Can't Knock the Hustle - Jay-Z

 Sean Carter doing what Sean Carter does, when motivated, on the mic. 

"The Game's fucked up
Nigga's beats is banging, nigga your hooks did it
Your lyrics didn't your gangster look did it..."

Typical Jay double meaning. Taking a shot at The Game, and the game (the rap game) itself. The two following lines certainly can be applied to the state of hip-hop music, and perhaps to  Jayceon Taylor. They were, after all engrossed in a battle around the time of this album.

"So I would write it if y'all could get it
Being intricate'll get you wood, critic
On the Internet, they like you should spit it
I'm like you should buy it, nigga that's good business hehe..."

Me, and people of my ilk have long criticized Sean Carter for not always putting forth his best efforts on track, i.e. too much "I just wanna love you" and not enough Dead Presidents. He puts forth a decent counter arguement by pointing out that "science and metphors can slow up the dough link" Furthermore, many of my ilk download instead of buying, while fans of "Big Pimpin" type songs, generally women and suburban teens, purchase legally. 

"Forget this rap shit I need a new hustle
A little bit of everything, the new improved Russell
I say that reluctantly cause I do struggle
As you see I can't leave so I do love you
But I'm just a hustler disguised as a rapper
In fact you can't fit this hustle inside of a wrapper/rapper..."

Here Jay acknowledges the difficulties of dealing with fickle fans and speaks to his grander desires to become more of a corporate boardroom player as opposed to an artist. He wraps it up with more double meaning, the "wrapper/rapper" line.

 

[Intro: snippets of Eddie in "Super Fly"]

You know, you've got this.. fantasy in your head about

getting outta the life and, setting the corporate world on its ear

What the FUCK you gonna do except hustle?

Besides pimpin... you really ain't got the stomach for that

[Jay-Z]

The Game's fucked up

Nigga's beats is banging, nigga your hooks did it

Your lyrics didn't your gangster look did it

So I would write it if y'all could get it

Being intricate'll get you wood, critic

On the Internet, they like you should spit it

I'm like you should buy it, nigga that's good business hehe

forget this rap shit I need a new hustle
A little bit of everything, the new improved Russell
I say that reluctantly cause I do struggle
As you see I can't leave so I do love you
But I'm just a hustler disguised as a rapper
In fact you can't fit this hustle inside of a wrapper/rapper
Back when crack was what these pills are

I was a real star complete with real, cars, 

no video ones you can come and set up a camera, let the video run
And my real life, complete with real, ice
VVS boulders oh they're visibly set
Head and shoulders, my invisible neck
You see Hova, wasn't digital yet
Befo' Steve Jobs, made the iPod
Was getting head, jobs, we call that intimate/internet
Back when rappers wouldn't dare play lyrical roulette
With a automatic weapon I was rapping with a tec
(Fresh) like (Mannie) be, chain like anti-freeze
Shoebox full of cash, dealer man hand me keys

Pantries full of Arm & Hammer, don't take Nancy Drew to see

what it do, I'm a damn G

Just sent a million dollars through a hands free

That's big money talk, can you answer me?

Before The Answer was a 3

I was down in Georgetown with a Hoya chick, lawyer chick

Sure he's rich now cause he saw the shit, all this shit

That's why they call him Hov', cause he came before all this shit

Bought a 6, quarter seven, skipped on them quarter eights

Bought a 9 for non-stop glock work all the time

Woo! Guess who's back?

Since this is a New Era, got a fresh new hat

Ten year veteran, I've been set

I've been through with this bullshit game but I never quit

I used to think rapping at 38 was ill

But last year alone I grossed 38 mill'

I know I ain't quite 38 but still

The flow so (Special) got a (38) feel

The real is back, hehehehe