Cover art for Operation: Greenbacks by MF DOOM

Operation: Greenbacks

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Oct. 19, 19991 viewer37.5K views

Operation: Greenbacks Lyrics

[Hook]
M-O-N-E-Y
Never did a thing for L-O-V-I-N


[Verse 2: Megalon]
Coming straight from the black lungs
I rip tracks for all players that pack guns
Stack ones in packs, done and doing back-to-back runs
To my peeps that close, so's ya' knows what's up
Y'all know the dough's quick, hoes that mess with 5-O shrimp like, "What?"
Like they wanna shmoosh us, just to packing the pushers
I'm packing gat then bust a cap at po-po
If they catch us and try to push us
Since when a MINY nigga don't be taking no shit?
I be that drug dealing nigga that be fucking ya' bitch!

[Verse 3: King Geedorah]
What a fella! Like Salt, Pepa, Spinderella
I came to spark the deaf, dumb and blind like Helen Keller
If I'm not with George of the Jungle, if he not with Stella
Or either Priscilla, I'm doing dips on Godzilla
Though y'all know he don't play, right?
TNT throws a nigga out a moving van in broad daylight
And he was shackled by hands and feet
Then they say he tried to escape, once his face scraped the concrete
Near the curb on Monster Island, 103 Street
Where brothers run the risk of getting swallowed once the Beast eat
I'd rather lay in the cut, collect cash pay
Only TNT I see is Gilligan's castaway
With Mary Jane and Ginger

Oh, from which you spent the night by accident, I creep like a ninja
When the mack is bent, who can give one fuck?
Get bucked, get broke up like three-piece nun-chucks
Y'all sun struck, sick to they head-piece
Three-headed beast brings the drama to a dead cease
(Get that money, god)
Sick to they head-piece
(Get that money, god)
(Get that money, god)
(Get that money, god)
Greenbacks ... the meanest green stacks

[Hook]
M-O-N-E-Y
Never did a thing for L-O-V-I-N
Never
Ask me what I need, I need your
M-O-N-E-Y

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About

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Genius Annotation

“Operation: Greenbacks” is a standout track on the 1999 album Operation: Doomsday by MF DOOM. The song is a scathing critique of the music industry and its exploitation of artists and their work.

DOOM uses the metaphor of a spy movie heist to describe his mission to “rob the game” and reclaim his artistic integrity. He describes the industry’s practices as “treacherous”, and emphasizes his desire to “take back what’s rightfully mine” to regain control over his music.

The song’s production is built around a sample from the 1972 song “Ike’s Mood I” by Isaac Hayes, which provides a soulful and atmospheric backdrop for DOOM’s incisive lyrics. DOOM’s flow is characteristically complex and intricate, with rapid-fire rhymes and clever wordplay that underscore his status as one of the most innovative and inventive MCs in hip-hop history.

“Operation: Greenbacks” is widely regarded as a highlight of the Operation: Doomsday album, and a seminal work in the hip-hop genre. Its combination of socially-conscious lyrics and innovative production has influenced countless artists in the years since its release, and it stands as a testament to DOOM’s enduring impact on the world of hip-hop.

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