Released: March 17, 1998

Featuring: DMX Lil’ Kim

Songwriter: DMX Lil’ Kim Herb Smith Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence Diddy Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie Styles P Jadakiss Sheek Louch

Producer: Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie

[Intro: Lil' Kim]
See I believe in money, power and respect
First you get the money
Then you get the muthafuckin' power
After you get the fuckin' power, muthafuckas will respect you

[Chorus: Lil Kim]
It's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, help you sleep at night
You'll see the light, it's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, money, power, and respect
Money, power, and respect

[Verse 1: Sheek Louch]
Ayo, my whole clique bout it, bout it
We take yours while you pout about it
Truck, step out, the whores wanna crowd around it
You could see me on optimum TV
Go in your bathroom turn the light out
Scream, Bloody Mary, 1, 2, 3
Sheek ain't your usual friend
About to set you up like Keyser and walk straight at the end
I'm done wit' ice and charms
I'm tryin' to ice my whole casket 'when I'm gone
Pull up wit' glass on the don', once I meet 'em I greet 'em
Kiss his feet for freedom, tell em' thank you Lord
Cuz on Earth I was gettin' bored
Now resurrect me back to this cat called Sheek
So I can make this album and get back the cats that's weak
Two-thirty, six two
Me versus you that's like a cat versus a pitbull
Gun, know clip full, keep hunger
And plan for the future, cause you figure you gon' be older
Way longer than you gon' be younger

[Chorus: Lil Kim]
It's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, help you sleep at night
You'll see the light, it's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, money, power, and respect
Money, power, and respect

[Verse 2: Styles P]
Only time could tell how the clock ticks
I'm really loved here but I'm still a hostage
Two personalities check the posture
Smoke out the mouth clear out the nostrils
Think of death, the life seem scary
I'm passin' graveyards seein' people Hail Mary
I ain't chillin' til' I'm out parachutin'
Race my man in mountain climbin' for about ten diamonds
Twenty five thousand a piece, fuck streets
Tryin' to own the island, forget about wylin'
Try ridin' in the car that be glidin'
If I showed you where I lived you would think I was hidin'
Sling dick to chicks that don't speak English
Wake up in Trinidad like fuck it I'm rich
Come back, private jet
Live on set, if you can shit gold, I can spit baguettes

[Chorus: Lil Kim]
It's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, help you sleep at night
You'll see the light, it's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, money, power, and respect
Money, power, and respect

[Verse 3: Jadakiss]
Yo nothin' but the hotness whenever we drop this
Monotonous for ya'll to keep hatin' cause ya'll never gon' stop us
I keep my rocks spotless and my hoes topless
Take time try to figure out who The Lox is
Fear no one kick rhymes like Shoguns
You scared to blow one, get robbed wit' your own gun
If I don't respect you I'ma check you
And if I don't kiss you I'mma peck you
Right before I wet you I sneeze on tracks an' bless you
I'm special and if you like workin' out
Then I'm gon' stretch you
Husslin' is dead but we still get red
Turn the spots into bakeries to get back bread
And ya'll said my money's spent but it's in the Bent'
So when the Feds come, the dogs can't get a scent
For my story, self-explanatory
That I'm the hottest thing on the street
And ya'll ain't got nothin' for me

[Chorus: Lil Kim]
It's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, help you sleep at night
You'll see the light, it's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, money, power, and respect
Money, power, and respect

[Verse 4: DMX]
This is a beat that I can freak to just drop the reals
Plus a nigga wit' the ill ya'll niggas know my skills
X 'em on the grill get 'em up split 'em up
Wet 'em up and watch 'em come get 'em up
Set em' up when you do dirt, you get dirt
Bitch, I'll make your shit hurt, step back like 'I did work'
This ain't no fuckin' game
Whatchu' think I'm playin', till you layin'
In the car in the junkyard decayin'
Mom's at home prayin' that you comin' home
But you not, cause you sittin' up in the trunk
Startin' to rot
And hell is hot, I know because I'm here now Baby
It's goin' down baby
Get the four pound baby and let off up in a nigga
Especially if he think he bigger than my muthafuckin' trigger
Did I, can I get my
Is it on, DMX representin' for one time for the song

[Chorus: Lil Kim]
It's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, help you sleep at night
You'll see the light, it's the key to life
Money, power, and respect, whatchu' need in life
Money, power, and respect, you'll be eatin' right
Money, power, and respect, money, power, and respect
Money, power, and respect

The LOX

US Rap-Group from Yonkers, New York

• Jadakiss

• Styles P