Show Business
A Tribe Called Quest

Let me tell you 'bout the snakes, the fakes, the lies

The highs at all of these industry shing-dings

Where you see the pretty girls

In the high animated world


Checkin' for a rapper with all the dough

If you take a shit, they want to know

And if you're gonna fall, they won't be around, y'all


So you still wanna do the show business?

And you think that you got what it takes?

I mean you really gotta rap and be all that

And prepare yourself for the breaks, check it out


Do you wanna be in the business? The business

The ups and downs with the hoes, the business

Always gettin' fronted on at shows, the business

People gotta stick their nose in the business


Yo, I gotta speak on the cesspool

It's the rap industry and it ain't that cool

Only if you're on stage or if you're speakin' to your people

Ain't no-one your equal


Especially on the industry side

Don't let the games just glide

Right through your fingers, you gotta know the deal

So Lord Jamar speak because you're real


They're givin' you the business and puttin' on a show

You're a million dollar man, that ain't got no dough

But you got a ho tickets, backstage to a show

Sedated and at that fact they elated


Time pass and your ass say, Where's my loot?

The reply is a kick in the ass from a leg and a boot

All you wanna do is taste the fruit

But in the back they're makin' fruit juice


You ask for slack and wanna get cut loose from the label

Not able 'cause you signed at the table

For a pretty cash advance, now they got a song and dance

That you didn't recoup, more soup wit' ya meal?

'Cause this is the real when you get a record deal and I say


Aw, shucks, look what the cat hauled in

It's Phife Dawg from A Tribe Called Quest, let me begin

Like Chuck D, I got so much trouble on my mind

'Bout these no-talent artists gettin' signed, they can't rhyme


And if that ain't bad, you got bootleggers

Goin' out like suckers, motherfuckers

Feel it's time that I let loose the lion

And if not that then I'll commence to head flyin'


Seems in '91 everybody want a rhyme

And then you go and sell my tape for only dollar 5.99

Please nigga, I've worked too hard for this

No more will I take the booty end of the stick


Bogus brothers makin' albums, when they know they can't hack it

'Cause they lyrics is played like 8-Ball jackets

Now tell me, I can't tear it up

Go get yourself some toilet paper 'cause your lyrics is butt


Do you wanna be in the business? The business

People can't walk a straight line in the business

Some of these brothers can't rhyme in the business

Aiyo, I'm tryna get mine, the business


The party scene is cool but then again it's all the same

You see the same faces but at different places

When you're up and ridin' high, everything is palsy-palsy

Get a million pounds and all the skins give you hugs


Well, that's cool, I can dig it, it really ain't my bag

Prefer to max on the side and let my pants sag

Oh, he's a cutie, yeah, real cute

But I wasn't that cute when I didn't have no loot


Although I hit a pound of herbs, I'm still nice with the verbs

So fuck what you heard

The born cipher, cipher master makes me think much faster

But critics still continue to plaster


My name and discredit my fame

All that shit is game

And I don't really give a damn

Eat from the tree of life and throw away the verbal ham


Well, excuse me, I gotta add my two cents in

Don't be alarmed, the rhyme was condensed in

A matter of minutes, so it must be told

All that glitters' not gold


Everybody wants a deal, help me make a demo

See my name in bright lights, ride around in a limo

My moms keeps beefin', ‽Boy, get a job

But I wanna make jams, damn, I know I'll slam


Huh, well it's not that easy

You gotta get a label that's willin' and able

To market and promote and you better hope

For what? That the product is dope


Take it from Diamond, it's like mountain climbin'

When it comes to rhymin', you gotta put your time in

Get a good lawyer, so problems won't pile

You don't wanna make a pitch that's wild


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Lyrics by A Tribe Called Quest

