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Say Hello Lyrics by JAY-Z

American Gangster

2007

[Intro]
Uhh, uhh, uhh
Uhh...
It's that Roc-A-Fella music, soulful

[Chorus]
Say hello to the bad guy (Hello), they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (Hello), say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
Ay (Say hello) – ay, ay, ay
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't

[Verse 1]
I ain't playing
Life's short, so I aim – I ain't waiting for life to start betraying 'em
It's twice as hard to get a job that's paying 'em
So I ain't paying attention to what you're saying
Raindrops keep falling on my brain
'Cause I'm in the drop on flames
I'm so hot even if the weather change
I don't have no top, I'm insane
'Member dark-skinned Jermaine, "suede in the rain"?
I'm sorta kinda the same
'Cept I'm no lame, and you gonna know my name
Before I go, the world gon' feel my pain
They saying I'm a bad guy – why's that?
'Cause when my back's against the wall, nigga, I react
Secretly though, I know you admire that
You wish you had the balls to fire back – brrrap!
Say hello, uhh uh, hello, uhh uh
You wish you had the balls to fire back – brrap!

[Chorus]
Say hello to the bad guy (Hello), they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (Hello), say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
Ay (Say hello) – ay, ay, ay
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't

[Verse 2]
I ain't no ordinary nigga
Look around, this ain't what ordinary gets ya (IT AIN'T!)
Extraordinary figures (Damn)
I'm an extraordinary nigga
Before my name became Jigga
Before I sang, I had that thang on slippers
Can't complain 'bout what they ain't gon' give ya
That ain't gon' get ya shit, might as well give up
"Or get up, get out, and get something, nigga"
Get a job, my nigga, or get to dumping
Only God can judge him, only He without sin
Tell me if my means–justify my ends
'Til then, I'm just gon' fly in the Benz
Wire my friends through Western Union
Shhhhh, supply's in
My system knocking, here comes the bad guy again
Say hello, uhh uh, hello, uhh uh
Hello, uhh, here comes the bad guy again

[Chorus]
Say hello to the bad guy (Hello), they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (Hello), say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
Ay (Say hello) ay, ay, ay

[Verse 3]
Let me tell you what I ain't –
We ain't thugs for the sake of just being thugs
Nobody do that where we grew at – nigga, duh
The poverty line we not above
So out comes the mask and gloves, 'cause we ain't feeling the love
We ain't doin' crime for the sake of doing crimes
We movin' dimes 'cause we ain't doing fine
One out of three of us is locked up, doing time
You know what this type of shit can do to a nigga mind?
"My mind on my money, money on my mind"
If you owe me ten dollars, you ain't giving me nine
Y'all ain't give me forty acres and a mule
So I got my Glock 40, now I'm cool
And if Al Sharpton is speaking for me –
Somebody give him the word and tell him I don't approve
Tell him I'll remove the curses
If you tell me our schools gon' be perfect
When Jena Six don't exist
Tell him that's when I'll stop saying "bitch," – BITCH!

[Chorus]
Say hello to the bad guy (Hello), they say I'm a bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
They say I'm a bad guy (Hello), say hi to the bad guy
I come from the bottom, but now I'm mad fly (Say hello)
They say I'm a menace (Hello) – that's the picture they paint
They say a lot about me, let me tell you what I ain't (Say hello)
Ay (Say hello) ay, ay, ay
Credits

About “Say Hello” by JAY-Z

Read the complete lyrics to "Say Hello" by JAY-Z from the album "American Gangster" in 2007. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under USA, In English, East Coast Rap.

"Say Hello" is performed by JAY-Z. from the album "American Gangster" in 2007 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Say Hello", explore more songs by JAY-Z using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for JAY-Z · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Say Hello" is credited to JAY-Z. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Say Hello" appears on "American Gangster" in 2007.

Visit the JAY-Z artist page at /artist/jay-z for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


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