Who Pt. 1 * lyrics

* Amalgam Digital download bonus track

[Intro - Joe Budden - talking] (*echo*)
I mean a (yeah)
I'm doin all these interviews (cheah)
Everybody (Jump Off!) want to know what I think of the state of hip hop
(uh)
Whether I think it's dead or not (uh)
Question ain't whether it's dead (uh)
It's more like (it's)
It's more like who killed it? (it's, it's what?)
(It's that On Top Music!)
Now look, look, look

[Verse 1 - Joe Budden]
Can anybody pinpoint the day it went wrong?
I mean I used to blame reggaetn
I can't front, I thought all that was corny
(I can't front, I thought all that was corny)
Was it Ja's fault? Lil' Mo said she ain't get paid for +Put It On Me+
(She ain't get paid for +Put It On Me+)
Look, bring it up and dudes get on some coy shit (or)
Was it T-Pain with that funny voice shit? (or)
or was it Lil Wayne with that funny voice shit?
The whole game did growed that funny voice shit
(The whole game did growed that funny voice shit)
I can't tell when it happened
Was it when Lil Jon showed dudes you could sell without rapping?
Was it +Laffy Taffy+? I thought they was kiddin
Shawty Lo said +Dey Know+ (Dey Know), I really didn't (naw)
Dancin became cool again, then came +Walk It Out+
But I ain't know what the fuck niggaz was talkin about
(But I ain't know what the fuck niggaz was talkin about)
Unit kicked Game out, they ain't give a fuck
Then we seen the same shit happen to Buck (Buck)
It was a few years ago but I remember the summer (what happened?)
50 made fans start lookin at the numbers (oh)
A&R's won't take risks, they won't sign niggaz
The word 'swag' come out, started to blind niggaz (started to blind niggaz)
Rap dudes want reality shows
And my dumb ass is thinkin that reality's soul
Did it start with the iPod
Or when rappers had to pay DJs for them to do they job? (do they job)
I mean all the content is the same, it won't differ (it won't differ)
Everybody sold some drugs or pulled triggers (or pulled triggers)
More you think about it, you gon' just get sicker
And why the fuck would Nas want to call his shit "Nigger?" (Nigger!)
Was it when the Wu broke up?
Pac, Big Pun, went to sleep, never woke up
Lupe was doin a tribute and choked up
And some of these stupid ass fans like - "so what?" (like so what?)
Some of them they ain't educated
And fuck blamin the south, we ain't segregated
I mean (nigga), was all good around the 'Kiss and Beans shit
Take a left turn around the 'Kiss and Green shit (around the 'Kiss and Green shit)
Maybe it all started, when Roc-A-Fella parted
Wait, (is it?) is it natural to shift toward fame? (is it?)
I watched every last one of dudes shit on Dame
Kind of got that in common, I could dig that pain
When they gave Jay a desk and suit
They finally gave a rapper a chance to come execute
But something told me the suits at the tables was hurtin
They fired everybody, labels started mergin
(They fired everybody, labels started mergin)
As far as sales, the decline is strong
Ask the experts, they'll say that the climate's wrong
(They'll say that the climate's wrong, I mean)
I mean, some niggaz' primes is gone
I peeped it when niggaz started puttin fake diamonds on (oh)
You could tell a dude, "I spit better than you"
But then, he'll say I'm richer for whatever I do (come on)
I seen all this comin, I knew what we was in for
Back when Erick Sermon had jumped out of the window (oh)
Was it when Mase retired and couldn't hack it?
T.I.P. could, he just needed some more ratchets (just needed some more ratchets)
DJs, producers, one's that get us the farthest
Said "fuck rappers!" and they became the artists
I got to talk candid
Did we start havin issues around the same time Jimmy and Cam did? (oh)
Was it when Chingy thought he ain't need Ludacris?
His next album found out that that was ludicrous (ludicrous!)
Papoose and Clipse both survived
Inkin with Jive, then gettin jived
Your man J-Hood repped that D-Block gang
Then I seen dude draggin his D-Block chain
Or did one hit wonders change it all along?
They made labels only want to sign a dude's song
And you really don't know shit
If you think the fans pick the videos on "106" (nigga) D
I'm just statin the truth
Did it start when Fox stayed in the news more than she did the booth? (oh)
Or was it when Lil' Kim stopped exploitin sex?
The fuck is up with DMX?
I hope dude straight (dude straight)
Have an opinion and they gon' say you hate (you hate)
I can't front, I'm missin the old Clue tapes (oh)
The underground sunk further
The Feds was on Irv, so the Inc. dropped Murder
I never blamed Fab, Jeezy, Rick Ross (naw)
Did shit get lost when Shyne went up north? (naw)
I never understand the hip hop police
When hip hop is what hip hop needs to police! (hip hop needs to police nigga!)
These blatant ass radio attempts sound so bland (oh!)
Twista kept tryin to recreate +Slow Jamz+ (nigga!)
Did we send the wrong message with our slang?
There's broke niggaz blowin their rent to "make it rain"
So you walk in, give a bitch a few twenties
And she'll smirk her face up, lookin at you funny (you funny)
This chick told me she only take new money
Man I snatched my shit back so fast (man I snatched my shit back so fast)
Or did it start when rappers said "fuck it!"
Sacrificed music, started rapin their budget (whoa)
Nothin wrong with dudes being candy or pop
Somethin was wrong when Joc did the +Candy Shop+ (fuck is wrong with him?)
We buyin our own records, maybe no one's to blame
Are we a business that we can't afford to maintain?
The second week show that boy's numbers ain't high
I hate to break it to you, numbers always lie
Or when Ortiz signed to Aftermath
And now he's feelin the aftermath (my nigga)
Was it Fight Club fuckin with them battle raps?
But not too many of 'em gettin signed after that (signed after that)
I mean, some can't stay afloat
A million Busta albums, he still not mention with the G.O.A.T. (nope)
Fuck lookin for answers, time'll tell
Was it when Def Jam didn't want to resign L?
A fifteen year old told me Cass was ass
But rather than spaz, all dude could do was laugh (whoa)
Or was it when the whole east coast fell off
Or got comfortable, maybe dudes was to well off (maybe dudes was to well off)
The more niggaz said that they ain't write down lyrics
The more it started to sound like they didn't
But do whatever you can to keep the lights on
But dumbin down just became the new Dylan
Honestly I ain't know what to think
A few years ago, we had the young kids wearin pink
I can't blame the fans for not knowin a damn thing
When we trained 'em to be this way
I mean showed 'em whatever to sell with no limits
Since the early '90's sold 'em a false image
So when some shit come that don't fit the mold
It's like a mole (it's like a mole), nigga you won't even do gold (nigga)
They watch the videos
See you on the corner with a whole bunch of people and think that you hood
(and think that you hood)
They turn on the TV, see these video bitches
And they think niggaz' girls really look that good (really look that good)
I mean they give so many free verses
When the album drops, shit's more like a bonus (more like a bonus)
Why pay for it, why take onus?
With one click of a mouse, they could own it (oh)
I mean some of them are fooled so easily
By whatever we say or we show 'em on TV (we say or we show 'em on TV)
But that was all part of the plan
Or was it when Eminem made +Stan+
I swear some of these fans (I swear some of these fans)
They put they whole life on the line
It's like they can't like more than one rapper at a time
Less about the product, more about the digits, it's a business (*fades out*)