[Intro: Jay-Z (Kanye)]enter added
[laughing]
Yo fuck you, Kanye, first and foremostenter deleted
For makingenter added
me do this shit. Muh'fuckerenter deleted
Had to throw everybodyenter added
out the motherfucking roomenter deleted
'Cause they don't fucking..

(I'd like to propose a toast)
(I said toast motherfucker)

[Chorus: Kanye]
And I am (here's to the roc)
And they ask me, they ask me, they askenter added
me, I tell them (here's to Rocafella)
Raise your glasses, your glasses,enter added
your glasses to the sky (here's to the roc)
This is the last call forenter added
alcohol, for the... (here's to Rocafella)
the.. So get your ass up off the wall

[Verse 1]
The all around the world Digital Underground, Pac
The Rudloph the red nosed reindeer of the Roc I
Itake my chain, my 15 seconds of fameenter deleted
And come backenter added
next year with the whole fucking gameenter deleted
Ain't nobodyenter added
expect Kanye to end up on topenter deleted
They expected thatenter added
College Dropout to drop and then flopenter deleted
Then maybeenter added
he stop savin' all the good beats for himself
Rocafella's only niggaz that helpenter deleted
My money wasenter added
thinner than Sean Paul's goatee hairenter deleted
Now Jean Paulenter added
Gaultier cologne fill the air, hereenter deleted
They say heenter added
bourgie, he big-headedenter deleted
Won't you please stopenter added
talking about how my dick head isenter deleted
Flow infectious,enter added
give me 10 secondsenter deleted
I'll have a buzz bigger thanenter added
insects in Texasenter deleted
It's funny how wasn't nobodyenter added
interestedenter deleted
'Til the night I almost killed myself in Lexus

[Chorus]

[Verse 2]
Now was Kanye the most overlooked? Yes sirenter deleted
Now isenter added
Kanye the most overbooked? Yes sirenter deleted
Though the fansenter added
want the feeling of A Tribe Called Questenter deleted
But allenter added
they got left is this guy called Westenter deleted
Better takeenter added
Freeway, throw him on tracks with Mos Defenter deleted
Call himenter added
Kwa-lI or Kwe-li, I put him on songs with Jay-Z
I'm the Gap like Banana Republic and Old Navy, andenter added
ooohenter deleted
It come out sweeter than old Sadieenter deleted
Nice asenter added
Bun-B when I met him at the Source awardsenter deleted
Girl heenter added
had with him - ass coulda won the horse awards And
AndI was almost famous, now everybody loves love Kanye I'm
I'malmost Raymond'
reignin' Some say he arrogant. Can y'allenter added
blame him?enter deleted
It was straight embarrassing how y'allenter added
played himenter deleted
Last year shoppin my demo, I was tryin'enter added
to shineenter deleted
Every motherfucker told me that Ienter added
couldn't rhymeenter deleted
Now I could let these dream killersenter added
kill my self-esteementer deleted
Or use my arrogance as theenter added
steam to power my dreamsenter deleted
I use it as my gas, soenter added
they say that I'm gassedenter deleted
But without it I'd beenter added
last, so I ought to laughenter deleted
So I don't listen to theenter added
suits behind the desk no moreenter deleted
You niggaz wearenter added
suits 'cause you can't dress no moreenter deleted
You can't sayenter added
shit to Kanye West no moreenter deleted
I rocked 20,000 people,enter added
I was just on tour, niggaenter deleted
I'm Kan, the Louisenter added
Vuitton Donenter deleted
Bought my mom a purse, now she Louisenter added
Vuitton Momenter deleted
I ain't play the hand I was dealt, Ienter added
changed my cardsenter deleted
I prayed to the skies and Ienter added
changed my starsenter deleted
I went to the malls and I balledenter added
too hardenter deleted
'Oh my god, is that a Black Card?' black card?' I
Iturned around and replied, why yes but I preferenter added
the termenter deleted
African American Expressenter deleted
Brains, power,enter added
and muscle, like Dame, Puffy, and Russellenter deleted
Your boyenter added
back on his hustle, you know what I've been up to
Killin y'all niggaz on that lyrical shit
Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push Miracle Whips

[Chorus]
"... last call for alcohol, for my niggaz"

