- published: 16 Jun 2006
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![50 Cent talks about Fat Joe, Krs-One, Beef ,Ciara,Oprah, Jam Master Jay's Death & More [Video]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130112054336im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jw5asdmma7I/default.jpg "Part 2, 50 Cent Interview about Fat Joe, Ja rule, Chris Lighty, Krs-One, Squashing beef ,Speaks On Ciara,Oprah's Career, Jam Master Jay's Death & More [Video]")
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Belgium
Belgium (
i/ˈbɛldʒəm/ BEL-jəm), officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO. Belgium covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres (11,787 sq mi), and it has a population of about 11 million people. Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe, Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups, the Dutch-speakers, mostly Flemish (about 60%), and the French-speakers, mostly Walloons (about 40%), plus a small group of German-speakers. Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government.
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Brooklyn
Coordinates: 40°41′34″N 73°59′25″W / 40.69278°N 73.99028°W / 40.69278; -73.99028
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with approximately 2.5 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, after New York County (Manhattan). It is also the westernmost county on Long Island.
Brooklyn was an independent city until it was annexed by New York City in 1898. It continues to maintain a distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves where particular ethnic groups and cultures predominate.
Brooklyn's official motto is Eendraght Maeckt Maght. Written in the (early modern spelling of the) Dutch language, it is inspired by the motto of the United Dutch Provinces and translated "Unity makes strength". The motto is displayed on the borough seal and flag, which also feature a young robed woman bearing fasces, a traditional emblem of republicanism. Brooklyn's official colors are blue and gold.
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Jamaica
Coordinates: 18°10′57″N 77°19′18″W / 18.1823878°N 77.3217773°W / 18.1823878; -77.3217773
Jamaica (
i/dʒəˈmeɪkə/), officially the Commonwealth of Jamaica, is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, 234 kilometres (145 mi) in length, up to 80 kilometres (50 mi) in width, and 10,990 square kilometres (4,240 sq mi) in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about 145 kilometres (90 mi) south of Cuba, and 191 kilometres (119 mi) west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The indigenous Arawakan-speaking Taíno name for the island was Xaymaca, meaning the "Land of Wood and Water" or the "Land of Springs".
Once a Spanish possession known as Santiago, it became an English colony in 1655 under the name "Jamaica". It achieved full independence from Britain on August 6, 1962. With 2.8 million people, it is the third most populous anglophone country in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. It remains a Commonwealth realm in concert with the Monarchy of Jamaica holding ultimate executive power, where Queen Elizabeth II is the current head of state and Queen of Jamaica.Kingston is the country's largest city and the capital.
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New York
New York (/njuː ˈjɔrk/; locally IPA: [nɪu ˈjɔək] or [nuː ˈjɔɹk] (
listen)) is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. New York is the 27th most extensive, the 3rd most populous, and the 7th most densely populated of the 50 United States. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario to the west and north, and Quebec to the north. The state of New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City.
New York City, with a population of over 8.1 million, is the most populous city in the United States. Alone, it makes up over 40 percent of the population of New York state. It is known for its status as a center for finance and culture and for its status as the largest gateway for immigration to the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, New York City is also a destination of choice for many foreign visitors. Both the state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart, future James II and VII of England and Scotland.
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New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. The city is referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. As a global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.
Located on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which comprises a state county. The five boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a Census-estimated 2011 population of 8,244,910 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km2), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. The New York City Metropolitan Area's population is the United States' largest, with 18.9 million people distributed over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2), and is also part of the most populous combined statistical area in the United States, containing 22.1 million people as of the 2010 Census.
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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
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World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 in the September 11 attacks. The site is being rebuilt with five new skyscrapers and a memorial to the casualties of the attacks. As of November 2011[update], only one skyscraper has been completed; the other four are expected to be completed before 2020. One World Trade Center will be the lead building for the new complex, reaching more than 100 stories at its completion. It became the tallest building in New York City on April 30, 2012, and is expected to be finished by 2013. A sixth tower is awaiting confirmation.
At the time of their completion, the original 1 World Trade Center (the North Tower) and 2 World Trade Center (the South Tower), known collectively as the Twin Towers, were the tallest buildings in the world. The other buildings included 3 WTC (the Marriott World Trade Center), 4 WTC, 5 WTC, 6 WTC (which housed United States Customs), and 7 WTC. All of these buildings were built between 1975 and 1985.
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African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans or Afro-Americans, and formerly as American Negroes) are citizens or residents of the United States that have ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa.
African Americans make up the single largest racial minority in the United States. Most African Americans are of West and Central African descent and are descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States. However, some immigrants from African, Caribbean, Central American or South American nations, or their descendants, may be identified or self-identify with the term.
African-American history starts in the 16th century with African slaves who quickly rose up against the Spanish explorer Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón and progresses to the present day, with Barack Obama as the 44th and current President of the United States. Between those landmarks there have been events and issues, both resolved and ongoing, including slavery, racism, Reconstruction, development of the African-American community, participation in the great military conflicts of the United States, racial segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement.
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Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968) better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs in Hip Hop. Regarding the name Big Daddy Kane, he said: "The Big Daddy part and the Kane part came from two different things. The Kane part came from my fascination with the martial arts flicks when I was young. The Big Daddy came from something that happened on a ski trip one time involving a young lady."
In 1984, Kane became friends with Biz Markie, and he would co-write some of Biz's best-known lyrics. Both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producer Marley Marl. Kane signed with Marl's Cold Chillin' Records label in 1987 and debuted the following year with the 12" single "Raw," an underground hit. Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats, and despite his asthmatic condition he is acknowledged as one of the pioneering masters of fast-rap. His sense of style is renowned and set a number of late-1980s and early-1990s hip hop trends (high-top fades, velour suits, and four-finger rings). The backronym "King Asiatic Nobody's Equal" is often applied to his moniker.
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Bradley Nowell
Bradley James Nowell (February 22, 1968 – May 25, 1996) was an American musician who served as lead singer and guitarist of the ska punk band Sublime. He died at the age of 28 from a heroin overdose shortly before the release of Sublime's self-titled major label debut.
Raised in Long Beach, California, Nowell developed an interest in music at a young age. His father took him on a trip to the Virgin Islands during his childhood, which exposed him to reggae and dancehall music. Nowell played in various bands until forming the group Sublime with bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, whom he had met while attending California State University Long Beach. As Sublime gained success, Nowell struggled with a worsening addiction to heroin. After several attempts to quit using the drug, Nowell died of a heroin overdose while Sublime was on tour on May 25, 1996.
Bradley Nowell was born and raised in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach, California to Jim and Nancy Nowell, with his sister, Kellie. As a child, he enjoyed surfing and sailing and often participated in boat races. As Nowell grew, he became a difficult child and was often hyperactive and disruptive. His mother recalled that he was "very emotional, very sensitive, very artistic, but he was needy...He was always testing just to see what he could get away with." Nowell's rebellious behavior increased when he was ten years old caused by his parents divorce. His mother was awarded custody of Nowell, but found him too difficult to control on her own and he subsequently moved in with his father full-time at age twelve.
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Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., (born May 20, 1972), better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. Early in his career, he was known for his wild style and fashion, and today is best known for his intricate rapping technique, which involves rapping at a fast rate with lots of internal rhyme and half rhyme, and to date has received eleven Grammy nominations for his musical work. About.com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), while Steve Huey of Allmusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the '90s.
Busta was born in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to Jamaican parents Geraldine Green and Trevor Smith, Sr. in 1972. Smith attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School, alongside Jay-Z, DMX and The Notorious B.I.G. He went to Uniondale High School on Long Island, graduating in 1990.
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Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.
Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York. After graduating from Roosevelt Junior-Senior High School, he went to Adelphi University on Long Island to study graphic design. He is the son of Lorenzo Ridenhour.
Upon hearing Ridenhour's demo track "Public Enemy Number One", fledgling producer/upcoming music-mogul Rick Rubin insisted on signing him to his Def Jam label.
Their major label albums were: Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987), It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991), Greatest Misses (1992), and Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994). They also released a full length album soundtrack for the film He Got Game in 1998. Ridenhour also contributed (as Chuck D) to several episodes of the PBS documentary series The Blues. He has appeared as a featured artist on many other songs and albums, having collaborated with artists such as Janet Jackson, Kool Moe Dee, The Dope Poet Society, Run-DMC, Ice Cube, Rage Against The Machine, Anthrax, John Mellencamp and many others. In 1990, he appeared on "Kool Thing", a song by the alternative rock band Sonic Youth. In 1993, he executive produced Got 'Em Running Scared, an album by Ichiban Records group Chief Groovy Loo and the Chosen Tribe.
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Cormega
Corey McKay (born April 26, 1970), better known by his stage name Cormega, is an African-American rapper best known for his narratives about inner-city life, having been born in Queensbridge, Queens. McKay is notable for consistently producing as an independent artist, refusing to go mainstream.
Cormega was raised in Long Island City, Queens, forming childhood friendships with future rappers such as Nas, AZ, Nature and Capone-N-Noreaga. When he was 4, he witnessed his mother's murder. After that, he moved in with his father and stepmother who had recently returned from Dallas, Texas and moved back to New York City.
Cormega is known and praised for his intricate, complex, multi-syllabic lyricism and raw, straight delivery. Despite being an underground artist he has gained considerable acknowledgement in the rap community and is regarded as one of the best lyricists to grace the mic. McKay often reflects about the hardships of inner-city life and succeeding in a world where we are very much on our own.
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Diamond D
Diamond D (born Joseph Kirkland, 1969) is a hip hop producer and MC from the Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the legendary D.I.T.C. crew.
He started out as a DJ for Jazzy Jay back in the late 1980s and was at the same time perfecting his skills in beat making and turntablism, and, together with rhyme partner Master Rob, he was one half of the group Ultimate Force. The group signed with Jazzy Jay's Strong City Records, and Diamond and Rob started recording their debut album, I'm Not Playin', in 1988 and released the 12-inch single with the same title, which spawned a buzz in the underground. The album was completed in 1990, but it got caught up in label politics, such as the shutdown of Strong City distributor Uni Records, and was shelved until 2007 when it was released through Traffic Entertainment. One of the last songs recorded for the album was a Diamond D solo song in which he actually picked up the mike for the first time. The song was called "The Best-Kept Secret." As Ultimate Force dissolved, record executives got their eyes on the Bronx phenomenon, which eventually resulted in the release of Diamond's debut album, Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop (released under the moniker Diamond & the Psychotic Neurotics), in 1992. The album is considered to be one of the finest D.I.T.C. solo LPs and features early appearances from Big L and Fat Joe, the latter of whose 1993 debut album, Represent, was mainly produced by Diamond D.
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DJ Green Lantern
James D'Agostino (born 1975), better known by his stage name DJ Green Lantern, is an Italian-American DJ and hip hop music producer from Rochester, New York. In 2002, D'Agostino was signed by Eminem to become the official DJ for Shady Records after DJ Head stepped down for undisclosed reasons. D'Agostino left the label in 2005 due to a dispute with Shady Records rapper 50 Cent.
DJ Green Lantern came to prominence with his "Invasion" mixtape series, the first set of officially sponsored mixtapes from Eminem's Shady Records. On the series, spanning three mixtapes (later to be spun off into the Armageddon series), the DJ broke several diss records, furthering the issues between Eminem and Benzino/The Source as well as the entire Shady camp and Ja Rule/Murder Inc.
He is also recognized as a producer, featuring on his own mixtapes several "Green Remixes," including, most notably, a remix of the Nas and Tupac Shakur collaboration, "Thugz Mansion." He also produced D-Block's "2 Guns Up", an acclaimed street single, which originated as a freestyle rap on his Hot 97 radio show, "In the Lab" (the most memorable of which has also appeared as a mixtape, "The Best of In the Lab"). "In the Lab" is formatted as a one-hour (with commercials) mix show, in which DJ Green Lantern blends a cappella and instrumental tracks from various artists, as well as breaking new and underground music (such as the Ghostface Killah and El-Producto collaboration "HideYaFace").
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DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), better known by his stage name DJ Premier (also known as Preem, Premo, or Primo for short), is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru. Born in Houston and raised in Prairie View, Texas, he has lived in Brooklyn, New York, for much of his professional career. Rolling Stone identified Premier as arguably Hip-Hop's greatest producer of all time.
The Source named DJ Premier one of the five greatest producers in hip-hop history, while the editors of About.com ranked him #1 on their Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers list. He also made the "Finals" in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe. He attended Prairie View A&M University.
Premier is known for producing all of Gang Starr's songs as well as many of the Gang Starr Foundation's songs. His work also includes production for heavyweight rappers such as (alphabetic order) Apathy, Big L, Bun B, Canibus, D.I.T.C., Fat Joe, Game, Jay-Z, Kanye West, KRS-One, Lord Finesse, M.O.P., Mos Def, Nas, Rakim, Royce Da 5'9", The LOX, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, rock band Limp Bizkit, Big L, Big Daddy Kane, Ill Bill, Joell Ortiz, and pop/R&B singer Christina Aguilera, among many others.
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Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. (born July 23, 1940) is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.
Imus was born in Riverside, California, the son of Frances E. (née Moore) and John Donald Imus, Sr., older brother of Fred Imus. He was raised on a sprawling cattle ranch called The Willows near Kingman, Arizona. He served in the Marine Corps as a bugler from 1957 to 1960.
Imus battled alcoholism during his early career in New York, but in 1987 finally pursued effective treatment. (As of 2008, he has remained sober for 20 years). In 1988, with his cocaine and alcohol addictions now legendary in show business, Imus reshaped his show from strictly comedy into a forum for political issues, charitable causes and news-based parodies.
In 1979, he divorced his first wife, Harriet. He married his second wife, Deirdre Coleman on December 17, 1994. He has two stepdaughters that he adopted from his first marriage, two daughters from that marriage, and one son, Frederick Wyatt (nicknamed Wyatt, born July 3, 1998), from his current marriage. Both Don and Deirdre Imus are vegetarians.[citation needed]
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Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper, CEO of Terror Squad Entertainment, and member of musical groups D.I.T.C. and Terror Squad.
Fat Joe's first album was Represent, released in 1993, followed by Jealous One's Envy in 1995. From 1998 to 2006, he was signed to Atlantic Records, releasing four albums under the label, Don Cartagena in 1998, Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) in 2001, Loyalty in 2002, and All or Nothing in 2005. Around the release of All or Nothing, Fat Joe became involved in a highly publicized feud with another New York City-based rapper 50 Cent, who attacked Fat Joe in his song "Piggy Bank". His most popular song in which he performed was his Remy Ma duet "Lean Back" with Terror Squad. The song was a number-one hit in the summer of 2004.
Starting in 2006, when his album Me, Myself, & I was released, Fat Joe was signed to Imperial Records, which distributes through Terror Squad Entertainment. His follow up album wasThe Elephant in the Room, which was released in 2008; Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 (J.O.S.E. 2), the sequel to Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.), was released in October 2009. His tenth album The Darkside Vol. 1 was released on July 27, 2010.
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Freddie Foxxx
Freddie Foxxx, also known as Bumpy Knuckles, (born James Campbell in 1969) is an American rapper and music producer from Long Island, New York.
Foxxx released his first LP, Freddie Foxxx Is Here in (1989) through MCA Records, produced entirely by Eric B. of Eric B. and Rakim fame, and himself. He soon parted ways with the label and became a member of Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit establishment. In 1993, only promo copies of his second album, Crazy Like A Foxxx, were circulated when Epic Records decided to shelve it.
Foxxx then began to be known more for his cameos on songs by Boogie Down Productions, Naughty By Nature, M.O.P., Missin Linx OC and, most notably, his appearance on Gang Starr's The Militia from their Moment of Truth album (1998). The song was issued as a single, building a buzz for Foxxx and helping him to prep for his next full-length release.
This time around he applied the lessons he'd learned from previous experiences with major record labels, and went the independent route. The LP featured production from hip hop heavyweights DJ Premier, Pete Rock and The Alchemist. The members of M.O.P. provided the album's only cameo.
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Grand Puba
Maxwell Dixon (born March 4, 1966) is an emcee best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.
He made his debut with the group Masters of Ceremony. Its album Dynamite (1988) was hailed by critics, but probably due to lack of sales, the group soon disbanded, and Puba emerged as the lead emcee of Brand Nubian. After their innovative and versatile debut album One for All (1990)—covering areas from reggae-influenced hip hop music to new jack swing—Puba left the group after disputes with its other members and embarked on a solo career. He became a member of the group again around 1997, recording a few tracks for various soundtracks leading up to the full-length album Foundation in '98. In 1999, Puba and group mate Sadat X performed on the track "Once Again" on Handsome Boy Modeling School's concept album So... How's Your Girl? Following the group's 2004 effort Fire in the Hole, a rejuvenated Puba appeared on tracks with Beanie Sigel ("Bread and Butter," also featuring groupmate Sadat X), Missy Elliott ("My Struggles," featuring his onetime collaborator Mary J. Blige), and Ugly Duckling ("Something's Going Down Tonight").
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Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics. The views expressed in his lyrics are largely commentary on issues such as class struggle, poverty, religion, government and institutional racism.
Immortal Technique has voiced a desire to retain control over his production, and has stated in his music that record companies, not artists themselves, profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He claimed in an interview to have sold close to 200,000 copies of his three official releases.
Coronel is African-Peruvian and was born in 1978 in a military hospital in Lima. His family emigrated in 1980 to Harlem. During his teenage years he was arrested multiple times due in part to what he has said was "selfish and childish" behavior. He attended Hunter College High School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Shortly after enrolling in Pennsylvania State University, he was arrested and charged with assault-related offenses due to his involvement in an altercation between fellow students, the charges stemming from this incident led to him being incarcerated for a year. After being paroled, he took political science classes at Baruch College in New York City for two semesters at the behest of his father, who allowed Coronel to live with him on the condition that he go to school. Honing his rapping skills in jail, and unable to find decent wage-paying employment after his release, Coronel began selling his music on the streets of New York while battling with MCs whenever the opportunity arose. This, coupled with his victories in numerous freestyle rap competitions of the New York underground hip hop scene such as Rocksteady Anniversary, Braggin Rites and others, led to his reputation as a ferocious Battle MC.
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Kid Capri
David Anthony Love, Jr (born February 7, 1967), also known by his stage name Kid Capri, is an American musician.
He was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He is the son of David Love Sr., a Musician/Singer. He is of African-American and Italian descent.
In the 1970s, Kid Capri began to attend block parties, starting his DJ career at the age of 8. His stage name was taken from a girl he used to date who was eventually "murdered by accident." During class one day, she had said to him, "Kid Capri sounds like a good name for a DJ," and he later took her suggestion. He eventually garnered widespread attention at Studio 54 and began selling his sets with his partner at the time Starchild. Kid Capri has deejayed for seven seasons of Def Comedy Jam. He's also produced tracks for Boogie Down Productions, Heavy D, Big L, Grand Puba, and Quincy Jones. He eventually released an LP on Warner Brothers Records titled The Tape in 1991. He appeared in the 1993 movie Who's the Man? alongside Doctor Dre, Colin Quinn, KRS-One, Ice-T, Pete Rock, CL Smooth, Eric B, Flavor Flav, Kris Kross, Melle Mel, Busta Rhymes and many others. In 1997, Kid Capri switched from Warner Brothers to Trackmasters after he appeared on the 1997 Puff Daddy And The Family World Tour. He has subsequently released Soundtrack to the Streets in 1998.
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LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor from Bay Shore, New York. He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has released thirteen studio albums and two greatest hits compilations, including 2008's Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles.
As he grew older, Smith found a way to escape the effects of his abuse, and his bullying attitude: hip-hop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandmother gave him to stop him riding motorcycles or doing karate. Before too long, LL was an established member of the Hip-Hop community in his area. He gained notoriety through his many rap battles against well-established MCs, including the battle against Chicken and Porn that rocketed him to fame.
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Mad Lion
Dallion Priest, better known as Mad Lion, is a dancehall, ragga musician and rapper. He frequently collaborates with fellow hip hop artist KRS-One — most recently on a DVD promoting the Temple of Hiphop. The recipient of the 1994 Source award as Reggae Artist of the Year, he has inspired similar-sounding recordings by such artists as Ini Kamoze, Capleton, and Rayvon.
