You gotta talk to niggas in the language they can understand (That's how it always been) It's crazy I got Al up this late, ha (That's how it always been) Ayo, some shit you ain't gon' never change, so don't worry 'bout it (That's how it always been) It's the way it always been Real shit though Yo, word to every block in my city, they heard I got it And my track record certainly show I deserve the homage And they refer to my shit like Malcolm X, words of knowledge Cookin' coke, burnin' product was only a learnin' process Steppin' on a brick of fentanyl before you heard about it And my phone used to ring so much you get nervous 'round me Cut ties with the game, the same shit that certified me All my clientele gone, miss the customer service by me Yeah, they just like me, all my pie flippers Ties to Virginia like Teddy Riley, since rap I been treadin' lighty They mad I'm back rappin' 'bout dope again, never mind me The pressure from my pen made them rap a lil' better, finally They crooked, bendin' the rules, rappers I considered them cool But when you talkin' most authentic, then who gon' fit in my shoes? I'm livin' my truth, sky is the only limit I knew From drug dealin' to music, I mean, what didn't I do? Who didn't I put on? Took Ls and then I regroup On a shoestring budget, I showed them what I could do Ask Jake and ask Cap 'bout the bosses that I produced I'm West best investment, but that's between me and you (Ah) Always been that way (That's how it always been) Come on, that shit ain't never gonna change Just continue straight ahead That's the one thing that's never gonna change The way things have always been Had to quit blazin' cigarettes (Uh huh) Was two-timin' my dame, I'm a bigamist But the gang half of the blame, I live with regret (Yeah), my brain a bit of a wreck All this stress and strain left it disconnect (Woah) Cheffin' up all the 'caine in that kitchenette (Skrrt) Acquainted with big as X who filthied up my name just to split a check (Whatever) Feel like I been betrayed by my silhouette (Yeah), mistakes was made to correct How I deal with the fame made me get upset (Ayy) Treated the same way that I lived with death, shit weighin' a nigga down Refrainin' from different stages of self-neglect Give me chills in my veins, takin' whatever's left (Woah, cold) From everything that was tooken in blatant disrespect For good, better, best, wouldn't trade it for less (Whatever) Took everything that came with it, and that came with a check (Big money) But yet and still a nigga rich off pain and depressed Chasin' a letterhead, ain't got a case to catch David Blaine with the press, tame the dog and made it fetch What else? Come on, that shit ain't never gonna change It's been goin' on since the beginning of time That's the one thing that's never gonna change The way things have always been