Videyo Clip
Lyrics
I once knew a nigga whose real name was William
– Mwen te konnen Yon nèg yon fwa Ki gen non Reyèl Te William
His primary concern was makin’ a million
– Pwensipal enkyetid li te fè yon milyon
Bein’ the illest hustler that the world ever seen
– Se pi move hustler ke mond lan te janm wè
He used to fuck movie stars and sniff coke in his dreams
– Li te konn fè sèks ak zetwal sinema ak sniff coke nan rèv li
A corrupted young mind at the age of 13
– Yon lespri jèn ki koripsyon nan laj 13 an
Nigga never had a father and his mom was a fiend
– Nèg pa janm te gen yon papa ak manman l ‘ te yon demon
She put the pipe down, but for every year she was sober
– Li te mete tiyo a desann, men pou chak ane li te sobri
Her son’s heart simultaneously grew colder
– Kè pitit gason l lan te vin pi frèt an menm tan
He started hangin’ out, sellin’ bags in the projects
– Li te kòmanse pandye deyò, vann sak nan pwojè yo
Checkin’ the young chicks, lookin’ for hit-and-run prospects
– Tcheke young chicks yo, kap chèche kandida pou frape-ak-kouri
He was fascinated by material objects
– Li te fasine pa objè materyèl
But he understood money never bought respect
– Men li te konprann lajan pa janm achte respè
He built a reputation, ’cause he could hustle and steal
– Li te bati yon repitasyon, paske li te kapab prese ak vòlè
But got locked once and didn’t hesitate to squeal
– Men te fèmen yon fwa epi yo pa ezite kriye
So criminals he chilled with didn’t think he was real
– Se konsa kriminèl li te frèt ak pa t panse li te reyèl
You see, me and niggas like this have never been equal
– Ou wè, mwen menm ak nèg tankou sa a pa janm te egal
I don’t project my insecurities on other people
– Mwen pa pwojeksyon ensekirite mwen sou lòt moun
He fiended for props like addicts with pipes and needles
– Li te pran swen pou rekòt tankou dejwe ak tiyo ak zegwi
And so he felt he had to prove to everyone he was evil
– Se konsa li te santi li te gen pou pwouve tout moun li te mal
A feeble-minded young man with infinite potential
– Yon jèn gason ki gen yon lespri fèb ki gen potansyèl enfini
The product of a ghetto-bred capitalistic mental
– Pwodwi yon ghetto-ede kapitalis mantal
Coincidentally dropped out of school to sell weed
– Koinidans te kite lekòl pou vann zèb
Dancin’ with the Devil, smoked until his eyes would bleed
– Danse ak Dyab la, fimen jiskaske je l ‘ ta san
But he was sick of sellin’ trees and gave in to his greed
– Men, li te malad nan vann pyebwa ak bay nan lakonplisite l ‘ yo
Everyone tryin’ to be trife, never face the consequences
– Tout moun ap eseye pou yo trife, pa janm fè fas a konsekans yo
You probably only did a month for minor offenses
– Ou pwobableman te fè sèlman yon mwa pou ofans minè
Ask a nigga doin’ life if he had another chance
– Mande yon nèg fè lavi si li te gen yon lòt chans
But then again, there’s always the wicked that knew in advance
– Men, ankò, toujou gen mechan ki te konnen davans
Dance forever with the Devil on a cold cell block
– Danse pou tout tan ak Dyab la sou yon blòk selil frèt
But that’s what happens when you rape, murder, and sell rock
– Men, sa se sa ki rive lè ou vyole, touye moun, ak vann wòch
Devils used to be God’s angels that fell from the top
– Dyab yo te konn zanj Bondye ki te tonbe nan tèt La
There’s no diversity because we’re burnin’ in the melting pot
– Pa gen okenn divèsite paske nou ap boule nan chodyè a k ap fonn
So Billy started robbin’ niggas, anything he could do
– Se konsa Billy te kòmanse robbin’ neg, anyen li te kapab fè
To get his respect back in the eyes of his crew
– Pou jwenn respè l ‘ tounen nan je yo nan ekipaj li
Startin’ fights over little shit up on the block
– Kòmanse batay sou ti kras shit moute sou blòk la
Stepped up to sellin’ mothers and brothers the crack rock
– Li te vin vann manman ak frè the crack rock
Workin’ overtime for makin’ money for the crack spot
– Travay depase tan pou fè lajan pou plas la krak
Hit the jackpot and wanted to move up to cocaine
– Frape jackpot la e te vle pou avanse pou pi pou kokayin
Fulfillin’ the Scarface fantasy stuck in his brain
– Ranpli fantasy Scarface la kole nan sèvo l