Priest was born in London. Shortly after moving to Brooklyn, New York, he met reggae performer Super Cat at Super Power Records. At Super Cat's suggestion, he adopted his professional name, an acronym for Musical Assassin Delivering Lyrical Intelligence Over Nations. He blended ragga and hip-hop, and went on to work with KRS-One, with whom he worked throughout the 1990s. His earliest success came in the mid-1980s when he applied his hip hop rhythms to Shabba Ranks' hit single "Jam". His début single "Shoot to Kill" was successful in New York and he reached a wider audience with "Take It Easy", which became the title track of his début album in 1994. He contributed to Salt-N-Pepa's 1997 album Brand New. In 1997 he topped the US reggae chart with "Carpenter".
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Marley Marl
Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.
In Hip-Hop's Golden Age, Marley Marl was the house producer of the Juice Crew, known for The Bridge Wars, a feud with Boogie Down Productions seen as one of the earliest and most influential hip hop beefs. The Juice Crew included Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Craig G, MC Shan and Masta Ace, and produced many songs for outside artists including King Tee, LL Cool J, and Lords of the Underground. He was also an important figure in the careers of Eric B. & Rakim, producing their first hits "My Melody" and "Eric B Is President".
Marl was the first to sample a breakbeat and reprogram it, which he did with The Honey Drippers' "Impeach the President" breakbeat on the MC Shan single "The Bridge" from 1985. This was an extremely important feat as it completely changed the way hip hop beats were made, as well as other sample based genres. In his early records, Marl mixed James Brown samples and synthetic beats in a fashion previously unheard of, for the most part.
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MC Shan
MC Shan (born as Shawn Moltke September 6, 1965) is an American rapper from Queens, NYC. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.
Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects located in Long Island City a section in Queens, New York City, Shan is the cousin of old school hip hop producer Marley Marl. In 1985, Shan started in MCA Records with his first & only major single Feed The World. Despite the success, he was dismissed from MCA because "the rhymes you wrote was wack", according to KRS-One from his song South Bronx. Not long after, Shan moved to Cold Chillin' Records due to his relationship with Marl, and joined Marl's Juice Crew All-Stars. After a few singles were released, MC Shan's debut album Down By Law came out in 1987.
Shan also found himself to be a key player in the noted hip hop rivalry the Bridge Wars between the Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions. The feud was started when Shan and Marl released a song called "The Bridge" as a B-side to "Beat Biter," itself an answer record directed at L.L. Cool J. KRS-One responded with "South Bronx," and the Juice Crew replied with "Kill That Noise." Slate magazine described it as follows: "In 1986, it was a beef that launched the star of KRS-One, when his withering attacks on MC Shan effectively ended his rival's career." Boogie Down Productions then released "The Bridge is Over," widely celebrated among hip hop fans as the paramount diss track.[citation needed] Years later, MC Shan remade "The Bridge" into "Da Bridge 2001," and strongly denied the bridge "was over", saying:
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Nas
Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones (
/nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas ( /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is also the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums since 1994, four of which topped the Billboard charts upon release and has sold over thirteen-million records in the United States alone. Nas was also part of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album under Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor and has appeared in feature films such as Hype Williams' directorial debut Belly, Ticker and In Too Deep and the television show Hawaii Five-0.
His rise to fame began in 1991 with his feature on hip hop group Main Source's debut album on the track "Live at the Barbeque". In the years that followed, Nas garnered attention from music industry A & R's and record labels with more impressive features and a solo single "Halftime". His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994 by Columbia Records, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community and would go on to be widely hailed as a musical landmark and a classic in the genre and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest LP's of all time. His follow up album It Was Written debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks and went platinum twice in only two months, propelling Nas to worldwide notoriety.
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Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden ( /oʊˈsɑːmə bɪn moʊˈhɑːmɨd bɪn əˈwɑːd bɪn ˈlɑːdən/; Arabic: أسامة بن محمد بن عوض بن لادن, ʾUsāmah bin Muḥammad bin ʿAwaḍ bin Lādin; March 10, 1957 – May 2, 2011), was the founder of Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets. He was a member of the wealthy Saudi bin Laden family, and an ethnic Yemeni Kindite.
Bin Laden was on the American Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) lists of Ten Most Wanted Fugitives and Most Wanted Terrorists for his involvement in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings. From 2001 to 2011, bin Laden was a major target of the War on Terror, with a US$25 million bounty by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On May 2, 2011, bin Laden was shot and killed inside a private residential compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, by U.S. Navy SEALs and CIA operatives in a covert operation ordered by United States President Barack Obama.
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Rheji Burrell
Rheji Burrell is an American dance musician and music producer. With his twin brother Ronald (or Rhano), Burrell was responsible for creating experimental, deep house music in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Much of Burrell's house music output was on the Nu Groove record label, which the brothers founded, often under various aliases, such as 'New York House'n Authority', 'Tech Trax Inc' and 'Utopia Project'.
The brothers had a background in gospel music, and joined the group Inner Spirit as 13-year-olds. They won first place for four consecutive years in the New Jersey Teen Arts Festival, and developed their technical and playing skills on a four-track recorder. The duo earned their first recording deal with Virgin Records in the late 80s. In the early 90s, the Burrells co-founded the Nu Groove record label, responsible for inspiring and launching the careers of several major DJs, re-mixers, and dance music artists.
In the mid 1990s, the Burrell Brothers became successful producers of Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B and Pop music. Today the twins continue recording, and have branched out into film making and "Indie" record releases by working with undiscovered talent.
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Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Texas's 14th congressional district, which includes Galveston, since 1997, and a three-time candidate for President of the United States, as a Libertarian in 1988 and as a Republican in 2008 and currently 2012. He is an outspoken critic of American foreign and monetary policies, including the Military–industrial complex and the Federal Reserve, and is known for his libertarian-leaning views, often differing from his own party on certain issues.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Paul is a graduate of Gettysburg College and Duke University School of Medicine, where he earned his medical degree. He served as a medical officer in the United States Air Force from 1963 until 1968. He worked as an obstetrician-gynecologist from the 1960s to the 1980s, delivering more than 4,000 babies. He became the first Representative in history to serve concurrently with a child in the Senate when his son Rand Paul was elected to the United States Senate for Kentucky in 2010.
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Salaam Remi
Salaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, Fergie, and his reggae-tinged (often referred to as "broken-bottle") approach to production. A good example of this unique style can be found in the production on the Nas record "Made You Look", off his 2002 release God's Son.
The son of studio musician Van Gibbs, Salaam first appeared on record as the keyboardist for Kurtis Blow's 1986 release Kingdom Blow. In the late 1980s Salaam began mixing records. His first full production was in 1992, for the hip-hop group Zhigge. He has also worked with such luminaries as the Fugees and Black Sheep.
Salaam Remi has been associated with releases like Lil' Flip's "I Need Mine", Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hotstepper", The Fugees' multi-platinum The Score LP, and Toni Braxton's "You're Makin Me High." He also produced 10 tracks on the 2002 UK sensation Ms. Dynamite's album titled A Little Deeper, including the hugely successful lead single "Dy-Na-Mi-Tee", which had moderate crossover success in the U.S. market[citation needed]. Salaam contributed tracks to Jurassic 5's 2006 LP Feedback and Nas' 2006 album Hip Hop is Dead and, more recently, racked up production credits on Frank, the platinum debut from North London soul-jazz singer Amy Winehouse. He also worked on her follow up, Back to Black, and was producing her third album that was to be released in 2011 up until her death. Remi also worked with Nelly Furtado on her first Spanish language album, Mi Plan. Remi's active projects in late 2008 include Jazmine Sullivan, Nas, Free, Nick Harrison, Lemar, Noel Gourdin, Julian Perretta, Leona Lewis, Corrine Bailey Rae, and Craig David, as well as many film and TV projects.
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Scott La Rock
Scott "La Rock" Sterling (March 2, 1962 – August 27, 1987) was the original DJ of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.
Sterling, a social worker, met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at the Franklin Men's Shelter in the Bronx where KRS lived. The pair, together with DJ D-Nice, formed Boogie Down Productions. The group's 1987 debut album, Criminal Minded, is considered a classic of hip-hop.
Born March 2, 1962, in South Ozone Park, Queens, Scott Monroe Sterling was raised far from the grimy scene that he would later help to mold. His parents split when he was four, and he lived with his mother, Carolyn Morant, a career municipal employee. When Scott was young, they moved from Queens to the Morisania section of the Bronx, and then to Morris Heights. Scott excelled in both academics and sports at Our Savior Lutheran High School, graduating in 1980 and heading off to Vermont’s Castleton State College. He earned a varsity letter in basketball there, but as it became clear that his talent would never take him to the NBA, Scott switched his extracurricular focus from hoops to music.
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Sha Stimuli
Sha Stimuli, born Sherod Khaalis (August 9, 1978), is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his mixtape releases, beginning with Let Me Show You The Way in 2002, which earned him a spot in Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype section. Sha Stimuli is the younger brother of producer and rapper Lord Digga, through whom he was introduced to known Brooklyn rappers such as Notorious B.I.G and Masta Ace.
As a kid, Sha Stimuli often followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Lord Digga, learning various things about the music business. As a producer on the Notorious B.I.G's album Ready To Die, Digga often took his little brother to recording sessions at the studio, which later on influenced him to become a rapper. At only 14 years old, Stimuli, as Kid Dynamite, appeared on Masta Ace's album SlaughtaHouse. Before continuing with music though, Stimuli focused on his other love, basketball playing at Brooklyn Technical High School [1], heading to Iowa to play NCAA Division 1. In 1997, he studied at the Delaware State University while interning at Roc-A-Fella Records, bringing him closer to his true passion: music.
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Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene (October 3, 1975), better known as Talib Kweli, is an American rapper. Kweli hails from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" (طالب); his middle name in Swahili means "true". Kweli first gained recognition through Black Star, a collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Kweli grew up in a highly educated household in Park Slope. His mother, Brenda Greene, is an English professor at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York and his father an administrator at Adelphi University. His younger brother, Jamal Greene, is a professor of Constitutional Law at Columbia Law School, and former clerk to Justice John Paul Stevens on the Supreme Court. As a youth, he was drawn to Afrocentric rappers, such as De La Soul and other members of the Native Tongues Posse whom he had met in high school. Talib Kweli was a student at Cheshire Academy, a boarding school in Connecticut. He was also a student at Brooklyn Technical High School, before being academically dismissed. He later studied experimental theater at New York University.
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Tim Westwood
Timothy Westwood (born 3 October 1957) is an English DJ and presenter of radio and television. He also presents the UK version of the MTV show Pimp My Ride. He is often referred to by other DJs and artists appearing on his shows simply as Westwood.
During his career Westwood has DJed for many radio stations, including the newly formed radio stations Kiss FM (which he co-owned) and LWR in the 1980s, followed by mainstream station Capital FM (from 1987). In December 1994, following a shake up of Radio 1 by the then chief executive Matthew Bannister, he was given the new and somewhat innovative national Radio 1 Rap Show. He was the Radio 1 Rap Show's first presenter and has been its only permanent presenter; he is now one of Radio 1's longest-serving broadcasters.
His first broadcast on a legal station appears to have been on 23 March 1985, when he was already working as a pirate DJ.[original research?] He was a guest on a BBC World Service programme called Meridian where he discussed early hip-hop culture in London. After appearing in the 1987 BBC Open Space documentary Bad Meaning Good, which was an early work of his own company Justice Entertainment, he achieved TV exposure in the late 1980s on the ITV programme Night Network, produced by London Weekend Television.
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Todd Angkasuwan
Todd Angkasuwan is a Thai-American music video and documentary film director.
Angkasuwan grew up in Riverside, California and has been making films since he was 9 years old. After college, he worked as a television news reporter for ABC, CBS and Fox. In 2005, he left his career in journalism to pursue filmmaking.
In the 2006 film No Sleep Til Shanghai (Raptivism/Imperial/Caroline/EMI), Angkasuwan follows rapper Jin Au-Yeung, the first Asian American signed to a major hip-hop label, on an eight-city tour of Asia. The film documents the experiences of Jin and his entourage in visiting cities like Shanghai, Tokyo, Taipei and Singapore for the first time. The film screened to a sold out audience at the 2006 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best Documentary. It was also nominated for Best Documentary at the 2005 Atlanta Hip Hop Film Festival.
Angkasuwan has written for AllHipHop and cites Stanley Kubrick, Wong Kar-wai, Michel Gondry, Hype Williams and David Fincher as influences.
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True Master
After starting as an associate of Guru of Gang Starr (he made a rare rapping appearance on Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2 project and his only released solo track ever, "Who's The Truest" appeared on a Guru sampler CD which also included "Hi-Energy", a song he produced for Fabidden), True Master joined up with the Wu-Tang and was mentored by RZA before gradually increasing his profile with standout tracks on Wu-Tang albums ("Brooklyn Zoo", "Heaterz", "Fish"). He was to become extremely prolific and a crucial member of the Wu-Tang production crew during its busy 1997–2000 period. He has generally adhered to the traditional Wu-Tang sound, while the group's original main producer RZA ventured into cleaner, "Digital" territory with a limited use of samples and the inclusion of synthesizers and live instrumentation. True Master briefly tried his hand at more compositional keyboard-based productions in lieu of his signature sample-based style on the Gravediggaz album Nightmare in A Minor. He is current working on his debut album "Master Craftsman" that will feature Wu Tang members and Killa Beez & recently released a collaboration album with veteran MC KRS-One called Meta-Historical.
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Wikipedia Persondata
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Yellowman
Yellowman (born Winston Foster, 15 January 1956, Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican reggae (rub-a-dub) and dancehall deejay, widely known as King Yellowman. He was popular in Jamaica in the 1980s, coming to prominence with a series of singles that established his reputation.
Winston Foster grew up in a Catholic orphanage called Alpha Boys School in Kingston, and was shunned due to having albinism, which was usually not socially accepted in Jamaica. Alpha Boys School was known for its musical alumni. In the late 1970s Yellowman first gained wide attention when he won a contest event in Kingston, Jamaica called "The Tastee Talent Contest" where deejays would perform toasting. Like many Jamaican deejays, he honed his talents by frequently performing at outdoor sound-system dances. In 1981, after becoming significantly popular throughout Jamaica, Yellowman became the first dancehall artist to be signed to a major American label (CBS Records). One reviewer of Yellowman was quoted as saying "Listening to Yellowman sing is like watching Michael Jordan play basketball. He knows he's got it, you know he's got it, and it's a trip just experiencing him perform."
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KRS-One Filmography
- 179th Street (2013)
- Uprising: Hip Hop and the LA Riots (2012)
- Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)
- Hidden Colors 2: The Triumph of Melanin (2012)
- Check the Rhyme (2011)
- Business as Usual: The Exploitation of Hip Hop (2011)
- Rhyme and Punishment (2011)
- Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel 2 (2011)
- Beef: Behind the Bullet (2011)
- Ghetto Physics (2010)
- The Best of: BlacksInActionTV.Com (2010)
- What Ever Happened to Hip Hop? (2009)
- Concrete Jungle (2009)
- Good Hair (2009)
- Red Bull BC ONE New York (2009)
- The Obama Deception: The Mask Comes Off (2009)
- Red Bull BC ONE New York (2009)
- Are We Still the Ugly American? (2008)
- PrimalRap (2008)
- Number One with a Bullet (2008)
- NY77: The Coolest Year in Hell (2007)
- Bomb It (2007)
- 4th Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors (2007)
- 3rd Annual VH1 Hip-Hop Honors (2006)
- Letter to the President (2005)
- The MC: Why We Do It (2005)
- The Art of 16 Bars: Get Ya' Bars Up (2005)
- Letter to the President (2005)
- Beef II (2004)
- Hip-Hop Honors (2004)
- And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop (2004)
- 5 Sides of a Coin (2003)
- Beef (2003)
- 2Pac 4 Ever (2003)
- Hip Hop Babylon 2 (2003)
- Soundz of Spirit (2003)
- The Last Poets (2002)
- HipHop Story: Tha Movie (2001)
- Blaze Battle: The Face-Off 2000 World Championship (2000)
- Boricua's Bond (2000)
- Rhyme & Reason (1997)
- SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground (1997)
- Spirit, Show and Songs (1994)
- The Voice of a Nation (1993)
- Who's the Man? (1993)
- Who Stole the Soul? (1992)
- R.E.M.: This Film Is On (1991)
- Words in Your Face (1991)
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karaoke
[over beat from "Phucked"]
[Afrika Bambaataa:]
True school, you got to stop BS'in, with this
New school you got to stop BS'in with this
Cause y'all don't know that y'all ALL are bein controlled by corporations
Where's your hip-hop museum? Where's your hip-hop doctors?
Where's your hip-hop judges? Hip-Hop lawyers?
Where's our hip-hop agriculturalists? Our hip-hop army?
We better have some hip-hop police police our hip-hop self
If we gon' do all this killin
We are at war brothers and sisters...
Yeah, once again, word up urban inspirational
KRS-One, Professor Ecks, whattup Dan? Woo
Temple of Hip-Hop, let's do it
By the sound of the track, you know who is back
It's the teacher, philosopher of conscious rap
Rappers tired of me sayin', "Where hip-hop is at?"
'Cause they know they unoriginal, copycats
Watch me bump this gospel rap, never wack
In fact, I tell you where the tracks is at
TV is whack, they wanna show us beatin' Iraq
When the question is, where is Chandra Levy at?
Murdered God and left for dead like hip-hop
And admit to Conduit like conduct to kill Ecks the dread
And Kris crucified the false prophet
John F. Kennedy to these MC's, I draw and cock it
Cock on cocky cops for the love of the art, punish the part, partition
Pardon the pause, poison pens penetrate the mental
I walk with Kris so my body's a temple
Body instrumentals and body your squad in the body of a God
Just think, just think, what if Malcolm X returned
Or Dr. King returned, tell me what have we learned?
As we takin' our turn, tell me what have we earned?
Or is the ice and the cars our only concern
Mo' money, mo' money, you be yellin' it out
And on TV can't you see you be sellin' us out?
So in 2010, look to 2002
Who you think they gonna respect, me or you?
Behold the God in the form of the man
Walkin' off water and flesh absorbs in the sand
Moor gets the land, divorcin' the clan, I'm off into sand
Off and I'm slayin' delicate arms from porcelain hands
Slaughtered the lambs, charge it to the game
Cats take hip-hop's name in vain
Disrespectin' the forefathers who came
Goddess hurt 'em right now, like when Marvin was slain
They don't want it, nope, they don't need it, nope
Just stay weeded and hope, I don't read what you wrote
Best believe they ain't dope, they deceivin' these folks
With they meaningless quotes, I got my feet on thy throat
What they speak is a joke, they really weak and they broke
Have a seat and take notes, on the streets I'm the Pope
MTV is they hope, they repeat what they wrote
I'm an MC that won't let them tempt me with coke
Nope, flesh of my flesh, blessed by KRS
Used to love her, they [Incomprehensible] haven't made a date with death
Follow no man, enslave the Ecks, professin' the student
I vibe with the teacher obliged to drop liver than heaters
Lyrics liable to eat us like the survivors of Jesus
Now the blind is the leaders, your styles is egregious
Gets now the brow beateth to underground emceeth
The game is overheated, overweeded and misunderstood
Word, just a ride in they boat with a platinum rope
No doubt they sellin' us out, what's happenin' loc?
Quit this rappin' I won't, 'cause MC'n is dope
If I can't do it for the love then do it I won't
How many times we note when these rappers is dope
Satisfied, that's why I'm renewin' your hope
Broaden your scope, when cleaned out your mind
My rhyme is like a new bar of deoderant soap
In this land of men, mice and mimes, I holds right for the laws
Live life like Christ, makin' bread from mics and applause
The snakes fight with Tyson like jaws for what's rightfully yours
I might win 'em all, tell me, is it life or it's war?
God, God, God
My God, your God, our God
Is God, is God
Change is gonna come, where you goin' to run, but to God?
