So I don’t generally listen to a lot of Rap. It is a genre that I don’t give much thought to. It is spoken word instead of singing. There is a definite difference between poetry and music verse… Rap lands somewhere inbetween. There are a few artists who I actually do listen to. Emenim and LL Cool J being prominent among them. I have wanted to write lyrics for music, but I have never felt capable. Today I choose a song that Jennifer Lopez and LL Cool J did. It feels like poetry to me.

Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J – All I Have

Lyrics
[Intro: Jennifer Lopez, Sample & LL Cool J]
Love is life and life is living
It’s very special
All my love…
Oh-oh-oh
Uh, baby, don’t go
All my, all my, all my love
Baby, don’t go, yeah
Very special
Baby, don’t go, uh
All my love
Baby, don’t go, yeah
Baby, don’t go
All my, all my, all my love
I understand, just chillin’
Baby, don’t go, yeah, yeah
Why you actin’ like that?

[Verse 1: Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J]
It’s such a shame, but I’m leaving (Uh)
Can’t take the way you mistreated me (Uh)
And it’s crazy, but oh, baby (Come on, yo, uh, uh, uh)
It don’t matter, whatever, don’t phase me
I don’t believe you wanna leave like this
I don’t believe I just had my last real kiss
I do believe we’ll laugh and reminisce
Wait a minute, don’t bounce, baby, let’s talk about this, man

[Pre-Chorus: Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J]
Well, I’m bouncing and I’m out, son (What you want, baby?)
I gotta leave you alone (Come on now)
‘Cause I’m good, holding down my spot
And I’m good reppin’ the girls on the block (Don’t go, baby)
And I’m good, I got this thing on lock
So without me you’ll be fine, right? (Come on, baby)

[Chorus: Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J]
All my pride is all I have
Pride is what you had, baby girl, I’m what you have
You’ll be needing me, but too bad
Be easy, don’t make decisions when you mad
The path you chose to run alone
I know you’re independent, you can make it on your own
Here with me you had a home, oh, yeah
But time is of the essence, why spend it alone? Huh

[Verse 2: Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J]
The nights I waited up for you (Oh, boy)
Promises you made about coming through
So much time you wasted
That’s why I had to replace you (Uh, uh, uh)
It makes a cat nervous, the thought of settling down
Especially me, I was creepin’ all over town (Creepin’)
I thought my tender touch could lock you down (Yeah)
I knew I had you, as cocky as it sounds
That’s the way you used to giggle right before I put it down
It’s better when you angry, come here, I’ll prove it now (Come here)
Stop playing (Haha, aw), you gaming
I gotta leave you alone (What you want now?)
[Pre-Chorus: Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J]
‘Cause I’m good holding my spot
Stop acting like that
And I’m good reppin’ the girls on the block
Now you know you need to stop
And I’m good, I got this thing on lock
So without me you’ll be fine, right?
Here we go

[Chorus: Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J]
All my pride is all I have
Pride is what you had, baby girl, I’m what you have
You’ll be needing me, but too bad
Be easy, don’t make decisions when you mad
The path you chose to run alone
I know you’re independent, you can make it on your own
Here with me you had a home, oh, yeah
But time is of the essence, why spend it alone? Huh

[Verse 3: LL Cool J & Jennifer Lopez]
People make mistakes to make up, to break up, to wake up
Cold and lonely, chill, baby, you know me, you love me (Oh)
I’m like your homie, instead of beefin’, come hold me
I promise I’m not a phony, don’t bounce, baby, console me (Come here)
Ain’t nothing you can say to me that
Can change my mind, I got to let you go now (Chill, baby)
And nothing will ever be the same, so just (Yeah)
Be on your way, go ahead and do your thing now (Baby, don’t go)
And there’s no more to explain to me, you know (Come on, now)
I know your game and I’m not feeling what you do (Come on, now)
So I’m bouncing and I’m out, son (Don’t bounce)
I gotta leave you alone, yeah, yeah (Don’t bounce, don’t bounce, baby)
[Chorus: Jennifer Lopez & LL Cool J]
All my pride is all I have (Don’t bounce, baby)
Pride is what you had, baby girl, I’m what you have
You’ll be needing me, but too bad (Don’t bounce, baby)
Be easy, don’t make decisions when you mad (Uh)
The path you chose to run alone
I know you’re independent, you can make it on your own
Here with me you had a home, oh, yeah
But time is of the essence, why spend it alone? Huh
All my pride is all I have (Don’t bounce, baby)
Pride is what you had, baby girl, I’m what you have (Baby, don’t go)
You’ll be needing me, but too bad (You’re everything to me)
Be easy, don’t make decisions when you mad (You mean everything to me, baby)
The path you chose to run alone
I know you’re independent, you can make it on your own (We all make mistakes, you know what I’m sayin’?)
Here with me you had a home, oh, yeah (I still love you, baby)
But time is of the essence, why spend it alone? Huh (I’ll always love you, baby)

[Outro: LL Cool J]
I promise you
You know what I’m sayin’?