But I'm not lyin' when I'm laying on the beat

from Kanye West (Ft. Lupe Fiasco) – Touch the Sky Lyrics on Rap Genius

Once again, that lion/lyin' homophone technique is going on here. “Layin' on the beat” is a reference to his smooth rap skills: he ain’t gon' bullshit! “On the beat” also is used to refer to a cop who mainly just circles the block, again referencing the block from one of the previous lines.

Note that Lupe makes this line grammatically correct: He is neither lying (deceiving) nor lying (down) when he is laying down rhymes on the beat.

To help improve the meaning of these lyrics, visit "Touch the Sky" by Kanye West (Ft. Lupe Fiasco) Lyrics and leave a comment on the lyrics box