Category Archives: Top Rap Lyrics

The Top 25 Rap Lyrics That Shaped My Leadership Style

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It’s the Holidays and I’m taking a break from writing and sharing some of my most read posts of 2016! Enjoy! 

This post was actually written in 2012 at the end of series of 25 posts I did. It’s crazy, but ever since it’s been one of my most read posts each year since. Rap lyrics and leadership make for great SEO! I’ve also picked up a ton of rap artists as followers of my social media accounts and they will frequently send me private messages and ask me to share their tweets, which I find extremely funny, knowing my personal demographic of being a middle-aged white dude in the Midwest!

Also, this year for the first time I had a local SHRM chapter ask me to come in and give this presentation! If you’re in HR and you’ve gone to SHRM chapter meetings, can you ever imagine going and getting presented to with slides of rappers and me spitting rhymes and leadership theory!? Let’s just say it would be the best presentation you ever attended!

In 2012 I did blog series on The Top 25 Rap Lyrics that shaped my leadership style.  The posts, individually, still get clicked a ton, so I decided to do a compilation of the 25 posts to make it easier for new readers to find all 25 (I know my family is really proud of me right now!). Taken out of context of the original post, you might be asking yourself “How the hell did this shape his leadership style?” If you find yourself asking that, click through the link to read the explanation!

Here you go – The Top 25 Rap Lyrics That Shaped My Leadership Style with links to the original posts:

1. “It’s like the more money we come across, the more problems we see” -Notorious B.I.G.

2. “Today I didn’t even have to use my A.K., I got to say it was a good day” -Ice Cube

3. “What does it take to be number 1? Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers.” -Nelly

4. “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man.” -Jay-Z

5. “When I wake up, people take up, mostly all of my time. I’m not singin’, phone keep ringin’, so I make up a rhyme.” -RUN DMC

6. “It’s funny how someone else’s success brings pain.” -Drake

7. “Success is my drug of choice…” – 50 Cent

8. “Forgive, but don’t forget.” -2Pac

9. “True happiness is not acquired, and you won’t find it on sale.” -Outkast

10. “At exactly which point do you realize, that life without knowledge is death in disguise.” -Talib Kweli

11. “You’re young and dumb and quick with the tongue.” -Kool Mo Dee

12. “I hear the criticism loud and clear.  That is how I know that the time is near. So we become alive in a time of fear” -Nicki Minaj

13. “We all self conscious. I’m just the first to admit it.” -Kanye West

14. “Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity, To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, Would you capture it or just let it slip?” -Eminem

15. “Now you can be a victim, or you can lock and load.” -50 Cent

16. “They say I need to learn, but nobody’s here to teach me. If they don’t understand, how can they reach me?” -Coolio

17. “You’re nobody till someone kills you.” -Notorious B.I.G.

18. “Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hold us.  We can talk, but money talksso talk mo’ bucks.” -Jay-Z

19. “I had nothing, and I wanted it; You had everything, and you flaunted it...” -Ice T

20. “He’s only mediocre, jealousy can’t get with me.” -LL Cool J

21. “Elvis shaved his head when he went into the Army.” -Beastie Boys

22. “When the grass is cut, the snakes will show.” -Jay-Z

23. “ya know a lot of people believe that that word Love is real soft, but when you use it in your vocabulary like your addicted to it, it sneaks right up and takes you right out. So, for future reference, remember it’s alright to like or want a material item, but when you fall in love with it and you start scheming and carrying on for it, just remember, it’s gonna get’cha.” -KRS-1

24. “I think about more than I forget; but I don’t go around fire expecting not to sweat.” -Little Wayne

25. “Change, shit I guess change is good for any of us. Whatever it take for any of y’all niggaz to get up out the hood. Shit, I’m wit cha, I ain’t mad at cha.Got nuttin but love for ya, do your thing boy.” – 2 Pac

It’s My Birthday, Biatch!

