Dope Man

{*sound of a camera taking a picture*}

[Intro: Serena Altschul (Jay-Z)]

(Millennium flow)

Serena Altschul here, live outside the criminal courthouse

(This is {bullshit} y'all)

In New York City for the first day in the trial of

(I'm gone) {*car speeds off*}

The State vs. Shawn Carter, A.K.A. Jay-Z

(Uhh, uh-huh-uh, uhh, uh-huh-uh, uhh)

Whatever the verdict in this trial may be

The effects will undoubtedly be felt worldwide

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]

Ayo, stand forward, 'fore you take notice

Or witness to me killin' the track

Testify 'til me spillin' the smack

Now they got me for traffickin' – racketeerin' audio crack

They call me Dope Man, Dope Man

I try to tell 'em I'm where hope floats, man

Ghetto spokesman

A broke man, approachin' the bench with intent

To bury me under the cell, fingered me as the toast man

Evidence stemmin' from '96

They say the world ain't recovered from his fix

While they was usin' cut, I was on some other shit

Gave it to you raw and they just discovered it

Nowaday, the jury got they brow raised

Listenin' to testimony about my foul ways

Exhibit A: Reasonable Doubt

They say this was the first thing that turned the peoples out

[Interlude: Serena Altschul]

You can feel the tension building here

As an unprecedented number of people have turned out

For what may be the trial of the century

[Chorus: Jay-Z]

They call me Dope Man, Dope Man

I try to tell 'em I'm where hope floats, man

Ghetto spokesman

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]

"How come you label your brand of dope Vol. 1

And spread it through the slums?

Fed it to the young with total disregard

Your honor, the State seeks the maximum charge

And how could you, turn right around

And release a lethal dosage called Vol. 2?

And is it true you operate the criminal enterprise

Known as Roc-A-Fella, in charge of his meteoric rise?

And do you deny you're responsible for the demise

Of record execs? And do you object –

Your distribution's Polygram, and through your connects, Def Jam

You pushed over five million SoundScan?

And not to mention, your co-horts and henchmen

Dame, Biggs, Lyor, Kev' and Russell Simmons

And we ain't gon' talk about Murder Inc

That just establishes a darker deeper criminal link"

[Interlude: Serena Altschul]

The State is seeking the maximum penalty

And with the overwhelming amount of evidence

The D.A.'s presented, things aren't lookin' good

[Chorus: Jay-Z]

They call me Dope Man, Dope Man

I try to tell 'em I'm where hope floats, man

Ghetto spokesman

[Interlude: Serena Altschul]

Despite the grim outlook at this point

The rapper has been known to emerge triumphant

In the face of adversity

[Chorus: Jay-Z]

They call me Dope Man, Dope Man

I try to tell 'em I'm where hope floats, man

Ghetto spokesman

[Break: Serena Altschul]

Jay-Z is taking the stand

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]

Right hand on the Bible, left hand in the air

Before I spoke one word, made sure my throat was clear

A-hem, I'm a prisoner of circumstance

Frail nigga, I couldn't much work with my hands

But my mind was strong, I grew where you hold your Blacks up

Trap us, expect us not to pick gats up

Where you drop your cracks off by the Mack trucks

Destroy our dreams of lawyers and actors

Keep us spiralin', goin' backwards

At age nine, saw my first hate crime

Blindfolded, expected to walk a straight line

Mind molded, taught to love you and hate mine

Climbed over it, at a early age, Jay shined

Fuck the system, at Lady Justice I blaze nine

Your Honor, I no longer kill my people, I raise mine

The soul of Mumia in this modern day time

[Interlude: Serena Altschul]

While the jury is inside deliberating

Outside, the crowd is frozen with anticipation

[Chorus: Jay-Z]

They call me Dope Man, Dope Man

I try to tell 'em I'm where hope floats, man

Ghetto spokesman

[Outro: Serena Altschul]

Well the verdict has just been announced: NOT GUILTY!

It is complete pandemonium out here!

People are cheerin' and huggin' – there he is

Jay-Z is exiting the courtroom right now

There is a swarm of cameras surrounding him {*camera bulbs flashing*}

And people are just rushin' up to him

Let's try and make our way over there, Jay-Z! Jay-Z!

{*sounds of cameras keep flashing*}