A Week Ago

[Intro: Jay-Z & Too $hort]

Uh-huh

That's right

It was all good just a week ago

Uh-huh-uh, it was all good just a week ago

Last week I had everything

Uh, uh-huh-uh, had this all good just a week ago

I had the money... had the cars, the bitches

Uh-huh, yeah, it was all good just a week ago

And the jewelry...

And then my motherfuckin' niggas started snitchin'

Uh-huh, uh uh, yo, yo

Beatch!

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]

Growin' up in the hood, just my dog and me

We used to hustle in the hood, for all to see

Problems–I called on him, he called on me

We wasn't quite partners, I hit him off my P

Let him unlock doors off my keys

Yeah, we spoke, much more than cordially

Man, he broke bread with me, my business spread swiftly

The Feds came to get me, we both fled quickly

Wasn't quick enough to jump over the hedges with me

Got caught, and that's when our relationship strayed

Used to call me from the joint, 'til he ran out of change

And when he called collect and I heard his name –

I quickly accepted, but when I reached the phone

He's talkin' reckless, I can sense deceit in his tone

I said, "Damn, dog! What, nine weeks and you're home?"

He said, "Main man, you think shit's sweet 'cause you're home"

I just sat, spat no more speech in the phone

Them crackers up there bleachin' your dome

You're reachin' – I said, "The world don't stop, I got to keep, keep on"

From there, I sensed the beef was on

I ran to the spy store to add some more features on my phone

To see if I had bugs and leeches on my phone

Can't be too safe, ‘cause niggas is two-faced

And they show the other side, when they catch a new case

It's on

[Chorus: Too $hort & Jay-Z]

It was cool when you had hella weed to smoke

And you bought a new home, where you could keep the folks

I don't see how this side of you could be provoked

Uh-huh, uh-huh, it was all good just a week ago

Funny what seven days can change

A stand up nigga, now you sit down to aim

Used to have a firm grip, now you dropping names

It was all good just a week ago

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]

Like I put the toast to your head and made you sell

We both came in this game, blind as hell

I did a little better, had more clientele

Told you "put away some cheddar," now you cryin' for bail

Seventeen, and I'm holdin' on to around a mill'

I could bail out, blow trial, and come around on appeal

Had niggas thinkin' I was from Uptown for real

I had so much hustle, plus I was down to ill

Like a Brooklyn nigga, straight out of Brownsville

Down and dirty, down to fight to round 30

Freezin' on them corners, still holdin' my crack

Lookin' up and down the block, "the fuck is the dough at?"

Came from flat broke to lettin' the dough stack

You tell them Feds I said, "I'm never going back"

I'm from Marcy, and Marcy don't raise no rats

You know the consequences of your acts, you can't be serious

[Chorus: Too $hort & Jay-Z]

It was cool when you had hella weed to smoke

And you bought a new home where you could keep the folks

I don't see how this side of you could be provoked

Uh-huh, uh-huh, it was all good just a week ago

Funny what seven days can change

A stand up nigga, now you sit down to aim

Used to have a firm grip, now you dropping names

Shit was all good just a week ago

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]

The lawyer I retained you, said you leakin' some things

All this after a week in the bing

I'm mad at myself, 'cause I didn't spot the weakling

I would've bet the house you wouldn't speak a thing

Nigga, this was the oath – to the top or broke

Even pricked our finger, anything that got between us

We supposed to cock the ninas – what happened to that?

Instead you copped out to a misdemeanor

Fuck it, the same thing make you laugh, make you cry (That's right)

The same game that make you math could make you die

(That's life) It's a dice game, and sometimes you crap

Who would've thought you'd get popped one time and rat?

Now you know that's bad when your sister is mad

And your son gotta grow up, like, "This is my dad?"

The labeling of a snitch is a lifetime scar

You'll always be in jail, nigga, just minus the bars

[Chorus: Too $hort & Jay-Z]

It was cool when you had hella weed to smoke

And you bought a new home where you could keep the folks

I don't see how this side of you could be provoked

Uh-huh, uh-huh, it was all good just a week ago

Funny what seven days can change

A stand up nigga, now you sit down to aim

Used to have a firm grip, now you dropping names

It was all good just a week ago

[Outro: Too $hort & Jay-Z]

Shit is crazy, man

All these niggas out here snitchin'

We was one step away from takin' this crack money

And recyclin' it through the ghettos

And buildin' back up our own hoods

Now all you niggas start snitchin' on each other

I got partners doin' 15-20

Wouldn'ta been doin' shit

If you didn't snitch, beatch!

It's about time y'all check that shit out, man

It ain't all good, shut your mouth

Just watch the game

And don't snitch

We'd sure go a lot whole further

Believe that, baby

Jay-Z, Short Dawg's in the house, mane

You know I got it

Got it goin' on

We got the money

Ain't got nuthin' to do with crime, baby

But I'm recognizin'

You rat bastard!