Ludacris - Tell It Like It Is Lyrics

[Little Kid:]
Daddy is that your car on TV?

[Ludacris:]
You better belive it is baby. Now go in the other room. Its about to be some grown fokes talkin here, ok...alright

Thangs aint always what they seem or cracked up to be
Like all these fakin ass rappers in this industry
Talkin bout what they got, and they dont got a damn thang
How you own three cars, but you dont own ya own name
Get your business right boys, the first class is in session
Get an entertainment lawyer in the music profession
Start up ya own company, trademark the name
Thats gunna run you bout a grand so start savin ya change
Open a bank account quick, and then follow these steps
Sign yourself to yourself, and start signin ya own checks
Hit the booth and start recordin at the speed of need
Whatever gets ya juices flowin, could be speed or weed
Get it mixed and mastered, pressed up and plastered
Sell it to ya whole hood, out the trunk ya bastard
Show all the non believers what you destined to be
And in just a couple years, you could be rich like me

[Chorus:]
I cant hold my tounge (Ima tell it like it is)
This biz aint all fun (Ima tell it like it is)
Give it to you, straight no taste (Ima tell it like it is)
Look you straight in ya face and Ima tell it like it is
[repeat]

See mostly all ya favorite artists got some serious problems
The money could be the problem but money cant solve 'em
Some get addicted to drugs and flat out lazy
Some taste a little fame and go flat out crazy
Im close cause those close wanna live off my fame
And that type of shit alone will drive a nigga insane
Not to mention all the vultures, the scandaless promoters
Crabs will try to sue ya, magazines will misquote ya
Most of these label heads they dont care nothin about ya
If ya stop sellin records, they'll act like they dont know ya
Its hard mixin business with pleasure, so dont play
Me and my crew argue and fight like every other day
Rappers aint above the law but our life is so fast
That we got a special task force of police on our ass
All that and this really just a start of it
Hip-Hop you really wanna be apart of it

[Chorus x2]

What's worse than havin no money, is havin it and losin it
What's worse than havin some money, is grabbin and abusin it
We never took no money from Chingy, thought i was cool with em
I wish his ass well, but i dont want nothin to do with em
Some don't own they publishin, me i dont fool with em
Im down for my artist, try my best to stay true to em
Cause outside my label, competition is irrelevant
Unless im still in competition with my president
And believe that Im supportin the hova
Cause the industry, Shady it needs to be taken over
But the first rule to accumulation the wealth
Is dont trust nobody but ya goddamn self

[Chorus x2]

[Little Kid:]
Daddy are you finished with grown folk talk?

[Ludacris:]
Yea baby, you can come back in here. You know I love you right?

[Little Kid:]
And i love you always