The Mask

[Intro: Wyclef Jean] Have you ever worn the mask? Yeah One-two, one-two [Chorus: Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill & Both] M to the A to the S to the K Put the mask 'pon me face just to make the next day Feds be hawking me, jokers be stalking me I walk the streets and camouflage my identity My posse in the Brooklyn wear the mask My crew in the Jersey wear the mask Stick up kids doing boogie woogie wear the mask Yeah, everybody wear the mask, but how long will it last? (Yo, yo) [Verse 1: Wyclef Jean] I used to work at Burger King, a king taking orders Punching my clock, now I'm wanted by the manager Souping me up, saying, "You're a good worker How would you like a quarter raise, move up to the register? Large in charge, but ya gotta be a spy Come back and tell me who's bagging my fries Gettin' high on company time" Hell no, siree, wrong MC (Wrong MC) Why should I be a spy when you're spying me? And you see what ya thought ya saw but never seen (Bing) Ya missed ya last move, checkmate, crown me king Pulled my .22, pistol-whipped him in his face Hired, now I'm fired, sober, now I'm wired Eyes pitch red but the beat bop my head Hit the streets for relief, I bumped into feds (Oh my God) I got kidnapped, they took me to D.C Had me workin' underground, building missiles for World War III [Chorus: Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill & Both] M to the A to the S to the K Put the mask 'pon me face just to make the next day Brothers be gaming, ladies be claiming I walk the streets and camouflage my identity My posse Uptown wear the mask My crew in the Queens wear the mask Stick up kids with the Tommy Hil' wear the mask Yeah, everybody wear the mask, but how long will it last? [Verse 2: Lauryn Hill] I thought he was the wonder and I was stun-gunned by his lips Taking sips of an Amaretto Sour with a twist Shook my hips to the bassline, this joker grabbed my waistline Puttin' pressure on my spine tryna get L-Boog to wind (Bing) I backed up off him, then I caught him with five fingers to his face I had to put him in his place, this kid's invadin' my space But then I recognized the smile, but I couldn't place the style So many fronts in his mouth, I thought he was the Golden Child Then it hit me, that's Tariq from off the street around my grams I haven't seen him since fifteen when he got booked for doing scams I tried to walk away, but he wouldn't let me leave He ran up quick behind me asking, "Yo, what happened to my nigga Steve?" Steve was like this kid I went with back in grammar school I chuckled, knucklehead, I seen him yesterday, he's cool Busted, "So who you checking for now? Probably some intellectual" I kept the conversation straight, but he kept tryna make it sexual Then his old lady tried to play me, waved her hands up in my face Yo, I told her, "Check your man, 'cause bitch, you acting out of place" (Come on) [Chorus: Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill & Both] M to the A to the S to the K Put the mask 'pon me face just to make the next day Brothers be frontin', then they be runnin' I walk the streets and camouflage my identity My posse in the Bronx wear the mask My crew on the Isle wear the mask Stick up kids rolling in the Omni wear the mask Yeah, everybody wear the mask, but how long will it last? [Verse 3: Pras] Three a.m. in the morning on the boulevard I'm still at large, engaged with my entourage Me and Godfather and a '67 Dodge I stepped out then looked, then post up my guard Searching for my car that was stolen from Scotland Yard (Puerto Ricans got the car) My first instinct was to check the chop shop garage As I rung the bell, someone tapped me on my back I turned around to look, it was a rookie in a mask (What?) He said, "I got a itchin' on my trigger Don't move, nigga, I'm taking you for murder" See cops, got two faces like two laces on my Reeboks My knees knock as I step back for a clear shot (Well, did you shoot him?) Nah, kid, I didn't have the balls That's when I realized I'm bumpin' too much Biggie Smalls [Chorus: Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill & Both] M to the A to the S to the K Put the mask 'pon me face just to make the next day Runners be beefin', cops be thiefin' Brothers be scheming, they should be teaming Jokers be smoking and staying broken Bitches be teasing, their money skeezin' Niggas be creeping, baby mothers be weeping I walk the street and camouflage my identity My posse in the Haiti wear the mask My crew in Jamaica wear the mask Stick up kids bumping "Fu-Gee-La" wear the mask Yeah, everybody wear the mask, but how long will it last? Said (M to the A to the S to the K) [Outro] Yo, man, we just rolled up there, shit was ill, man, it was ill Yo, bullets everywhere, guns, smoke Jokers fallin' off they porches just shootin', straight cowboys, man Straight motherfuckin' cowboys