To God, run to God, run to God, run to God, and let him in your heart
Change is gonna come, the change is gonna come
Make it your change, run to God in your heart
Let God in your heart, he will do the part
God in your heart
Take it to God, take it to God God
Take it to my God, your God, take it to God
Take it to God
Take it to God
Take it to Gd, take it to God
Step into a world
Where there's no one left
But the very best
No MC can test
Step into a world, where hip-hop is me
Where MC's and DJ's
Build up their skills as they play every day
For the, rapture
Yeah, what what
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on
I'm 'bout to hit you wit that traditional style of cold rockin'
Givin' options for head knockin' non stoppin'
Tip-toppin' lyrics we droppin' but styles can be forgotten
So we bring back the raw hip-hoppin'
Just like the records and tapes you be coppin'
Cop some breakdancin', boogie poppin', and lockin'
Tic tockin', guaranteed to have you clockin'
We only get better and only better we have gotten
This type of flow don't even think about stoppin'
Beware, the length of the rhyme flow can be shockin'
All music lovers in the place right now
That never understood the way that KRS got down
Yo, I'm strictly about skills and dope lyrical coastin'
Relying on talent, not marketing and promotion
If a dope lyrical flow is a must
You gots to go with a name you can quickly trust
I'm not sayin' I'm number one, uhh I'm sorry, I lied
I'm number one, two, three, four and five
Stop wastin' your money on marketing schemes
And pretty packages pushin' dreams to the beams
A dope MC is a dope MC
With or without a record deal, all can see
And that's who KRS be son
I'm not the run of mill, 'cause for the mill I don't run
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on
Step into a world
Where there's no one left
But the very best
No MC can test
Step into a world, where hip-hop is me
Where MC's and DJ's
Build up their skills as they play every day
For the, rapture
Yeah, yeah
Everybody on the mic in the party sound alike
Until I recite, in black and white what's right
Let me take flight, my style is tight and good
Tight and good, come is it tight and good
Old styles I pass dat, slow down on fast rap
All in yo' ass crack, old king go blast dat
Conjure to ask dat, hyper type of flashback
I publish like ascap lyrics for hand clap
No past rappin', youth trackin', talent lackin'
MC's more worried about their financial backin'
Steady packin' a gat as if something's gonna happen
But it doesn't, they wind up shootin' they cousin, they buggin'
I appear everywhere and nowhere at once
I know my style is bumpin', even though some people front
It's the God of rap, you heard of it
The one that rhymes toward the sky givin' airplanes mad turbulence
In rap tournaments, I reign permanent
Don't you think by now the number one spot I'm not concerned with it
The course of rap I'm turnin' it
Back to that good old fashioned way of getting cash money by earning it
No bogus hocus pocus, I bring back to focus
Skills if you notice my position is lotus
Now quote this, MC's are just hopeless
Thinkin' record sales make them the dopest
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on
Step into a world
Where there's no one left
But the very best
No MC can test
Step into a world, where hip-hop is me
Where MC's and DJ's
Build up their skills as they play every day
Hah, respect!
All crew, all massive, everywhere in the world
You practice the art of hip-hop
This goes out to every boy and every girl
Give me relief! I sing!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us! I sing!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us!
Check it
All beef can be squashed if you want it
But instead of forgiveness, ego you flaunt it
Everybody gets into two or three quarrels
Leadin to a squabble, someone will die tomorrow
Life is not a thing you can borrow
All beefs don't have to lead to sorrow
will ya, go out tomorrow
I think, you should think about the beef you got
And confront your enemy before it gets too hot
Never feel ashamed, to say, "Yo G I'm sorry
I apologize," the object is to stay alive
(paraphrasing Kool Moe Dee from "Self Destruction")
I never ran from the Klu Klux Klan
and I shouldn't have to run from a black man
(a group says it together)
I never ran from the Klu Klux Klan
and I shouldn't have to run from a black man
Yeah!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us! I sing!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us!
He said she said, but she said she didn't
Face gets hit, and then, bullets start spittin
No one's admittin to their wrong doing, unfittin
revenge we're pursuin, look at what you're doin, LISTEN
Release the calm and that should carry it
Be a mental vegetarian indulge in no beefs, like the
fish in the aquarium, you'll enjoy it while you're tryin it
There is no seperation between the mind and the environment
Like a bolt of lightning
I'm givin 5000 volts of the occult while I'm writin and recitin
I've come to enlighten black and white to the meaningless fightin
Clash of the titans ain't right
and it's wrong so the song reflects
for too long we've been vexed at each other
Every sister, every brother..
You've gots ta LOVE one another
(paraphrasing Kool Moe Dee from "Self Destruction")
I never ran from the Klu Klux Klan
and I shouldn't have to run from a black man
(a group says it together)
I never ran from the Klu Klux Klan
and I shouldn't have to run from a black man
Yeah!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us! Check it
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us! Ha hah
Give me relief! (That's right)
Squash all beef!
If I ruled the schools, from pole to pole
the entire judicial system would fold
I would get rid of the books cause they bogus
and in school, Knowledge of Self would be the focus
Kids would flock to the schools like locusts
Cause school now relates to them, and you would notice
violence in society would be a minimal
Cause the education yeah, would now be metaphysical
Not livin by laws, but livin by principal
If you disobey, the UNIVERSE gets with you
We would study giving so no one would steal
And we would read each other's magnetic fields
Petty crimes times petty crimes
equals prison for lifetimes
The universe divided by two
equals me and you
Me and you, go into the universe once
or as one united front
But listen up, when I was growin up in hip-hoppin
we had a thing called Jailhouse Boxin
That's why I'm STILL here rockin
cause my competition never pulled a Glock in, yeah
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us! I sing!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us! Yeah!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us! I sing!
Give me relief! Squash all beef!
Don't let these arguments destroy us!
But am I over ya head?
Am I over ya head?
But am I over ya head?
Yo am I over ya head?
But am I over ya head?
Am I over ya head?
Well am I over ya head?
Yo am I over ya head?
Huh? What? Where? Who?
What? Whattyathinkinabout
when who says what when how
You can't maybe follow my style
You be the child, I be the teacher
Smile, who said when, what
mouth not shut, what?
Whenever however whenever
whatever the cut
How you maybe could you ever
believe, that you could so quickly achieve
these crafts, please laugh at his stupid ass
upon your knees in glass
You lust, for everything but trust
So we bust back, with conciously charged art
with a mic instead of a brush
But am I over ya head?
Am I over ya head?
But am I over ya head?
Yo am I over ya head?
Am I over ya head?
Yo am I over your head?
Yo am I over ya head?
Listen..
Yes, us must trust us, who? Us must trust
not fuss with us, us must trust us discuss trusting us
Us must trust us, who? Us must trust
not fuss with us, us must trust us discuss thus trusting us
Trusting us, us must trust discuss
Discuss not trusting us must not fuss
Us with us means us discussing trusting us
Us must trust us, who? Us must trust
not fuss with us, us must dicuss trusting us
But am I over ya head?
Yo am I over your head?
Aiyyo Kris man I'm seein' a lot of movement in the industry right now
I'm seein' a lot of cats comin' into the industry
But they got the wrong idea
Nah but f'real f'real, a lot of cats comin' into it like
Yo what could the industry do for me? No
What could you bring to the industry?
What could you bring into the industry?
F'real
Nothing new, nothing new, dem not sayin' nothing new
Nothing new, nothing new, dem not sayin' nothing new
They run, they run, they run, they run, they run their lyric through
But when you're finished rhymin' you have not heard nothing new
So this one dedicated to the one that run their rhyme-a
Time after time after time after time
I know what you will say before you jump up on the stage
But make sure you don't say, "Di-di-di-dah-di-di-di-day"
Then we'll have to look for you and chop you all up
So when you see me in the street just keep your mouth shut
Nothing new, nothing new, dem not sayin' nothing new
Nothing new, nothing new, dem not sayin' nothing new, what?
Everythin' you doin' kid we already did it
Everythin' you spittin' kid we already spit it
This my 15th album, I'm havin' fun wit'chu critics
Everythin' you doin kid we already did it
If rap was a toilet, I woulda already shit it
Critics sayin', "Kris you shoulda already quit it"
But I can't stop, won't stop spittin' crazy lyrics
'Cause I, am hip hop, other rappers just try
You critics wanna sit down and debate every line
But tryin' to get into my concert same time
Spot all packed up, cops yellin', "Back up, back up"
KRS yellin', "Sound man turn the track up"
We act up the whole spot a hour straight
We rock 30 classics at least 20 breaks
We always in demand and you must over stand man
We won't be found man on Billboard or SoundScan
Seek me and you will find
Where I be kickin' or spittin' that ill rhyme
Until then they can't see me 'cause I be
In the heart of every rapper I shine
Nothing new, nothing new, dem not sayin' nothing new
Nothing new, nothing new, dem not sayin' nothing new
They run, they run, they run, they run, they run their lyric through
But when they're finished rhymin' you have not heard nothing new
So this one dedicated to the one that run their rhyme-a
Time after time after time after time
I know what you will say before you jump up on the stage
But make sure you don't, yo yo Marley turn me up a bit
Which one of you punk ass rappers
Wanna get chewed up like seafood platters?
Bring your best rhyme, it don't matter to me
You ain't gettin' on tonight by battlin' me
The streets won't forgive you man, them guns go blam
Have you crawlin' up the wall like Spider-Man
You all in the jungle, with no Spears like Brittney
Like the coke want Whitney, you still wanna get me
But no, you ain't made for this
I put my hand through your chest like Agent Smith
I jam like them big four-fifths
I go off like a glock 9, no safety on Kris
Y'all talk 'bout platinum, I don't need all that
I got 26 gold and platinum plaques
I'll take away your rights like the Patriot Act
Have your whole crew thinkin', "Well maybe he is kinda whack"
Oh you know what happens after this
Win or lose, you know what happens after Kris
They call me Blastmaster 'cause I be blastin'
Uh, ha, uh, ha
Another inebriated beat
You know what time it is
Straight for the street
KRS-One, hold tight, look, look
Crack, don't mess with that
Speed, don't mess with that
It's whack don't mess with that
Greed, don't mess with that
Knowledge yeah, mess with that
God yeah, mess with that
College yeah, mess with that
A job yeah, mess with that
Look, look, dealing don't mess with that
Crying, don't mess with that
Stealing, don't mess with that
Lying, don't mess with that
Meditation, mess with that
Forgiveness, mess with that
Education, mess with that
Hip hop we lovin' that
I rhyme for respect y'all, intellect y'all
Not sex y'all, move that neck y'all, correct y'all
Checks y'all, cash y'all, don't last y'all
With cops y'all to blast y'all, harass y'all
Flash y'all as they pass y'all, through the glass y'all
These videos gas y'all cause they trash y'all
I ask y'all this fact y'all
Unaired y'all, these cops y'all they scared y'all
They fear y'all they hear y'all they hate y'all
Less than 40,000 a week, they make y'all
Cops y'all with black feet, livin' from week to week
Walk crooked beats in the streets y'all
They greet y'all with the heat y'all, to defeat y'all
It's deep y'all, hear what I teach y'all and speak y'all
Hate don't mess with that
Trends, don't mess with that
[Unverified] don't mess with that
Revenge, don't mess with that
Truth yeah, mess with that
Skills yeah, mess with that
Proof yeah, mess with that
Build yeah, mess with that
Wars, don't look for that
Freaking, don't look for that
Whores, don't mess with that
Cheating, don't mess with that
G.E.D. mess with that
Science of mind mess with that
Family, mess with that
Hip hop, we lovin' that
Yeah, yo, aiyyo, yo, who seein' us
With an overdose level of free in us
They bring the heat to us
They don't really want the beat in us, take heed to us
While they plottin' and schemin' to be deletin' us
Best believe in us, they not defeatin' us
Them glocks wanna bust
With twenty-one shots to put the leak in us
So they can bloody the street with us
What does it mean to us?
You know what they need from us
Give cream to us, hide the lies and deceit from us
That doesn't equal us
Who's ready to get in the Jeep with us
Form a fleet with us and take back the street with us
Meet with us, drop bombs in the street with us
Never saw it comin', attack on the sneak with us
Thus, they can't compete with us
We flow through your veins like DJ's
When they cut, you'll be bleedin' us
I came with Kris to heat it up
Showin' my body's the temple
Hip hop is the lock
Now put the key in us
Crack, don't mess with that
Speed, don't mess with that
It's whack don't mess with that
Greed, don't mess with that
Knowledge yeah, mess with that
God yeah, mess with that
College yeah, mess with that
A job yeah, mess with that
Look, look, dealing don't mess with that
Crying, don't mess with that
Stealing, don't mess with that
Lying, don't mess with that
Meditation, mess with that
Forgiveness, mess with that
Education, mess with that
Hip hop we lovin' that
Truth y'all, facts y'all, proof y'all, black y'all
Time to check this map y'all, are we goin' back y'all?
Let's make a pact y'all, come together watch your back y'all
Stay in tact y'all, never whack gimme dap y'all
Comin' at y'all, headcrack y'all with the facts y'all
Police y'all, on the attack y'all if ya black y'all
So if this is fact y'all, when we rap y'all
Over the track y'all, why we rap about crack y'all?
That's whack y'all, we trapped y'all
Holdin' the gat y'all just to kill another black y'all
Clak, clak, clak y'all, it's like that y'all
KRS-One yo, let's take it back y'all, listen
Hate don't mess with that
Trends, don't mess with that
[Unverified] don't mess with that
Revenge, don't mess with that
Truth yeah, mess with that
Skills yeah, mess with that
Proof yeah, mess with that
Build yeah, mess with that
Wars, don't look for that
Freaking, don't look for that
Whores, don't mess with that
Cheating, don't mess with that
G.E.D. mess with that
Science of mind mess with that
Family, mess with that
Do it Marley, ha, killin' 'em
You killin' 'em, where were you?
I wanna talk about these rap historians
Y'all better get it together, where were you?
I be readin' your books, where were you?
Y'all better get it together, word up
When Hot 97 started I was there
When Rap City got started I was there
When KDAY got started I was there
When Jive Records got started I was there
When Yo MTV Raps started I was there
When The Source magazines started I was there
When Cedric and Seda started I was there
When Biggie was doin' his album I was there
When Tookie Williams was buried I was there
'73, Cedar Park I was there
One-twenty-three park I was there
You ain't tellin' me the history 'cause I was there, I was there
And where were you? Where were you?
And where were you? Where were you?
And where were you? Where were you?
Where were you?
When Moe Dee challenged LL I was there
When that bus blew up in London I was there
When Death Row challenged Bad Boy at the Source Awards
In New York at the Garden, yup I was there
When Kwame Toure formerly known as Stokely Carmichael
Was passin' on I was there
When Nelson Mandela was freed from prison
And spoke out at Yankee Stadium in New York I was there
For all the births of my children I was there
When the Rodney King uprisings happened I was there
These objective rap historians tryin' to document
Hip hop from outside forget it I was there, I was there
And where were you? Where were you?
And where were you? Where were you?
And where were you? Where were you?
Where were you?
Look, The Jive Records label, I was there
The Columbia Records label, I was there
The Elektra Records label, I was there
The Warner Brothers Records label, I was there
The Koch Records label, I was there
The Capitol Records label, I was there
I know about they contracts 'cause I was there
I wrote and rewrote most of 'em when I was there
I ain't readin' a book or recitin' a hook
I am hip hop itself 'cause yup I was there
Y'all need to get it together with hip hop's history
And get it right 'cause yup I was there, I was there
And where were you? Where were you?
And where were you? Where were you?
And where were you? Where were you?
Yes, yeah, it's chief rocker, Busy Bee
Y'all don't know what time it is right now
I got my main man Marley Marl
My motherfuckin' main man, KRS-One the teacher
We gettin' ready to do a little history in here
Y'all don't know what time it is
History is in the makin', work it out
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
I said, "Where's that place we work it out?"
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
And when it's time to work it out
We take 'em straight down to the house
And blow some, that jingle-jang, jingle
Yeah, chief rocker, Busy Bee
Check my lingo, check what Busy Bee brings you
Check out the lyrics I sing you
I fly through the hood like chicken wings do
Like a chef Marley likes mixin' things too
We came together just to change the weather
Busy Bee, he made this game remember?
These unoriginal rap flows, I don't speak those
Too many rappers just copy like Kinko's
Dressin' like they from office depot
Tryin' to be CEO's with whack weak flows
I teach those that flow how to be better
I train MC's to gain in any endeavor
But if you tryin' to diss, you'll get dismissed from the class
In other words, I'm kickin' yo' ass
Beats, bars and breaks, really that's it
And you get that sound at the House of Hits
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
I said, "Where's that place we work it out?"
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
And when it's time to work it out
We take 'em straight down to the house
And blow some, that jingle-jang, jingle
Yo, look, look
KRS reportin' from the House of Hits kids
'Cause in the future you gonna doubt it existed
Comin' up the block your whole spirit gets lifted
The whole spot designed for the lyrically gifted
You walk in the spot, you walk in the history
This is where the greatest MC's spit it lyrically
I don't think you hearin' me today
Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, LL Cool J
Kool G. Rap, Roxanne Shante
Craig G, man, what else can I say?
The home of hits, where one spits and records
In the other room we live on the broadcast boards
The internet's hooked up with all these cords
And the outboard gear man you can't afford
You can rest assured we comin' out with it
KRS, Busy Bee at the House of Hits
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
I said, "Where's that place we work it out?"
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
I said, "Where's that place we work it out?"
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
Where's that place we work it out?
Hey, the House of Hits, we work it out
And when it's time to work it out
We take 'em straight down to the house
And blow some, that jingle-jang, jingle
And ba bah-ba bah-ba-da-dang-a-dang-diggy-diggy
Ba bah-ba bah-baba-da-dang-a-dang-diggy-diggy
Ba bah-ba bah-baba-da-dang-a-dang-diggy-diggy
Ba bah-ba bah-baba-da-dang-a-dang-diggy-diggy
Ba bah-ba bah-baba-da-dang
Ayyo, this goes out for all them cats
That ever stepped foot inside the House of Hits
LL Cool J, Big Daddy Kane, Jay-Z, Big Punisher
The Lords of the Underground, Tragedy Khadafi
Roxanne Shante, TLC, Kool G. Rap & Polo, Masta Ase
MC Shan, Eric B. & Rakim, Nas, Craig G
Heavy D & The Boyz, Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Scarface, CNN with Mobb Deep, Ed Lover & Dr. Dre
Aaron Hall and Redman, World Reknowned, Run-DMC
And that nigga 50! What? That's just to name a few
Knowledge, where the people at?
Free Mumia!
Channel Live! (KRS-One, come and represent)
(The wisdom)
Hah hah hah hah hah hahaha!
Free Mumia!
Everywhere I look there's another house negro
Talkin about they people and how they should be equal
They talkin but the conversation ain't goin nowhere
You can't diss hip-hop, so don't you even go there
C. Delores Tucker, you wanna quote the scripture
Everytime you hear nigga, listen up sista
Verse One: Hakim, KRS, Tuffy
I met up with this girl named Delores, a prankster
I said I MC, she said, "You're a gangster"
But she was caught up, she hit the floor like a breakdance
Wrapped her up like the arms in a b-boy stance
Recognize moms I'm one of your sons I'm hip-hop
in the form of Channel Live and KRS-One
Representin MC's across America
She said, "You're the one who be causin all that mass hysteria"
Wisdom shall come out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
But you blinded by cultural ignorance and steady judging
But judge not, lest ye may be judged
For the judgment ye judge ye shall surely be judged, you gets no love
She said, "I like it, that's why I jock it"
Then I said, "You only on my back because I fill brother's pockets"
Got em drivin Benzes Jeeps and Rolls Royces
Attackin me will leave youth with no voices
The choice is yours not mine hang with me
I'll have you freestyle and bombin graffiti
We can cut it up like like wax
Claimin I cause violence but America was violent before rap, FACT
Chorus: KRS-One
Warner, Elektra, Atlantic equals WEA
Instead of fighting them why don't you go free Mumia
(repeat 2X)
Verse Two: Tuffy, KRS, Hakim
Wild recital, I kicks the vital, like the _Final
Call_ as I watch, Babylon fall
I had to Rush Limbaugh, get that pig with an axe
Tuffy dips to the side, buckin cannons that's phat
Because he censors the uses of the metaphor
You can get the dick bum up
Because it's you that brings the, real horrorcore
Expenditures forgettin, gut from the poor
Why sure! Back before we were born they sold us out
Yeah Dade Jackson we know what you about
Youse a Slave Mason, not a Free Mason
Before long the Goddess Tiamat through hip-hop you'll be facin
Don't start me, cause I be the, lyricist
At the nineteen ninety-nine millenium party held at Giza
Sayin he's a, fraud, oh my Goddess
Never in your life should you disrespect an artist
Instead, focus your attention on astronomy
And the up and coming, shift in the economy
If you can't do that, then heed the final call
To free Mumia, Abu-Jamal
Hate to be so rough, it could be the White Owls
House niggaz are full of crap, like my Colin Powell
Kickin vowels, is how we relieve the tension
Until we start to bounce white people like suspension (revolution)
You paint the pictures, the black man on the corner
But tell me, who blew up Oklahoma?
