Cla**ified - Hard To Be Hip Hop lyrics

Verses alternate between Cla**ified and Maestro starting with Maestro Yo Cla** how you doing? Dude, I'm back in the Fax I'm taking time off the act and I gotta relax I need a new beat Yo Freshtro I got a few treats You been up in the city long? Nah, only two weeks Cool well, I'm sorry 'bout the weather It's been raining all week I hope it gets a little better Either way Cla** listen, I got a ill vision 'bout a song I'm working on, you think you got the right rhythm? Man c'mon, you know I got some sh** that'll break your neck I used up what I want but you can take what's left Don't give me bullsh** dog, you know I blazed a set You know you got something saved for Wes I got a ill concept hip hop How to pay a real line? This is why 1987 I be reppin in the ciphers and the sessions And I still be gettin stressin You know it's hard to be hip hop And ain't nobody stayin real Don't pay bills when you showcase sk** Ain't nobody living off of doing windmills, I'm painting train rails, that's real It's hard to be hip hop You know it's hard to be hip hop It's hard to be hip hop You know it's hard to be hip hop But we gotta be hip hop I got no ga**y grills, so my raps ain't real Cause I don't pack steel through my tracks appeal And to the ma** appeal watch how fast they fail Yeah I'm hip hop son, that's how my casket's sealed It's hard in a culture when the fans are fickled Understand my issue, your old man will diss you One minute you're whack and then your jam's official And then they switch again, Two bottles of cancer hit you First they loved L.L. Then they hated him And then they loved him again Then they degraded him So lately, basically, I don't know if I can play to win Survival of the fittest, let me see what kind of shape I'm in Yo 'stro when I was younger like 19 I could spend all day writing rhyme schemes Spittin', freestylin', cypherin' the streets But now I got responsibilities Yo it's hard to be hip hop You know it's hard to be hip hop It's hard to be hip hop You know it's hard to be hip hop But we gotta be hip hop No this is not an illusion No this is not an illusion No this is not an illusion No this is not an illusion Cats are k**ing me Luke Thinking life's like a video shoot They ain't spittin' the truth True, I got a similar view But I guess that's the damage the industry do I'm 28 unemployed, a grown a** man Still trying to rap with no fall back plan Go all out fan you got nothing to lose 'cause only to yourself you got something to prove Yeah we gotta be hip hop it's all that we know Blaze up the shelto' 'stro Yo on with the show Get the drum track going Yeah enough small talk But whatever you drop, keep it hot It's gotta be hip hop You know it's hard to be hip hop It's hard to be hip hop You know it's hard to be hip hop But we gotta be hip hop, gotta be hip hop