The Mask

Have you ever worn the mask? Yeah
One-two, one-two

M to the A to the S to the K
Put the mask upon the face just to make the next day
Feds be hawkin' me, jokers be stalking m
I walk the streets and camouflage my identity
My posse in the Brooklyn wear the mask
My crew in the Jersey wears the mask
Stick up kids doing boogie woogie wear the mask
Yeah, everybody wears the mask, but how long will it last? (Yo, yo)

I used to work at Burger King, a king taking orders
Punching my clock, now I'm wanted by the manager
Souping me up, saying, "You're a good worker
How would you like a quarter raise, move up to the register?
Large in charge, but ya gotta be a spy
Come back and tell me who's bagging my fries
Gettin' high on company time"

Hell no, siree, wrong MC
Why should I be a spy when you're spying me?
And you see what ya thought ya saw but never seen (bing)
You missed the last move, checkmate, crown me king
Pulled my .22, pistol-whipped him in his face
Hired, now I'm fired, sober, now I'm wired
Eyes pitch red but the beat bop my head
Hit the streets for relief (oh my God), I bumped into feds
I got kidnapped, they took me to D.C
Had me workin' underground, building missiles for World War III

M to the A to the S to the K
Put the mask 'pon me face just to make the next day
Brothers be gaming, ladies be claiming
I walk the streets and camouflage my identity
My posse Uptown wear the mask
My crew in the Queens wear the mask
Stick up kids with the Tommy Hil' wear the mask
Yeah, everybody wear the mask, but how long will it last?

I thought he was the wonder, and I was stun-gunned by his lips
Taking sips of an Amaretto Sour with a twist
Shook my hips to the bassline, this joker grabbed my waistline
Puttin' pressure on my spine, tryna get L-Boog to wind (bing)
I backed up off him, then I caught him with five fingers to his face
I had to put him in his place, this kid's invadin' my space
But then I recognized the smile, but I couldn't place the style
So many fronts in his mouth, I thought he was the Golden Child

Then it hit me, that's Tariq from off the street around my grams
I haven't seen him since 15 when he got booked for doing scams
I tried to walk away, but he wouldn't let me leave
He ran up quick behind me asking, "Yo, what happened to my nigga Steve?"
Steve was like this kid I went with back in grammar school
I chuckled, knucklehead, I seen him yesterday, he's cool
Busted, "So who you checking for now? Probably some intellectual"
I kept the conversation straight (c'mon), but he kept tryna make it sexual
Then his old lady tried to play me, waved her hands up in my face
Yo, I told her, "Check your man, 'cause bitch, you acting out of place" (come on)

M to the A to the S to the K
Put the mask 'pon me face just to make the next day
Brothers be frontin', then they be runnin'
I walk the streets and camouflage my identity
My posse in the Bronx wear the mask
My crew on the Isle wear the mask
Stick up kids rolling in the Omni wear the mask
Yeah, everybody wear the mask, but how long will it last?

3 a.m. in the morning (watch it) on the boulevard
I'm still at large, engaged with my entourage ('rage)
Me and Godfather and a '67 Dodge
I stepped out then looked, then post up my guard
Searching for my car that was stolen from Scotland Yard (Puerto Ricans got the car)
My first instinct was to check the chop shop garage
As I rung the bell, someone tapped me on my back
I turned around to look, it was a rookie in a mask (what?)

He said, "I got a itchin' on my trigger
Don't move, nigga, I'm taking you for murder"
See cops, got two faces like two laces on my Reeboks
My knees knock as I step back for a clear shot (well, did you shoot him?)
Nah, kid, I didn't have the balls
That's when I realized I'm bumpin' too much Biggie Smalls

M to the A to the S to the K
Put the mask 'pon me face just to make the next day
Runners be beefin', cops be thiefin'
Brothers be scheming, they should be teaming (c'mon)
Jokers be smoking and staying broken
Bitches be teasing, their money skeezin'
Niggas be creeping, baby mothers be weeping
I walk the street and camouflage my identity

My posse in the Haiti wear the mask
My crew in Jamaica wear the mask
Stick up kids bumping "Fu-Gee-La" wear the mask
Yeah, everybody wear the mask, but how long will it last? (Yeah, y'all)

Said
M to the A to the S to the K

Yo, man, we just rolled up there, shit was ill, man, it was ill
Yo, bullets everywhere, guns, smoke (yo, we put-, we puttin' motherfuckers on their ass)
Jokers fallin' off they porches just shootin', straight cowboys, man (you know what I'm sayin'? Yo, yo, you my nigga)
Straight motherfuckin' cowboys (yo, you always been my nigga)