[Intro]nEast Coast pop a bottle wit y'allnWest Coast pop a bottle wit y'allnTo all the dead beat dads you should find you a jobnYour child is the only person that could promise tomorrownn[Bridge]nI could do what I wanna do, why can't I?nLet a thug get rich, how can I?nI'm watching all of you rappers, don't you realize?nLet's play a game of sharades, who am I?nn[Chorus]nThere have been times in my lifenI've been wondering whynStill somehow I believe we all will survivenn[Verse 1]nGimme the keys to Shyne Po handcuffsnGimme the keys to Lil' Kim handcuffsnGimme the keys to C-Murder handcuffsnSo I could tighten 'em and let the cell slam shutnGangsta rapper, it's time to man upn'Fore I tighten your handcuffsnCause they all make songs about killing eachothernWhen I bring 'em in for questioning they all squeal on eachothernYou stick a needle deep in your skin and carve it wit inknYou call it tattoo, I call it the mark of the beastnWe identify criminals who rob on the streetsnBy scars or tattoos don't you bother to think?nThey blame me for Biggie murder, but the case died outnSo now that's for me to know and for you to find outnI got the industry on lock and keynWho am I?nI'm the hip-hop policenn[Bridge]nI could do what I wanna do, why can't I?nLet a thug get rich, how can I?nI'm watching all of you rappers, don't you realize?nLet's play a game of sharades, who am I?nn[Chorus]nThere have been times in my lifenI've been wondering whynStill somehow I believe we all will survivenn[Verse 2]nGimme the keys to Beanie Sigel handcuffsnGimme the keys to Irv Gotti handcuffsnGimme the keys to Snoop Dogg handcuffsnHe got acquitted, he lucked upnThey makin' more money than me, damn rap starsnPull Jigga over maybe there's a gun in his carnTook a sexy young lady wit a push-up branGot her to frame Mystikal, he ain't rape that broadnMade an example out of Kim, Chi Ali and ShynenTony Yayo on parole, he owe me some timenTake the gangsta out of rap, that's said to deceive younWhat I'm trying to do is make hip-hop illegalnThey blame me for Pac murder, but the case died outnSo now that's for me to know and for you to find outnI got the industry on lock and keynWho am I?nI'm the hip-hop policenn[Bridge]nI could do what I wanna do, why can't I?nLet a thug get rich, how can I?nI'm watching all of you rappers, don't you realize?nLet's play a game of sharades, who am I?nn[Chorus]nThere have been times in my lifenI've been wondering whynStill somehow I believe we all will survivenn[Verse 3]nCan you recognize a cop when his clothes is plain?nYou gotta identify him it's like a game of sharadesnTake a loan from a bank, I'm borrowing moneynI take a loan from my homey's, I'm laundering moneynCalled the narcotic cops when I sold my dimesnCalled the gun boys on me when I toted my ninenNow I hold a microphone is you out of your mind?nHip-hop police is hip-hop a crime?nFreedom of speech y'all think so evilnRather give freedom to my speech than give freedom to my peoplenInstead of watching us you should of watched Ground ZeronSchwarzenegger killing in movies but he a heronTo all of the rappers we gotta stay in cognitonTo do it our way like CarlitonCause they want us thinking their waynIf everybody lived their life the same waynWe'd all meet our makers the same daynn[Bridge]nI could do what I wanna do, why can't I?nLet a thug get rich, how can I?nI'm watching all of you rappers, don't you realize?nLet's play a game of sharades, who am I?nn[Chorus]nThere have been times in my lifenI've been wondering whynStill somehow I believe we all will survive