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Yeah, it’s my birthday, if we were really close friends you would have already known that and sent me something cool like Diet Mt. Dew or a Sprinkles Cupcake.  But you didn’t, so I wrote this stupid blog post as a birthday present to myself.  That’s what happens when you turn 33, you give yourself a present, like an adult.  Actually, I’m 44.  I don’t get why people get all upset to talk about their age.  I look at it as I’m one year closer to moving in with my kids and making their life miserable, paybacks are bitch boys!

Actually, I’m fairly certain that with the massive amounts of Diet Dew I drink I’m headed on a path to Alzheimer’s, and I don’t say that to make fun, it’s just a fact. You can’t put that many chemicals in your body and not think something will happen.  I’m very self aware. I think it’s probably a blessing in disguise to my kids. They can put me in a home, and I won’t know the difference either way.  All I ask, remember it’s my birthday, is you put me in a home that has a lake or a pond.  I like sitting by the water, even it I won’t know why.

Anyway, my wife asked me what I want.  Which is a little like asking ‘what do you want me to allow you to buy yourself’, which I appreciate, because she gets me.  If I’m going to have to get something for my birthday, I might as well like it!  At 44 there isn’t really anything material I need, so here’s the list of things I would want for my birthday in no particular order:

1. To be left alone in the house with a gin and tonic and an NBA game on.  So I can fall asleep without interruption.

2. For someone in my family to take my kids, so my wife and I can have a solid 24 hours together without having to make a meal, do a load of laundry or pick up shoes, coats, backpacks, empty food wrappers, socks, empty cups, etc.

3. For you to listen to this white kid do the rap from TLC’s Waterfalls –

Now you know what a 17 year old Tim Sackett was like.

Happy Birthday to me kiddos!

Rap Lyrics That Shape My Leadership Style

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If you are a loyal reader of The Project, you probably remember that I did a highly read blog post series in 2012 called “Rap Lyrics That Shaped My Leadership Style“.  There were actually 25 weekly posts I did, and to this day, those posts are still some of the most read posts on the site, plus I now have this funny following on Twitter of a bunch of rap and music folks who send me links to their new stuff!  Funny how this whole social media thing works!  Average HR guy from Michigan, not even Detroit, to Rap Music critic in 25 leadership posts!

Anyway, this funny thing happens with music — they keep making it!  So, I have a new Rap Lyric that is shaping my leadership style and I wanted to share, because if there is one thing that I know for certain, it’s that HR ladies from the Midwest love my Rap Lyric Posts!

Today’s lyric comes from the song “Holy Grail” by one of my all-time favorite rappers, and Beyonce’s husband, JayZ and, signing the hook, Justin Timberlake.  I actually struggled in putting this one up for a while now because Jay uses the ‘n word’ 9 times in the unedited version of this song!  And by ‘n word’ I don’t mean ‘ninja’!   Now I know I’ll have some folks tell me that he isn’t really using the ‘n word’, because he doesn’t end it with ‘er’, he ends it with ‘a’, but who are we really kidding? That all being said, I love the song! Now, you are all my ninjas on the inside of my thoughts.

Here’s the lyric:

“This sh*t ain’t work, This light work,

Cameras snapping, my eyes hurt.”

Here’s the context of what Jay is saying; He referring to how celebrities are always complaining about how hard their life is and how hard the work they do is, when in reality he knows the truth.  While being a celebrity is annoying at times with paparazzi following them constantly, it is well worth it, for all the other riches he has afforded to him in his life.  He remembers back to days when he had nothing and given the choice, he wouldn’t go back.  This isn’t hard in comparison, it’s actually easy.  Stop complaining, most have it way worse.

It’s a great lesson for most of us.  If you’re reading this today it’s because you have a computer, or tablet, or a smartphone with an internet connection.  You have enough time to casually decide I want to read about rap lyrics from a 5’7″ middle-aged red headed white guy from Lansing, MI.  You have choices, and probably right about now you’re questioning those choices!  Way too many people in our world today have one choice, the choice of how they will react to having nothing, once again, when they wake up.

