Tape Money
All I wanted was that tape money, stealin' quarters from my mother's jars
Buyin' tapes I would play inside my older homies' cars
All my Walkmans that I owned, I would play 'em 'til they broke
And when my batteries died, I'd steal 'em out from her remotes
Reading liner notes, pockets full inside my Starter coat
We would dub each other's shit when we was kids, we was broke
I had that Ice Cube, lookin' at them shirts you could order
But had no check or credit card, just that bag of stolen quarters
Just that bag of stolen quarters, just that - never fuck with bootlegs
That 36 Chambers transformed us all into Wu heads
Christina was the first to show me, I was in shock
Hieroglyphics in '93 had my Walkman on lock
The blue cassette for '93 Til, Illmatic of course
Even that dude who looked like Redman in the back of The Source
We did that surgery, fixed it when them tapes would unravel
Remember Juice and Supernatural, I had tapes of that battle
And every girl who I sweated, I would make 'em special blends
Or play 'em Bitches Ain't Shit, if they just wanna be friends
Every second of my collection's like my life in reflection
Pressin' record to start the session, Bucktown by Smif-N-Wessun
I know to you, it might sound strange
But day after day, I'm stayin' locked up in my room
(Playin' tapes)
Yo, maxi-singles, cassingles, remixes you ain't up on
The Jodeci and Mary J when tryin' to get my fuck on
Soon as I nutted bumped that Biggie Unbelievable
I played Sobb Story before I purchased my first vehicle
Nas killed it with Halftime, Anton was on the bass strings
Covers painted visuals, peace to Danny Hastings
I used to switch the cases if the plastic got cracked
It all depends if it was classic or wack
When Amy asked me what cassette to buy her brother I said GZA
Then I stole it, sh-shhh-shhh-ahh-ah - she didn't even know it
The bass boost button bumpin' that boom bap I was buggin'
I lost the Walkman that I dropped when someone started buckin'
Back in Harlem on One Two Fifth I was too swift then I jetted
I said I'm goin' back, Mike said Nah forget it
When Show and A was droppin' Goodfellas I was a freshman
But I didn't dress as fresh then I was broke and I was stressin'
Like Crush Kill Destroy Stress
That muthafuckin' album was the best, I was blessed
And now I hear a lot of rappers who rap like they ain't hungry
Or like they never, n-n-never needed tape money
I know to you, it might sound strange
But day after day, I'm stayin' locked up in my room
(Playin' tapes)