The City, ain't no pity, for the beast
It's Hakim that voice from the East
Chorus
Verse Three: KRS, Hakim, Tuffy
Buck buck! Buck buck buck!
It sound like gunshots but it could be the plot
of a chicken, definition, is what you're missin and
listen to your children instead of dissin em
Senator Dole doesn't understand the young people
Like they be sayin want to, but we be sayin wanna
They gettin dumber every summer as they walk the rope
Maybe because they cannot understand the quotes
Word, in actuality, this Norman Bates mentality
always seems to represent, minus three-sixty percent
For degrees full circle, dead from the purple
rays of the sun I gots melanin so check it
Bag your nuts quick or get sick from being naked
Suspect it, was it a means for the end
For just a few to drive the Benz while you eat the pigskins
Turned you into mannequins, cause the trick of technology
A revelation, revalations
Sensation gives me inspiration of revolution
That's my solution, there will be no sequels
I'm audi hundred forty four thousand with my people
From Caligula to Hitler, now it's Schwartzeneggar
A lust for the violence is the science of their behavior
Who enslaved ya (it's the Devil) but the God of virtuosity
And of the world created, could it be mental sodomy
Got my mind twisted like the blades of fonta leaf
I sit in disbelief as he crawls underneath
the rock cock back the glock, cause I don't trust
the Devil I rebel until Babylon is dust
You think this is easy right?
(Yeah)
You think this is easy right?
(That's easy)
You think you got what it takes?
(Yeah that's easy)
Huh, we gon' see, we gon' see right now
(Now what?)
Look
So you wanna be a conscious rapper
Can you handle the press and they negative chatter?
Can you eat cold platters and still spit data?
Watchin' others spit lies and they pockets get fatter
Can you climb up the ladder, and reach the top?
But it still doesn't matter, 'cause you ain't pop
Can you rock for the love of the art?
Can you drop hit after hit after hit and still don't chart?
Can you really stay loyal to God
When your life is full of strife, plus it always seems so hard
Can you handle the criticism
People holdin' you up to higher standards, but they don't live 'em
Can you hear these kiddy flows and laugh at it
But when you spit they callin' you arrogant?
You better think about that before you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to pop your Cris', let's do it
Think you can do what I do
Think you can step in my shoes
You have no clue what I go through
You never felt my pain
When they attack my name
All because I have spoken the truth
To be a conscious rapper ain't a mystery
You gotta laugh when they call you contradictory
The whole industry, you gotta push and pull it
To really get with me, you gotta dodge they bullets
Blaow, blaow, blaow, every day and every way
You critics got somethin' to say
At the same time, you gotta uphold Christ
Uphold life, while others flash cars and ice
It could break you down, take you down, make you frown
It could actually shake your ground
But if you love who you are, and believe in that
Best believe you will be where the teacher's at
And where's that? in fact, in cold or heat
Yes, I declare victory over the streets
Overstand, over these beats, over the so-called elite
Over the strong, over the weak
I know how to speak, and most of all I know how to eat
I know I want humble and meek
So you better think about that before you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to pop your Cris', uhh
Think you can do what I do
Think you can step in my shoes
You have no clue what I go through
You never felt my pain
When they attack my name
All because I have spoken the truth
Look, so you thinkin' about bein' a conscious MC
Well you gotta love God and you got to live free
You got to see the life that others can't see
You got to be the person that others can't be
You can't be a S-L-A, V-E
If you sayin' to yourself, "This may be me"
Then you know goin' in that you work against sin
Your very skills will kill the demons within
So don't expect respect from slaves and hoes
Nor the slavemaster's video shows
Nor the rap mags, you know how it go
Especially black mags, you know they don't know
Just go to the crowd that you know will need you
'Cause nothing compares to the respect of the people
That's what you look for, that's what you work with
'Cause anything else, is truly worthless
You better think about that before you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to just pop your Cris'
You better think about that, 'fore you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to just pop your Cris', uhh
Think you can do what I do
Think you can step in my shoes
You have no clue what I go through
You never felt my pain
When they attack my name
All because I have spoken the truth
Think you can do what I do
Think you can step in my shoes
You have no clue what I go through
You never felt my pain
When they attack my name
Check, I control your mind with one rhyme I speak
And get you open like a prostitutes buttcheeks
Rapper get kicked in they mouth with cleets
'Cause they're speech refuses to reach beyond the beach
Have a seat quick, I speak or spit flicks on your [Incomprehensible]
Time to complete shit, no weak shit, I mean freak shit properly
I can feel myself becoming a lyric monopoly
Others will copy me but repeat my shit sloppily
Shocking me with inclinations of rocking me
Insanity it got to be
My true identity is never meant to see
I simply use the gifts sent to me mentally
Yo, word up, get from out my face
Before you get bust quickly
That's the hip hop, the hibby, I rip it in a minute
'Cause I'm gifted like December 25th, now let me flip
I'm all knowing lyrically syllable growing
Even when it's snowing, I'm party going
Free flowing and stomping, never tip-toeing
Overthrowing the comp, big up Bronx
I got more styles than the planet got women
I got as many rhymes as is many styles of women
Don't make me come out on that ass start flippin'
Your mental I'm afflictin', actin' ill and sickin'
Pickin' the victim at random, slammin' ?em
Draggin' them to the stage and dismantlin' them
As my Hydrogen turns to Helium, I shine
None of your lyrics I'm feelin' ?em, you rhyme
Like you should be wearin' an apron
Scrapin' a pot with a name like Mariam
But rappers talk too much shit
And can't back it up with lyric
Build ya skillz
But rappers talk too much shit
And can't back it up with lyric
It's time for the raw shit, not that on tour shit, that outlaw shit
That real hardcore shit, KRS-One runs shit like diarrhea
Bitin' motherfuckers, hear my shit and get up outta here
I don't care this year
Alot of albums is wack this year
"Will KRS bring it?" Ahh yeah
Thanks for the invite, it's just about to get hype
That straight up raw street type shit is what it feel like
I will be displayin', lyrical styles, I'm saying
Lyrical styles from the miracle child
Want a pile of ill styles wildin' on your radio dial?
Smile, I been here for awhile
Peep my style while I go on with the song
I rock the microphone then take it to the streets with the Krylon
Clicka clacka, clicka clacka
Take a spray can and slap a wack rapper
Stacks of money for videos, I don't have it
You're lookin' at the last MC with true talent
Get your tape recorder fast kid
Boombastic another classic, turn up the cassette!
All my styles are lyrically fantastic and movin'
While soothin' any urges for booing
Ungluing your mouth from my private
The more the merrier, syllable superior
East Coast, West Coast, battles are inferior
'Cause I by myself will take out the whole North America
We need to expand rap beyond this land
Set up competitions with England and Japan
World cups for rappers that really fuck shit up for fun
Yeah, I know I'll get one
But rappers talk too much shit
And can't back it up with lyric
Build ya skillz
But rappers talk too much shit
And can't back it up with lyric
Build ya skillz
Rappers talk too much shit
And can't back it up with lyric
Build ya skillz
Rappers talk too much shit
And can't back it up with lyric
[Kid Capri]
Aiyyo Kris, yo yo yo!
That was fresh, come with that next shit
Uhh! Fat fat fat fat beats! ..
How refreshing is it really?
How refreshing is it really?!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Whoo! ..
Big shout out to Philly in the house
G. Simone, you know you're not alone
KRS-One on the micraphone
Now we gonna come down ruffneck like this now seen?
Mad Lion hold tight
[Chorus:]
Brown skin woman, you a queen, not a HOE
Any man that drop the lyric what we give them the BO
Brown skin woman you a queen and not a HOE
Any man that drop the lyric what we give them the BO
[Verse One:]
We don't come with disrespect, we come with intellect
If you come with disrespect you get a rope around your neck
Some people don't expect me, to be so violent
But me NAH violent, just myself I protect
Too many time I see, young gwal pickadee
Pay five ten twenty thirty dollar to see
some rapper some singer some .. celebrity
Talk bout they wan fi sex up and fill up you body
But them NAH talk about peelin off some money
for the pumpin onna bed, when you haf the baby
Whattaya think can happen next? After you're done havin sex?
Too much of ignorance, not enough intellence
Mahn me NOT against sex, but too many DJ
talk sex but them not talk about the next day
Cause the next day them gone, and you sit alone
Got em soup up your mic, pon de micraphone
[Chorus: w/ minor variations]
[Verse Two:]
Brown skin gwal them can't diss yo
Cause you run the show-ow-ow!
Them call you all type of bimbo
But you know you're not a hoe-oe-oe!
Bwoy pickade, check out your history
Brown man is a God in any ci-ty
White, man knew dat, and dat was a shock
So dem whip up your bod', and dem whippin not stop
But dem NAH can't stop us wit de whip and de chain
So dem take away your history, erase your name
STILL, with no name, with no fight, with no fuss
We just, take on the name, that MASSA give us
That name is NI-GGA, the correct is NE-GRO
It's spa-nish for BLACK, white mahn call us DAT
There is also NE-GROID, also NE-GRO
Now, all nigga pon the corner playin cee-lo
Man you're not a ne-gro, cause you're skin is not black
Take a look at yourself, you're brown and that's a fact
You not jump from no tree, you not live in no cave
That's some GARBAGE dem print, dem want you to behave!
You a African man, some say Asian
You must respect your love, all brown skin 'oman!
If you diss your 'oman, you not come wit no plan
So shut up your mowf, til you must understand!
[Chorus: w/ minor variations]
[Outro:]
I know you want me to call you a nigga.. NO!
I know you want me to call you a hoe.. NO!
I know you want me to call you a bitch.. NO!
This is how it go!
[Kid Capri]
Yes Kris, you're large!
Another fat production by the KIIIIID Capri
Big shouts to the engineer Naughty
Big shouts to Luca, and we OUTTTTTTTTA here!
I say, the bridge is over, the bridge is over, biddy, bye, bye
The bridge is over, the bridge is over, hey, hey
The bridge is over, the bridge is over, biddy, bye, bye
The bridge is over, the bridge is over
You see me come in any dance wid de spliff of sensei
Down with the sound called BDP
If you want to join the crew well you must see me
Ya can't sound like Shan or the one Marley
Because Shan and Marley Marl dem-a-rhymin' like they gay
Pickin' up the mic, mon, dem don't know what to say
Sayin' hip-hop started out in Queensbridge
Sayin' lies like that, mon, you know dem can't live
So I, tell them again, me come to tell them again, gwan
Tell them again, me come to tell them again
Tell them again, me come to tell them again, gwan
Tell them again, me come to tell them
Manhattan keeps on makin' it
Brooklyn keeps on takin' it
Bronx keeps creatin' it
And Queens keeps on fakin' it
Di di di da, di di di, di da di day, aiy
All you sucka MC, won't you please come out to play, 'cause
Here's an example of KRS-One, bo, here's an example of KRS-One
They wish to battle BDP, but they cannot
They must be on the dick of who? DJ Scott LaRock
'Cause, we don't complain nor do we play the game of favors
Boogie Down Productions comes in three different flavors
Pick any dick for the flavor that you savor
Mr. Magic might wish to come and try to save ya
But instead of helpin' ya out he wants the same thing I gave ya
I finally figured it out, Magic mouth is used for suckin'
Roxanne Shante is only good for steady fuckin'
MC Shan and Marley Marl is really only bluffin'
Like Doug E. Fresh said, "I tell you now, you ain't nuthin'"
Compared to Red Alert on KISS and Boogie Down Productions
So easy now man, I me say easy now mon
To KRS-One you know dem can't understand
Me movin' over there and then me movin' over here
This name of this routine is called Live At Union Square
Square, square, square, ooh
What's the matter with your MC, Marley Marl?
Don't know you know that he's out of touch
What's the matter with your DJ, MC Shan?
On the wheels of steel Marlon sucks
You'd better change what comes out your speaker
You're better off talkin' 'bout your wack Puma sneaker
'Cause Bronx created hip hop, Queens will only get dropped
You're still tellin' lies to me, everybody's talkin bout the Juice Crew funny
Whoo, yeah, yeah
Welcome to all skool hip-hop
KRS, bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, get in this
Marley Marl, that's right
New skool, true skool, old skool, all skool
Bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, get in this
Aight, turn me up, let's go, let's go
This what it is
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, welcome to all skool hip-hop
That's right
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Yup, it's time for the teacher once more
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yup, it's time for the teacher once more
Bo, bo, bo, bo
You cats spit raps that are not believable
Your raps don't bubble 'cause they're inconceivable
Real life O.G.'s don't even speak to you
In hip-hop's culture there's really no need for you
I'll bring the heat to you, when it comes to them glocks
Like Freddie Foxxx, I'm keepin two
I'm known for my scary feuds
That's why I'm called The Terrorist by the Daily News
I rarely lose, I'm known to rattle a cage
I'm known to throw rappers off the stage
Maybe it's a matter of age
But as a MC I got no patience for some rappers these days
I'm not old skool, or new skool, I'm all skool
(Yeah, I'll say it)
I'm not old skool, or new skool, I'm all skool
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Yup, it's time for the teacher once more
If you bumpin' KRS, then you bumpin' the raw
I came through the door with Rakim
Old skool, new skool, we rocked both of them
'Eric B. for President', check out 'My Melody'
Marley Marl, he produced both of them
We supposed to win, guest lists, V.I.P.
Backstage passes when we rollin' in
This the all skool, we encompass it all
I teach MC and production is taught by Marley Marl
For all a y'all, just enjoy yourself
Makin' your own job, employ yourself
Don't destroy yourself and don't be fooled
I'm not old skool, or new skool, I'm all skool
Marley Marl, rock yo' spot
This that old skool overseen by Scott LaRock
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
I'm not old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Old skool or new skool, I'm all skool
Bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, get in this
This what it is
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah yeah yeah
Aight, turn me up, let's go, let's go
Whoo, yeah yeah yeah
KRS, Marley Marl, whoo, yeah, yeah
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah yeah yeah
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah yeah yeah
Bo, bo, bo, bo, yeah yeah yeah
That's right, bo, bo, bo, bo, get in this
New skool, true skool, old skool, all skool
That's right, yes, yes y'all
Bo, bo, bo, bo, bo, get in this
Raw, this what it is
This that classic, yeah, crazy
Yo, aiyyo yo, yo, chill, chill, chill
Yo yo brand new KRS y'all, Maximum Strength
5 Boroughs of death we rep to death
Yo Kris, set it for The Bronx..
[KRS-One]
We hit em and get em, we stick em and jig em
we pick em and kick em
Flippin them whip and I'm wing-clippin them lip
cause I'm cold sick of them
Much quicker than them lyrically trickin and my Tribe
be on a Quest like Tip and them
On every avenue puttin the full clip in em
Splittin and strippin em down while spittin a round
into them soundclash see winnin them, just begginin them
Get rid of ev-ery bit of them with them negative idioms
I don't even consider them
In the new millenium we killin them
Breeze Deep, Kenny and Will and them, KRS-One we thrillin em
Many battles we been in them now we rebuildin them
We blaze, fulfillin them, Keith ?, Jesse, Jamil and them
We originate styles, other be stealin them
[Vigilante]
You got a good rise in your rolodex, who flow is next?
Comin out to {fuck} with the best, put it in your chest
Inhale it and hold that, blow it out when I say let go; let's see
if you can hold your breath, by the time I flip to the next flow
This sho' is real, this is the deal, guns I'm runnin
Gotta make it out of town to flip my {shit} and keep it comin
Then bring it back, with another stack, of raps to blow your back out
How many of y'all wanna go for yours I keep my dogs in the crackhouse
[Buckshot]
Let's take a walk through Crown Heights
Steppin through the city at night, with the ? and two mic
Form a little lynch mob, and stomp through the five boroughs
Head back to Brooklyn in the Expo
Back on the block, I see the cops everybody clockin
Buckshot, when you see the rocks, me I got you shocked
Why not? You see the recipe
Buckshot, I represent Brooklyn and my {nigga} Biggie
[Keith Murray]
I'm from C-I, L-I, F-L-Y
Where the {niggaz} and the {bitches} stay paid fly and high
Where a slut'll get mad if you call her a {bitch}
And a rat'll get mad if you call her a snitch
Where the rich emerge, with the {niggaz} from the ditch
And it's a myth, they get {niggaz} from the suburbs, that's herbs
Yo this is for my {niggaz} on the block all day
Who don't give a {fuck} waitin for crime to pay
Put your money on it, yo we never fronted
Long Island got some of the best {niggaz} that ever done it
From Riverhead to C.I. to Brentwood to Wyndanch
{Niggaz} comin through will not stand a chance
From Roosevelt to Freeport to Hempstead to Uniondale
Comin deep from the depths of hell
I'm dead serious, even though you see me smilin
Rough enough to break New York from Long Island
[Cam'Ron]
We destroy {niggaz}, need advice, cause I heard em sayin Jesus Christ
You should see the sight, cookin ox-tail, peas and rice
Makin about a G a night, they can't read or write
But I got every creed and type, you need a dyke, babygirl I see the light
But sometime y'all get crimey crimey, grimy grimy
But those with a tiny hiney they get whiny whiny
So guard your girl, Harlem World, cock the gun, pop it son
Fila fam, illa players, Killa Cam is still the man
[Bounty Killer]
Uptown massive, Uptown the borough
Uptown let the ? kali, no sorrow
Uptown trestle, Uptown of course
I grab you ? they got me turn up to North
And if dem turn up North ? hurt no tell de boss
And if dem tell me off dey are a bunch of ghosts
And if dem gal are up, well den dem know da gal are boss
De rap dancehall try on de Mossinos
And if dem tie me off, dem can call me Cedro
I put a rap to singalong in all de ? crew
And if da gal a bitch ? ? the rainbow
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
[Killah Priest]
Yo, hit you with the force of an iron horse
Tear your face off the planet, leavin one-third damaged
Witcha back cracked the earth canvas, leavin mountains slanted
Rock the earth of the axle, crabs who
Polar bears beneath the sea gravel
Thoughts be runnin wild like the Lil' Rascals
Puttin dinosaurs inside of figure fours, rip you with nine inch claws
Chasin {motherfuckers} through malls, and clash in halls
Beatin {motherfuckers} through walls, stompin through floors
and jumpin down elevator shafts
Searchin for they {ass}, stayin low in the grass
Wearin a gas mask, wrappin their hands up in plastic bags
On stage like a savage goin mad
WHAT? Yeah yeah, sooooooooooooo!
[Prodigy]
Yeah, by all means you know you gotta put Queens on it
Put cream on it, Q.B. we rep often
Take over your party, slamdance witcha hood
Took your ladies back to the projects with us
Then sent her {ass} back on the Q-train home
Satisfied, she learned the words to my thug song
See we one big borough of Dons with firearms
And we never use those, til the man act
other than he's 'sposed to, {nigga} what I'm 'sposed to do?
Shots whistle, damn near missed dat
Shoes get pissed at
[Redman]
From the, tip of my Timbs, to my eyebrows
The hostile, english, Olde E widemouth
Get PCP fiends, jumpin off cliffs
And if you had the balls, you'd be walkin off stiff
My paragraph alone is worth five mics (uh-huh)
A twelve song LP, that's thirty-six mics (uh-huh)
And while you win Un Hype (uh-huh) I spit on your snipe
and tell you {fuck you} and that {bitch} on your bike
Brick City!!
[Reverand Run]
Aiyyo.. now bust it
Never try me crimey I'm grimy so don't deny me
I be Little like your Rascals and stymie to fly that hiney
Buy me keys, to my Benz and my Coupe
Like Jay and Run and D.M.C.'s, that's the name of my group
(now speed it up)
Beat to the rhythm of the rhyme
I'm givin up a dime, there go another line you figured
Never drivin by nine, never givin up a dime if you was
Never been that {nigga}
If you really wanna test me, brother don't stress me
Or you just be bowlin
It's Reverand like a Jesse, brother that's just me
and that's just my colon
The five boroughs of death, we rep to death
Step aside little {niggaz}, show time yep
It's goin down the moment we inside the spot
Let's rock'n'roll, you know the M.O., it gets real
when the five boroughs of death, we rep to death
Step aside little {niggaz}, show time yep
It's goin down the moment we inside the spot
* [CHORUS]
My rhymes still be ill
You don't really want it
I suggest you chill
You don't really want it
#1 I'm still
You don't really want it
The prophecy is fulfilled
You don't really want it
KRS in the streets
You don't really want it
I drop the rawest beats
You don't really want it
No ice just heat
You don't really want it
Playa face defeat
That was a nice try Nelly
I don't mean to be bold, but put that "Hot in herre" bullshit on hold
And let's get down to the facts of the matter
In the dictionary under wack rap, you the rapper
It's simply cuz you're lacking the spectacular vernacular
And hip hop's character seems to be in back of ya
Either that or you're truly amateur
I'm askin ya, how does it feel to have the whole world laughin at ya?