Tired of the block niggas treatin’ him the same
– Fatige nan nèg yo blòk trete l ‘ menm bagay la tou
He wanted to be major like the cut throats and the thugs
– Li te vle yo dwe majò tankou gòj yo koupe ak bandi yo
But when he tried to step to ’em, niggas showed him no love
– Men, lè li te eseye etap nan ’em, nèg te montre l’ pa gen okenn renmen
They told him any motherfuckin’ coward can sell drugs
– Yo te di l nenpòt ki motherfuckin ‘ kouraj ka vann dwòg
Any bitch nigga with a gun can bust slugs
– Nenpòt nèg bitch ak yon zam ka kraze slugs
Any nigga with a red shirt can front like a Blood
– Nenpòt nèg ki gen yon chemiz wouj ka devan tankou Yon San
Even Puffy smoked a motherfucker up in the club
– Menm Puffy fimen yon motherfucker moute nan klib la
But only a real thug can stab someone ’til they die
– Men, se sèlman yon bandi reyèl ka kouto yon moun ‘ jiskaske yo mouri
Standin’ in front of them, starin’ straight into their eyes
– Kanpe devan yo, gade dwat nan je yo
Billy realized that these men were well-guarded
– Billy te reyalize mesye sa yo te byen veye
And they wanted to test him before business started
– Epi yo te vle teste l anvan biznis te kòmanse
Suggested rapin’ a bitch to prove he was cold-hearted
– Sijere rapin ‘ yon ti fi pou pwouve li te frèt-kè
So now he had a choice between goin’ back to his life
– Se konsa, kounye a li te gen yon chwa ant ale tounen nan lavi l’
Or makin’ money with made men up in the cyph’
– Oswa fè ‘lajan ak moun te fè moute nan cyph la’
His dreams about cars and ice made him agree
– Rèv li sou machin ak glas te fè l dakò
A hardcore nigga is all he ever wanted to be
– Yon nèg hardcore se tout li te janm vle yo dwe
And so he met them Friday night at a quarter to three
– Se konsa li te rankontre yo vandredi swa nan yon trimès a twa
Everyone tryin’ to be trife, never face the consequences
– Tout moun ap eseye pou yo trife, pa janm fè fas a konsekans yo
You probably only did a month for minor offenses
– Ou pwobableman te fè sèlman yon mwa pou ofans minè
Ask a nigga doin’ life if he had another chance
– Mande yon nèg fè lavi si li te gen yon lòt chans
But then again, there’s always the wicked that knew in advance
– Men, ankò, toujou gen mechan ki te konnen davans
Dance forever with the Devil on a cold cell block
– Danse pou tout tan ak Dyab la sou yon blòk selil frèt
But that’s what happens when you rape, murder, and sell rock
– Men, sa se sa ki rive lè ou vyole, touye moun, ak vann wòch
Devils used to be God’s angels that fell from the top
– Dyab yo te konn zanj Bondye ki te tonbe nan tèt La
There’s no diversity because we’re burnin’ in the melting pot
– Pa gen okenn divèsite paske nou ap boule nan chodyè a k ap fonn
They drove around the projects slow while it was rainin’
– Yo te kondwi alantou pwojè yo dousman pandan ke li te lapli’
Smokin’ blunts, drinkin’ and jokin’ for entertainment
– Fimen blunts, bwè ak blag pou amizman
Until they saw a woman on the street, walkin’ alone
– Jiskaske yo te wè yon fanm nan lari a, mache pou kont li
Three in the mornin’, comin’ back from work, on her way home
– Twa nan maten an, vini tounen soti nan travay, sou wout li lakay li
And so they quietly got out the car and followed her
– Se konsa yo tou dousman te soti nan machin nan epi swiv li
Walkin’ through the projects, the darkness swallowed her
– Pase nan pwojè yo, fènwa a vale l’
They wrapped her shirt around her head and knocked her onto the floor
– Yo te vlope chemiz li sou tèt li epi yo te fè l tonbe atè
“This is it, kid, now you got your chance to be raw”
– “Sa a se li, ti gason, kounye a ou te gen chans ou yo dwe kri”
So Billy yoked her up and grabbed the chick by the hair
– Se konsa Billy te mare l epi li te pran ti fi a nan cheve l
And dragged her into a lobby that had nobody there
– Epi trennen l nan yon foyer ki pa t gen pèsonn la
She struggled hard, but they forced her to go up the stairs
– Li te gen difikilte, men yo te fòse l monte eskalye yo
They got to the roof and then held her down on the ground
– Yo te rive sou do kay la epi yo te kenbe l atè
Screamin’, “Shut the fuck up, and stop movin’ around!”