Everyday when I have the luxury to coming to my nice office, that is well lite and well heated.  I have tools to do my job. I have a great group of people that I work with.  I have clients who want us to do work for them.  I don’t have hard work, I have ‘light’ work.

Here’s the full song and video:

 

Top 25 Rap Lyrics That Shaped My Leadership Style

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This year I did blog series on The Top 25 Rap Lyrics that shaped my leadership style.  The posts, individually, still get clicked a ton, so I decided to do a compilation of the 25 posts to make it easier for new readers to find all 25 (I know my family is really proud of me right now!). Taken out of context of the original post, you might be asking yourself “How the hell did this shape his leadership style?” If you find yourself asking that, click through the link to read the explanation!

Here you go – The Top 25 Rap Lyrics That Shaped My Leadership Style with links to the original posts:

1. “It’s like the more money we come across, the more problems we see” -Notorious B.I.G.

2. “Today I didn’t even have to use my A.K., I got to say it was a good day” -Ice Cube

3. “What does it take to be number 1? Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers.” -Nelly

4. “I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man.” -Jay-Z

5. “When I wake up, people take up, mostly all of my time. I’m not singin’, phone keep ringin’, so I make up a rhyme.” -RUN DMC

6. “It’s funny how someone else’s success brings pain.” -Drake

7. “Success is my drug of choice…” – 50 Cent

8. “Forgive, but don’t forget.” -2Pac

9. “True happiness is not acquired, and you won’t find it on sale.” -Outkast

10. “At exactly which point do you realize, that life without knowledge is death in disguise.” -Talib Kweli

11. “You’re young and dumb and quick with the tongue.” -Kool Mo Dee

12. “I hear the criticism loud and clear.  That is how I know that the time is near. So we become alive in a time of fear” -Nicki Minaj

13. “We all self conscious. I’m just the first to admit it.” -Kanye West

14. “Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity, To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, Would you capture it or just let it slip?” -Eminem

15. “Now you can be a victim, or you can lock and load.” -50 Cent

16. “They say I need to learn, but nobody’s here to teach me. If they don’t understand, how can they reach me?” -Coolio

17. “You’re nobody till someone kills you.” -Notorious B.I.G.

18. “Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hold us.  We can talk, but money talksso talk mo’ bucks.” -Jay-Z

19. “I had nothing, and I wanted it; You had everything, and you flaunted it...” -Ice T

20. “He’s only mediocre, jealousy can’t get with me.” -LL Cool J

21. “Elvis shaved his head when he went into the Army.” -Beastie Boys

22. “When the grass is cut, the snakes will show.” -Jay-Z

23. “ya know a lot of people believe that that word Love is real soft, but when you use it in your vocabulary like your addicted to it, it sneaks right up and takes you right out. So, for future reference, remember it’s alright to like or want a material item, but when you fall in love with it and you start scheming and carrying on for it, just remember, it’s gonna get’cha.” -KRS-1

24. “I think about more than I forget; but I don’t go around fire expecting not to sweat.” -Little Wayne

25. “Change, shit I guess change is good for any of us. Whatever it take for any of y’all niggaz to get up out the hood. Shit, I’m wit cha, I ain’t mad at cha.Got nuttin but love for ya, do your thing boy.” – 2 Pac

 

The #1 Rap Lyric that Shaped My Leadership Style

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For the background of this list – see my original post from 2-10-12.

All right kiddos we’ve reach the mountain top! 

As Casey Kasem would say –

That just makes me laugh – I remember getting up at 7am on a Sunday morning to tape Casey’s Top 40 just so I could hear the songs they never played on the radio -#30 thru #40!  I was cool that way – I knew all the “songs” that were going to be popular before the other kids.