You just too stupid to see
I was made on the streets, you was made on MTV
How you gonna talk about my nose to attack me?
When you steady guzzlin them pills for your acne?
My nose comes from a line of kings
Your acne comes from you eatin the wrong things
Your words don't make me hurt, they make you work
You'll hurt when you find it's you gettin jerked
I tell ya, it don't take me to say
Don't buy your album, street cats ain't buyin it anyway
You tellin me make up my mind
Yet on your album, you don't know if you wanna sing, or rhyme
[CHORUS]
You tryin to diss me? How?
If it wasn't for the true-school your bitch-ass wouldn't be here now
Blau blau, show me respect from the gate
Or I'ma have to drown you kids like Andrea Yates
You can't handle the break, I'm a flamethrowa, you a bic lighta
You think I'm cocky cuz you a dickrida
I spit tighter
I'm not like all the rest I'm not a playa but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express
So nevertheless I'ma teach ya, teach ya
But when them slugs hit you, you'll be screamin, "Momma, EI! EI!"
You never seen me sing? You don't know what I bring?
You'll be singing the blues like BB King
I'm all about the unity of Miss and Mistas
You all about grabbin money and dissin our sistas
Take your ass back to TV land
And let this be a lesson, you can't see me man!
[CHORUS]
Just when I thought I could do my gospel
And become an apostle I got a whole to get hostile
I don't mean to knock ya Nelly
But ain't you that MTV house nigga with a spine like jelly?
I'ma do this by the book, for the art
I heard what you said on BET's 106 and Park
But what you don't know, is right around the corner on 3rd
I hold a Desert Eagle, and no, it's not a bird
You sound absurd, you're gonna bring ME back?
I taught all year round the spot ??? had
Copycat, with sloppy raps, you chill with N'Sync, I chill where hip hop be at
[Chorus]
Ya feel dat? (HO!) Ya see dat? (HO!)
Ya hear dat? (HO!) You believe dat? (HO!)
Ya follow dat? (HO!) Could it be dat? (HO!)
Ya follow dat? (HO!) Can you believe dat? (HO!)
Ya hear dat? (HO!) Ya see dat? (HO!)
You believe dat? (HO!) You can feel dat (HO!)
Ya follow dat? (HO!) You believe dat? (HO!)
Ya see dat? (HO!)
[Verse One]
Show me an MC that think he's too hot
Bring him to KRS-One, I'll show him he's NOT
Blowin the whole spot up when I spit up
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, when I walk past, get up
My wrists ain't lit up! I don't even live that life
Gold, diamonds, platinum, I give to my wife - you see
Diamonds are a girl's best friend, not mine
You got it, FINE - but what about that rhyme?
Can you rhyme? Can you spit it quick
like watermelon pits at a picnic? Ha!
Or are you just dressed up with nowhere to go?
Or is the record company the pimp and you the ho?
LET'S GO!
[Chorus: w/ variations]
[Verse Two]
I write my own books like I write my own hooks
Step in the spot and these rappers be so shook
They don't look here cause KRS is BOOM!
Platinum rappers be hidin out in they dressin rooms
Yo, get away from me
You got a million dollar video but I'M the one they wanna see
The capital E-M-C-E-E
A repitition of words, I been divorced Melodie
I'm out, confident, no doubt
I get what I gotta get when I spit I don't shout
This New Yorker, Kris Parker's a quick talker
You can get what I spit or get the klik-klocker
Overseas I got the breeze as a hip-hopper
Where they speak eat and drop the beats proper
Street doctor, I'm +Brown+ and +Foxy+ like the +Ill Nana+
Whoever you think is hot, I'm hotter
[Chorus: w/ variations]
[Verse Three]
RADIO! These suckers never play me
or Chuck - but do you think we really give a...
Southside, Westside, Eastside, North
I spit the hot flame, you get your flesh torn off
I come from that place where you cats can't face
Where cops can't chase or invade my space
We turn up the bass, you tremble in the place
Phones ain't traced and flows we don't waste
Hoes we don't chase or kiss, they know they place
with Kris or Christ, they'll lose their life
You don't lose if you come in two's, you and a wife
But you crews wanna be bruised, so choose your knife
Choose your gat, choose your rat, when the smoke clears
you'll be like, "God damn - who was that?"
Loosen that noose around your neck and back
Embarassin blacks, ain't no respect in that!
[Chorus: w/ variations]
[KRS-One]
Let's do it! (HO!) (HO!) (HO!) (HO!)
Everybody up top! (HO!) (HO!) (HO!) (HO!)
Yo, all my cats in the front! (HO!) (HO!) (HO!) (HO!)
Yo, yo, all my cats in the back (HO!) (HO!) (HO!) (HO!)
[KRS-One:]
That's right
Up and down, up and down we go
Beatminerz on the track, I'm conducting the flow
Reverse flow, you get wolf if you didn't know
Either way when I play I'm a beast at the show
Like yeast I will grow, to the East I'm a go
And increase what I know, bring relief to my bro
I keep in the dough, but my feast I don't show
I keep on the low and I reap what I sow
When it's time for the concert I creep in the show
Sometimes I walk in off the street to the show
Grab the microphone, bring the heat to the show
Hip Hop, I teach it if you're seeking to know
The introduction to the course is perceive what you know
When Hip Hop is what you perceive, leave, you can go
Others make rap but they don't need what you know
You a divine speaker, what you need is to grow
Believe me, I know, I see how it go
All the doors are shut till you reaching for dough
But if everything's for sale then he is a hoe
And if everything's for sale then she is a how
I do things freely, I don't believe in the dough
Up and down, up and down we go
Mr. Walt, Evil Dee, KRS on the flow
Any time, any place, rhymes ready to go
Edutainment from the pavement, man you already know
Never starving, we go, never crawling for dough
We that orthodox Hip Hop that all of you know
Man I lived through the ballers, they ain't balling no mo'
The arenas, the theaters ain't calling no mo'
The budgets from the labels ain't falling no mo'
Them big gold cables are pawned at the sto'
Them cats now thinking yo "What was it all for? "
Twenty platinum plaques, you still can't tour
All over the radio, you still can't draw
Now listen back to your lyrics, what was that all for?
When you had the opportunity you could've spit it raw
But instead wanted head from the lips of all these whores
Now you fifty-four and you don't spit it no more
Your jams in the clubs, they don't rip it no more
Head in the bed, you don't get it no more
Now you starting to think "What I'm living for? "
That's when you see KRS is on tour
I do a two-hour show, he's spitting one more!
Yo, let me show you what a legend is
I rhyme as KRS, Krazy Rhyme Stylist
You better keep your eye on this, ain't none higher than this
These clubs don't stop hiring Kris
Time for the light to shine
Too many rappers rapping and they even fight for the right to rhyme
I'm nice with mine, I'm precise with mine
As you can see I don't need ice to rhyme
You a biter, I don't even like your kind
The rhyme you spitting now might be mine
[KRS-One:]
Y'know
There's a difference between dreamin, and visualizin
Which one are you doin?
Food gone up, gasoline up
Full-time employment passin me up
Bills pilin up, really this sucks
I need a couple bucks, really I'm stuck
Here comes a truck, pullin right up
It says Brinks, now I'm thinkin what's up
But nah, what I'm thinkin about, yo duck
20 30 40 shots at the truck
I'm duckin runnin jumpin lookin for what?
Some cover for this brother, EVERYTHING'S NUTS~!
But yo, I can see some others with gats
Brinks firin, they firin back
Rat, ta-tat-ta-ta-tat-ta-ta, tat
Then I woke up...
Doctor help me out, what's this all about
What's this condition I gotta figure out
Am I really out, that I really doubt
Give me the remedy, what is the amount?
Whatever you tellin me sellin me compellin me
Yo the light in me ain't out
Anyway I enter cats remember
Knowledge I sent ya forever they shout
SOUTH BRONX! SOUTH BRONX!
SOUTH BRONX! SOUTH BRONX!
Then I woke up...
Well I guess I'm out on my own
With this condition it won't be long
Before for sure my little sanity's gone
I'm livin off of nuttin, losin my home
Kids in the street, wife alone
I want to sell this very microphone
But then my friend the light was shown
It came through my inner cellular phone
Get up and get out my spirit will shout
Commitment is what love is really about
No down and no out, just up and about
I think I'm gonna take the spiritual route
Then I woke up...
Then I realized I'm out of my purpose
Out of my purp', not doin my work
I went on a search, inside of myself
For true health, love awareness and wealth
I went to the Temple and opened my mental
I learned that I'm the cause of all that I been through
Your whole environment is really within you
Reach inside your heart and write a new menu
I'ma be the change that I want to see
Now I can see, that I'm really free
Everything is really always somethin else
Tell yourself a different story 'bout self
Do you have the courage to be you
All that talk, that you talk, is it really you?
Oh silly you, oh silly me
Your tongue is killin YOU, not killin me
I'm feelin free, to be, just what I wanna be
Easily, you see, cause I woke up...
When I woke up, my debt went down
My locks broke up, my rent went down
My stocks went up, my car sped up
My pockets swell up, my life I found
I'm not so fed up it's time to get up
A clear mind switched my life around
Now I can see where the help is at
The health love awareness and wealth is at
Cause I woke up...
Cause I woke up! I woke up!
When I woke up, I woke up
That's when I woke up
[KRS-One] Class in session. What, is, democracy?
[student] Yo it's the rule of the people. The self rule.
[student] It's what the people want!
[K] That's right. But is this a democracy?
[s] Nah, democracy is a goal to be attained.
[K] That's right. The character of the people should be reflected
[K] in the laws and the institution of the state.
[s] Psssh, I don't see my character reflected!
[K] Tell me
[Chorus One: KRS-One]
WHY, are all the schools they fallin apart
and WHY, the youth not takin no musical art
and WHY, the professionals really don't know where to start
No, one, really, cares, about
WHY, the people ain't trustin the law and the order
and WHY, the hookers from 70's look like our daughters
and WHY, the radio station they help with the slaughter
No, one, really, cares, about
[KRS-One]
The mind, they usin until it's time they doin a rhyme
will ruin what you doin if you crime pursuin
Let me tell you bout gettin your family out the mean ghetto
to green meadows, where you can finally be settled
That street level, freak level, pullin out heat level
Eatin meat level, deceit level, that's that beast level
You gotta stand upright in a house with three levels
Where you don't even see devils unless he shovels the snow
Many philosophers live on the low
Never crazy hazy or lazy we get up and go
Whaddya know, I'm always teaching after the show
Not messin with hoes, I'm with my wife, changin my clothes
Blowin my nose, deliverin blows to foes
with new flows; then disappear where nobody knows
Cause I got too many questions, too many lessons
I gotta go, too many people stressin but I gotta know
[Chorus Two: KRS-One]
WHY, these officers gunnin us down on our block
and WHY, the President never steps in on these cops
and WHY, the mayor don't even look like he in shock
No, one, really, cares, about
WHY, the call of the poor is always ignored
and WHY, the senators governors breakin the law
and WHY, they taxin and taxin and taxin the poor
No, one, really, cares, about
[KRS-One]
You, me, or themselves you can tell, they livin in hell
But they come on the TV lookin so swell
Sellin you dreams of schemes of you gettin green and cream
But they never explain the work and all it means
You got to visualize, close the lid on your eyes
and visualize, minimize lies
See yourself bigger in size, quicker to rise up
wise up climb up, before your time's up but
[Chorus One]
[s] The votes
[K] That's right
[s] The politics
[K] That's right
[s] The government you know!
[K] Uh-huh, people basically have the government they want
[KRS-One:]
Time to clear out the bullshit!
We ain't gon' never give up this type of sound
Time to clear out the bullshit!
I know what y'all, what y'all after
We ain't never leaving this space right here!
This is what it is
When we took the vow "I am Hip Hop"
This is what we swore to defend, this
Welcome to the Lyrical Ass Beating
I'm not in a mansion or a yacht
I'm right on your black man speaking, I keep teaching
Cats be like "How he still eating? "
Cause I build on skills that never weaken
I ripped a club just last weekend
Y'all sitting around playing XBox and internet freaking
Then you want to get what I got? You want to get in my spot?
You want to click, click and hold on my Glock?
Nah player get your own pistol
My arms become dealers when I'm holding up that mic missile
Stay back with your rap, it might clip you
I use smart mics, my words will hit you
As you can see I'm much realer
When the mic weapon is in my arm, I become that rap arms dealer
So who da best? Who da best out here?
Who claiming the crown when KRS out here
Who da best motherfucker today? My fans are here to stay
Sixteen albums, not one of my producers were fake
Who da freshest motherfucker in rap?
You better dig in your crates, who lives what they state?
Who's the most consistent to date?
If you're talking 2Pac or B.I.G. you late (KRS!)
I ain't got a Maybach but I takes it way back
Knowledge reigns supreme, watch how you say that
I slept where the World Trade at
Right at ground zero's where my head laid at
New York is where I'm raised at
When it comes to Hip Hop, we made that
We can never trade that, for any payback
[KRS-One (voices)]
There once was a dreamer named Peter (what else happened?)
Peter was also known as SKeeter (what else happened?)
Peter had sex with Anita (what else happened?)
Anita got pregnant from Peter (what else happened?)
Peter wasn't just with Anita (what else happened?)
Peter knew this girl named Rita (what else happened?)
Peter had sex with Rita (what else happened?)
Rita got pregnant from Peter (what else happened?)
Now TWO girls are pregnant by Peter (what else happened?)
But Rita doesn't know of Anita (what else happened?)
And Anita, doesn't know Rita (what else happened?)
The two of them, only know Peter (what else happened?)
Now Peter's at the mall with Anita (what else happened?)
You know, he runs into Rita (what else happened?)
Well Rita takes a look at Anita (what else happened?)
And Anita takes a good look at Rita (what else happened?)
Well Rita starts to pull out the heater (what else happened?)
The heater now is pointed at Peter (what else happened?)
Anita jumps right on Rita (what else happened?)
Rita busts shots at Anita (what else happened?)
Rita missed Anita by meters (what else happened?)
But Rita's bustin shots at Peter! (What else happened?)
Just then somebody shook Peter (what else happened?)
Yo how many spoons of the dairy creamer? (What else happened?)
It's Keisha sayin WAKE UP PETER (what else happened?)
[Chorus]
What does it mean to be UNDERGROUND?
It means you gotta be free to be UNDERGROUND
Yo, you got your own key when you're UNDERGROUND
If you're listening to me yo you UNDERGROUND
[Verse One]
It's time that I open with a thunder sound
Now look around your own town for the UNDERGROUND
Yo, you rhymin for the TV, or a million CD's?
You ain't a MC, you ain't UNDERGROUND
You could be platinum or gold, hot or cold
But it's the respect you hold that's UNDERGROUND
When the critics don't get, that for the streets you spit it
When your lyric they fear, that's UNDERGROUND
[Chorus]
[Verse Two]
Yo, white kids, black kids, skinny kids, fat kids
Them Asian cats be UNDERGROUND
Chicanos, Palestinians, Milanos, fuck the Lone Ranger
Where's Tanto? That's UNDERGROUND
Freddie Foxxx, Blackalicious, Kweli
M.O.P., GangStarr that's UNDERGROUND
Mad Lion, Smif-N-Wessun, Buckshot
Armageddeon T.S. that's UNDERGROUND, UHH!
[Chorus]
[Verse Three]
Yo, the t'cha returns, I told y'all I went to Cali to learn
And that shit was UNDERGROUND
If the cops be eyein you, cause survive is what you try to do
Yo I'm wit you, you UNDERGROUND
If it's justice you want, and you protest the ice they flaunt
You want skills that's UNDERGROUND
Yo it's not about a rugger rapper, or an actor
It's about your subject matter that's UNDERGROUND
LOOK!
[Chorus]
[Verse Four]
Chevonne Dean from Ruff Ryders, all the Outsiderz
Young Zee, that's UNDERGROUND
When all your money's spent, and you're still hangin on
to 50 Cent (get it) you UNDERGROUND
When you rep the collective consciousness of hip-hop
Not hip-pop, you UNDERGROUND
Yo it ain't about jewels, bitches and cars
It's about Nas, that's UNDERGROUND, yo!
[Chorus]
[Verse Five]
To be underground simply means that you're down
for the struggle, get 'em up, that's UNDERGROUND
You could be a classy lady or a whore
But if you protest the war, for sure, you UNDERGROUND
If the government can't see you, or deceive you
You love your people, believe you UNDERGROUND
If you refuse to play the game, you go against the grain
You ridin the train, you UNDERGROUND - get it!
[Chorus]
[Verse Six]
Yo, yo, that blast from the past, like Grandmaster Caz
Bam and Flash, that's UNDERGROUND
Doug E. Fresh, Lord Finesse, KRS
If you listenin to this you UNDERGROUND
Turn it up now KRS about to show you how
They go wow, BLAOW for the UNDERGROUND
Mr. Walt, Evil Dee, KRS, BDP
Kenny P, that's UNDERGROUND - do it!
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
(Alright!) Turn it up ah, turn it up ah
Turn it up ah, turn it up ah
Turn it up ah, turn it up ah
Chorus:
You ain't that tough ya
Choose the right friends
You ain't that tough now
Don't make your life end
You walk around the town like you a big man
But you never know now that there's always a bigger man
You sling the M-16 and flash the M-1
But you don't know what you're doing never learned to handle one
But true! All you friend thinking you a gangster
While your mother tried to warn you from certain danger
So when you in your room you playing with your Mac-10
Fully loaded automatic, just you and a friend
You posing aw dey mirror like you a gangster clown
But the Mac-10 go off and you friend go down
Uh oh! What you gonna do now?
Uh oh! They gonna blame you somehow
Uh oh! Tell me what you gonna say
Uh oh! Look, they cutting you away
Your father telling you "Now son just go to school
Don't go acting like a fool and don't go acting too cool"
You get to the school and meet up with the right bunch
Just a group of kids with no names taking people lunch
You join the click because you wanna meet some girls
And you want a little prestige in you little school world
One day you're walking with your crew along the road
And a member of your crew pull out a gun and unload
He shoot a parked car and all you run far
You and your friends laughing like you a superstar
And you get home and you thinking it was fresh
And a cop meet you there with a warrant for your arrest
Them ask, "Who shot the gut why you walking down the street
Didn't you see the little boy there in the back seat sleep?
Now the boy dead we want to know from you
Who shot the car up, are we gonna take you?"
Uh oh! Now what you gonna do now?
Uh oh! Boy, them gonna blame you
Uh oh! Now tell me what you gonna say
Uh oh! Look, they cutting you away
Chorus
White kids! You living in the whitest part of town
You are a white kid but you know you hang around
So you and your friends thinking that you are all of that
When you see a youth walk by and yes the youth is black
One kid say "Hey, what you doing on the block
We don't want no niggers here unless he is a cop"
So the kid pull out a big baseball bat
And them him slap with the bat becasue the kid is black
Now then the kid fell down but still alive
So he reach in his pants and pull out a four-five
Pop! One friend drop and everyone run
Out of all the white kids now you the only one
You start cry, cause now you gonna die
And it's all because what your friends did to this guy
Uh oh! What you gonna do now?
Uh oh! He gonna blame you somehow
Uh oh! What you think you gonna say?
Uh oh! Now them cutting you away
Check!
