I Paid My Dues Lyrics - Singles - Rappin' 4-tay

Testing one, two, three, four 

Rapping 4-tay, Rag Top records, nineteen-ninety-six 

West up, let's do this 

Yeah 4, you done finally got that parole call 

Yeah man, that was long coming trying get that, man 

I understand that 4, but a lot of people don't know 

What you've done been through bro' 

Man, a brother done been in this rap game for ten years, man 

I've been from hell and back, you know Frank 

But what's gon' have to do 

Is lay it down and lace it up like a shoestring 

Okay, like this here 

Allow me to take you back down memory lane 

When a player was so young in this rap game 

Yeah, if you had a fight you best to knock a sucker out 

Because moms wouldn't about to let you in the house 

Yeah, we had to throw em' in the days 

Didn't have glock, never seen a twelve gauge 

Wasn't no banging n' gang affiliated deaths 

Brother had to go to school in the days to get a rep 

Always wanted to bust a gang of these raps 

And be the first player to put Frisco on the map 

So add this to the list of them hits that be knocking for the new year 

I'ma vet in this rapping industry, you wet behind the ear 

Shit, I even caught the San Quinton blues 

Used to rock that motherfucker every night, I paid my dues 

I talked the talk, but now I'm walking the walk 

What up, fool, huh yeah, yeah, what, what 

I'm from the west but I don't ride the saddle 

Used to do a lot of battle 

But you money are make your trunk rattle 

Ever since the solar system, boys clubbing house parties 

Rap contests at Booker T'S, man it was everybody 

Snatching it taking it swoop on stuff all the way home 

Once me and O' hit the jets, man we was gone 

Up the stairs to the vacant house, that's we're we practice at 

We didn't have a studio so man we had to work with that 

No reel to reels, no mic, just the radio 

Paper and oen and I was in, the heart of the ghetto 

Trying to pursue my dream, trying to make things right 

I posted up at other people's shows begging to get the mic 

I was kicking down doors, posted up, like the 49 years 

All I wanted to do was bust a rap before the headliners 

They pushed me to the left, I said alright, that's cool 

Now you call my booking agent, everyday, I paid my dues 

I talked the talk, but now I'm walking the walk 

What up, fool, huh yeah, yeah, what, what 

The difference is you're talking about the game you see I'm living in 

And all my folks R.I.P, I'LL see you in a minute 

Before I cut I got's to shock it 'cause I'm still pissed 

For my mistakes, court dates and the time I missed 

A lot of deputies in correctional facilities 

I kept they ass up all night, but now they feeling me 

From banging on the walls and busting raps off the top ten 

Bet you never though I be the entertainer of the year 

But why not, 'cause I've got, what it takes to represent 

Crowd could be a hundred thousand, I'm never hesitant 

Just ask Franky J. to drop me an old school beat 

Them funky instrumentals kept me of the streets 

They kept me motivated, I was always underrated 

I bet my real folks wasn't surprised when I made it 

Plus I gave them digits back to the parole board 

So now I'm cool, I'd been paid my dues 

I talked the talk, but now I'm walking the walk 

What up, fool, huh yeah, yeah, what, what