– Kriye, ” Fèmen bouch ou, epi sispann deplase alantou!”
The shirt covered her face, but she screamed and clawed
– Chemiz la kouvri figi l’, men li te rele ak grif
So Billy stomped on the bitch until he’d broken her jaw
– Se konsa Billy te mache sou ti fi a jiskaske Li te kase machwè li
The dirty bastards knew exactly what they were doin’
– Bastad sal yo te konnen egzakteman sa yo te fè
They kicked her until they cracked her ribs and she stopped movin’
– Yo te voye pye sou li jiskaske yo te kase kòt li e li te sispann deplase
Blood leakin’ through the cloth, she cried silently
– San koule nan twal la, li kriye an silans
And then they all proceeded to rape her violently
– Apre sa yo tout te kontinye vyole l vyolans
Billy was made to go first, but each of them took a turn
– Billy te fè ale an premye, men chak nan yo te pran yon vire
Rippin’ her up and chokin’ her until her throat burned
– Rippin ‘ l ‘moute ak suffocation’ l ‘ jiskaske gòj li boule
Her broken jaw mumbled for God, but they weren’t concerned
– Li te gen yon machwè kase ki te boulvèse Pou Bondye, men Yo pa t enkyete
When they were done and she was layin’
– Lè yo te fè e li te layin’
Bloody, broken and bruised
– San, kase ak blese
One of them niggas pulled out a brand new .22
– Youn nan nèg sa yo te rale yon mak nouvo .22
They told him that she was a witness of what she’d gone through
– Yo te di l ke li te yon temwen nan sa li te pase
And if he killed her, he was guaranteed a spot in the crew
– E si li te touye l, li te garanti yon plas nan ekipaj la
He thought about it for a minute, she was practically dead
– Li te panse sou li pou yon minit, li te pratikman mouri
And so he leaned over and put the gun right to her head
– Se konsa li te kouche sou li e li te mete zam la dwat nan tèt li
I’m fallin’ and I can’t turn back
– Mwen tonbe epi mwen pa ka tounen
I’m fallin’ and I can’t turn back
– Mwen tonbe epi mwen pa ka tounen
Right before he pulled the trigger and ended her life
– Jis anvan li te rale deklanche a ak fini lavi li
He thought about the cocaine with the platinum and ice
– Li te panse sou kokayin ak platinum ak glas
And he felt strong standin’ along with his new brothers
– Epi li te santi l fò kanpe ansanm ak nouvo frè l yo
Cocked the gat to her head and pulled back the shirt cover
– Cocked pòtay la nan tèt li ak rale tounen kouvèti a chemiz
But what he saw made him start to cringe and stutter
– Men sa li te wè te fè l kòmanse kriye ak bèbè
‘Cause he was starin’ into the eyes of his own mother
– Paske li te ap gade nan je manman l
She looked back at him and cried ’cause he had forsaken her
– Li gade l ‘tounen epi li kriye paske li te abandone l’
She cried more painfully than when they were rapin’ her
– Li te kriye pi douloure pase lè yo te vyole l
His whole world stopped, he couldn’t even contemplate
– Tout mond li te sispann, li pa t ‘ kapab menm konsidere
His corruption had successfully changed his fate
– Koripsyon li te chanje sò li avèk siksè
And he remembered how his mom used to come home late
– Epi li te sonje kijan manman l te konn tounen lakay li an reta
Workin’ hard for nothin’, because now what was he worth?
– Travay di pou anyen, paske kounye a sa li te vo?
