Notorious BIG Respect Lyrics

Verse 1
~~~~~~~

Nineteen-seventy somethin', n____ I don't sweat the date
My moms is late so I had to plan my escape
out the skins, in this world of fly girls
Tanqueray and Hennessy until I cold hurl
Ten months in this gut, what the f___
I wish moms'd hurry up so I could get buck
wild, juvenile rippin' mics and s___
New York New York, ready for the likes of this, uh
Then came the worst date, May 21st
2:19, that's when my momma water burst
No spouse in the house so she rode for self
to the hospital, to see if she could get a little help
Umbilical cord's wrapped around my neck
I'm seein' my death and I ain't even took my first step
I made it out, I'm bringin' mad joy
The doctor looked and said, "He's gonna be a Bad Boy"

Verse 2
~~~~~~~

Now I'm thirteen, smokin' blunts, makin' cream
On the drug scene, f___ a football team
Riskin' ruptured spleens by the age of sixteen
Hearin' the coach scream at my lifetime dream, I mean
I wanna blow up, stack my dough up
So school I didn't show up, it f___ed my flow up
Mom said that I should grow up and check myself
before I wreck myself, disrespect myself
Put the drugs on the shelf? Nah, couldn't see it
Scarface, King of New York, I wanna be it
Rap was secondary, money was necessary
Until I got incarcerated--kinda scary
C74-Mark 8 set me straight
Not able to move behind the great steel gate
Time to contemplate, d___, where did I fail?
All the money I stacked was all the money for bail

Verse 3
~~~~~~~

Ninety-four, now I explore new horizons
Mama smile when she see me, that's surprisin'
Honeys is tantalizin', they freak all night
Peep duckin' cops on the creep all night
As I open my eyes and realizin' I changed
Not the same deranged child stuck up in the game
And to my n____s livin' street life
Learn to treat life to the best, put stress to rest
Still tote your vest man, n____s be trippin'
In the streets without a gat? Nah, n____ you're slippin'
If I'm pimpin on The F with weed on my breath
Original hustler with the m___ler on the Tec
Respect to the Mac's and the Ac's
To the freaks in the Jeeps, lick shots to my peeps