--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If skilled sold then truth be told I'd…" description: "\"If skilled sold then truth be told I'd prolly be lyrically Talib Kweli truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but I did 5 mil, I aint been rhymin'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/jay-z-2-4286_punchline_if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-p_1355912.jpg" --- # If skilled sold then truth be told I'd prolly be lyrically… ![“If skilled sold then truth be told I'd prolly be lyrically Talib Kweli truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but I did 5 mil, I aint been rhymin' like Common since!” quote by Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/jay-z-2-4286_punchline_if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-p_1355912.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/jay-z-2-4286_punchline_if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-p_1355912.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/jay-z-2-4286_punchline_if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-p_1355912.jpg) > “If skilled sold then truth be told I'd prolly be lyrically Talib Kweli truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but I did 5 mil, I aint been rhymin' like Common since!” [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker as artistic authenticity and the desire to emulate respected peers while acknowledging past success. **In simple terms:** I want to stay authentic and emulate respected artists. Key Takeaway Stay authentic. Themes authenticity artistry influence Mood confident reflective Type personal creative When to use this quote - songwriting - performance - collaborations Key Concepts creative integrity musical legacy self‑expression Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance confidence and humility? - What defines authentic art for you? A Different Perspective May seem boastful or insecure. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [If skills sold, truth be told, I'd probably be Lyrically, Talib Kweli Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense But I did 5 mill'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/if-skills-sold-truth-be-told-i-d-probably-be-lyrically-talib-kweli-2/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [If skills sold truth be told I'd probably be lyrically Talib Kweli Truthfully I want to rhyme like Common Sense (But I did five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z/if-skills-sold-truth-be-told-i-d-probably-be-lyrically-talib-kweli/) [Jay-Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z/) > [Truthfully I wanna rhyme like common senseNext best thing I do a record with common sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/truthfully-i-wanna-rhyme-like-common-sensenext-best-thing-i-do-a/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [I wanna rhyme about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ghostface-killah/i-wanna-rhyme-about-god/) [Ghostface Killah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ghostface-killah/) > [OWWWWWWW, hoe's turn they heads like.. OWELSSSSS. Im the man of the, hour. Triple entrendre don't even ask me how.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/owwwwwww-hoe-s-turn-they-heads-like-owelsssss-im-the-man-of-the-hour/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I take off like I've been stripping all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-take-off-like-i-ve-been-stripping-all-my-life/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I would feel really dishonest writing a song that was really sassy, or really confident, because I'm not a supremely confident being. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-would-feel-really-dishonest-writing-a-song-that-was-really-sassy-or/) Shura > [I have developed a visionary modern lyric, and, for it, an idiom in which I can write lyrically, colloquially, and dramatically. My subject is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-tonks/i-have-developed-a-visionary-modern-lyric-and-for-it-an-idiom-in/) Rosemary Tonks > [Lyrically, the most important thing for me is, how can I tell a cohesive story?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/lyrically-the-most-important-thing-for-me-is-how-can-i-tell-a/) [Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/) > [Great music is just very clear. Sonically and lyrically, you understand the point of view, you understand the melodies, you understand the vibe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/great-music-is-just-very-clear-sonically-and-lyrically-you-understand/) [Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/) > [Hip-hop is the music of the youth. It sort of has the same purpose as what we do, at least lyrically, because we both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amadou-bagayoko/hip-hop-is-the-music-of-the-youth-it-sort-of-has-the-same-purpose-as/) Amadou Bagayoko > [For some music, lyrically, the best move is to keep it simple in what it is that you are saying, and just kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-thought/for-some-music-lyrically-the-best-move-is-to-keep-it-simple-in-what/) [Black Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-thought/) > [Lyrically I address loads of things that I've never talked about before, about me or about other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/lyrically-i-address-loads-of-things-that-i-ve-never-talked-about/) [Joshua James Alphonse Franceschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/) > [It's always my mission to try to do something that hasn't been done before, whether that's musically, lyrically or in terms of mixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/it-s-always-my-mission-to-try-to-do-something-that-hasn-t-been-done/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Today's records, even though they may be lyrically repetitive and not saying anything particularly heavy, they have energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/today-s-records-even-though-they-may-be-lyrically-repetitive-and-not/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) ## More by Jay Z > [I once was, cool as the Fonz was. But these bright lights turned me to a monster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-once-was-cool-as-the-fonz-was-but-these-bright-lights-turned-me-to/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [No sympathy for the king huh? Niggas even talk about your baby crazy. Eventually the pendulum swings. Don't forget America this how you made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/no-sympathy-for-the-king-huh-niggas-even-talk-about-your-baby-crazy/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Y'all can miss me with that money talk. The smart money's on Hov, fuck what the dummies talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/y-all-can-miss-me-with-that-money-talk-the-smart-money-s-on-hov-fuck/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Living the life. Vanilla wafers. In a villa. Illest nigga alive. Michael Jackson, Thriller.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/living-the-life-vanilla-wafers-in-a-villa-illest-nigga-alive-michael/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I ain't no ordinary nigga, look around this ain't what ordinary gets ya. Extraordinary figures, I'm a extra ordinary nigga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-ain-t-no-ordinary-nigga-look-around-this-ain-t-what-ordinary-gets/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Peel off in a Lamborghini Countach. 200 in the dash we gonna rev it, skirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/peel-off-in-a-lamborghini-countach-200-in-the-dash-we-gonna-rev-it/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Baby I'm a boss, I don't know what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/baby-i-m-a-boss-i-don-t-know-what-they-do/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [The work that you put into something is what you get out of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/the-work-that-you-put-into-something-is-what-you-get-out-of-it/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Can't believe they got a nigga to vote. Democrat, nope. I sold dope. In trouble water I had to learn how to float.