Textbook - Baba Brinkman

Is there any place in business for an honest person?

This is De La Soul, the entrepreneur’s version

Rap music has a problem, it’s all so controversial

But I got products and services customers wanna purchase

So I can’t stop the hustle, shout outs to Russell

Simmons — either rap is a business, or it’s not successful

You gots to buckle down, Warren Buffet style

That’s how you get your people out the struggle

I’ve been trainin' myself, I’m shameless as hell

With self-promotion, ‘cause I’ve got some shit I’m aimin' to sell

I make rap music that’s as entertaining as hell

But it’s packed full of facts and information as well

That’s why my stock is rising — it’s not surprising

It’s the information age, storage costs are diving

But when it comes to analyzing data, the market’s thriving

This is a rap guide to what’s on the horizon

Step to the stage with your best foot

Hit the competition with a left hook

I don’t compete with Jay-Z ‘cause I’m less hood

I compete with a textbook

Step to the stage with your best foot

Hit the competition with a left hook

I’m no threat to 50 Cent ‘cause I’m less hood

I compete with a textbook

The idea came to me when I was takin' a crap

I could make a career out of informational rap

Instead of boastin' and braggin' I could base it in fact

That was ten years ago, now check the place where I’m at

I’m the chief executive of Rap Guide Incorporated

Global dominance in the field of educational rap

Plus platinum plaques, and estimated

Future revenues of… well, seventy or eighty

Million, at first it was stops and starts

But now it’s all Rap Guide music that tops the charts

Conscious rap — that’s hip-hop with smarts

So I wanna try to explain how I got this far

With the plaque on the desk — it’s about managing risk

And adaptin' to fresh circumstances, and yes

Sometimes havin' to stretch the facts a lil bit

You gotta fake it ‘til you make it on the path to success

Step to the stage with your best foot

Hit the competition with a left hook

I don’t compete with Ludacris ‘cause I’m less hood

I compete with a textbook

Step to the stage with your best foot

Hit the competition with a left hook

I’m no threat to Eminem ‘cause I’m less hood

I compete with a textbook

It’s like one of those «CEO Survey» type initiatives

«We need some insight for young executives

Please, teach us how to drink blood and stay competitive!»

Those reports are like a fuckin' sedative

I’m here to synthesize information into basic packets

‘Cause young peoples' minds today… way distracted

Business leaders need to take evasive action

Before their contracting niche in the marketplace collapses

‘Cause in the rat race only change is constant

And the main commodity is information content

You gotta separate the signal from the noise and the blatant nonsense

And modern workers want a playful office

So get some X-Boxes — it’s simple economics

If you give people what they want, it leads to profits

Business has to stay creative, and keep evolving

The Rap Guide can teach you how — believe the promise

Step to the stage with your best foot

Hit the competition with a left hook

I don’t compete with Asher Roth ‘cause I’m less hood

I compete with a textbook

Step to the stage with your best foot

Hit the competition with a left hook

I’m no threat to Justin Bieber ‘cause I’m less hood

I compete with a textbook

Credits