Yeah
This is goin' out ... to all the live mother$#&@ers, knowhatumsayin'
All the real ^!$$%z, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, California

La Perla, Puerto Rico, whatever the $#&@ you're from, youknowhatumsayin'
Yeah


[Verse One:]

This story takes place, back in the South Bronx

Where at the age of fourteen I was ready to knockin' off punks (yeah!)
And suckers were scared to death
Every time I walked by I hit them ^!$$%z take their last breath (ahhh..)

See, I just didn't give a $#&@
And if you had a seed skin, I let the bomba you was getting stuck (word!)
That was the way it was

One day I went to visit my aunt, and stuck up my cous
See, something was $#&@ed up back then
No matter what the $#&@ I did, I never had no ends

And my moms was on walfare
Aiyyo I knew I had a father, but the ^!$$% was never there
So what the $#&@ was I had to do

When sick and tired to bein' the bummiest ^!$$% out the crew
I gotta get mine, I gotta get cash!
I see an old man, I'm gonna rob him with the quick-fast

Gimme your mother$#&@ing loot, popi
I'm goin' to get paid and can't a damn thing stop me
See, I'm tired of this por%#@!

And who the cops? Well they can suck my mother$#&@in' dick!
Cause all them ^!$$%z ever do is harass
That's why I came glad when I heard somebody swooped that $$# [gunshot]

Just to let ya know how I feel, word'em up
The $#&@in' %#@! is real


[Chorus: background cuts "Down on the real"]

Aiyyo its real

Aiyyo the %#@! is real
The $#&@in %#@! is real
Aiyyo its real


[Verse Two:]


Now I'm sixteen and there's a brand new scene
I'm makin' mad dupe, gettin' paid off the dope fiends (word)
Deep in %#@! the checkin order,

and my main man Tone was $#&@in everybody else's daughter
See everybody knew in town that Joe and Tone had %#@! locked down
And a ^!$$% wouldn't test me

It seems like every other day the $#&@ing cops arrest me (yea!)
But the %#@! would never stick
I make one phone call and he'll be out by quick

Cause uncle Tan had my back
And now ^!$$%z gettin' jealous cause they know I'm livin' fat
Talkin %#@! around the way and over block

But never in my face cause they knew I'd clap the glock
And my crew is mad deep
I'm punchin crazy puerto rican, so why yo don't sleep (word!)

And all you (*##$ $$# ^!$$%z know the deal, check it out
The $#&@ing %#@! is real


[Chorus]

[Verse Three:]


Let me let ya know why I made this song (why!?)
Brothers can't deal with the real, word is bond

I'm sick and tired of these fake $$# ^!$$%z
Sayin' that they're catchin' bodies when they never pulled a trigga
I know ya style, I've seen it before

You wearin' army suit, now you think you're hardcore
Drinkin on your 40's, smokin on your blunts
Then afford a chainsaw, yo there ho fronts ,yeah

You fakin' the funk, kid
And you'd be *?kidnapped?* the $$# if you ever did a $#&@ing bid
It's time to separate the real from the phony

The name is Fat Joe, punk, act like you know me
I come from crypt with that ruff %#@!
Nowadays I can't believe the *?bull/boo?* rappers come up with
And all y'all (*##$ $$# ^!$$%z know the deal, check it out
The $#&@in %#@! is real


[Chorus]

[Outro:]


Word up!
I wanna say peace to my peeps, the Beatnuts
Messengers Of Funk, strictly Roots
My man Four Flex, Zulu Nation
Jazzy J in the house

Diamond D, the whole Diggin' In The Crates crew
And rest in peace to my man Tony Montana
Aiyo, I'm out, word is bond
The %#@! is real


[Premier cuts "Fat Joe's in town"]