[Outro]
So this A&R over at Rocafella, named Hiphop picked
pickedthe Truth beat for Beanie. And I was in theenter added
session with himenter deleted
I had my demo with me. You know,enter added
like I always doenter deleted
I play the songs,enter added
he's like "Who that spittin?"
I'm like "It's me."enter added
He's like "Oh, well okay."
Uhh, he started talkin to me on theenter added
phoneenter deleted
going back and forth, just askin me to sendenter added
him beatsenter deleted
And I'm thinking he's trying to get intoenter added
managing producersenter deleted
cause he had this other kidenter added
named Just Blaze he was messin withenter deleted
And um, he wasenter added
friends with my mentor, No IDenter deleted
And No ID told him,enter added
"look man, you wanna mess with Kanyeenter deleted
you need toenter added
tell him that you like the way he rap"enter added
[No ID:] "Yo, you wanna sign him, tell him you like how he rap"
I was all, I dunno if he was gassin' me orenter added
notenter deleted
but he's like he wanna manage me as a rapper AND a producerenter added
[Hiphop:] "I'll sign you as a producer and a rapper",
I'm like oh shitenter deleted
I was messin with,enter added
uh, D-Dot alsoenter deleted
People were like this,enter added
started talking about the Ghost production
But that's how I got in the game. If it wasn't forenter added
that, I wouldn't be hereenter deleted
So you know. After theyenter added
picked that Truth beatenter deleted
I was figuring I was gonnaenter added
do some more workenter deleted
But shit just went poppin offenter added
like that. I was stayin in Chicagoenter deleted
I had my ownenter added
apartment. I be doin' like, just beats for localenter added
actsenter deleted
just to try to keep the lights on, and thenenter added
to go out and buyenter deleted
get a Pelle Pelle off lay-away,enter added
get some Jordans or somethingenter deleted
or get aenter added
TechnoMarine, that's what we wore back thenenter deleted
I madeenter added
this one beat where I sped up this Hal Melvilleenter added
sampleenter deleted
I played it for Hip over the phone, he'senter added
like "oh, yo that shit is crazyenter deleted
Jay might want itenter added
for this compilation album he doin, called Theenter added
Dynasty."enter deleted
And at that time, like the drums reallyenter added
weren't soundin' right to meenter deleted
so I went and um, Ienter added
was listening to Dre Chronic 2001 at that time and
andreally I just, like picked the drums off Xxplosiveenter added
and put it likeenter deleted
with it sped up, sampled, and nowenter added
it's kind of like my whole styleenter deleted
when it started,enter added
when he rapped on 'This Can't be Life.'enter deleted
And thatenter added
was like, really the first beat of that kind thatenter added
was on the Dynasty albumenter deleted
I could say that was the,enter added
the resurgence of this whole soundenter deleted
You know, I gotenter added
to come in and track the beat, and at the time I
Iwas still with my other management. I reallyenter added
wanted to roll withenter deleted
Hiphop. 'Cause I, I justenter added
needed some fresh air, you know what I'm sayin,
sayin,'cause I been there for a while, I appreciatedenter added
what they didenter deleted
for me, but, you know there's a timeenter added
in every man's life where heenter deleted
gotta make a change,enter added
try to move up to the next level. And that day I
came and I tracked the beat and I got to meetenter added
Jay-Z and he said, "ohenter deleted
you a real soulful dude" (blank line inserted) [Jay-Z: "you a real soulful dude"]. And he uh,
uh,played the song 'cause he already spit his verseenter added
by the time I gotenter deleted
to the studio, you know how heenter added
do it, one take. And he saidenter added
[Jay-Z:] "check this out, tell me what you think of this, right here"
"tell me what you think of this." And I heard it,enter added
and I was thinkingenter deleted
like, man, I really wanted moreenter added
like of the simple type Jay-Z, I ain'tenter deleted
want likeenter added
the, the more introspective, complicated rhy- orenter added
the, in myenter deleted
personal opinion. So he asked me, "whatenter added
you think of it?"enter added
[Jay-Z:] "so what you thinkin?"
And I was like, "man that shit tite,"enter deleted
you knowenter added
what I'm sayin', man what I'ma tell him? I was onenter added
the trainenter deleted
man, you know. So after that I went backenter added
home. And man I'm, I'm justenter deleted
in Chicago, I'm tryingenter added
to do my thing. You know, I got groups. I got acts
