Royce da 5'9"

Released: March 17, 2009

Songwriter: DJ Premier Royce da 5'9"

Producer: DJ Premier

[Intro]
Being enlightened is no longer enough; you must apply
Being willing is no longer acceptable; you must do
Make it count

[Pre-Chorus]
Na-na-nah!
I gotta shake this
Na-na-nah!

[Chorus]
I gotta shake this jail shit off me
"He ain't gon' never sell, he gon' fail" shit off me, huh
I gotta shake this weak shit off me, and keep shit off me
And leave it in the streets like, "Bitch, get off me!"

[Verse 1]
1977, July 5th
Conceived immaculately was me, my mom's gift
Unwrapped right there in the room like Christmas
My mind has been designed to do like distance
Run whole laps around y'all with my thoughts
You ain't hold back on yours, nah, that's my fault
Now, picture me falling
All the way to the bottom, and I'm laying there, calling
"Somebody, come help me"
Find my strength to stop drinking this poison
'Fore I drown my gift, and yeah, it's prolly unhealthy
'Cause I went so hard, and woke up sober
I lost my good friend and broke up soldiers
Loco, going hard as a locomotive
Self-loathing like I ain't chosen
Shows to bless souls get exposed
Just know that I ain't folding, huh

[Chorus]
I gotta shake this, shake this
Na-na-nah
I gotta shake this, shake this
Na-na-nah
I gotta shake this jail shit off me
"He ain't gon' never sell, he gon' fail" shit off me, huh
I gotta shake this weak shit off me, and keep shit off me
And leave it in the streets like, "Bitch, get off me!"

[Verse 2]
September 18th, 2-oh-oh-6 (Six)
I roll up in the court, thinking, "This should go quick"
On some couple-thousand-dollar-suit-type shit
From behind thousand dollar Cartier 'scrips
I witnessed my world tumble down like bricks
Two words she slurred, and they sounded like this: "One year"
Traveled through the room like moonlight through the darkness
Ooh, it's heartless, how could I beat two felonies
Then turn around and lose, and lose like this?
My lawyer saying, "Stay calm"; people saying, "Pray for him"
They locking my Black ass up like Akon
My wife at the crib, going crazy
Pregnant, yelling, "I ain’t having no more babies!"
People saying Preem ain’t fucking with me no more
Niggas in the pen looking homo, no, no!

[Chorus]
I gotta shake this, shake this
Na-na-nah
I gotta shake this, shake this
Na-na-nah
I gotta, I gotta shake this jail shit off me
"He ain't gon' never sell, he gon' fail" shit off me, huh
I gotta shake this weak shit off me, and keep shit off me
And leave it in the streets like, "Bitch, get off me!"

[Verse 3]
Fresh out of jail, feeling like Christopher Walken
The king of my city, swinging my dick as I’m walking
Up to the seven-fifty, I open the door
My cuz and, like, several bitches make up the décor
I look in, he got a cup, and he pours
I tell him, "Nah, I’m good"—I would’ve chugged it before
I’m a new man, but I could fuck with a whore
Nigga, my dick so hard, it’s prolly touching the floor
Riding 'round in the back of a black luxury toy
Getting sucked, like, "Niggas cannot fuck with me, boy"
When I look in the mirror, all I see is the real
Your nigga shouldn’t be here, R.I.P., if you will
I’m the moment of truth
I’m the only significant thing roaming the scene
Soon as I go in the booth, I'ma do it this time
I'm feeling really defined
Unsigned to signed, nigga, the city is mine

[Chorus]
I gotta shake this, shake this
Na-na-nah
I gotta, I gotta, shake this, shake this
Na-na-nah
I gotta, I gotta shake this jail shit off me
"He ain't gon' never sell, he gon' fail" shit off me, huh
I gotta shake this weak shit off me, and keep shit off me
And leave it in the streets like, "Bitch, get off me!"

[Outro]
Bitch, get off me!
Ge—Get off me!
Get off me!
Bitch, get off me!
Now, do that make me a liar?
Get off me!
Get off me!
Get off me!

Royce da 5'9", real name Ryan Daniel Montgomery, is undoubtedly one of the underground rap kings of Detroit. The Michigan MC is a long-time collaborator of Eminem’s, meeting him in December 1997, and is noted as one of the greatest lyricists in hip-hop’s history (in 2012, The Source ranked him as the 48th greatest lyricist of all time in their top 50, this questionable ranking unsurprisingly being scrutinized by many as a gross misjudgment).

Although critics have previously cast shade on his ability to create a well-rounded body of work, many, critics included, considered his sophomore effort, Death is Certain (2004), to be a strong album. To learn more in-depth about his solo discography, read this page (the page listed is old, so it is not updated).

Royce is the Bad half of Bad Meets Evil (with Eminem), ¼ of Slaughterhouse (alongside Crooked I KXNG CROOKED, Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz), and ½ of PRhyme (with DJ Premier). Royce currently operates a independent record label, Bad Half Entertainment.

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