Creem (whose trademark is capitalized CREEM - despite the magazine's masthead appearing in lower case letters), "America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine," was a monthly rock 'n' roll publication first published in March 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. It suspended production in 1989 but received a short-lived renaissance in the early 1990s as a glossy tabloid. Lester Bangs, often cited as "America's Greatest Rock Critic," became editor in 1971. The term "punk rock" was said to have been coined by the magazine in 1971, and the term "heavy metal" was also first used in its pages.
Creem was based in Detroit, Michigan, and later the Detroit suburb of Birmingham. This geographical separation from the entertainment industry in the United States, then focused primarily in Hollywood and New York City, along with the British upbringing of original editor Reay, resulted in a certain irreverence, a deprecatory and humorous tone that permeated the magazine throughout its existence. The magazine became famous for its comical photo captions, which poked fun at rock stars, the industry, and even the magazine itself. Its location also meant it was among the first national publications with in-depth coverage of many popular Detroit-area artists, such as Bob Seger, Mitch Ryder, Alice Cooper, The MC5, The Stooges, Iggy Pop, and Parliament-Funkadelic, as well as other Midwestern acts such as Raspberries and Cheap Trick.
Chorus: repeat 2X
Nobody want'cha when you're down and out
Down and out
You got to keep on, treatin' me the way you do
[First Verse]
What's up with game, homie? I never saw you before
You got'z to be ridin' with them haters that be jockin' my flow
You say you always been down, but I never see you around
You was my friend in the beginning, but then you left when I was ass out
Now what's up on your block?
You supposed to be down when you say you down
But you weren't down then, what make me think you down now?
Wanna be ridin' right beside me cuz them girls on my jock
But you never wanna mess with me when I was choppin' up them rocks
I never did see your face, you never would put me up in your car
Asked you to take me to the store, you told me that was too far
But now I'm ridin' through your hood, makin' that mo money mo
Smokin' indo behind my tented window
And now I got my eyes closed when I be passin' you suckas by
No I wouldn't scoop you up and wouldn't address you if I tried
Got some real soldiers with me, cuz you suckas tryin' to get me
Ain't no shame in my game, plus my trigga finger itch
You can die, die, die over yay, yay, yay
When Cream step on the scene, that better be all you have to say
Don't play, you wanna get mad, cuz you thought I wasn't gone make it
But I done flipped it up and zipped it up, so suck it up and take it
Don't fake it
Chorus (2x)
[Second Verse]
Real is the only way to keep it, when you on the city streets
Watch your back for them jackers and keep your eye on your enemies
Cuz the side that we livin' in, you never know who's your friend
Your friend could be cool, and leave you dead in a blood pool
No rules to this game, or at least they all have been broken
My nigga got kicked over by a bitch, died with his eyes wide open
For shit like that gotta keep it strong and keep it loyal on your side
I wonder WHY, so many niggas I had, died of homicide
Reflect my life, bustin' too much for a young nigga
Hangin' tough, and keepin' myself in the game to make myself bigger
And thinkin' with this life, we can be down for the pound
Only time I got declined, so you know I be holdin' it down
Nigga if I'm a million years old,
I'd still be dealin' with fakes and them phonies
When I was down and out, the fakest ones are the ones who turned on me
So for them fakers fuck the rollin' show them slugs
Showin' 'em, bust your love
Man I'm about to light this bud and hold it down for all them thugs