actsI'm trying to get on, and like there wasn't nothinenter added
really likeenter deleted
poppin' off the way it should haveenter added
been. One of my homeys that was oneenter deleted
of my artists,enter added
he got signed. But it was supposed to really goenter added
throughenter deleted
my production company, but he ended upenter added
going straight with theenter deleted
company. So, like I'm justenter added
straight holdin' the phone, gettin' the bad news
newsthat dude was tryin' to leave my company. And Ienter added
got evicted atenter deleted
the same time. So I went down andenter added
tracked the beats from him, I tookenter deleted
that money,enter added
came back, packed all my shit up in a U-Haul,enter added
maybe aboutenter deleted
ten days before I had to actually getenter added
out. So I ain't have to dealenter deleted
with the landlordenter added
'cause he's a jerk. Me and my mother drove toenter added
[Mother:] "Come on, let's just go"enter deleted
Newark, Newenter added
Jersey. I hadn't even seen my apartment.
I remember I pulled upenter added
[Mother:] "Kanye, baby, we're here",
I unpacked all my shit. You know, we wententer added
to Ikea, I bought aenter deleted
bed, I put the bed togetherenter added
myself. I loaded up all my equipment, and the
thefirst beat I made was, uh, 'Heart of the City.'
And Beans was still working on his album at thatenter added
time, so I came upenter deleted
there to Baseline, it wasenter added
Beans' birthday, matter of fact, and Ienter deleted
played likeenter added
seven beats. And, you know I could see he's in theenter added
zoneenter deleted
he already had the beats that he wanted, Ienter added
did nothing like already atenter deleted
that time. But thenenter added
Jay walked in. I remember he had a GuccI bucket
hat on. I remember it like, like it was yesterday.enter added
And Hiphop saidenter deleted
"yo play that one beat for him."enter added
And I played 'Heart of the City.' Andenter deleted
really Ienter added
made 'Heart of the City,' I really wanted to giveenter added
that beat to DMX.enter added
[Hiphop:] "No I think Jay gon' like this one right here".
And I played another beat, and I played another beat.enter added
And I remember thatenter deleted
GuccI bucket, he took it and like put it overenter added
his face and made one ofenter deleted
them faces like 'OOOOOOOOOOH.'
'OOOOOOOOOOH. Two days later I'm in Baseline andenter added
I seenenter deleted
Dame. Dame didn't know who I was and I wasenter added
like "yo what's up I'm Kanye."enter added
[Dame:] "Yo, you that kid, Kanye?"
"You that kid that gave all them beats to Jay?
Yo, this nigga got classics"enter added
[Dame:] "Jay got classics, G."
You know I ain't talkin shit.enter deleted
I'm like "oh shit."enter added
And all this time I'm starstruck, man.enter added
I'menter deleted
still thinking 'bout,enter added
you know I'm picturing these niggaz on the show The
TheStreets is Watching, I'm lookin, these wereenter added
superstars in myenter deleted
eyes. And they still are, youenter added
know. So, Jay came in and he spit allenter deleted
these songsenter added
like in one day, and in two days... I gotta bringenter added
up oneenter deleted
thing, you know, come back to the story,enter added
the day I did the 'Can't beenter deleted
Life' beat on track, Ienter added
remember Lenny S, he had some Louis Vuitton
sneakers on, he think he fly. And Hiphop wasenter added
there, I think Tata, Johnenter deleted
Minnelli, a bunch ofenter added
people. I didn't know all these people at the time
timethey was in the room, and I said, "yo Jay I couldenter added
rap." And Ienter deleted
spit this rap that said, uh "I'menter added
killin y'all niggaz on that lyrical shit.
shit.Mayonnaise colored Benz, I push miracle whips."enter added
And I saw hisenter deleted
eyes light up when I said that line.enter added
But you know the West, the rapenter deleted
was like real wackenter added
and shit, so that's all the response.enter deleted
He said "manenter added
that was tite."enter added
[Jay-Z:] "That, that was cool. That was hot."
That was it. You know, I ain't get no deal then,enter added
hehe.enter deleted
Okay, fast forward.enter deleted
So, Blueprint,enter added
H to the Izzo, my first hit single. Andenter added
I justenter deleted
took that proudly, built relationships withenter added
people. My relationshipenter deleted
with KwelI I think was oneenter added
of the best ones to ever happen to myenter deleted
career as aenter added
rapper. Because, you know, of course later heenter added
allowed meenter deleted
to go on tour with him. Man, I appre--enter added
