Hustlaz

## Song by Lupe Fiasco

"**Hustlaz**" is a song by Lupe Fiasco, released as the lead track from the EP *Chill's Spotlight, Vol. 2* (2022). It was recorded before the release of his debut studio album, *Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor*, though was omitted due to the leak. It samples the 1976 song "Love Without Sex" by Gwen McCrae and also appears on the 2006 unofficial mixtape, *Lupe the Jedi*.

*Revolt* noted of the track's history: "Back in 2006, then-rising star Lupe Fiasco dropped off a mixtape titled *Lupe The Great* [...] One particular standout from said project was the Bugz-produced "Hustlaz Due," a soulful cut that was perfect for Lupe's thought-provoking bars about the lives that true hustlers have to endure."

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

Uh-huh

*Oh, baby*

Talk to 'em

*Oh, baby, ooh*

It's what hustler's do

*Oh, baby*

This is a hustler's song

This hustler's gone (Thug life, [?])

[Verse 1]

Let me tell you what this fellow like, caught somewhere

Between stop and go like yellow lights, uh-huh

Hustler, so I gotta get it mellow, right?

Down the block, round the clock, bezel like

I roll like cherry red Jell-O dice

It's Was, just the pot callin' the kettle white

It's hot, just the block callin' the ghetto wife

This Paul McCain is my ball and chain, mi amor

Hopefully I won't fall and hang

Like pictures on the walls of halls of fame

It's just a boy, man, look what it all became

Good 'n all, but look at what all remains

All the flaws and things

Marks from all the claws and fangs

The remarks from all of y'all that changed, the

Bustin' back at all y'all I trained, the

Apologizing to all of y'all I blame

[Chorus]

This a hustler's due

And you ain't did it 'til a hustler's do

And you didn't know it 'til a hustler knew

And you ain't done 'til a hustler's through

I'm a customer too, it's what hustler's do

And you ain't seen it 'til you seen it from a hustler's view

Open your eyes, this a hustler's song

God forgive if the hustler's wrong (Uh)

[Verse 2]

It's bigger things so we Cosa Nostra

Striving to be number one 'til I overdose

I speak it now with a number tongue or the throat

Youngest son runnin' from older quotes

Thou shall not sin, thou shall not steal

Thou shall not kill, thou shall not

Turn your back on those in need, I try to flip

But these government switch keeps me at this chosen speed

I'm just a rose in weeds

And I rolls with reasons to stay on this road I lead

'Til I leave with what I sow, my sole in these

Leave my son with the sum of what I sold in deeds

I'm foldin' y'all

Prolly headed for the pin like bowling balls

Kept it directed at the pen and wrote it for y'all

[Chorus]

This a hustler's due

And you ain't did it 'til a hustler's do

And you didn't know it 'til a hustler knew

And you ain't done 'til a hustler's through

I'm a customer too, this what hustler's do

And you ain't seen it 'til you seen it from a hustler's view

Open your eyes, this a hustler's song

God forgive if the hustler's wrong

[Verse 3]

It takes a lot of patience when you takin' it on

A lot of pacin', a lot of makin' it known

I ain't the n\*\*\*a that be placin' it on

I was the king of this city, now they replacing the throne

I know it's a lot of hatin' waitin' at home

And she ain't waitin', you can hear the bass in her tone

Like she can't make it alone, a broken home

And she the brace for the bone

All this from just embracin' the phone

A lot of ballin' up letters

A lot of erasing the poems

A lot of comin' to grips that you gonna be facin' alone

All this time, all this time you was wrong

You know whatever happens I got you

And when whatever happened to happen, they was happy to drop you

No letters or shoes, no cheddar

Your mom sow sweaters, [?] no better

[Chorus]

This a hustler's due

And you ain't did it 'til a hustler's do

And you didn't know it 'til a hustler knew

And you ain't done 'til a hustler's through

I'm a customer too, this what hustler's do

And you ain't seen it 'til you seen it from a hustler's view

Open your eyes, this a hustler's song

God forgive if the hustler's wrong

[Outro]

This what hustler's do

Till this hustler's through

This a hustler's song

'Til this hustler's gone

This what hustler's do

## References

1. ↑ Grant, Shawn (February 5, 2022). "Lupe Fiasco Releases Single "Hustlaz" Alongside NFT Launch". *The Source*.
2. ↑ Powell, Jon (February 4, 2022). "Lupe Fiasco reaches into his vault for "Hustlaz"". *Revolt*.