Released: April 25, 1995

Featuring: Big Noyd

Songwriter: Havoc Prodigy of Mobb Deep Big Noyd Mayfield Small Q-Tip

Producer: Q-Tip

[Verse 1: Prodigy]
Aiyo, Queens get the money, long time no cash
I'm caught up in the hustle when the guns go blast
The fool retaliated so I had to think fast
Pull out my heat first, he pull out his heat last
Now, who the fuck you think is living to this day?
I'm tryna tell these young niggas crime don't pay
They looked at me and said, "Queens niggas don't play
Do your thing, I'll do mine, kid, stay outta my way"
It's type hard tryna survive in New York state
But can't stop 'til I'm eating off a platinum plate
Po-po comes around and tries to relocate me
Lock me up forever but they can't deflate me
'Cause having cash is highly addictive
Especially when you're used to have no money to live with
I pause, step back, look at my life as a whole
Ain't no love, it seems the devil done stole my soul
I'm out for delfia, selfia, P's not helping ya
I'm tryna get this Lexus up, plus a cellular
Yo, Big Noyd! (What up, cousin?) I can't cope
With all these crab niggas tryna shorten my rope

[Verse 2: Big Noyd]
Yo, it's the R-A-double-P-E-R N-O-Y-D
Niggas can't fuck with me!
Coming straight outta QB, pushing the Infiniti
You ask can I rip it constantly? Mentally?
Definitely, to the death of me, come and test me
Trust me, nigga can't touch me if he snuffed me
So bust me, you're gonna have to, 'cause I'mma blast you
My lyrical like a miracle, ill spiritual
I'm born with it, I'm getting on with it
And I'mma have it 'til I'm fucking dead and gone with it
'Cause I'm a what? Composer of hardcore, a lyrical destructor
Don't make me buck ya, 'cause I'm a wild muthafucker
You know I flow, you know my steelo
Even pack my gat when I go to see my P.O
Jump out my hooptie, pass my gat and my lucci
To my shorty, in case my P.O. try to troop me
To the Island, and if I start wilding
Flipping on niggas walking around with the nice gold medallions
But she didn't violate me, so I escaped, see
Back to Queens, pumping the fiends, making more cream
Know what I mean? I'm a natural born hustler
Won't try to cut ya, pull out my .44 and bust ya

[Verse 3: Havoc]
Yo, ain't no time for faking jacks
'Cause brothers that fake jacks get laid on their backs
The streets is real, can't roll without steel
I feel how I feel 'cause I was born to kill
Do what I gotta to eat a decent meal, brothers is starving
Don't try to find a job, son, it's all about robbing
So don't be alarmed when we come through
We supposed to, if you opposed to, get your face blown, dude
Off the map, 'cause I react, attack
A brother wasn't blessed with wealth, so I act like that
Drug dealing, only mess with shorties that's appealing
I'm fronting on the world once I start 4-wheeling
'Cause back on the 41st Side, we do it right
Sipping E&J, getting bent all night
Yo, who that? I never seen him in my whole life
Step to his business 'cause it's only right
Po-po ain't around so I grab my pound
Money retaliated so I hit the ground
My life is on the line, gotta hold my projects down
Can't see myself getting bodied by a clown
Ass nigga that ain't even from my town
Hit him up in the chest, now he's laying man down
Jetted up from under the benches, I started hearing sirens
I stopped firing, to cut ass like a diamond
Jetted to the crib piece, what a relief
Stashed the heat then proceeded to peep
Out the window, call my son, "Yo, son, we got beef"
But no question, money had a problem so I solved him

[Bridge: Prodigy]
I got my mind on a stick-up, now it's time to get paid
Thinking of ways to take loot already made
There's crime in the air, ain't no time to be afraid
Give me yours or get laid
Give up the goods or get sprayed

[Verse 4: Prodigy]
I got lots of love, for my crew that is
No love for them other crews and rival kids
All them out-of-town niggas know what time it is
And if they don't, they need to buy a watch, word up
Caught up in the crossfire, get theyself hurt up
While I be sipping gin straight in a plastic cup
On a park bench on 12th Street, my whole crew's famous
You tried to bust your gat and keep it real, but you nameless
First of all, slow down, you on the wrong route
Let me put you on your feet and show you what's it all about
The street life ain't nothing to play with, no jokes, no games, kid
For years, I been doing the same shit
Just, drinking liquor, doing bids
Extorting crack heads, and sticking up the stick-up kids

Mobb Deep

Mobb Deep members Havoc and Prodigy represent the Queensbridge projects in the borough of Queens, New York. Their style is very dark, but Havoc’s sinister productions along with sharp lyricism from Prodigy on their sophomore album The Infamous and its first single “Shook Ones Pt. II” put the Mobb on the map and helped bring hardcore New York hip-hop back into the forefront while also influencing the hip-hop scene in France. Their two follow-up albums, Hell on Earth (1996) and Murda Muzik (1999) helped further solidify their status in the rap game as they received gold and platinum plaques.

The two released a number of projects as a duo as well as solo projects, and both of them released their own collaborative projects with their frequent collaborator The Alchemist.

Sadly, Prodigy passed away on June 20, 2017, in Las Vegas after being hospitalized during the Art of Rap Tour. May he rest in peace. See here for the Mass Appeal obituary.