Nothin' on You

"**Nothin' on You**" is an unreleased song by Lupe Fiasco featuring fellow labelmate Bruno Mars. Originally slated to be Fiasco's song, it was given to B.o.B instead. Similarly, this also happened with "Airplanes".

Atlantic Records' chairman Craig Kallman did not like Fiasco's verses, and described it as "wack". Fiasco admitted, "That was the tipping point. It was less about the bruised ego but more the audacity of it. It was mentally destructive. I say it with a certain laissez-faire now because I'm past it, but back then, hearin' that shit, it fucked me up. I was super-depressed, lightly suicidal, at moments medium suicidal—and if not suicidal, willing to just walk away from it all completely."

Record producer Jim Jonsin was contacted by Kallman to collaborate with Fiasco, but persuaded Kallman to give it to B.o.B instead. He reported to MTV News, "I told Craig, 'I like the song a lot. It's a smash and could be somebody's single. But it's not Lupe's record. I need this record for B.o.B. Please give this record to B.o.B.' I guess they went through whoever they went through, convinced whoever they needed to, and it got to B.o.B." Fiasco's version was leaked around the same time as the official release, where people remarked on how Fiasco's vocals lacked emotion in comparison.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Hook: Bruno Mars]

Beautiful girls, all over the world

I could be chasin' but my time would be wasted

They got nothin' on you, baby

Nothin' on you, baby

They might say hi, and I might say hey

But you shouldn't worry, about what they say

'Cause they got nothing' on you, baby

Nothin' on you, baby

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

You already know where my heart be at

Tempo that my heartbeat at, boom boom

They're for you, for real, for truth

It's never been trivial pursuit

May look like a sedan man but I'm really just a coupe

Now that's two, so they can't fit, there's no room

And there's no roof, so there's no limitation

Limitless, since it's initiation

And to the crew, seed sown, then it grew

Was a pilot now we in syndication

And every time we show up it's pay-per-view

Or the news, you're my satellite, that YouTube (Tell 'er!)

[Hook: Bruno Mars]

Beautiful girls, all over the world

I could be chasin' but my time would be wasted

They got nothin' on you, baby

Nothin' on you, baby

They might say hi, and I might say hey

But you shouldn't worry, about what they say

'Cause they got nothing' on you, baby

Nothin' on you, baby

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

On my microphone hustle, stay behind the bar

And I thought I could never be imprisoned

This the story of how you caught me slippin'

That's right, locked up abroad

You remain, they mirage, they collapse, we collage

We stick together like we starting fires

Thick as thieves, pick pockets at large

Kinda like lame miserab's

But we don't play, Broadway's for the stars

She's venus, and me's mars, so we like on a whole 'nother chart

Surreal, it's like a whole 'nother art

Hanging at the MOMA, and we got our names on the A-train cars

Like Frida meets Karlz, coming down banging knocking pictures off the walls

[Hook: Bruno Mars]

Beautiful girls, all over the world

I could be chasin' but my time would be wasted

They got nothin' on you, baby

Nothin' on you, baby

They might say hi, and I might say hey

But you shouldn't worry, about what they say

'Cause they got nothing' on you, baby

Nothin' on you, baby

[Verse 3: Lupe Fiasco]

So what more? Further I could go into

But what for? We're already killing them

We're like Williams and Woods on tour

Now that's love above par, ooh

I just love to love ya, you're my power

My peace, my elegant flowers

No matter what the world is coming to

I take the rap, they got nothin' on you

[Outro: Lupe Talking Over Hook]

Heh, you know what I'm sayin'?

I mean, temptation is a mother

But you're like none other

They can't compare

's why I'm here, you know?

It's like FOR-ever, that's like a long time (Haha)

Yeah, the vibrations are very nice on this one

Lupe, let's go... peace!

## References

1. ↑ Batey, Angus (March 3, 2011). "Lupe Fiasco: 'I have the right to speak out'". *The Guardian*.
2. ↑ Rodriguez, Jayson (May 6, 2010). "B.o.B's 'Nothin' On You' Was Slated for Lupe Fiasco, Producer Reveals". *MTV*.
3. ↑ Bain, Becky (June 22, 2010). "Who Did "Nothin' On You" Better—B.o.B Or Lupe Fiasco?". *Idolator*.