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/can-t-believe-they-got-a-nigga-to-vote-democrat-nope-i-sold-dope-in/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Having success for a year or two, that's called being hot. Being in demand. Excellence is being able to perform at a high level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/having-success-for-a-year-or-two-that-s-called-being-hot-being-in/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Jumping off boats, hopping off another cliff. Every six months I need a new bucket list.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/jumping-off-boats-hopping-off-another-cliff-every-six-months-i-need-a/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I will not lose for even in defeat, theres a valuable lesson learned so it evens up for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-will-not-lose-for-even-in-defeat-theres-a-valuable-lesson-learned/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I put 8 balls on corners with out using pool sticks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-put-8-balls-on-corners-with-out-using-pool-sticks/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [I don't care about shut I am myself bitches .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/i-don-t-care-about-shut-i-am-myself-bitches/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) > [Excellence is being able to perform at a high level, over and over again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/excellence-is-being-able-to-perform-at-a-high-level-over-and-over/) [Jay Z](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) [Explore all 113 Jay Z quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/) ## More Lyrically quotes > [Today's records, even though they may be lyrically repetitive and not saying anything particularly heavy, they have energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carole-king/today-s-records-even-though-they-may-be-lyrically-repetitive-and-not/) [Carole King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carole-king/) > [It's always my mission to try to do something that hasn't been done before, whether that's musically, lyrically or in terms of mixing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rostam-batmanglij/it-s-always-my-mission-to-try-to-do-something-that-hasn-t-been-done/) [Rostam Batmanglij](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rostam-batmanglij/) > [Lyrically I address loads of things that I've never talked about before, about me or about other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/lyrically-i-address-loads-of-things-that-i-ve-never-talked-about/) [Joshua James Alphonse Franceschi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-james-alphonse-franceschi/) > [For some music, lyrically, the best move is to keep it simple in what it is that you are saying, and just kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-thought/for-some-music-lyrically-the-best-move-is-to-keep-it-simple-in-what/) [Black Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-thought/) > [Hip-hop is the music of the youth. It sort of has the same purpose as what we do, at least lyrically, because we both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amadou-bagayoko/hip-hop-is-the-music-of-the-youth-it-sort-of-has-the-same-purpose-as/) Amadou Bagayoko > [Great music is just very clear. Sonically and lyrically, you understand the point of view, you understand the melodies, you understand the vibe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-tranter/great-music-is-just-very-clear-sonically-and-lyrically-you-understand/) [Justin Tranter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-tranter/) > [Lyrically, the most important thing for me is, how can I tell a cohesive story?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-biersack/lyrically-the-most-important-thing-for-me-is-how-can-i-tell-a/) [Andy Biersack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-biersack/) > [I have developed a visionary modern lyric, and, for it, an idiom in which I can write lyrically, colloquially, and dramatically. My subject is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosemary-tonks/i-have-developed-a-visionary-modern-lyric-and-for-it-an-idiom-in/) Rosemary Tonks > [I would feel really dishonest writing a song that was really sassy, or really confident, because I'm not a supremely confident being. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-would-feel-really-dishonest-writing-a-song-that-was-really-sassy-or/) Shura > [Being able to say something lyrically, to say something that will do more than just be words, is really hard. It's easy to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-sixx/being-able-to-say-something-lyrically-to-say-something-that-will-do/) [Nikki Sixx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-sixx/) > [More often than not, changes had to be made in order for a song to make sense, and by the end of it, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-vincent-mcmorrow/more-often-than-not-changes-had-to-be-made-in-order-for-a-song-to/) [James Vincent McMorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-vincent-mcmorrow/) > [Someone once said that "The Waste Land" was a scum of poetry floating on a sea of footnotes. That resonated with me, because that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-leo/someone-once-said-that-the-waste-land-was-a-scum-of-poetry-floating/) [Ted Leo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-leo/) > [While some mothers sing lullabies to their children, my mother read me poetry. And to this day, I associate my strongest and most insistent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masiela-lusha/while-some-mothers-sing-lullabies-to-their-children-my-mother-read-me/) [Masiela Lusha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masiela-lusha/) > [Everybody gon' see where I'm lyrically at; used to hate Nicki, now they givin me dap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/everybody-gon-see-where-i-m-lyrically-at-used-to-hate-nicki-now-they/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [Raucous drunken trumpets and instrumentation tend to guide the way you think. They can give you a path to follow lyrically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-condon/raucous-drunken-trumpets-and-instrumentation-tend-to-guide-the-way/) [Zach Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-condon/) Browse all 95 Lyrically quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If skilled sold then truth be told I'd prolly be lyrically Talib Kweli truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common Sense, but I did 5 mil, I aint been rhymin' like Common since!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jay Z" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-prolly-be-lyrically-talib/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Lyrically" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-prolly-be-lyrically-talib/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/jay-z-2-4286_punchline_if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-p_1355912.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/jay-z-2-4286_punchline_if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-p_1355912.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/228/jay-z-2-4286_punchline_if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-p_1355912.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If skilled sold then truth be told I'd prolly be lyrically Talib Kweli truthfully I wanna rhyme like Common…” — Jay Z", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jay Z", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-z-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If skilled sold then truth be...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-prolly-be-lyrically-talib/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-z-2/if-skilled-sold-then-truth-be-told-i-d-prolly-be-lyrically-talib/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```