The #1 Rap Lyric that Shaped My Leadership Style is from Notorious B.I.G. and from his album Life After Death that was posthumously released after he was gunned downed.  The song – Mo Money Mo Problems and the actual Lyric:

“It’s like the more money we come across
The more problems we see “

Check out the video of Biggie when he first said the quote:

I’m not sure what’s more amazing Biggie getting shot, or that someone was able to shoot him before he died from a heart-attack!

Here’s the actual song:

Here’s the deal – why is this one #1 – because in HR all of our problems can stem directly back to money.  It’s really that simple.  If you pay properly – if you make pay  a non-factor to your employees – you will have very few “employee” problems.   Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the ability to do this – pay is an issue – markets are an issue.  We go out and pay our developers $125/hr and now we have managers of these folks making $30-40K less.  We dig into our compensation and we realize we actually do pay our female employees 15-20% less than males in the same position – but we don’t “have” the money to make it right. So we try to justify it.  More money – more problems – that’s HR in a nutshell.

Think about your turnover and retention – if you had money this wouldn’t be an issue.  Succession planning – money takes care of this.  The best talent? Yep, money again.  Performance Management?  You would be amazed what people will change for the right price.  What about Ethics? You would be amazed at how ethical folks are that get paid well! (Ok, don’t give me all the bad executive stories out there! There’s always outliers. Plus “paid well” is relative to your position in the world.) Engagement? It’s not about money – it’s about “Leadership” – Bull shit – it’s only about leadership if pay is being taken care of.  Ask any HR Pro who is trying to raise their engagement while trailing market compensation – it’s an uphill battle!

So why do we (HR) keep telling everyone it’s not about pay?  Because we have to.  We don’t have the money. Our organizations can’t run in the red (for long). Profit runs decisions.  Mo money, Mo problems…

Rap Lyrics That Didn’t Shape My Leadership Style

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For the background of this list – see my original post from 2-10-12.

But that I like…

As I put together the 25 Rap Lyrics That Shaped My Leadership Style, I kept coming up with a number of lyrics that I liked, but didn’t really fit into the “Leadership” category.  So, before I give you the #1 Rap Lyric That Shaped My Leadership Style – I’m going to give you some of my favorite Rap Lyrics of all time – even if they didn’t shape my leadership style! Check them out:

“I’ve got 99 problems, but a B–ch ain’t one.” Jay-Z (99Problems)

“Pay us like you owe us for all the years that you hold us
We can talk, but money talks so talk mo’ bucks” Jay-Z (Izzo H.O.V.A.)

“I had a dream I could buy my way to heaven/ When I awoke, I spent that on a necklace.”  Kanye West (Can’t Tell Me Nothing)

“Every bag, every blouse, every bracelet
Comes with a price tag, baby, face it
You should leave if you can’t accept the basics
Plenty hoes in the baller-nigga’s matrix”  Pusha T (from Kanye’s Runaway)

“When I talk about money all you see is the struggle/ When I tell you I’m livin’ large, you tell me it’s trouble.” Tupac (I Ain’t Mad Atcha)

“Out on bail fresh, outta jail, California dreamin’/ Soon as I stepped on the scene, I’m hearin’ hoochies screamin’.” Tupac (California Love)

“Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis
When I was dead broke, man I couldn’t picture this
50 inch screen, money green leather sofa
Got two rides, a limousine with a chauffeur” Notorious B.I.G. (Juicy)

“Throw dirt on me and grow a wildflower But it’s fuck the world, get a child out her Yeah, my life a bitch, but you know nothing ’bout her Been to hell and back, I can show you vouchers” Lil Wayne (No Love)

“Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?
In the paper, the news everyday I am
I don’t know it’s just the way I am” Eminem (The Way I Am)

“Man they treat me like a legend, am I really this cold?/ I’m really too young to be feeling this old.” Drake (Over)

“On the oak tree, I hope we feel like this forever
Forever, forever, ever, forever, ever?
Forever never seems that long until you’re grown” Outkast (Ms. Jackson)

“Two lil’ kids with a flow you ain’t ever heard
And none faking you can understand every word
As you listen to my cool, smooth melody
The Daddy makes you J-U-M-P”  Kriss Kross (Jump)