I love him for that. And atenter deleted
this time, you know Ienter added
didn't have a deal, I had songs, and I had
relationships with all these A&R's, and theyenter added
wanted beats from me, soenter deleted
they'd call me up, I'denter added
play them some beats. "Gimme a beat that sound
like Jay-Z." You know, they dick riders. Whatever.enter added
So I'll play thementer deleted
these post-Blueprint beats orenter added
whatever and then I'll play my shit. I'llenter deleted
be like,enter added
"yo but I rap too." Hey, I guess they was lookin'enter added
at me crazyenter deleted
'cause you know, 'cause I ain't have aenter added
jersey on or whateverenter deleted
Everybody out there listenenter added
here. I played them 'Jesus Walks' and they didn't
didn'tsign me. You know what happened, it was some A&R'senter added
that fuckedenter deleted
with me though, but then like theenter added
heads, it'd be somebody at theenter deleted
company that'll sayenter added
"naw." Like, Dave LottI fucked with me, my nigga
niggaMel brought me to a bunch of labels. Jessica Rivera, manenter added
[Jessica:] "Man, you niggaz is stupidenter added
if y'all don't sign Kanye, for real."enter deleted
I'm notenter added
gonna say nothin to mess my promotion up
"Y'all niggaz is stupid". Let's just say I didn't get myenter added
deal.enter deleted
The nigga that was behind me, I mean, he
hewasn't even a nigga, you know?enter deleted
The person whoenter added
actually kicked everything off was Joe 3H fromenter added
Capitolenter deleted
Records. He wanted to sign me really bad.enter added
[Joe:] "We gonna change the game, buddy."enter deleted
Dame wasenter added
like, "yo you got a deal with Capitol,enter deleted
okay man,enter added
just make sure it's not wack."enter added
[Dame:] "you gotta make sure it's not wack."
Then one day I just went ahead and played it,enter added
I wanted toenter deleted
play some songs,enter added
'cause you know Cam was in the room, Young Guru,enter added
andenter deleted
Dame was in the room. So I played... actuallyenter added
it's a song that you'llenter deleted
never hear, but maybe Ienter added
might use it. So, it's called 'Wow.' 'Wow.
"I go to Jacob with 25 thou, you go with 25 hundred, wow I
Igot eleven plaques on my walls right nowenter deleted
You gotenter added
your first gold single, damn, nigga, wow."
Like the chorus went. Don't bite that chorus, I mightenter added
still use it. Soenter deleted
I play that song for him, andenter added
he's like "oh shit"enter added
[Dame:] "Oh shit it's not even wack."
"I ain't gonna front, it's kinda hot."enter added
[Dame:] "it's actually kinda hot."enter deleted
Like they stillenter added
weren't looking at meenter deleted
like a rapper. And I'm sureenter added
Dame figured, 'like man. If he do a whole album,
album,if his raps is wack at least we can throw Cam onenter added
every song andenter deleted
save the album, you know. So uhenter added
Dame took me into the office, and he'senter deleted
like "yoenter added
man, we, we on a brick, we on a brick"enter added
[Dame:] "you don't wanna catch a brick"enter deleted
You gotta be underenter added
an umbrella, you'll get rained on.enter deleted
I told Hiphopenter added
and Hiphop was all, "oh, word?" Actually, evenenter added
withenter deleted
that I was still about to take the deal withenter added
Capitol 'cause it wasenter deleted
already on the table andenter added
'cause of my relationship with 3H. That, you know,
know,'cause I told him I was gonna do it, and I'm a manenter added
of my word, Ienter deleted
was gonna roll with what I said Ienter added
was gonna do. Then, you know, I'menter deleted
not gonna nameenter added
no names, but people told me, "oh he's just aenter added
producerenter deleted
rapper" and told 3H that told the headsenter added
of the Capitol, and right--enter deleted
the day I'm talkingenter added
about, I planned out everything I was gonna do
man, I had picked out clothes, I already startedenter added
booking studioenter deleted
sessions, I started arranging myenter added
album, thinking of marketing schemesenter deleted
man I wasenter added
ready to go. And they had Mel call me, they said
"yo... Capitol pulled on the deal"enter added
[Mel:] "Yo, Capitol pulled out on the deal."
And, you know I told them that Rocafella was interestedenter deleted
and Ienter added
don't know if they thought that was just somethingenter added
I was sayingenter deleted
to gas them up to try to push theenter added
price up or whatever. I went up... Ienter deleted
called G, I said,enter added
"man, you think we could still get that deal with Rocafella?"