[KRS-One]
C'mon, gather round now, gather round now, look now
How many times did you pre-meditate
what you thought was your fate, cause you couldn't just wait
You had to have it the way that you thought in your mind
But in the end, everything came in time
But before the time, you was losin your mind
You was racin and rushin and fallin behind
But let me tell you bout God and the way that She works
I mean the way that He works, I mean the way that We work
You gotta trust in your Lord, everything is in accord
Don't rush or fuss, you gonna get yours
Close your eyes, your heart, your ears, your mind
to the ways and thoughts of mankind
And seek ye first the Kingdom of God
And things won't seem so hard
You gotta trust your Lord, uhh, uhh.. tell 'em bout
[Chorus]
Trust and obey, trust when afraid
Trust when you paid, trust when betrayed
Trust when you fear, trust when you unclear
Trust when you here, trust when you near
Trust when you down, trust when you found
Trust when you clown, trust
C'mon, let's do it again, uh, uh
Let's raise it up, c'mon, look
[KRS-One]
After you live and you learn then you see
You will learn how to trust in your G-O-D
You will be so free, you won't see no me
You will only see the will of the almighty
You sick of what? Well ya will, give it up
Stop thinkin and begin to, live it up
Everytime you think it's one way it's not
Everytime you wanna start you really stop
Trust in the inner the outer is for the sinners
In fact this whole rap is for beginners
Those that have talked and walked upon the path
Know that they get what they want before they act
So why rush, if your respect is due
Whatever you DON'T have is protectin you
Here's what you DO have that be bringin the drama
Ask and it shall be given, with a comma
[Chorus]
{*singers*}
You trust in her, trust in him, trust in them, and then
Trust in men, trust in sin, trust in friends
You trust in her, trust in him, trust in them, and then
Trust in men, trust in sin, trust in friends
[KRS-One]
Uh uh, soundin good, soundin good, look, look
So when will you be it, when will you see it
That thoughts and things they manifest when you decree it
But God be lookin out for you
Puttin a stop to what you're about to do
In your life, and in your circumstances
Everytime you speak you be takin chances
Talkin bout things that you really don't have to have
So when you get 'em, your life turns sad
Your life turns bad, now why would your God be allowin that?
Trust in God, that's where the crown is at
It's not in what you get, it's what happens after that
So if you think your life is shrinkin
It may be cause you keep thinkin
Not that intellect is wrong
It's just the beginning, it might be time to move on
Word.. we stand out, word
We don't wanna sound like that bullshit
[KRS-One]
Let 'em all be aware, not at all will I care
You gotta know it's about the flow when you comin in here
Not how long is your hair, but how long were you here
How many dues you paid, crews you slayed, yeah
How many clubs you done rocked, f'real
You ever rocked outside with cats poppin they steel?
You fake like Ma-Ma-Ma-Max Headroom
You go from the bedroom to the studio back to the bedroom
We be on the front line, pavin the way
for you to do what you do, get what you get, say what you say
Flip what you flip, play what you play at the Grammy's
But you don't represent our family, you a thief!
[Chorus: KRS-One]
All up and down the East coast
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
All up and down the West coast, down in the South
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
All up top and in North Canada, make some noise
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
All my cats in London, Birmingham, Brixton, word!
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
[KRS-One]
Join the campaign to rearrange the rap game
Don't look at me like I'm insane, the facts remain plain
You to blame, when you take it in vein
The gains and struggles and pains of those that already came
From the beginning we tried to attain, the money and fame
That's not new to the game, it's still the same
But what seems to change is the loyalty
Rappers degrade hip-hop for a royalty
It's all about me and my click and we ballin G
But we fallin, stallin our callin to be free
You can't see, they're gonna judge our poetry
in two-thousand and twenty-three, where will your money be?
Where will your Benz be? Your friends be?
Your beginnin be? Your end be? Gently
You tell me to my face my style you envy
But behind my back you condemn me, you a thief!
[Chorus: KRS-One]
All out in Germany, Africa
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
Word up, hip-hop, join the nation, movin!
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
Word up, all them fake-ass whack rappers, word up!
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
Tell 'em, go to they shows and let 'em know it's like this
THINGS IS ABOUT TO CHANGE
[KRS-One]
For sure, it's the people that defend me
Yeah you on MTV, but did you know Ted Demme?
What about Fab 5 Freddy, Red Alert?
You not ready.. ready.. ready.. [fades]
[KRS-One:]
"Welcome to hip-hop culture"
We stay hot like Tulsa
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, followed by a number ONE
These rappers they do-run-run
Lyrically they flashin two guns with new funds
But politically they do-run-run
When it's time to build, they chill, gettin nuttin done
But they mouth yes they do-run-run
[Chorus: KRS singing]
I've, heard, just about all that I can hear
We talk, and talk, but this talkin is goin nowhere
I've, been, to the summits and conferences
And the people man, they'll tell you man
Hip-Hop is the way we live
[KRS-One:]
If you're down for this nation, Hip-Hop the nation
Three generations, fourth in the waitin
Look at what we facin, mainstream penetration
Everyone's a biter now, no innovation
No syncopation, lost communication
Here's what we gotta do to fix the situation
First step - know what you creatin
Hip-Hop the culture, the consciousness, a new civilization
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
Everybody, c'mon unite now
Turn on the light now, stop all the fight now
Time to unite now, a new type of life now
No stress no strife, no gun no knife now
No board no pipe now, we seein the light now
Bein the light now, the future is right now
Hip-Hop is like WOW, ready to fight now
Sick of the hype now, just about right now
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
I, hear, uhh, hip-hop is callin me
The fact you must see sir, rap is not all of me
I use that to reach ya, rappers be borin me
Redo the industry with a two dollar royalty
What's the agenda, to hip-hop and politics
Don't you remember? The violence we stoppin this
Kris will defend the, hip-hop populist
The solution is simple, raise up yo' consciousness
[Chorus: sung without KRS]
[KRS-One:]
"Welcome to hip-hop culture"
We stay hot like Tulsa
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, followed by a number ONE
These rappers they do-run-run
Lyrically they flashin two guns with new funds
But politically they do-run-run
When it's time to build, they chill, gettin nuttin done
It's not natural If it goes against God
It's not factual Her truth is not hard
It's not natural If it goes against God
It's not factual Gimme the truth!
Listen to the lyric as the negative is shrinkin
It's shrinkin out your life when you decide to change your thinkin
One of the first things we gotta switch around of course
Is Jesus Christ, and him dying on the cross
You're looking at the cross, surrounded in it's mystery
With Jesus on the cross in a, total misery
Now seperate Jesus from the cross so you can see
The truth about the cross, and the cross's history
The cross was created by the Roman government
It's only purpose and use, is cap-i-tal punishment
But Jesus Christ, was all about the revolution
While the cross was used as Jesus Christ's execution
See what if Jesus Christ, was hung upon a tree
Upon every church wall, that's exactly what you'd see
If Jesus Christ, was shot in the head with no respect
We'd all have little gold guns around our neck
If Jesus Christ was killed in electic chair, now get it
You'd be knealing to the electric chair with Jesus, still in it
You gaze upon the cross, and you see the execution
You yell stop the violence but the cross you're still using
It's not natural If it goes against God
It's not factual Her truth is not hard
It's not natural If it goes against God
It's not factual Gimme the truth!
So I say listen, listen, open up your third eye vision
God is not down with religion
Religion they be sellin it, listen up, God is intelligent
Reading of the bible is irrelevant
You gotta look within yourself, not a scripture
KRS-One comes to rearrange the God picture
If you sit and believe, you can acheive
If you sit and accept, you don't know, what's correct
or incorrect, take for instance Adam and Eve
The first two people on the planet, or so you believe
Their first time in heaven kids they had, Cain and Abel
Huh, now let me show you why the story's unstable
According to the story, according to what you believe
There was only Cain, Abel, Adam, and Eve
on the whole planet, now use your intellect
and tell me, what did Cain and Abel do for sex?
Upon the whole planet there was not another
Could it be for sex, heh, they were looking at each other?
Hold up! I thought the church wasn't into that
But wait, still yet, there is another fact
How did the world get populated?
Now tell me if I'm wrong, but obviously Eve had it goin on
Think for a minute, I know it gets notorious
But yo G, check out the chorus
It's not natural If it goes against God
It's not factual Her truth is not hard
It's not natural If it goes against God
It's not factual Gimme the truth!
[Rich Nice]
Yo yo...
Yo bring that back
I wanna say something on this BlastMaster session
Yo this is Rich Nice
You brothers gotta stop treating these hoes like nice girls
and these nice girls like hoes
[KRS-One]
True indeed, I'd like to welcome the rebirth of the Goddess
Word up it's all about knowledge of self
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight.. we keep it right..
We're comin strong.. we're movin on.. (yeah)
It's time to rise.. and unify..
Keep comin strong (uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!)
Just keep movin on..
[KRS-One]
Yo, where's my people at?
We be where the elite be at
We really never need the gat, we comin with a sneak attack
In fact, best believe we back
What we rap it heats the track
Kenny Parker sees to that, my job is to teach these cats
Present the clear speech they lack
And show 'em how to eat from rap
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight.. we keep it right.. (that's right)
We're comin strong.. (uh-huh, yeah) we're movin on.. (tell 'em again!)
(Uhh) It's time to rise.. and unify.. (yeah, yeah)
Keep comin strong (uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!)
Just keep movin on..
[KRS-One]
You know why the devil can't get with me?
Cause he's a liar, I've got victory
You can stick with me, my click is free
Negativity, that doesn't live with me
These rappers on one, I've skipped to three
These rappers on A, I've skipped to C
My image, heads ain't quick to be
So I thank you for pickin me
I know why people got to know, these wack rappers got to go
Let a MC rock the show
I'll show 'em how it 'posed to go
We forgot simply what we supposed to know
We still must defeat the foe
So what you got the dough? Your words don't make us glow
In fact they make us slow
How long this gonna take to know you ain't gotta be a hoe?
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight.. we keep it right.. (yeah)
We're comin strong.. (yeah, yeah) we're movin on.. (uh-huh)
(Tell them again!) It's time to rise.. and unify.. (yeah)
Keep comin strong (uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!)
Just keep movin on..
[KRS-One]
Look at the teacher, I stay attuned
People are blessed when I walk in the room
Snakes(?) don't stop me, and if they did
they'd be askin for a tag 'fore they kids
Medical students lose it when I enter any hospital
Doctors wanna talk music and whatever's topical
It's all logical, I perform the impossible
Through words I put hip-hop in you; listen
Here's what we got to do, unify
Defeat the flesh, defeat the beast in you and I
Win or lose I never shout, believe in yourself and never doubt
Discipline is simply a better route
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight - we keep it tight
We keep it right - we keep it right
We're comin strong - comin strong
We're movin on - movin on!
It's time to rise - it's time to rise
And unify - unifyyyy
Keep comin strong - comin strong
Just keep movin on - keep on movin on
We keep it tight - we keep it tight
We keep it right - we keep it right
We're comin strong - we're comin strong
We're movin on - movin on!
It's time to rise - it's time to rise
And unify - it's time to unify
Keep comin strong
Just keep movin on - keep on movin on
Just keep movin on - keep on movin on
Just keep movin on - we gotta keep on movin on
Just keep movin on - wake up and realize
Just keep movin on - that you just keep movin on
Just keep movin on - it's time to realize
Just keep movin on - that you gotta keep movin on
Just keep movin on - keep movin on, keep movin on
Just keep movin on - you gotta keep movin on, you gotta take that time
Just keep movin on - you gotta realize, that it's time
So gather round now for the raptism
Cause if the dogs don't get 'em
the cattle get 'em, or the gat'll get 'em, or the crack'll get 'em
Time for spiritual activism, life is a journey
and Kris got the map with him
Teach latinos and blacks with 'em
It's amazing when whites and asians kick raps with 'em
Cause out of a thousand MC's, believe I taught half of 'em
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, I beam through many images
My origin is a mystery like capstones on pyramids
We live it kid, challenge the teacher you will regret that
I'm giving careers and taking careers away, did you forget that?
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] Better check that, you can rock this track and the next track
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] But when I correct the spirit hit, you'll always be set back
So gather round now for the raptism
Only those that got hip-hop in 'em
and not rap in 'em and no crack with 'em
Step up now and receive a holy dose
from a holy host, and take a break from these rappers that only boast
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)]
[HWC] Wake up, to make up
[KRS] Yeah yeah, yeah
[HWC] Wake up, to make up
[KRS] Huh, huh, yeah yeah, yeah
[HWC] Wake up, to make up
[KRS] Yo, yeah, yo..
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] My intellectual battle will make your brains rattle
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] I'll unwrap you and your crew from the same shackle
I'm on many different planes like a airport
Psychologically you be rethinkin your identity and cuttin ya hair short
Now there's a thought, that exposes your insecurity
You put no fear in me, I break the M from the C
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] And reverse it to say "See 'em? See 'em?"
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] They allow the devil to lead 'em, and they be givin up they freedom
So, huh, gather round for the raptism
[HWC] Wake up
When the spirit hear it the lyric long before the track get 'em
[HWC] Wake up
I spit 'em out, gotta get 'em out, the world I never been about
I see them glitter but their spirit's goin in and out
We see them fading, we also see them hating
We also see those living for musical chart ratings
Hear what I'm stating or trading for what you're paying
Replace fear with faith and you'll stop decaying
Gather round for the raptism (word)
Gather round for the raptism (word, word)
[HWC] Wake up, wake up, wake up
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] Gather round for the raptism
[HWC] Make up, make up, make up
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] Cause if the dogs don't get 'em
[H.W.C. harmonizes a melody (no words)] the cattle get 'em, or the gat'll get 'em, or the crack'll get 'em
Yo, yo, gather round for the raptism
[HWC] Wake up
Word.. word..
[HWC] Wake up
Word..
[HWC] Wake up
the dogs don't get 'em
the cattle get 'em, or the crack'll get 'em, or the gat'll get 'em
[HWC] Wake up
[HWC] Everyday, when you wake up
[HWC] You got a chance, to MAKE UP!
Remember, you are not just doing hip-hop, you ARE hip-hop
[HWC] Wake up to make up
[HWC] Wake up to make up
Twice a year, hip-hoppers come together
to celebrate the unity of hip-hop
We come together, during Hip-Hop Appreciation Week
[HWC] Wake up to make up..
Which is every third week in May
[HWC] Wake up to make up..
Then, we come together in Novemeber
to celebrate Hip-Hop History Month
[Chorus One 2X: KRS-One]
First thing we must do is make up our - MIND
Then we must go and really clear our - MIND
Erase the doubt and the fear from our - MIND
Share our - MIND, speak our - MIND
[KRS-One]
Stand up brother, stand up sister
I told y'all before, love is gonna get'cha
Lovin that money, lovin that liquor
Lovin that sex without respect you gets no bigger
I ain't got time to chill, only got time to build
You find that in those with skills
This a real MC, of the highest degree
With no video, my show they dyin to see
Not whether I'm buyin 'em three
When you watch television just keep sayin they lyin to me
Cause they are - how long you gonna stay at the bar?
I'm not desperate for money, maybe you are, but listen
[Chorus Two 2X: KRS-One]
First thing we gon' do is make up our - MIND
Then we gon' go, and we gon' clear our - MIND
Erase the doubt and the fear from our - MIND
Share our - MIND, speak our - MIND
[KRS-One]
Don't you think it's time we thought about the future?
Whether our children they gonna be winners or losers?
Don't you think it's time to advance the rhyme we spit?
Whether you know it or not, you deep in politics
All inside of it, in fact YOU the issue
Don't let this government diss you!
They really do not want you to vote
They really do not want you to hope
They really want you sniffin they coke
You look around yo we missin the boat
I coulda wrote about ANYTHING to get on, but this what I wrote
And what I'm writin, is guaranteed to enlighten
Like Dr. Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson
This is how we do it today, enough of the crime talk
KRS got somethin new to say
Rise up, and put aside childish things
This is the message we bring; listen
[Chorus Two]
[KRS-One]
Last verse, KRS, blast first
Ignorance is bad, but temptation that's worse
They hide they purse, cause of the way we spit the verse
No one ever told 'em that the style's rehearsed
And even if they did, it wouldn't be new to they mind
Cause all day rappers confess to doin these crimes
So when the cops see you, they're not thinkin about me
They thinkin about takin you out of society
Keep it right, don't lie to me
You think it's too much preachin teachin?
Huh, well fine, we'll see
When you're locked up in J.D.C., or even prison
The truth shall set you free, just listen
You want health, and really that's about prevention
You want love, real love, and not depression
You want awareness, which come from discipline and will
You want wealth, which come from skills
When you really ready to talk, let's build
You ain't gotta be a scholar to know the next 4 years gonna be ill
I believe you already know the drill, don't lie
don't steal, seek peace and don't kill
Who am I? The MC, la-di da-di
I don't wear Versace, I wear DJ's out quickly at the party
Who am I? If you're like me hip hop is in your body
Who am I? THE MC!
When the jam is slow and you need a proceeder
Who am I? THE MC!
When you need a lyrical leader wit oratorical triple features
Who am I? THE MC!
When you need to rock your 3000-seat arena, best believe, uh
Who am I? THE MC!
When you need to get the word on the street wit demeanor
Who am I? THE MC!
I beg thee, let me splurt rhymes, I have plenty
Who am I? THE MC! Lord have mercy
I hit sudden like Hersey
always New like Jersey, stay thirsty
Who am I? THE MC!
Showin my authority, superiority
an artistic minority, now you startin me
Cuz party philosophy can only be carried out by
Who am I? THE MC!
No doubt, predicting far ahead what will set the party off immensely
with plenty of who? THE MC!
Trained at Rooftop, Red Zone, Roxy and Bentley's
Who am I? THE MC!
Gently move crowds with harmonious rhythm
Cuz the lyrics we give em they miss em
Who am I? THE MC! again, THE MC!
Her infinite power helps, oppressed people sent me to tell you
if you truly study lyrical flows and stay on your toes you will be
Who am I? THE MC!
and as an MC you will study verbal magic
but watch what you say cuz you'll attract it
control your subconscious magnet from pullin in havoc
Who am I? The MC!
Non-stoppin MC, hip hoppin MC
Verbal rockin, head knockin, quick droppin MC
I laugh cuz I mastered the craft MC
In sound clash I'm the first and last MC
It's sort of like Jim Carrey throwin that Mask to me
I black out and wake up to catastrophe
3 MC's dead from the sound blowin out massively, wow!
Who am I? The MC!
Untouchable, can't be caught off guard with fast tracks or slow tracks
Ass cracks get waxed to the max, MC's pack raps for all tracks
Indigenous cultures, Asians, Whites and Blacks
never missed it the linguistic of
Who am I? THE MC!
Meta-lyrical poetic mystic MC
Hearin the voice of an ancient spirit MC
Premeditated worder
Killin negative concepts out the mind of the observer MC
You deserve a break from counterfeits, frauds and fakes
claimin to be an MC for heaven sakes
Well, this MC done raised the stakes
under the stress from KRS
contracts and mental gats are bound to break
Who am I? THE MC! again the MC!
All rise!
From around the way to around the world
The ever-sinner of Matthew Netta, gets it together
Every time I manifest the vocals we think
My voice is registered with your local presinct
I lead through knowledge, you don't see me till college
KRS-One is like that oatmeal porridge
When you get older and you realise you need it
That's when you retrieve it, now class be seated
This Boogie Down lingo is produced by Domingo
Wild styles I bring you, now go re-write your single
My last name should be Kringle for the gift
On the drummachine I program songs like Steve Smith
Don't Rif, Kin, you're not loud
you're not listening, I self-create my position
Any room I enter I transform to a church
Before you see through battle you should do some research
For we break
samples:
-Has more rhymes than a train has tracks-
-Able to leave sucker MC's in a single rhyme-
Break-over, take-over, total make-over
When I rap it slabs a flack on your Range Rover
You's a joke clown plus you broke down
Like a coat of a cardigan KRS-One be flowing at your party
Your whole crew jetting they be seriously threating
My lyric weapon be upsetting the jamsession
Gather round now for a very important lesson
KRS-One is not the one you should be testing
No guessing, we follow strict mathematics
Temple tactics and word magic
So step up if you wanna get hurt
All year around our shows be worth
The force I observe lifts up your skirt
Leave your space cabin Captain Kirk covered in dirt
samples:
-Has more rhymes than a train has tracks-
-Able to leave sucker MC's in a single rhyme- 2x
You got the long lasting, floors matching without asking
Rhymes with a passion, KRS-One, broadcasting
Never crashing cos I'm never speeding
You should be heading, what do you trick and I be reading
Leading the new school, with new rules for new fools
Flash styles and young MC's it makes they crews drool
Some say you cruel when I bust off like a new tool
Making a man you do as I drop two jewels
Positive and negative, mutualist disadditive, but I'm not giving it
The Godess is my relative, knowledge I be living it
I creep with it, come to elect ya and you'll witness it
Lyrics I'll be flicking it
Don't step this way if you begin in it
Push your hands up if you've been in it
Let me now get into it, straight rhymes hit the innercit'
When it splatter they say "Damn, those rappers"
Switching ya, fixing a glitch in ya
Pulling the bitch in ya out, taking a bum a ridiculour route
samples:
-Has more rhymes than a train has tracks-
[KRS-One:]
Class gather round right now
The session ain't over
Salaam [?] provide the beat
Uh, I think this will do
Gather round, yeah
You don't need to be stressing, you don't need to be guessing
The Obama Deception, that was just one lesson
The military got all kind of weapons
And most of them are pointed at us from different directions
You looking for the same look
You protesting they guns but you using they Facebook
Oh you don't get it yet?
