Ten Crack Commandments Lyrics

[Chuck D]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9


[Intro]
It's the ten crack commandments, what?
Nigga can't tell me nothing about this coke
Can't tell me nothing about this crack, this weed, for my hustlin' niggas

Niggas on the corner I ain't forget you niggas, my triple beam niggas

[Verse]
I've been in this game for years, it made me a animal
There's rules to this shit, I wrote me a manual
A step-by-step booklet for you to get
Your game on track, not your wig pushed back

Rule Nombre Uno: never let no one know
How much dough you hold 'cause you know
The cheddar breed jealousy 'specially
If that man fucked up, get yo' ass stuck up

Number Two: never let 'em know your next move
Don't you know bad boys move in silence and violence?

Take it from your highness (Uh-huh)
I done squeezed mad clips at these cats for they bricks and chips
Number Three: never trust nobody
Your moms'll set that ass up, properly gassed up
Hoodied and masked up, shit, for that fast buck
She be laying in the bushes to light that ass up

Number Four: I know you heard this before
"Never get high on your own supply"

Number Five: never sell no crack where you rest at
I don't care if they want an ounce, tell 'em, "Bounce!"

Number Six: that goddamn credit? Dead it
You think a crackhead paying you back? Shit, forget it

Seven: this rule is so underrated
Keep your family and business completely separated
Money and blood don't mix like two dicks and no bitch
Find yourself in serious shit

Number Eight: never keep no weight on you
Them cats that squeeze your guns can hold jums too

Number Nine shoulda been Number One to me:
If you ain't gettin' bagged, stay the fuck from police
If niggas think you snitchin', they ain't tryna listen
They be sittin' in your kitchen, waiting to start hittin'

Number Ten: a strong word called 'consignment'
Strictly for live men, not for freshmen
If you ain't got the clientele, say, "Hell no!"
'Cause they gon' want they money rain, sleet, hail, snow

Follow these rules you'll have mad bread to break up
If not, twenty-four years on the wake up
Slug hit your temple, watch your frame shake up
Caretaker did your makeup, when you passed

Your girl fucked my man Jake up
Heard in three weeks, she sniffed a whole half a cake up
Heard she suck a good dick, and can hook a steak up
Gotta go, gotta go, more pies to bake up, word up (Uh)

[Outro]
Crack King, Frank Wiz-zhite

[Premier Scratching]
(1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8
1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 5
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
10.......10)

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About

Genius Annotation

In “Ten Crack Commandments,” Biggie presents himself as the Moses of the drug game, juxtaposing the force of God with the dark forces of capitalism, much like Jay Z’s “D'Evils” As in “D'Evils,” the ruthless street religion is stronger than Christianity.

Many believe B.I.G drew inspiration for this song from the July 1994 issue of The Source magazine. It’s the same copy his mom was reading in the “Juicy” video. Their list read:

  1. Never let anyone know how much money you have.
  2. Never let anyone know what your next move will be.
  3. Trust no one.
  4. Never use what you sell.
  5. Never give credit.
  6. Never sell out of your home.
  7. Keep family and business separate.
  8. Never park your stash on your person.
  9. If you’re not being arrested, never be seen communicating with the police.
  10. G.C.G.C. (Great Consignment, Grave Confinement)

This song was originally made as a demo for Angie Martinez’s radio show on Hot 97. Producer DJ Premier told The Combat Jack Show in 2013:

The track was actually a promo that me and Jeru did for Angie Martinez on Hot 97. Back then she did a show called the “Hot 5 at 9″ where she would play the top 5 records at 9 o’clock. If you listen to the scratches, before I added “ten” later on when Biggie got it, I just keep going to five right after the beat drops because it was for the top 5 at 9.

Puffy was guest hosting the show and when he heard the promo he was like “what the hell, who did this?” and Angie told him I did it. So he goes live on the radio like “yo Premier, if you’re out there, call me.” One of my homeboys paged me and told me that Puffy was on the radio telling me to call him. I turn on Hot 97 and right before I was about to turn the dial off, I hear “Premier, Premier, please call me if you hear me on the radio.” He told me he wanted to buy the promo.

I told Jeru and he was like “yo, it’s hip hop. No big deal.” So I sold it to him and Biggie already had a concept, he wanted to call it “Ten Crack Commandments.” I took the “Ten” from a spaceship count down when they go “ten, nine, eight, seven…” And Biggie just rapped over it right there."

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Credits
Produced By
Performance Rights
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Mastering Engineer
Mixing Engineer
Mixed At
Recorded At
Daddy's House Recording Studios (New York, NY)
Release Date
March 25, 1997
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