The Notorious B.I.G. – What’s Beef? Lyrics

The Notorious B.I.G. is sick of all the rap feuds involving rappers trading insults over songs and calling it “beef.” For Biggie, real beef involves sticks and stones—not words.

Biggie died soon after this song was released (most likely under circumstances related to his beef with 2Pac).

The drums sampled in “What’s Beef?” are drums Biggie has spat over before—on two of his other tracks.

For more on this song’s sampling, click here.

What’s Beef? Lyrics by The Notorious B.I.G.

[Produced by Carlos “6 July” Broady and Nashiem Myrick]

[Intro 1: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
The Commission:
Uncle Paulie, P. Diddy
Cease-A-Leo Degenaro (Yeah)
Charli Baltimore, Iceberg Slim (That’s right)
The most shady—Frankie, baby
We here
Do you know what beef is?
We ain’t goin’ nowhere
Do you know what beef is?
Uh-uh
Ask yourself
Do you know what beef is?
Uh-uh, ugh, uh-huh (Come on)
[Intro 2: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
Ha ha ha ha ha, check out this bizarre (Ugh)
Rapper style used by me, the B-I-G
I put my key, you put your key in
Money we’ll be seein’ ill reach the fuckin’ ceiling
Check it, check it (Ahh)

[Verse 1: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
My Calico been cocked (Uh-huh)
This rap Alfred Hitchcock
Drop top-notch, playa-hatin’ gon’ stop (Ugh)
This instant, rappers too persistent
Quick to spit Biggie name on shit
Make my name taste like ass when you speak it (Haha)
See me in the streets—your jewelry? You can keep it
That be our little secret (Shh)
See, me (Ugh) B, that is, I, that is—
Gee-whiz, motherfuckers still in my biz (Uh-huh, uh-huh)
Don’t they know my nigga Gutter fuckin’ kidnap kids? (Uh)
Fuck ’em in they ass, throw ’em over the bridge? (Ooh)
That’s how it is, my shit is laid out (What?)
Fuck that “beef” shit, that shit is played out (Played out)
Y’all got the gall, all I make is one phone call
All y’all disappear by tomorrow (Haha)
All your guns is borrowed (Ugh), I don’t feel sorrow
Actually, your man passed the Gat to me, now check this

[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
What’s beef?
Beef is when you need two Gats to go to sleep
Beef is when your moms ain’t safe up in the streets
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in ICU, one more time
What’s beef?
Beef is when you make your enemies start your Jeep
Beef is when you roll no less than thirty deep
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in ICU, check it (Yeah)

[Verse 2: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
I done smoked with the best of ’em (Uh-huh)
Shot at the rest of ’em (Uh-huh)
Was about a hundred or more, maybe less, of ’em
Got my rocks off, that nigga from the Brook’ just be—
Wildin’ on you, just be stylin’ on you (You so crazy)
And I tried to warn you, but your eyes fucked up
Now I cleared them shits with hits
You on the fuckin’ bench (Mm)
Pardon my French but, uh, sometimes, I get kind of
Peeved at these weak MCs (Don’t stop)
With the supreme baller-like lyrics
I call ’em like I see ’em, G
Y’all niggas sound like me (Yeah)
Y’all was grimy in the early nineties, far behind me
It ain’t hard to find me
Number one with the booyaka (Booyaka)
Give me the Remy and the chronic
Ain’t no tellin’ what I do to ya (I do to ya)
It’s obvious the game’s new to ya (New to ya)
Take them ends you make (Ehehe)
And spend ’em on a tutor, hah
One shot, I’m through with ya
[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
What’s beef?
Beef is when you need two Gats to go to sleep (Don’t sleep)
Beef is when your moms ain’t safe up in the streets (Ain’t safe)
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in ICU (I see you), one more time
What’s beef? (What’s beef)
Beef is when you make your enemies start your Jeep (Start my Jeep)
Beef is when you roll no less than thirty deep (Thirty deep)
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in ICU, there’ll be nothin— (I see you)

[Verse 3: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
There’ll be nothin’ but smooth sailin’ (Sailin’)
When I spit shots, now your crew’s bailin’ (Bailin’)
All I got is heat and tough talk for you (Uh-huh)
Tie you up, cut your balls off just for you (Oooh)
Man, listen, straight torture
Look what that slick shit bought ya
A first class ticket to Lucifer, real name Christopher
Watch me set it off like Vivica
Here lies your demise, close your eyes (Uh-huh)
Think good thoughts, die while your skin start to glisten
Pale blue hands get cold; your soul’s risen
It’s bad ’cause I just begun
What make the shit real bad: I was havin’ fun (Ahaha!)

[Chorus: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
What’s beef? (What’s beef?)
Beef is when you need two Gats to go to sleep (Don’t sleep)
Beef is when your moms ain’t safe up in the streets (Ain’t safe)
Beef is when I see you
Guaranteed to be in ICU, one more time (I see you)
What’s beef? (What’s beef?)
Beef is when you make your enemies start your Jeep (Start my Jeep)
Beef is when you roll no less than thirty deep (Thirty deep)
Beef is when I see you (I see you)
Guaranteed to be in ICU, and I’m through

[Outro: The Notorious B.I.G. & Puff Daddy]
Yeah, and I’m through
Ugh, ugh
The life after—
Now, ask yourself
Ugh
Do you really know what beef is?
The life after
Then ask yourself
Ugh
Do you really want beef?
The life after—
Ahahaha!
Yeah, I like that
Big Nash’
Hitmen, baby
On and on and on and on
Bad Boy
Y’all know what it is
Shit, I don’t want no beef
Aha!