The American military captured the world with the internet
You using military tools
And if you use these tools in school, you're in military school
Don't be fooled, man don't you realise
It's humanity that rules, God will not lose
It's not about what's outside of me
The question is what can you do without the use of technology
Can you sing, can you run, can you weave?
Can you draw, can you dance, can you perceive?
What do you believe?
Do you believe your world was ended on twenty-twelve at Christmas Eve?
Mind over matter, matter over mind
Where's the ladder? Either way we gon' climb
Up, up, up, up
Up, up, up, ho
Up, up, up, up
Up, up
I ain't finished yet, my skills ain't diminished yet
I'm that emcee that shows you how I'll it get
Open your eye, tell me if you feel it yet
I hope you rely on your soul, did they steal it yet?
Well if they didn't, to you this was written
Intro/Chorus: sung to the tune of Blondie's "Rapture"
Step into a world (Klaka klaka, klaka klaka!)
Where there's no one left (Buku, buku! Alla de massive!)
But the very best (Klaka, bo bo, BDP crew, bo bo bo bo!)
No MC can test *cut and scratch of KRS saying "but one"*
Step into a world, where hip-hop is me
Where MC's and DJ's
Build up their skills as they play every day
For the, rapture
Yeah, what what!
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on!
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on!
Verse One:
I'm bout to hit you wit that tradional style of cold rockin
Givin options for head knockin non stoppin
Tip-toppin lyrics we droppin but styles can be forgotten
so we bring back the raw hip-hoppin
Just like the records and tapes you be coppin
Cop some breakdancin, boogie poppin, and lockin
Tic tockin, guaranteed to have you clockin
We only get better and only better we have gotten
This type of flow don't even think about stoppin
Beware, the length of the rhyme flow can be shockin
All music lovers in the place right now
That never understood the way that KRS got down
Yo I'm strictly about skills and dope lyrical coastin
Relying on talent, not marketing and promotion
If a dope lyrical flow is a must
You gots to go with a name you can quickly trust
I'm not sayin I'm number one, uhh I'm sorry, I lied
I'm number one, two, three, four and five
Stop wastin your money on marketing schemes
and pretty packages pushin dreams to the beams
A dope MC is a dope MC
With or witout a record deal, all can see
And that's who KRS be son
I'm not the run of mill, cause for the mill I don't run
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on!
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on!
Chorus
Verse Two:
Yeah, yeah
Everybody on the mic in the party sound alike
until I recite, in black and white what's right
Let me take flight, my style is TIGHT AN GOOD
TIGHT AN GOOD, come is it TIGHT AN GOOD
Old styles I pass dat, slow down on fast rap
All in yo' ass crack, old King go Blast dat
Conjure to ask dat, hyper type of flashback
I publish like ASCAP lyrics for hand clap
No past rappin, youth trackin, talent lackin
MC's more worried about their financial backin
Steady packin a gat as if something's gonna happen
But it doesn't, they wind up shootin they cousin, they buggin
I appear everywhere and nowhere at once
I know my style is bumpin, even though some people front
It's the God of rap, you heard of it
The one that rhymes toward the sky givin airplanes mad turbulence
In rap tournaments, I reign permanent
Don't you think by now the number one spot I'm not concerned with it
The course of rap I'm turnin it
Back to that good old fashioned way of getting cash money by earning it
No bogus hocus pocus, I bring back to focus
Skills if you notice my position is lotus
Now quote this, MC's are just hopeless
Thinkin record sales make them the dopest
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on!
Yes yes y'all, ya don't stop, KRS-One, rock on!
Word up! It's just a little somethin to tide you over, word up
The "KRStyle" album comin soon, KRS-One all in the room
We gonna bounce these cats this year, word up
Why they do this? Ha - yo, yo
[KRS-One]
I climb up the back of rappers
Reach over they head, and rap backwards at 'em
Excuse me madam, I used to throw these uzis at 'em
But I'm a teacher, skills I truly have 'em
These clubs I duly pack 'em
Potential lawyers engineers and doctors, I do attract 'em
Go to your professors and ask 'em
if the songs of the "Edutainment" in college they didn't blast 'em
Yes - I'm that ancient one
I set the framework for today's rappers to make they funds
But no you don't know me son
My facial features matches the Sphinx with it's nose redone
You know how many clubs we done rocked?
You know how many guns we done popped?
You know how many funds we done dropped?
You know how many ones we done got?
We been gettin live since the days of Chubb Rock
We know how to survive; these other cats
be in at nine o'clock then be out at five, uhh
We doin the overtime, on stage I over-rhyme
Makin these whack rappers tow the line
Steppin to me, I know you blind; cause your whole flow
your show, your style, you know it's all mine!
The first time you learned to spit
It was either me, Kane, Rakim or Slick Rick!
[water splashes]
Welcome to the "KRStyle"
This year I had to switch styles and bust off two miss-iles
And that's not all, rappers have the gall
To pray and pray for my downfall - but still in all
I have X amount of lyrics to get 'em all
Live at the club I spit 'em all
Rappers backstage lookin sad and piti-fal
Cause they know I'm the pinna-cle and they mini-mal
I spit the metaphysical, the spiritual
The oracle, the lyrical, the oratorical
Rookie! I'll mop the floor witcho'
I'm the lyrical foundation to all your flows
All your clothes, all your shows and I'm not alone
You wouldn't even know how to hold the mic or the phone
You couldn't even bite on the bone
While we was rockin mics out in Rome
Now you hyped cause you grown?
You know we internationally known, the people love it
But what they learnin bout is on the whole, look above it
But let us get back to what we call hip-hop
Before you whack rappers went pop
[KRS-One]
Oh, do it now, oh, do it now
Yeah, we celebrate diversity in the university
Everybody can't be a queen, everybody can't be a ho and a bitch (Ha ha)
Everybody can't b e a philosopher
Some of y'all gotta load up the clip
Word up, watch this
It goes 1, 2, 3 we the best
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, as you can see, or KRS
You don't wanna test the team, why get a vest
You don't wanna be cursed in a verse, by the blessed
KRS with the sound for the eat and the west
Follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no beast on a quest
Somebody gotta be fresh
Somebody gotta be wack
Somebody gotta be the Mc
Somebody gotta do the rap
Somebody gotta be smart
Somebody gotta do that
Somebody gotta do art
Somebody gotta be black
Somebody gotta have heart
Somebody gotta be white
Somebody gotta do their part
Somebody gotta be bright
Somebody gotta be up
somebody gotta be down
Somebody gotta be the teacher
Somebody gotta be the clown
Somebody gotta be lost
Somebody gotta be found
Somebody gotta be in the economy making the money go round
Somebody gotta be the president
Somebody gotta get down
Somebody gotta be hesitant
Somebody gotta be relevant
Somebody gotta be celibate
Somebody gotta be having their sex in a lex for the hell of it
Somebody gotta be intelligent
Somebody gotta be illiterate
Somebody gotta go all the way
Somebody gotta go a little bit
Somebody got to be an idiot
Somebody gotta be belligerent
Somebody gotta be hip hop
Cause somebody else is living it
Somebody gotta be spitting it
Somebody gotta be ignorant
Somebody gotta be holy
But somebody gotta have sin in it
Somebody gotta be losing it
Somebody gotta be winning it
Somebody gotta be flippin' the style I'm kicking just a little bit
Somebody gotta be into it
Somebody gotta be out of it
Somebody gotta be up for it
Somebody gotta be doubtin' it
Somebody gotta be running it
Somebody gotta be all that
Somebody don't even known that
Somebody gotta come right here
Somebody else gotta go back
Somebody gotta be scheming
Somebody gotta be a witness
Somebody gotta be seeing in the meaning is different
Somebody else gotta be somebody, for some else to be somebody
Somebody else to run into to wealth, to try to create one body
One aim, one GOD, one destiny
I'm not non-violent, you can back up off of me
I sip my tea, and cock back three
One for Tiny Tim, Mr.Walt, and Evil Dee
I hope you all see, the need for unity
I'll never stop speaking about Marcus Garvey
Kwame Ture or Malcolm X all day
Black leadership today is all play
Y'all play, y'all immature black behavior
IS worse than being a trader
Do on to others, as you would have done do to your neighbor
Big up to my philosophy majors
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal from the cages
We writes the pages and teach all ages
Justice, tell me what we want now
Justice, for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Or justice for Amado Dialo
Justice, there is no peace without (*Justice*)
All dem mercy, now watch this
I sing, 1,2,3 we the best
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, as you can see, or KRS
You don't wanna test the team, why get a vest
You don't wanna be cursed in a verse, by the blessed
KRS with the new sound for the eat and the west
Follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no beast on a quest
Follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no beast on a quest
Follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no beast on a quest
Follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no, follow no
follow no...
Follow no beast, on a quest
Do you hear me?
Follow no beast, on a quest
Word
Hip Hop ya don't stop
Tiny Tim ya don't stop
KRS ya don't stop
Yeah, whassup?
Whassamatta you? (You) Why you lookin so sad (so sad)
KRS is back (he's back!) But you don't look so glad
Ahh shutupayouface!
Look at this place!
Why was I chosen to pick up the race?
And carry the flame, the torch, the name?
Millenium games, it's all the same
Sinners repent, many for fear
End of the year, everyone cheers
Only a few hear my voice in they ears
Everyone else well they really don't care
But what if I told you I could read the future
and in the future, they the losers
We the winners, cause they the sinners
Well it's all mathematics, can I eat my dinner
and think (think) why was I made to link
between them and the universe; battle, who the first?
I don't really care, cause I'm really not here
I'm showin you skill, but you still sayin "Where?"
Whassamatta you? (You) Why you lookin so sad (so sad)
KRS is back (he's back!) But you don't look so glad
Ahh shutupayouface!
Every race, walkin around with they head up in space
They cannot see that we all really one
In any battle I already won
Thank the creator, it's already done
KRS-One? Leavin 'em stunned
Dunn duh-duh dunn dunn done it again
Me and Will and my brother named Ken, now let me tell you
The bass in your face, the highs in your eyes
will make you real-IZE
If you down with the Temple of Hip-Hop, you not no average GUY, or girl
C'mon take a critical look in my world
See the metaphysical books that I twirl and twist
Forces the ventriloquist
I'm just a dummy gettin money at this name Kris
Whassamatta you? (You) Why you lookin so sad (so sad)
KRS is back (he's back!) But you don't look so glad
Ahh shutupayouface!
KRS-One, Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone
Look, I be chillin readin a book
While the hip-hop nation repeats my hooks
All I wanna see is y'all healthy and wealthy
Yeah we already did it, really what can they tell me
About the pimps and the hoes, players and the clothes
You gets no money if you got no flow, no skill
C'mon y'all it's time to build
If you got no skill, how you gon' build?
Build, c'mon y'all it's time to build
If you got no skill, how you gon' build?
Whassamatta you? (You) Why you lookin so sad (so sad)
KRS is back (he's back!) But you don't look so glad
Ahh shutupayouface! Negative ass..
We bring the light!
North Carolina - they got me
Florida - they got me
Texas - yeah they rock me
In New York City they got me
L.A. - ha hah, they got me
Canada - Up North they rock me
D.C. - Atlanta, they got me
Ha hah - none of y'all can't stop me
Whassamatta you? (You) Why you lookin so sad (so sad)
KRS is back (he's back!) But you don't look so glad
Ahh shutupayouface! ..
[Intro: KRS-One]
Yeah, yeah, yeah
This what we live for!
Let it rock, let it
(Big up to all Brooklyn man, all Bronx man)
(Uptown massive, follow)
[Chorus: KRS-One]
We can all be hear rockin 'til the mor-ning
Boom, bap, and rap is what I bring
We love, the clubs and we rock them
Yes all over the world we shock them
Cause everybody knows this flow
It blows your mind
[KRS-One:]
We used to step inna de club with these murderers
Hustlers, thugs, pimps and burglars
You ain't gettin in the spot if they ain't heard of ya
And if you sneak in the spot they might murder ya
I used to be in them spots just servin the
Raw rhymes flows and yes earnin the
The respect from the streets in a circular
Over the years, an MC I turned into
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
Ladies and gentlemen, the most controversial
MC in hip-hop is about to raise your adrenaline
Settle in and grab a seat, they start meddlin I'm a grab the heat
I already grabbed the streets
KRS, you don't find me on your radio station
You find me chillin on them Indian reservations
I spit like cajun spice
You don't know KRS? Your momma must notta raised you right
Man I blazed your type, done raced your type
Man sit down~! You still on a training bike
I'm the crazy type, you the lazy type
Hey yo, look, I blaze these mics; cause
[Chorus]
(I remember..) Big Daddy Kane
(You've forgotten..) Salt-N-Pepa
(To remember..) Outrageous clothes
(I wonder why..) Uhh, oh
(I remember..) Heavy D
(You've forgotten..) Kool Moe Dee
(To remember..) Dope videos
(I wonder why..)
[KRS-One]
Remember the day, 'member the play, 'member the way we used to say
"Dee-dee-dee-da-di-dee-dee-dee-dee-da-di-dayyyyy"
Remember the jams, 'member the plans
'member the plans you made with your man
Maybe you can or maybe you can not
Remember the architects of hip-hop
It's really hard to forget about Tupac
Respect is what the Crash Crew got
Better we ask you not, to recite the history of Hip-Hop on the block
You could forget about Grandmaster Flash if you try
You know not, the t'cha returns, have you forgotten?
I speak not to idle concerns, I keep it rockin
But you have forgotten I'm the holder of a boulder
Money-folder, we will be here forever, I TOLD YA!
To remind ya, just when them chrome rims blind ya
That them rims come from the expression of what's inside ya
My lyrics guide ya, and they fly too
Why don't you try to find who you rhyme through?
I think it's time to untie you
(I remember..) MC Lyte
(You've forgotten..) Stetsasonic
(To remember..) Fancy bars
(I wonder why..) Oh, oh
(I remember..) Brand Nubian
(You've forgotten..) Nice & Smooth
(To remember..) Those candy cars
(I wonder why..)
[KRS-One]
Some like it slow, some like it off beat
Some like smooth jazz I like it all street
We come in all shades, like coke we always
thinkin of more ways to leave them all dazed
All hazed, all crazed and all amazed
My last name should have been Letterman like Dave
But I wasn't his slave, I'm referrin to the way
that my lyrics behave, when I rock raves
Let off shockwaves baby it's crazy not too much can stop me
I walk right in, these other cats be knock-kneed
Terrified, they still actin all cocky
When the storm hits they be screamin "MAMI! PAPI!"
"AUNTIE! SOMEBODY!" I'm from the orthodoxy
It takes more to rock me, like in "Attack of the Clones"
these rappers be carbon copies, and they hardly got the
flow, rhyme style sloppy and old
What's up with "The Show"?
(I remember..) Public Enemy
(You've forgotten..) Dana Dane
(To remember..) Outrageous clothes
(I wonder why..) Yo, oh, oh
(I remember..) Doug E. Fresh
(You've forgotten..) Das EFX
(To remember..) Videos
(I wonder why..)
(I remember..) W-H-B-I
(You've forgotten..) K-Day!
(To remember..) Outrageous clothes
(I wonder why..) Oh, oh
(I remember..) Red Alert
(You've forgotten..) Fab 5 Freddy
(To remember..) Videos
(I wonder why..)
[KRS-One]
Yo, oh, ah, yes, do it
Do it, ah, Mad Lion on the hookup
J Rock on the hookup
Yeah man, yo Marla what's up
Yeah, Inebriated Beats, big up Boston, the whole Boston
Edo.G what's up man? I got you
We gon' bounce this now, can I start? Can I start?
Here we go
[KRS-One]
I'm the newest and the truest MC on the mic
I wrote over 500 songs, pick what you like
It ain't easy bein me, by day or night
But it's easy bein free to recite what you like
Hip-Hop is my inalienable right
When it comes to emceein KRS is a whole different type
Now go get it right, did I flow spit it tight
In a fight I was the type to go get a pipe
BINK! BINK! BINK! BINK! Movin 'em back
BINK! That's the sound of an aluminum bat
But it seems they new to these facts
Which means they new to the tracks
Which means they do hold us back
Too new to know all that but still runnin they trap
Do the math, radio gets a 20 record a week stream
But only three are ever seen
What happens to the other 17?
It's a PROBLEM.. PROBLEM..
PROBLEM IN HIP-HOP TODAY!
We gotta solve it
Too many players and not enough crime
When they finally wake up they woulda ran out of time
They can't see today how they effect tomorrow
Too afraid to follow, cause they trust is hollow
Because according to the laws they'll harp some sorrow
Yo, "Victory Over the Streets" - that's our motto
But if people ain't got no vision, that's a PROBLEM..
PROBLEM IN HIP-HOP TODAY!
We gotta solve it
People say, "Kris - why you teach so much?
Why you preach so much? Why you speak and such?
Why you so bent on reachin each of us?"
I reply - because you eatin with us
In the future our children will be meetin with us
Have a seat then with us and start speakin with us
They'll be critiquin us to be sure they believe in us
We don't need a PROBLEM..
PROBLEM IN HIP-HOP TODAY!
We gotta fix it
We live non-toxic, we teach that hip-hop is
the transformation of all subjects and objects
Retrain your optics, to reinterpret the topics
We gotta stop treatin hip-hop like a product
and more of a strategy; I got graphs, charts
sacred textbooks, these cats can't battle me
But they try, and why? Cause that's a PROBLEM..
PROBLEM IN HIP-HOP TODAY!
We gotta fix that
These cats need history to get with me
But hip-hop's history's a mystery
So how they gonna find out, trial and error
We can make one the example for all to get better
Inform, KRS is not the norm
I go from hot to warm to cold to hot
But hip-hop's history many forgot
And that's a PROBLEM..
PROBLEM IN HIP-HOP TODAY!
We gotta solve that
[interlude beat]
PROBLEM.. PROBLEM IN HIP-HOP TODAY!
You better check this
*sung part*
Plan up your family, ha-high, me say
Plan up your family, ha-high
*sung part again*
Yeahhh...
This one's dedicated to the girl you see
and all bwoy big D, livin in the ci-ty, I sing
*sung part*
Uhhhhh...
Sex is part one but every story has a sequel (try)
Not to live with your parents now people
Let part two be planned by you, not fake (why?)
Cause your baby you'll start to hate (cry)
Like if you can't afford a sausage
You on edge, baby cries, you throw him in the garbage
You know the stories that you hear in the news
Babies being killed, infants being abused (right)
Do people life they live like a movie
Yellin, "Do me! Do me!" Too much loose booty
They wanna be Blowfish like Hootie (chill)
Premature pregnancy is ill
You never hear the other side of the story (like)
Like what happens after you hit the shorty
Right (right), you check it before you get butt naked
Heed the science in the record
*sung part* 2X
Yeah...
This one dedicated to the girl, you see
And all bwoy big D, livin in the city, I say
*sung part*
Yeah, yeah...
You know the time y'all, you know the time y'all
Hear the rhyme y'all, time to free your mind y'all
School's open here's the message comin next
Some dumb-ass kid feels proud he had sex
("I knocked it out! Yeah I'm the mack and I'm all that!")
Nine months later, you can't afford Similak (why?)
You look back on your life, you say it can't be
I never asked or planned to have a family
Thinkin back in bed you was a happy camper
And uhh, now your partner can't find the Pampers
Every day more sex you pursuin (sex is good)
But think about what you doin
Everybody yellin revolution
But still on the ave cruisin, not seeing we losin
Control your life and choose your direction
With sex and foreplay use protection
Control your life and choose your direction
With sex and foreplay use protection
*sung part* 2X
Yeah this one's dedicated to the girl you see
And all bwoy big D, livin in the city, I say
*sung part*
You know
I got to add this last piece to the song
So no one gets me wrong, and we can live long
Havin a child is good for your health
But how you gonna have a kid yo, when you a kid yourself?
