[Little Kid:]
Daddy is that your car on TV?
[Ludacris:]
You better believe it is baby. Now go in the other room.
It's about to be some grown folks talkin' here, ok...alright
Thangs ain't always what they seem or cracked up to be
Like all these faking a** rappers in this industry
Talkin' bout what they got, and they don't got a damn thing
How you own three cars, but you don't own ya own name
Get your business right boys, the first class is in session
Get an entertainment lawyer in the music profession
Start up ya own company, trademark the name
That's goin' run you bout a grand so start savin ya change
Open a bank account quick, and then follow these steps
Sign yourself to yourself, and start signin ya own checks
Hit the booth and start recordin at the speed of need
Whatever gets ya juices flowin, could be speed or weed
Get it mixed and mastered, pressed up and plastered
Sell it to ya whole hood, out the trunk ya bastard
Show all the non believers what you destined to be
And in just a couple years, you could be rich like me
[Chorus: x2]
I can't hold my tongue (I'm a tell it like it is)
This biz ain't all fun (I'm a tell it like it is)
Give it to you, straight no taste (I'm a tell it like it is)
Look you straight in ya face and I'm a tell it like it is
See mostly all ya favorite artists got some serious problems
The money could be the problem but money can't solve 'em
Some get addicted to drugs and flat out lazy
Some taste a little fame and go flat out crazy
I'm close cause those close wanna live off my fame
And that type of s*** alone will drive a n**** insane
Not to mention all the vultures, the scandalous promoters
Crabs will try to sue ya, magazines will misquote ya
Most of these label heads they don't care nothin' about ya
If ya stop sellin' records, they'll act like they don't know ya
Its hard mixin' business with pleasure, so don't play
Me and my crew argue and fight like every other day
Rappers ain't above the law but our life is so fast
That we got a special task force of police on our a**
All that and this really just a start of it
Hip-Hop you really wanna be apart of it
[Chorus x2]
What's worse than havin' no money, is havin' it and losin' it
What's worse than havin' some money, is grabbin' and abusin' it
We never took no money from Chingy, thought I was cool with em
I wish his a** well, but I don't want nothin' to do with em
Some don't own they publishin', me I don't fool with em
I'm down for my artist, try my best to stay true to em
'Cause outside my label, competition is irrelevant
Unless I'm still in competition with my president
And believe that I'm supportin' the hova
Cause the industry, Shady it needs to be taken over
But the first rule to accumulation the wealth
Is don't trust nobody but ya goddamn self
[Chorus x2]
[Little Kid:]
Daddy are you finished with grown folk talk?
[Ludacris]
Yea baby, you can come back in here. Come give daddy a kiss. You know I love you right?
[Little Kid:]
And I love you always
---
Tell It Like It Is - Ludacris