“This is another public service announcement
You can believe it, or you can doubt it” BDP (Beef)

“But that’s okay ’cause I Wait for my cue and just listen play my position like A short stop, pick up everything mommy hittin'” Nelly (Delima)

“Now Peter Piper picked peppers but Run rocked rhymes
Humpty Dumpty fell down that’s his hard time” Run DMC (Peter Piper)

“My Adidas
standin on 2 Fifth St.
funky fresh and yes cold on my feet
with no shoe string in em, I did not win em
I bought em off the Ave with the tags still in em” Run DMC (My Addidas)

“I told em all – all them little gangstas Who you think helped mold ’em all? Now you wanna run around talkin bout guns like I ain’t got none What you think I sold ’em all?” Dr. Dre (Forgot About Dre)

“Never let me slip, ’cause if I slip, then I’m slippin’
But if I got my Nina, then you know I’m straight trippin'” Dr. Dre (Nuthin But A G Thang)

“Sixteen in the clip and one in the hole
Nate Dogg is about to make some bodies turn cold” Warren G & Nate Dogg (Regulate)

Ok, I’ve got to stop, I could turn this into a 10,000 word dissertation! Hit me in the comments with your favorite Rap Lyrics.

#2 Rap Lyric That Shaped My Leadership Style

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For the background of this list – see my original post from 2-10-12.

The #2 Rap Lyric that Shaped my Leadership Style comes from rapper Ice Cube, from his 1993 Predator album, and the song “It Was a Good Day“. The song was ranked #7 all time by VH1 for hip hop songs and had a great video! The Lyric:

“Today I didn’t even have to use my A.K.
I got to say it was a good day.”

In HR we carry a gun with us all the time – don’t kid yourself – your gun is your ability to influence hiring managers and supervisors to terminate an individual in your organization based on the policies and practices that most HR Pros know inside and out.  Leadership in your organization look to HR Pros to help them “do the right thing” for the organization when it comes to terminations and/or discipline.  That is a big, giant gun you are carry around – and it’s heavy!

I’ve had to terminate hundreds of employees in my HR career – and I’ve never once felt good about it.  Some certainly deserved it – without question – but I’ve never once hired someone to fire them.  I hired them to be a great employee – so to have to fire them is a sad event.  It means I/we/us failed – maybe part of that equation was a larger piece of the problem – but don’t kid yourself – 99% of the time it’s a team failure. I really spend a great deal of time self-reflecting when I have to terminate an employee and to determine where I failed them – how could I have saved them – where did it all go wrong.  This is very important – because we only get better if we can keep and grow our teams.

Each and everyday, in my HR career, that I have not had to use my “AK” – I can definitely say was a good day!

#3 Lyric That Shaped My Leadership Style

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For the background of this list – see my original post from 2-10-12.

The #3 Lyric That Shaped My Leadership Style comes from Nelly and his 2001 song “#1” off the soundtrack from the movie Training Day.  Here’s the Lyric:

“What does it take to be number one?
Two is not a winner and three nobody remembers”

It seems cocky doesn’t it?  But let me ask you this question: Why do you go to work?  I think there is probably a number of answers to that question: “I have to”; “I love what I do”; “I love the company”; etc.  I’m a scoreboard guy – I love to win.  I come to work each day to win.  I want my team to win – I want people on my team you want to win.  I hear you – “Well, what the hell are you winning in HR?!?!”

That’s a good question.  No matter what organization I have been with – retail, casual dining, health care, recruiting – I wanted to beat our competition at every level.  When I show up in the morning until I leave at night – I want to beat my competition.  When I go into designing a new employment branding project, or designing a new compensation model, or creating a recruiting strategy it all starts with one mindset – how is this going to make my organization stronger, and how is it going to make my competition weaker.  My competition is always top of mind.

