Cover art for Paper Gangsta by Lady Gaga

Paper Gangsta

Lady Gaga
Track 11 on The Fame 

Produced by

Aug. 19, 20081 viewer47.5K views

Paper Gangsta Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Midnight rush with a pen in my hand
Inkin' Lincoln, sanskrit with a fan
Rememberin' me before we began
Sometimes I felt so Def in the Jam
But the ones who loved me told me to stop
Like, "Homegirl can't catch shit if it drop"
A superwoman chick, you know that I am
Some shit don't fly by me in a man

[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause I do not accept any less
Than someone just as real, as fabulous

[Chorus]
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign away my life to
Someone who's got the flavor
But don't have no follow-through
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign no monkey papers
I don't do funny business
Not interested in fakers
Don't want any paper gangsta
Oh-oh
Don't want no paper gangsta
Oh-oh
Don't want no paper gangsta
Don't want no paper gangsta
[Verse 2]
Got something really shiny to start
Want me to sign there on your Range Rover heart
I’ve heard it before, yeah, the dinners were nice
'Til your diamond words melted into some ice
You shoulda been rappin' to the beat of my song
Mr. California, paper ganster-a
I'm lookin' for love, not an empty page
Full of stuff that means nothin' but "you’ve been played"

[Pre-Chorus]
'Cause I do not accept any less
Than someone just as real, as fabulous

[Chorus]
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign away my life to
Someone who's got the flavor
But don't have no follow-through
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign no monkey papers
I don't do funny business
Not interested in fakers
Don't want no paper gangsta
Oh-oh
Don't want no paper gangsta
Oh-oh
Don't want no paper gangsta (gangsta, gangsta)
Don't want no paper gangsta (gangsta, gangsta, gangsta)
[Instrumental Bridge]

[Chorus]
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign away my life to
Someone who's got the flavor
But don't have no follow-through
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign no monkey papers
I don't do funny business
Not interested in fakers
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign away my life to
Someone who's got the flavor
But don't have no follow-through
Don't want no paper gangsta
Won't sign no monkey papers
I don't do funny business
Not interested in fakers
Don't want no paper gangsta
Oh-oh
Don't want no paper gangsta
Oh-oh
Don't want no paper gangsta
Don't want no paper gangsta
Don't want no paper gangsta
Don't want no paper gangsta

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About

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Genius Annotation

“Paper Gangsta” is a song written by Lady Gaga and producer RedOne from Gaga’s debut album, The Fame, in 2008.

Almost every artist in the beginning will accept label deals that don’t give the artist enough credit or control. Lady Gaga suffered this with her previous label, Def Jam; furthermore, Def Jam wanted Lady Gaga to use AutoTune, and she refused, leading to the dissolution of the deal. The song relates to Gaga’s feeling about her six-month record deal with Island Def Jam in 2006-2007.

The heavy AutoTune in the song is due to Gaga sarcastically proving to Def Jam what her music would have sounded like if she used as much AutoTune as they wanted her to. (Generally, Gaga uses very little AutoTune due to not having pitch issues; when she does use it, it is almost always just for artistic effect.)

In 2010, the song was used in the music video for “Telephone,” where it is playing on a stereo set in the prison yard towards the beginning of the video.

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Credits
Produced By
Written By
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Performance Rights
Release Date
August 19, 2008
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