Paid Dues

Featuring Cee Lo

Intro (Eightball)

Yeah Yeah...Space Age forever..Niggas and hoes better recognize
Eightball & MJG...been ten toes down in this game
Since we were two young playas in a one horse town
Then hopped to a [bad word] grasshopper
 [bad word] my life would have been done got cut off...
If my dues weren't paid.

 [bad word] (Cee Lo)

It's ah skinnin lines between wrong and right
Trapped in a trap til the mornin light
Ghetto ain't left me no choices, I had to fight
My mom and dad were too young to raise me right.
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
Niggas dead, niggas gone, I still ain't afraid.
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid.

MJG

In the middle of doin crime (Uggh), it never stopped me from writin rhymes
It never stopped me from playin music,
God, but it didn't mean I had to use it
It was obvious, I had to give up the streets - for the beats
Not knowin, but havin faith on just how long that it would be
Before I made it, before somebody picked up my tape and played it
With a remark like, "Hey, played that [bad word]  you cat's got potential."
In the process of doing talent shows, parties, and mix tapes
We even put it down on some of our homeboys jail release dates
I can remember in the past closin down at fast foods
Strictly stickin to my dreams, but feelin like I'd be the last dude
Who can make it in this rap, I thought that they ain't go see me in Memphis
It was like a time they looked over Tennesseee,
And didn't know Hip-Hop was in us.
To all my vets in the game, I got love, stay on your toes
Cause back in the days, I use to use your 4-5 [bad word] to do my shows
And look, I was 17 - when I signed my first contract
And about 18 1/2 when I signed my worst contract, we hurt from that
And til this day, they still distributin - our first tape
 [bad word] Out Hard, now can you feel it?
Be humble and patient with whatever you should choose
Cause, to get to where I am right now, I don't paid my dues.

 [bad word] 
It's ah skinnin lines between wrong and right
Trapped in a trap til the mornin light
Ghetto ain't left me no choices, I had to fight
My mom and dad were too young to raise me right.
Maybe I been made a man from all the mistakes I made
Niggas dead, niggas gone, I still ain't afraid.
Ain't too grown to get back on with ghetto games I played
My life would have been done got cut off if the dues weren't paid.

Eightball

C-note for a concert, I know that sounds preposterous
 [bad word]  we didn't have a pot to [bad word] 
So we got on stage and we rocked the [bad word] 
 [bad word] the chee$e, I love to see...My niggas in the front row
Get buck wild, start a fight, the police make a [bad word] stop the show
Niggas all in the parkin lot, bustin shots, [bad word] with hoes
Box chevy with the spokes and vogues,
Niggas didn't know [bad word] about a 20 inch Mo-Mo
Hard head, young [bad word] don't believe that [bad word]  til I see that [bad word] 
See them heavyweight niggas, one day, I'm gonna be that [bad word] 
Ok, everybody know everybody done sold dope, ran with a gang
Pimp some hoes, and..snorted a little coke..but uhh..
I'm space agein..and we'll forever be
Eightball, the fat mack, and...M-J [bad word] 
Turn the page, from then to now, and we still grindin
Small clubs and small towns think they bouncin, and we find them
Put them on the guest list, make them pump their fist and get buck to this
Make one of them weed smokin, gangsta [bad word] get [bad word] to this
Expand, give all my [bad word] fans what they demand
Do my part again and [bad word] out hard again and uhh..
Keep space agein, and we'll forever be...
Eightball, the fat mack, and...M-J [bad word] G.