He turned away from the woman that had once given him birth
– Li te vire do l bay fanm ki te fè l fèt la
And cryin’ out to the sky, ’cause he was lonely and scared
– Ak kriye nan syèl la, paske li te pou kont li ak pè
But only the Devil responded, ’cause God wasn’t there
– Men, Se Sèlman Dyab la ki te reponn, paske Bondye pa t la
And right then he knew what it was to be empty and cold
– E lè sa a li te konnen sa li te dwe vid ak frèt
And so he jumped off the roof and died with no soul
– Se konsa li sote sou do kay la epi li mouri san nanm
They say death takes you to a better place, but I doubt it
– Yo di lanmò pran ou nan yon pi bon kote, men mwen doute li
After that, they killed his mother, and never spoke about it
– Apre sa, yo touye manman l’, epi pa janm te pale sou li
And listen, ’cause the story that I’m tellin’ is true
– Epi koute, paske istwa ke mwen ap di se vre
‘Cause I was there with Billy Jacobs, and I raped his mom too
– Paske mwen te la Ak Billy Jacobs, e mwen te vyole manman l tou
And now the Devil follows me everywhere that I go
– Epi Kounye a Dyab la swiv mwen tout kote ke mwen ale
In fact, I’m sure he’s standin’ among one of you at my shows
– Anfèt, mwen si ke li kanpe nan mitan youn nan nou nan montre mwen
And every street cypher, listenin’ to little thugs flow
– Ak chak cypher lari, koute ti bandi koule
He could be standin’ right next to you, and you wouldn’t know
– Li te kapab kanpe’ dwa bò kote ou, epi ou pa ta konnen
The Devil grows inside the hearts of the selfish and wicked
– Dyab la ap grandi andedan kè egoyis ak mechan yo
White, brown, yellow and black — color is not restricted
– Blan, mawon, jòn ak nwa-koulè pa restriksyon
You have a self-destructive destiny when you’re inflicted
– Ou gen yon desten destriktif lè ou te enflije
And you’ll be one of God’s children that fell from the top
– Epi ou pral youn Nan pitit Bondye yo ki te tonbe soti nan tèt la
There’s no diversity because we’re burnin’ in the melting pot
– Pa gen okenn divèsite paske nou ap boule nan chodyè a k ap fonn
So when the Devil wants to dance with you, you better say never
– Se konsa, Lè Dyab la vle danse avèk ou, ou pi bon di pa janm
Because a dance with the Devil might last you forever
– Paske yon dans ak Dyab la ka dire ou pou tout tan
Oh, y’all motherfuckers thought it was over, huh?
– Oh, ou tout motherfuckers te panse li te fini, huh?
Well, it’s not, you didn’t count on a fallen angel gettin’ back
– Oke, li pa, ou pa t ‘ konte sou yon zanj tonbe ap resevwa tounen
Into the grace of God and comin’ after you
– Nan favè Bondye a ak vini apre ou
Y’all niggas ain’t shit, your producers ain’t shit
– Nèg yo pa yon bagay, pwodiktè ou yo pa yon bagay
Your fuckin’ A & R ain’t shit
– Ou Fuckin ‘A &Amp; R ain’ t shit
I’ll fuckin’ wipe my ass with your demo deal
– Mwen pral fuckin ‘ wipe bourik mwen ak kontra demo ou
Yo, Diabolic, take this motherfucker’s head off
– Yo, Dyabolik, pran tèt sa a motherfucker a
Go ‘head and grip Glocks
– Ale ‘ Tèt Ak Priz Glocks
I’ll snap your trigger finger in six spots
– Mwen pral frape dwèt deklanche ou nan sis tach
You’ll have to lip lock with hypodermic needles to lick shots
– Ou pral gen pou fèmen bouch ak zegwi ipodèrmik pou liche piki
I’ll watch you topple flat
– Mwen pral gade ou tonbe plat
Put away your rings and holla back
– Mete bag ou yo ak holla tounen
Can’t freestyle; you’re screwed off the top, like bottle caps
– Pa ka freestyle; ou se bourade soti nan tèt la, tankou bouchon boutèy
Beneath the surface
– Anba sifas la
I’m overheatin’ your receiving circuits
– Mwen ap surchof ou resevwa sikwi
By unleashin’ deeper verses than priests speak in churches
– Pa unleashin’ vèsè pi fon pase prèt pale nan legliz
What you preach is worthless
– Sa w preche a pa vo anyen
