and the fame
If I ain't get paid, I'd be 'that nobody James'
The nobody, who dreamed about bein' somebody
Chief rocker at the party
And they was hangin' like, "Yo, I'm your man
I don't even care about the ring on your hand"
We'd go out to eat and chill
But they would go to the bathroom when it was time to pay the bill
I didn't notice all the chuckles and laughter
Too busy with a female tellin' me I'm the master
I was slick like, "Huh, do I know you?
I got play, here, let me show ya"
Used to have a girl that was on the ball
When the cash flow got low, so did her calls
Used to have a homeboy, always chillin'
My cash went low, he told me I was illin'
And don't call 'cause he don't hang with derelicts
Broke with no cash, yo, I was in the mix
Everybody stepped 'cause my pocket wasn't fat
My girl got a new man, I fixed his flat
I'm the one that they're laughin' at
They say, "Cheesy rat, you ain't all that"

[Chorus]
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)

[Verse 2]
I mean crabbin', played out by backstabbin'; I feel like tyin'
A anchor to my ankle and jumpin' right in the ocean
'Cause I'm ashy and I can't afford lotion
So-called friends in the jewelry store
Told me, "Todd, come back when you get off tour"
Souped as hell, I really regret it
Now the only thing I got in my pocket is bad credit
How can a man like me
Be walkin' around in a world of misery?
And if women like a man with a body, it's not mine
'Cause they be walkin' past me like I'm a stop sign
My homeboys laugh when they pass the forty
Sayin, "Todd, as if he used to have a sporty"
The Benz was slammin', the Jeep was pumpin'
Ain't that somethin'?
I just laugh and say so what I was rich
When I walk away, it's like ain't this a
Kick in the rear, that I'm standin' here
And can't afford a tissue for my tear
Should I drink wine and brandy
Or get a job puttin' stripes on candy
Or put a hole in donuts?
'Cause when you're broke, your middle name is "so-what?"
I had to learn in an incredibly fast way
When you ain't got no money they treat you like an ashtray
I pawned all my jewelry and clothes
Right after that, I got dissed by all the hoes
That I thought was mine, but really never was
Soon the whole neighborhood got the buzz
That my tank was on "E", and that means empty
That Twinkie looks good, so mister don't tempt me
Everybody thought I was trippin'
I rode the back of the bus, but my grip kept on slippin'
I'm the man that they're laughin' at
They say, "Cheesy rat, you ain't all that"

[Chorus]
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)

[Verse 3]
I wanna hang with my man like, "Let's do this"
But this man like "Who this?"
That's right, the brother got two faces
They got me puttin' the tips on shoelaces
P on the Puma, a mop and a bucket
My motto is... I don't care
I don't give a damn, so what, why try?
I might as well rob some Blake Carrington sucker for his money
It's so funny
Cars ride by with the boomin' system
Sayin, "Leave him alone, my man already dissed him"
Now I'm on the cheeseline, poverty-stricken
As the red tape thickens
I go to the park, they wanna baseball-bat me
I go to the mall, they throw my old tapes at me
I'm so horny
And every girl I know be like, "He's so corny"
I want money in a hurry
I'm gettin' tired of leftover curry
I wanna fall off, but I don't know where the edge is
I'm so hungry, I eat my neighbor's hedges
Now I realize I gotta go for mine
It's windshield time
I take quarters, pennies, dimes and nickles
And a kiddy's tricycle
I'm a desperado
"I'ma steal your rims" is my motto
I watch wrestlin' until I'm dizzy sore
So if you're cashin' your rent check, know how to get busy
Go to the drive-through, run with a milkshake
Go to the supermarket, pocket a raw steak
I need beer
I'ma catch the Miller truck out there
You know how they throw, the newspapers in the morning
The owner don't want em
I'm the man that they're laughin' at
They say, "Cheesy rat, you ain't all that."

[Chorus]
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)
(Can you feel it?)

[Outro]
So yo, one more time, one more time
Party people in the house tonight
Just throw your hands in the air
And wave em like you just don't care
Keep em there
Run the jewels, run the jewels, run the jewels

LL Cool J

Deriving his name from the statement “Ladies Love Cool James,” LL Cool J became a superstar rapper after his Def Jam debut in 1984. He mixed a hardcore hip-hop style from songs like “I’m Bad” with R&B style on songs like “I Need Love,” which led him to multi-platinum success and several awards. He would later venture into movies and television, write several books, and start different business ventures.

Born January 14, 1968, Queens, New York native James Todd Smith began rapping at the age of nine and started to seriously pursue rapping when he was 16 years old after his grandfather bought him music equipment, which he used to create a demo tape that was sent to numerous labels. He was signed by upstart independent label Def Jam, working with founders Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin to release his debut single “I Need a Beat” in 1984, which sold over 100,000 copies. This success helped Def Jam secure a distribution deal with Columbia Records.

LL released his debut album Radio in 1985, which achieved platinum status with help from the hit singles “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock the Bells.” After working exclusively with Rick Rubin on his debut, LL worked with the West Coast production crew L.A. Posse on his second album Bigger and Deffer, released in 1987. The album featured two of LL’s signature the hard-edged “I’m Bad” and the “rap ballad” “I Need Love,” which was a Top 20 pop hit, helping the album achieve double platinum status.