Verified archive entry

Take Em To Church

Take Em To Church is a diss track by Cam'ron targeting Ma$e. The recording also credits Un Kasa and Juelz Santana. Cam'ron and Ma$e were childhood collaborators in Harlem whose relationship fractured over career moves, religion, loyalty and old street history. ‘Take Em to Church’ attacked Ma$e's return from ministry; ‘It's Killa’ revived those grievances, prompting ‘The Oracle’ and Cam's rapid ‘Dinner Time’ response.

Released2004
Annotated2
ExplicitYes
Addressable transcript

Lyrics & breakdown

Demo lines only. Select a line number to copy a stable deep link.

  1. 01

    [Intro: Cam'ron]

    02

    Uh (Killa)

    03

    This that Harlem music right here

    04

    This that Diddy bop, get ready for the winter music right here

    05

    This what it is

  2. 06

    Killa (Uh)

    07

    Dipset (Uh)

  3. 08

    [Verse 1: Cam'ron, Juelz Santana & Un Kasa]

    09

    You know me, dog, I just wanna keep the peace (Brother)

    10

    But sayin' my name, that's only gon' lead to beef (Goddamn)

    11

    Tell my niggas chill, but they wanna heat the streets

    12

    Or do it on record, check it, we spit heat to beats

  4. 13

    Everybody welcomin' this, welcomin' that

    14

    He wasn't welcome in the first place, how we welcome him back?

    15

    Give me the MAC, let me work him with that

    16

    Tell Mr. Rogers I leave his brain on the trolley track

  5. 17

    Now parlay that

    18

    Listen, y'all stop it (Stop it), know you appalled, got it

    19

    But this my call 'bout a false prophet, all profit (All profit)

    20

    Harlem hustler (Yep), I can't at all knock it (Not at all)

  6. 21

    But you hard when you go in the Lord pockets (Damn)

    22

    What you offerin'? Put it right in offerin'

    23

    They take it all, cash, credit, silver, down to porcelain

    24

    Look at the Porsche he's in (Look at it)

  7. 25

    Ain't give a portionin' (To who?)

    26

    No handicap, Annie or her orphan friends, friend

    27

    But the sizzurp I'm drinking on

    28

    Birds I'm thinking on

  8. 29

    Get your Kirk Franklin on

    30

    Word, so you get your Ben Franklin on

    31

    Just when you think it's wrong (What?)

    32

    One blink, he's gone (Damn)

  9. 33

    [Chorus: Cam'ron & Juelz Santana]

    34

    Father, forgive us

    35

    We gon' take him to church

    36

    Father, forgive us

    37

    And the truth, it hurts

  10. 38

    Father, forgive us

    39

    And that won't work

    40

    No, no, no, no, no way

  11. 41

    [Verse 2: Cam'ron]

    Multi-line diss block
    42

    Yo, you try to handle us, get on the air and damage us

    43

    Screamin' out Harlem, huh? Like you ain't just abandoned us (Where you been at?)

    44

    Well, let me fill you in, now it's a whole clan of us

    45

    Blink so mad, he went and beat up Canibus

    Block noteImagines the battle as physical destruction

    TargetMa$e

    MeaningWhat it means: In “Yo, you try to handle us, get on the air and damage us,” Cam'ron converts lyrical defeat into death, shooting, burial, or bodily harm directed at Ma$e. Why it was said: Cam'ron and Ma$e were childhood collaborators in Harlem whose relationship fractured over career moves, religion, loyalty and old street history. ‘Take Em to Church’ attacked Ma$e's return from ministry; ‘It's Killa’ revived those grievances, prompting ‘The Oracle’ and Cam's rapid ‘Dinner Time’ response. The violent image makes the response sound final: instead of proposing an endless exchange, the artist depicts Ma$e as unable to return for another round.

    ContextCam'ron and Ma$e were childhood collaborators in Harlem whose relationship fractured over career moves, religion, loyalty and old street history. ‘Take Em to Church’ attacked Ma$e's return from ministry; ‘It's Killa’ revived those grievances, prompting ‘The Oracle’ and Cam's rapid ‘Dinner Time’ response.