Your worship defeat the purpose
– Adorasyon ou defèt objektif la
Like President Bush takin’ bullets for the secret service
– Tankou Prezidan Bush pran bal pou sèvis sekrè a
Beyond what y’all fathom, I shit on cats and jaw tap ’em
– Pi lwen pase sa ou tout konprann, mwen shit sou chat ak machwè tap ‘ em
Show no compassion, like havin’ a straight-faced orgasm
– Pa montre konpasyon, tankou gen yon orgasm dwat-fas
Tour jack ’em, have his half-a-10 bitch suck my friend’s dick
– Tour jack ’em, gen li mwatye-a-10 bitch suck zanmi m’ s dick
In the meantime, you can french kiss this clenched fist
– Antretan, ou ka bo franse sa a pwen sere
Diabolic: a one-man brigade spreadin’ cancer plague
– Dyabolik: yon brigad yon sèl-moun gaye maladi kansè
Fist-fuckin’ a pussy’s face, holdin’ a hand grenade
– Fist-fuckin ‘ yon figi pussy a, kenbe yon grenad men
So if I catch you bluffin’, faggot, you’re less than nothin’
– Se konsa, si mwen trape ou bluffin’, fagot, ou se mwens pase anyen’
I just had to get that stress off my chest like breast reduction
– Mwen te jis gen pou jwenn ke estrès sou pwatrin mwen tankou rediksyon tete
You motherfuckers are nothin’, you cannot harm me
– Ou motherfuckers yo pa gen anyen, ou pa ka fè m mal
I’ll resurrect every aborted baby and start an army
– Mwen pral resisite chak ti bebe avorte ak kòmanse yon lame
Storm the planet, huntin’ you down, ’cause I’m on a mission
– Tanpèt planèt la, lachas ou desann, paske mwen sou yon misyon
To split your body into a billion one-celled organisms
– Pou divize kò ou an yon milya òganis yon sèl selil
Immortal Technique’ll destroy your religion, you stupid bitch
– Teknik imòtèl pral detwi relijyon ou, ou ti fi fou
You’re faker than blue-eyed crackers nailed to a crucifix
– Ou se fo pase krakè ble-eyed kloure nan yon krisifiks
I’m ’bout to blow up, like NASA Challenger computer chips
– Mwen ‘ bout pou eksploze, tankou NASA Challenger òdinatè chips
Arsenic language transmitted revolutionarily
– Lang asen transmèt revolisyonè
I’m like time itself: I’m gonna kill you inevitably
– Mwen tankou tan li menm: mwen pral touye ou inevitableman
Chemically bomb you, fuck usin’ a chrome piece
– Chimikman bonm ou, fuck usin ‘ yon moso chrome
I’m Illmatic, you won’t make it home, like Jerome’s niece
– Mwen Se Illmatic, ou pa pral fè l ‘ kay, tankou Jerome a neve
I’ll sever your head diagonally for thinkin’ of dissin’ me
– Mwen pral koupe tèt ou dyagonalman pou panse ‘nan dissin ‘m’
And then use your dead body to write my name in calligraphy
– Apre sa sèvi ak kadav ou pou ekri non mwen nan kaligrafi
This puppet democracy brain-washed your psychology
– Sa a demokrasi marionèt sèvo-lave sikoloji ou
So you’re nothin’, like diversity without equality
– Se konsa, ou pa gen anyen, tankou divèsite san egalite
And your crew is full of more faggots than Greek mythology
– Ak ekipaj ou a plen ak plis fagot pase mitoloji grèk
Usin’ numerology to count the people I sent to Heaven
– Sèvi ak numeroloji pou konte moun mwen te voye Nan Syèl la
Produces more digits than 22 divided by seven
– Pwodui plis chif pase 22 divize pa sèt
You’re like Kevin Spacey: your style is usually suspect
– Ou tankou Kevin Spacey: style ou anjeneral sispèk
You never killed a cop, you, not a motherfuckin’ thug yet
– Ou pa janm touye yon polisye, ou, pa yon motherfucking’ bandi ankò
Your mind is empty and spacious
– Lespri w vid e li gen anpil espas
Like the part of the brain that appreciates culture in a racist
– Tankou pati nan sèvo ki apresye kilti nan yon rasis
Face it, you’re too basic, you’re never gonna make it
– Fè fas a li, ou twò debaz, ou pa janm pral fè li
Like children walkin’ through Antarctica, butt-naked
– Tankou timoun ki ap mache nan Antarktika, bourik toutouni