Back in the 90’s there was a sportswear company called No Fear who mostly became popular for printing t shirts with funny motivational sayings like: “He who dies with the most toys, still dies” or “I’ve never lost, I’ve just been a little bit behind when the time ran out“, but my favorite was always “2nd Place is the 1st Loser”.  In a nutshell that sums up my feelings – I play and work to be #1 and try and surround myself with others that have that same winning desire – it’s natural 5 hour energy that doesn’t stop at 5 hours!

#4 Rap Lyric That Shaped My Leadership Style

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For the background of this list – see my original post from 2-10-12.

The #4 Rap Lyric that Shaped My Leadership Style comes from a man that is making his second appearance on my countdown the one and only Shawn Carter, or as he’s better known – Jay-Z!  The lyric actually come from a remix he did for Kayne West on the song Diamonds From Sierra Leone.  Here’s the Lyric:

“I’m not a businessman/ I’m a business, man.”

To often as leaders we talk about wanting to be more strategic for our organizations, or wanting to have more impact within our organizations, but I see people going about it all wrong.  You can go into a corporate setting and “act” the part, but you’ll never reach your full potential as a leader until you make the conscience decision to fully commit to making yourself that person you desire.  That is the essence of this lyric.  I don’t want to be businessman, I want to be the Business, man.  People don’t follow posers – they follow people who are completely committed and passionate about what they do.

It might sound altruistic, but think about those people who you really consider to be the greatest leaders.  Almost always you can differentiate those people from the brand they are supporting.  You hear it all time – “Oh, she is Nike.” or “He bleeds UPS brown”.  Entrepreneurs get this – they are their business, but most corporate folks don’t really understand the true meaning of this.  Sometimes in corporate settings these people are actually mocked because people believe “they drank the kool-aid” too much – which is a shame, because they are probably your most engaged employees, but you are resentful over their seemingly high satisfaction.

The only advice I give people on this topic is if you can’t truly support your organization (which means referring friends and family, going the extra mile for your company, and being honest with yourself to love what you do and who your doing it for) you need to find an organization that you do feel this way about.  You owe it to yourself, but more importantly you owe it to the business and all those other people who do want to be here and be successful.

#5 Lyric That Shaped My Leadership Style

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For the background of this list – see my original post from 2-10-12.

The Top 5!  I have to be honest, I didn’t think I had the patience to follow through with this series – but as has gone on over the last 20 weeks – it’s been fun!  The #5 Rap Lyric That Shaped My Leadership Style comes from the Greatest Hip Hop Group of all time – Run DMC!   Off their Raising Hell album, from the 1986 song “It’s Tricky“, here’s the Lyric:

“When I wake up people take up mostly all of my time
I’m not singing, phone keep ringing so I make up a rhyme”


This line reminds me of what is important in HR – the People!  It’s a reality of what we do in HR and Leadership that people are going to take up all of our time – it’s why we have positions in our organizations, and I’m find with that.  I meet so many peers who truly get put off by having to “deal with people” and I find it to be the most enjoyable part of my day.  I couldn’t be an accountant and deal with numbers all day, or an engineer building or designing things all day – I’m one of those crazy people-persons I like dealing with people.

Too often I meet leaders who are struggling in their positions because they have this belief that they shouldn’t have to “deal” with people issues – when it’s really the only thing they should have to deal with.  If you have great accountants, engineers, marketing pros, etc. working for you – you shouldn’t have to worry about the functional stuff – all you have to do is worry about that your people are happy, productive and competent – and then let them go.

A great day for me is when I get to help someone working for me – relieve some pain!  Something that is bothering them, which is causing them to be less productive, less happy or less competent.  I can help remove that and they can get back to do what they do best for the organization.  I’m at the point if I’m not being “bothered” with people stuff – I go searching for people stuff – assuming it’s out there, but they’re just trying to do it on their own.  I want to help – I want to be “bothered” – It’s what I’m suppose to do!

BTW – Run DMC has so many great lines -you should go back today and re-listen to some of their old tracks – pure Awesomsauce!