  1nce Again   4 Moms   8 Million Stories   After Hours   Against The World   Asses Don't Want This   Award Tour   Award Tour [Instrumental]   Award Tour [LP Version]   Award Tour [Radio Version]   Baby Phife's Return   Black Spasmodic   Bonita Applebum   Bonita Applebum (Hootie Mix)   Bonita Applebum (Pharrell Remix)   Bonita Applebum [Hootie Mix]   Buggin Out   Buggin' Out   Buggin' Out   Busta's Lament   Butter   Can I Kick It   Can I Kick It (J. Cole Remix)   Can I Kick It?   Chase, Pt 2   Check The Rhime   Check The Rhyme   Clap Your Hands   Common Ground   Common Ground (Get It Goin' On)   Common Ground (get It Going On)   Conrad Tokyo   Crew   Da Booty   Description of a Fool   Electric Relaxation   Electric Relaxation [Properly Related Mix]   Enough!!   Everything Is Fair   Excursions   Find a Way   Find a Way [Instrumental]   Find Away   Find My Way   Footprint   Footprints   Footprints (Remix)   Get a Hold   Give Me   Glamour & Glitz   Glamour And Glitz   Glamour and Glitz [From the Show Is on]   Go Ahead In the Rain   God Lives Through   Ham 'N' Eggs   Ham N' Eggs   Hey   His Name Is Mutty Ranks   Hot 4 U   Hot Sex   Hot Sex [*]   Hot Sex [Instrumental]   I Left My Wallet in El Segundo   I Left My Wallet In El Segundo (Feature Length)   If the Papes Come   It's Yours   Jam   Jazz   Jazz   Jazz (we Got The...)   Jazz (We've Got...)(Re-recording)   Jazz (We've Got)   Jazz (We've Got) (Re-recording)   Jazz (We've Got) [Re-Recording][Version]   Jazz [Re-Recorded]   Keep It Moving   Keep It Rollin'   Keeping It Moving   Kids   Left My Wallet In El Segundo   Like It Like That   Luck of Lucien   Lyrics to Go   Lyrics To Go (Tumblin' Dice Remix)   Lyrics to Go [Tumblin' Dice Remix]   Mardi Gras At Midnight   Melatonin   Midnight   Midnight Marauders Tour Guide   Mind Power   Money Maker   Money Maker [*]   Motivators   Movin Backwards   Mr Incognito   Mr. Incognito   Mr. Muhammad   Obey Your Thirst/underground   Oh My God   Oh My God (Remix)   Oh My God [Remix]   Oh My God [Remix][*]   Once Again   One Two S**t   One Two S**t [*]   One Two Shit   One, Two, Shit (Featuring Busta Rhymes)   Pad & Pen   Pad & Pen (album Version) (feat. D-Life)   Pad & Pen   Pad and Pen   Pad Pen   Peace, Prosperity & Paper   Peace, Prosperity And Paper   Phony Rappers   Pubic Enemy   Public Enemy   Push It Along   Rap Promoter   Rhythm   Rhythm (Devoted to the Art of Moving Butts)   Rock Rock Y'all   Rumble In The Jungle   Same Ol' Thing   Scenario   Scenario (Remix)   Scenario [LP Version]   Scenario [Remix][*]   Separate/Together   Seperate/together   Seperate\/together   SeperateTogether   Shaheed   Shaheed :   Shaheed:   Show Buisness   Skypager   Solid Wall Of Sound   Start It Up   Steppin' It Up   Steve Biko   Steve Biko (Stir It Up)   Stressed Out   Stressed Out - Bjork's Say Dip Mix   Stressed Out [Baby Phife Version: Full]   Sucka N***A   Sucka Nigga   The Chase Pt. Ii   The Chase, Part II   The Donald   The Hop   The Infamous Date Rape   The Killing Season   The Love   The Low End Theory   The Night He Got Caught   The Pressure   The Remedy   To Go   Verses from the Abstract   Vibes and Stuff   Vivrant Thing   We Can Get Down   We The People   What Really Goes On   What?   Wild Hot   Word Play   Youthful Expression

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