  12. 46

    Zeke got shot, then Zeke locked up (Then)

    47

    E got killed (What else?), B popped up, but

    48

    B hopped up and still broke out his chest (What else?)

    49

    On probation, Doe on house arrest (What up, Doe?)

  13. 50

    Right out the flesh, sit in the house and rest

    51

    He don't pout, get him gear, in the house, he's fresh (Fresh)

    52

    Not that you care, just get it clear and think

    53

    One glare and wink (What happen?), everyone wearin' pink (Goddamn)

  14. 54

    I'm the reason that your two rings are clear, yeah (What else?)

    55

    I'm the reason that your earrings are square, you hear? (Uh-huh)

    56

    Now we take trips, casinos to lovely homes

    57

    You check on Lotti moms, mi no honeycombs (No combs)

  15. 58

    Uh, you tryna fake it with Cardan, pardon

    Multi-line diss block
    59

    You go and leave 'em naked like Tarzan

    Block noteTreats the target's persona as fabricated

    TargetMa$e

    MeaningWhat it means: In “Uh, you tryna fake it with Cardan, pardon,” Cam'ron says Ma$e's public story or image is false rather than a reliable account of who the target is. Why it was said: Cam'ron and Ma$e were childhood collaborators in Harlem whose relationship fractured over career moves, religion, loyalty and old street history. ‘Take Em to Church’ attacked Ma$e's return from ministry; ‘It's Killa’ revived those grievances, prompting ‘The Oracle’ and Cam's rapid ‘Dinner Time’ response. Once the persona is presented as invented, the boasts and accusations built on it become easier for listeners to dismiss.

    ContextCam'ron and Ma$e were childhood collaborators in Harlem whose relationship fractured over career moves, religion, loyalty and old street history. ‘Take Em to Church’ attacked Ma$e's return from ministry; ‘It's Killa’ revived those grievances, prompting ‘The Oracle’ and Cam's rapid ‘Dinner Time’ response.

  16. 60

    [Interlude: Cam'ron]

    61

    Cudda Love know that too

    62

    Holla at Cudda (Damn), ask Nelly about him (Uh-huh)

  17. 63

    [Chorus: Cam'ron & Juelz Santana]

    64

    'Fore we gon' take you to church

    65

    Father, forgive us

    66

    And the truth, it hurts

    67

    Father, forgive us

  18. 68

    And that won't work

    69

    No, no, no, no, no way (Killa)

    70

    No, no, no, no, no way

  19. 71

    [Verse 3: Cam'ron]

    72

    Yo, I kill diamonds, get with pearls, I ain't tryna kid the world

    73

    I ain't got beef, when I do, I say (Get 'em, girl)

    74

    Not a diss, dog (Nope), we just heard the frontin' (Heard it)

    75

    Do Harlem a favor (What?), get a church or somethin' (Somethin')

  20. 76

    A rec center in the winter where the youth can play

    77

    They don't even shoot the J, sell drugs, shoot and spray (Damn)

    78

    I'm no better (Nope), still move a deuce a day (That's two)

    79

    That's two keys, I still move the yay

  21. 80

    Found a newer way, my crew do and say

    81

    Fistfights to shootouts, we won't move away

  22. 82

    [Outro: Cam'ron]

    83

    All my niggas who held it down the last half a decade

    84

    My nigga Gruff, Bad 140th, 139th, Black Tone, White Tone, 142nd Rell Street and

    85

    141st, Tito, my Jamaicans, my Belizeans

    86

    Thirty deep, 33, Polo Grounds, St. Nick, Colonial, Drew

  23. 87

    Lincoln, Taft, Foster, Johnson, Jeff Wagner

    88

    Wilson, East River, The 9

    89

    145th St. Nick, 145th Broadway

    90

    Luka, Taliban

  24. 91

    135th, 118th, Manhattan

    92

    134th and 8th, Powerful, what's really poppin'?

    93

    Sarge, hold your head, Freekey Zekey, hold your head

    94

    The old BBO, 151st Amsterdam, holla at your boy, AK, Jackie Rob

  25. 95

    All my niggas in Harlem, get your hustle on

    96

    Keep your muscles strong

    97

    I know about the blocks you hustle on

    98

    Killa, Dipset