It Ain't Personal

[Intro: Jay-Z]

Man, a nigga once told me like –

"You never know who your true friends until you... ah, umm

Both got a little bit of money

I mean, 'cause y'all both broke

Then there's no strain on the relationship – y'all both broke

And if you got money, and he ain't got no paper

He still needs you, so you'll never know how he really feel about you

When y'all both get some paper – you'll see"

[Chorus: R. Kelly, (Jay-Z)]

We used to get money together, bone honeys together

Pushin' chromed out twinkies in custom Coach leather

You claim it's all love, but, nigga, it's whatever

'Cause this is business, it ain't personal

Same dream, same team, same schemes (Mm)

We even sold to the same damn fiends (How real is that?)

Ain't no rules in this war for this green

This is business, and it ain't personal

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]

Look, I'm a grown man, dawg

And I ain't got time to be runnin' behind y'all

I know when I first started, it was crazy to y'all

"He's gon' start his own label, he'll never be able"

Well, nigga, you've been wrong before

And you'll be wrong again if you bet against him

We move through the hood like identical twins

But it just so happen that a nigga made it rappin'

You showed your true colors, y'all niggas stay yappin'

That don't stop him, a nigga way Platinum

Stop through the hood, to say "what's happenin'?" (Sup, nigga)

Fake hugs (Uh-huh), fake "whassup"

Fake love, fake fuck, fake thugs

Gotta warn myself, 'fore your fake shit, I raise up

Hop in my wheels, and I peel, streets are blazed up (Uh-huh)

About my bid'ness, dawg, y'all niggas stay up – one

[Chorus: R. Kelly]

We used to get money together, phone honeys together

Pushin' chromed out twinkies in custom Coach leather

You claim it's all love, but, nigga, it's whatever

'Cause this is business, it ain't personal

Same dream, same team, same schemes

We even sold to the same damn fiends

Ain't no rules in this war for this green

This is business, and it ain't personal

[Verse 2: R. Kelly]

I wish, I wish – that success, we could all

Get a piece of it (Word), but that ain't real, dawg (No)

'Cause in these streets, it's war – the industry, much more

But rich or poor, I'ma keep it real, my nigga

Invest in chips and watch my money hill get bigger

And do things like, pull up to some clubs

In the skirts with Jigga, and yellin' out "HEY!

What the fuck, pop that Cris', my nigga"

And then he wants to know how many chips I done sold

Well, it ain't y'all business what's behind my doors

But y'all niggas don't appreciate shit

Helped you out and you still actin' like a little bitch

Then you wonder why I put yo' ass in the tenth row

When you asked me for some tickets to my 'TP-2' show

Lawwwwwwd, tell me, why we don't like to see us grow?

[Chorus: R. Kelly]

We used to get money together, phone honeys together

Pushin' chromed out twinkies in custom Coach leather

You claim it's all love, but, nigga, it's whatever

'Cause this is business, it ain't personal

Same dream, same team, same schemes

We even sold to the same damn fiends

Ain't no rules in this war for this green

This is business, and it ain't personal

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]

A-alike (Uh-huh), be alike (That's right)

We don't vibe no more, because we don't see alike

And your mom got it twisted, she think Hov' changed

Nope – Hov's still here like Rogaine

Ask your boy what he did to the whole game

How he jeopardized the whole gang

Now when we see each other, it's so strange

I don't know whether to hug him or slug him (Damn)

I don't know whether to cap him or dap him

I don't know what to think of him, I don't know what's happenin'

But what I do know, all the niggas that you know

Locked up doin' a few doe – but who knows?

Maybe it wasn't you, maybe I'm buggin' too (Right)

But I'm scared, dawg, I don't know what the fuck to do

Do me a favor, place yourself in my shoes

The game – no exceptions, gotta follow the rules

[Chorus: R. Kelly]

We used to get money together, phone honeys together

Pushin' chromed out twinkies in custom Coach leather

You claim it's all love, but, nigga, it's whatever

'Cause this is business, it ain't personal

Same dream, same team, same schemes

We even sold to the same damn fiends

Ain't no rules in this war for this green

This is business, and it ain't personal