It's your life, not hers, or his (true)
Now you want someone to come and watch your kids? (ooh)
You try to give em to your moms, she ain't with it
And with no sisters, a job you can't seem to get it
Now you applyin for welfare, medicare for health care
Now your whole life is goin nowhere
I'm gonna say it, you might not respect it
But most pretty little girls wind up pregnant
You wanna wear tight clothes and act loose
But now someone gave you the truth! Yo
*sung part* 2X
[Chorus: KRS-One]
Get up! What we slowin down for?
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
We got a whole nation to restore
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
We gotta really love each other more
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
When you see my CD in the store
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
[KRS-One:]
It's the teacher, class is open G
Let's get open on the concept of votin, we
Begin the discussion by viewin democracy
People power, a people ruled philosophy
Democracy is a system of government
Where the whole population is the sum of it
Where the goverment can't move without it's people
Where before the law everybody's equal
But take a look at the police and how they treat you
Take a look at these corporations that cheat you
Democrats and Republicans are all see-through
Now we votin for the lesser of two evils
Man, don't let 'em deceive you
This is an autocracy, not a democracy
But to call this a democracy without mock interest
In the laws of society, that's called hypocrisy!
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
Democracy only happened one time
In European history, now keep this in mind
It was practiced in Athens overseas
In 508 B.C. by Cleisthenes
Citizens would get together on a hillside
And decide how and if they was gonna ride
But in 322 B.C. here's what happened
Alexander of Macedon conquered Athens
And that was the end of democracy
Where the people had a say in their society
Today, we gotta get more knowledge
And learn about the function of the electorial college
It doesn't matter who you vote for today
The electorial college has the last say
But that's another day, here's what I came to say
RIIIIISE UP~!
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
In corporate sponsored elections, who's winning?
This the wrong direction from the beginning
Every candidate got scandal, they all sinnin
Tryin to convince you, tellin you what they been in
But the real issues, they get avoided
While our children still gettin exploited
Heh, they call me Blastmaster Kris
Edutainment, that's what my tactic is!
Some criticize Kris, some laugh at Kris
But you can't say Kris is not an activist
Social justice, I got a PASSION for this
Cause equal rights we still ASKIN for this?
So when I do my tours it's not just rappin for Kris
I'm givin you more than gun packin with this
I'm openin doors, you should be askin 'bout this
You listenin to them whores and them capitalists
They game is tight, got you trapped into this
It won't be long before the ring you like have to kiss
That's why I'm a activist
I help people not to get trapped in this
The temptation? You gettin wrapped in this
So get up, stop sittin like a PACIFIST
Yeah
Y'know when advice is in your face, you need to heed that
Word, you need to read that
Y'know, I put this lil' joint together real quick
You know what it's called?
It's called - NOW YOU'RE FUCKED!
That's right, listen
[Verse One]
Wasn't you the type to mimic what you saw on TV?
Wasn't you the type to mimic what you heard on CD?
You never wanted to work you wanted everything easy
You heard KRS and you said, "That's preachy!"
A wise young man says, "Father - teach me"
A foolish young man wants to live life freaky
Oh yes, Knowledge does Reign Supremely
When I said it eighty-nine you didn't believe me
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. that's right
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. life is over, finished, done
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. better heed that, read that
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED!
[Verse Two]
Listen - back in the days on the Boulevard of Linden
BROOKLYN! Kris was a, metaphysician
LOOKIN! For better ways to live without bein
TOOKEN! We started our own management and
BOOKIN! Makin moves with them live cats on
FULTON! I can't even 'member all the dough that we
TOOK IN! But you was lookin down on us
Cause platinum never astounded us, so
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. word, like that
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. ha, you shoulda heed that, you better
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. y'all was chasin the radio, remember that?
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. what they givin you back now?
[Verse Three]
Back when we was all singin "Monie in the Middle"
You wanted to wiggle, jiggle in a tight skirt and giggle
Even when outside was brittle, you still had on little
And KRS warned that you'll get played like a fiddle
Now you havin cravings for pickles cause you pregnant
and don't know where the dad went and you poppin them drugs like Skittles
When the baby is born it's little and sick
But it's no riddle, you was movin too quick, huh
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. word, look at this
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. you shoulda stayed home and read a book
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. literally, symbolically
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED!
[Verse Four]
When advice is in your life you need to take it
Cause frankly, everybody ain't gonna make it
Back in the days we, showed 'em the way
I put it there in the music but you weren't amazed
You would criticize, debate, and basically hate
But let it be known I wanted everyone to be great
But you would diss and not even try to do better
When we was at the U.N. you said "whatever"
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. word
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. we movin ahead, you still in the same spot
NOW YOU'RE FUCKED! .. 'member all that back talk, all that?
Get your hands up
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
It's your teacher, welcome to my classroom
Who's he, what's that? Yo you better ask soon
It's the K to the R to the S One
By now I think it's real, I'm the best one
Yes son, I take it to the old school
I spit super rhymes 'cause I am so cool
A duel? You must be fool
Player you know the rules
I take it to the old school quick
Get Fresh Crew, Doug E. Fresh
'The Adventures of Slick Rick'
It gets so sick 'cause I ain't no joke
This song goes out to grown folk like Tone Loc
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
I'm 'Smooth' like Big Daddy Kane, no bull
Check out 'My Melody' I'm 'Paid in Full'
Before 'The Chronic' I was Stetsasonic
Old school, true school, oh yes sir, I'm it
1985 bumpin' Mantronix
1995 gettin' slammed with Onyx
2005 doin' shows with comics
2015 we still gon' rock shh
With dough, 'dro my flow in the pocket
I'm already 40 some say I need to stop it
Call me when it's time to really hip hop it
I'm true school, if you wasn't there don't knock it
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
Every year I get newer, this goes out to the future
Just like Slick Rick the Ruler, KRS a true schooler
You wanna be down man when I'm layin' it down man
Place all packed I'm bringin' the heat with soundman
C'mon lay it down man, movin' the crowd man
Television viewin' is down man
Radio listenin' is down man, you can't say
You was doin' it better than we was around man
We was down for the Rage and we was Against the Machine
Now we turned the page and we the mainstream
Servin' the same fiends but are we on the same team
That was prophesied in Dr. King's dream?
No matter how things seem I stay with the original plan
Teachin' our children original man
And who's the 'Criminal' clan?
My '86 lyrics then you hear it helped you build and expand
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
Classic, that's what they call us now
Where my people that's over 20 now?
Where my people that's over 30 now?
Where my people that's over 40 now?
* [Intro]
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
[Interlude]
Blaow Blaow!!! Blaow Blaow!!! Clear em out clear 'em out!!! Word!
[Verse 1]
Yo Nelly! You ain't Fo'Reel and you ain't Universal
Your whole style sounds like a N'Sync commercial
Ignoramus, I'm the baddest with the mic apparatus
Challengin the God of rap is madness, I'll snatch your status
With this ugly lookin billboard you could stop them
But I got enough albums to make my own top ten
You limited, like the spread of traffic
You bite my style off the radio so when you speak you bet I hear the static
You better Chillout like Chuck, I kick like three Norrises
One of my sixteen bar rhymes is eight of your choruses
Of course it is ridiculous
Watch out, I begin to curve indispicuous
Gotcha! On your, hands and knees
Ain't it about time for some real emcees?
[Chorus]
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
The real hip hop is ova (Here!!!!)
[Verse 2]
(Uh!) Uh! We on the hunt tonight
When you see me comin, I don't front I fight
People say I'm contradictin, cause I'm all about peace
To say the least with a violent history
It ain't no mystery these rappers wanna get with me
My people don't see that all they hear is stop hittin me, huh
Stop beatin me Chris, you want to help my career Nelly?
Well you can help if you don't exist, huh
I think it's 'bout time we stop these pop rappers
Fuck these pop rappers, hip hop does matter to me
Does it matter to you? My crew
If it does, you know what the hell to do
Throw your guns in the air, pump it like yeah
Let these bitch ass rappers know we in here
Go to the shows huh, boo 'em off stage
Tell 'em KRS told you they at the end of they days
Let me tell you let's give hip hop a lift
And don't buy Nelly's album on June twenty fifth
That'll send a message to all them sellouts
House nigga rapper, your bottom done fell out
You don't even know how
I told you I wasn't talkin about you then, but I'm talkin about you now!
Blaow! one to the kness, blaow one goes right through
[KRS-One]
Word..
Sonja.. you know you saw her in the movie
And my man Saul, he's like THIS!
[Saul Williams] [singing]
There is no ocean like the one, within
Look to the moon rise with the tides, and swim
[x4]
[KRS-One] [speaking while Saul sings]
Uh-huh, yeah, yeah
KRS-One, coming through.. like this
Uh-huh, do it, do it like that, like that
Uh, uh-huh
[Saul Williams] [sings first two lines]
Saul the road to Damascus, come follow me
The serpent swallow the moon, but it won't, swallow me
(Yeah, speak the word!)
Intellect is like a major city
Laden with concrete, metal
Advanced modes of transportation
Shining buildings, and fenced in parks
Spirit is the mountain's forest wilderness
and vast countryside that surrounds it
Too many people live in the city
Struggling day to day for mere existance
Most have forgotten how to live off the land
They only experience nature on class trips
and short-term vacations
For those that live in the country
Cities are like amusement parks with high prices
and temporal satisfaction
At the end of the day, they are tired
and ready to go home, and relieve their ringing ears
[Saul Williams] [singing]
There is no ocean like the one, within
Look to the moon rise with the tides, and swim
[x2]
[KRS-One]
Uh-huh, speak the word
Hyper-accelerated meditations talk
The reversal of this word dispersal is thought
There is no difference between thought and talk
like the blackboard chalk and homicide chalk
they both give outlines
One is designed to outline the mind
The other outlines the body after a crime
Could it be that these two chalks are connected;
meaning the body gets outlined when the mind is neglected -
- or poorly directed
Like the teacher with the chalk
Or is the teacher the beginning of the homicide we talk?
Be selective in your speech
Cause the chalk of the two technical teaching has taught each
Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone
Nearly every daughter, nearly every son
Ignorance reigns supreme for some
They chase the sum, inviting the I-R-S to come
Make the connection, choose your direction
Use your protection when sexin AND hexin
Things come back cause they really never left
If the secret to meditation is found in the breath
then speech is another form of meditativeness
Whattya say to this latest rhyme or poem?
Some have been known to quite the mind through
[Intro:]
And you say New York City!
Duane 'Darock', KRS
[Chorus: female singers]
It's New Yorrrrrrrrrk, and we livin
The whole world, it knows, your name
It's New Yorrrrrrrrrk, and we livin
The whole world, it knows, your name
[over Chorus:]
Lenox Avenue, Park Ave
Long Island I see you baby
Jamaican Ave, Queens
KRS, let's go!
[KRS-One:]
New, York, City, get it right, get it tight, get it hype
New York City's in the house tonight
All day, off and on, Broadway
The world's Big Apple is what they all say
Wait, way back in the day
Dudes from the South migrated this way North
Lookin for the higher pay of course
Led by the forces they became big bosses
Like Rick Ross is, the city that never sleeps
Yup, New York is
If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere
What's that?
[Chorus]
[over Chorus:]
Flatbush! Brooklyn (we live this)
BX Bronx, c'mon
Gun Hill Road, Grand Concourse
[KRS-One:]
New, York, City, still part of my heart, still part of my start
As you can see it's still, part of my art
Still part of my lesson plan, listen man~!
N.Y., every year we fresh again
I be doin South Bronx everywhere I go
Everywhere I go, every nation know
I'm a New York dude that's not New York rude
All over the world I eat New York food
Ha, I'm at home anywhere, any place
Right now somebody from New York in this place
Yeah, no matter where I be
I'll always be N-Y-C
[Chorus]
[over Chorus:]
Coney Island! Brighton Beach
Wooo, Red Hook!
I see you Canal Street, Delancey Street
Hester Street, c'mon, New York let's go
[KRS-One:]
New, York, City, metropolitan life, cosmopolitan life
It put the strength inside of my life
But New York City got it's challenges also
Racism, sexism, crime, you all know!
Them guns that keep goin off bustin
And another one bites the dust when
Conflicts arise and dudes start bustin
And cussin, I gotta speak to this
New York is not unique in this
But if we keep sewing this we gonna keep reapin this
I'm teachin this, we gotta overcome our weaknesses
Remember man!
[Chorus]
[over Chorus:]
Big up to the firefighters, rest in peace
World Trades y'know
Brooklyn! The Bronx, Queens
Manhattan! Staten Island! New York love it baby
[Chorus]
[over Chorus:]
South Bronx
South Bronx, big 'em up!
Rest in peace Jam Master Jay, Big Pun
Big L, Randy Parker
[KRS-One:]
Yeah, turn my voice up
Yeah, you make the base bump, you know that
Yo Foxxx, what up man? You killed it on this shit
Listen to the track, this goes back
Stripped down, cats don't get down like this
But true revolutionaries get down like this
Street activists be surrounding Kris
I gets down, I don't just pound my fist
Greedy executives, y'all can like drown in piss
Cause raw Hip Hop, man it sounds like this
I got pounds of this, I spit rounds of this
Man pass me the mic, I go to town on this
Walk out with a cap and gown on Kris
Cause I graduate, man I'm glad they hate this
I flow cause I never hesitate, I'm wait-less
Some of y'all can't take this
I'm like the ocean, you what a lake is
Yo, who wanna "rhyme on"?
You cats backing up
When the Blastmaster KRS start acting up
Yeah that gat be up, six-five, I strut with two legs
I see the top of all of you's heads
And that's symbolic of Hip Hop
It's like a jungle sometimes and we like the treetops
Cause when I always spit fly, and rappers get sprayed
I always was taught man, never to be afraid
Who wanna "rhyme on"?
Always spit fly and never be afraid, I'm timeless
We the plus man, they the minus
Nothing sounds like us
These rappers are starting to sound like the black versions of Imus
Me? I'm [?] and writing on papyrus
We old school, don't try us
Let me ask, who wanna "rhyme on"?
Let me get this rhyme on, let me turn my sign on
These lyrics will shine on
If this ain't Hip Hop then I'm wrong
And I'm a be wrong, cause this is it
I take it all the way back to the boom, the boom, the bip
[Hook x2: Nas Sample - "You're Da Man"]
If I, ever make a record
I'll take a check and put something
Away for a rainy day to make my exit
But look at me now, but look at me now
[Intro: KRS-One]
Here we go, yo, yea, KRS in the building
Marley Marl, whuttup, Marley Marl, yea, look up
[Verse 1: KRS-One]
Yo Nas, this KRS shouting you out
B.R.O.N.X. I couldn't make it to the jam
To be live on your set
But take these sixteen as a sign of my respect
You're Illmatic and you still got it
The crown of Hip-Hop, there's still time you could still grab it
Don't be distracted by them faggots
You still fly, they remain maggots
Nas, you will not lose
Your contribution to Hip-Hop makes you the top two
And with KRS, we're the top two
These mothafuckas find themselves laid out on FOX news
Yo Nas, Hip-Hop can't be dead, you brought it back
With the words you said, you are Hip-Hop fo'real
And that shit between you and Jada, y'all gots to chill
[Hook x2: Nas Sample - "You're Da Man"]
[Interlude: KRS-One]
We're all brothers, we're all brothers, rise up, Hip-Hop
Nas you're the man, word up, Hip-Hop, One Nation
Big up, from the Bronx, to Queensbridge, Marley Marl in the house
Come together, rock on, Bronx, Queensbridge come together
[Verse 2: KRS-One]
Uh, you brought Queensbridge back
And like my man Fat Joe, you made the Bronx lean back
Nastradamus I seen that
You was a heavier times then man, a Prophet, I mean that
People ask where's Dr. King's dream at?
I think it's Hip-Hop, we already seen that
Yo Marley, I know you're in the building
Yo Kelis, I know you're there chilling
Shout-out to the Queen on the scene
Hip Hop is Dead I know what you mean
I seen Hip-Hop die about five times already
But yet, we still rock steady
Stay ready, we're about to resurrect career, the real, fo'real
They gon' feel the steel
K.R.S. - N.A.S., North, South, East, West
[Hook x3: Nas Sample - "You're Da Man"]
[Outro: KRS-One]
Congratulations, you gon' do it this year
Hip-Hop come together, it's real, we're one family
Fuck all these beefing and shit
We're one family, let's come together, word up
Rock on, Marley Marl, another house for hits production
[Nas Sample: "You're Da Man"]
I'm the N the A to the S I R
I'm the N the A to the S I R
I'm the N the A to the S I R
I'm the N the A to the S I R
[Intro]
Vroom vroom vroom vroom
My mind is racing
Vroom vroom vroom
My mind is racing
Vroom
My mind is racing
[Verse 1]
When you young you talk shit and get slapped up for it
The ice, the cars, the clothes, we already bought it
The streets, the projects, the hood, we already support it
The rep, the respect, them cases we already carted
The gold, the platinum plaques, we already flaunted
The leathers in freezing weathers we already sported
The wise see your lies and you already shorted
Them boys they talkin to boys, we men we ignore it
The whole planet, so-called Earth, we already toured it
My levels be on max with the bass distorted
When the economy is up we getting all of that
When the economy is down we still touring Jack
Look back at '88, where them ballers at?
They was buyin' out the bar, I ain't fall for that
Spending they money, you'd think the club would call them back
But they didn't, that shit was all an act
I go
[Chorus 1:]
Vroom vroom
My mind is racing
Vroom vroom vroom
My mind is racing
Vroom
I said my mind is racing like
Vroom vroom vroom
My mind is racing
[Chorus 2 x2:]
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
In this concrete jungle it's hard to stay humble
I'm a warrior
I'm a warrior
I bring that drama to whoever, whenever, WHAT!
[Verse 2]
Yo, let me tell you 'bout defeating the drama
In the street with the armour
It's the teacher, Kris Parker
I be in the hood, looking good, speaking of honour
Being a father
Not avoid the baby mama drama
Respect myself I gotta, we gotta live proper
The True hip-hopper, hits yes a non-stopper
A no quitter, heavy hitter
Looks within to, be the winner
Now let us begin the orientation
Hip-hop culture is what we call the nation
But annihilation is what we facing
Cats getting killed from Scott La Rock to Jam Master Jason
That's why we was at the United Nations
Laying down the foundation
For hip-hop as a real nation
You know what time we wastin?
But...
Vroom vroom
My mind is racing
Vroom vroom vroom
My mind is racing
[Chorus 2: x2]
[G. Simone]
She won't play around - the remix
[G. Simone (KRS-One)]
She won't, let you down (G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
[G. Simone]
Now that I have co-ooome we're gonna have some fun
G. Simone has got, the music for the 90's
Hangin out all day-ayyy, the summer's on it's way-ayyy
G. Simone has got the music for the 90's
[Chorus: G. Simone]
She won't, let you down..
Lookin all a-weepy around
She hits the hardest hip-hop sounds
She won't, play around..
When it's time to break it down
Listen closely to the sound
[KRS-One]
Ye-yeah!
So gimme the funk, gimme the funk, not the junk, while the trunk
pumps behind me G. Simone, got the music for the 90's
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
[G. Simone]
Won't you listen please, I'll put your mind at ease
G. Simone has got, the music for the 90's
Turnin up the bass, the treble's in your face
G. Simone has got the music for the 90's
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
B-Boys in the house, turn it up, turn it up
G. Simone is in the place, lick two shots, BUCK BUCK
We're comin to you live and direct with the feelin
that G. Simone keeps the party jumpin to the ceilin
Yes this is the mad funk, females need to back up
When G. Simone reach the mic, brothers start to act up
Turn the track up, black, you won't be dissapointed
It's the music for the 90's kid - GET UP ON IT!
[G. Simone]
Yeah you know, my proudest flow
Show me yeah, show me yeah, show me you know
Everybody... come on sing it
G. Simone has got, the music for the 90's
[KRS] Give it to 'em!
[G. Simone]
Get up, ah get up, ah get up, ah get up
Ah get up, ah get up-ahhhhhh
Just funkin it up, just funkin it up
Funkit up-ahhhhhh
[Kid Capri]
Worrrrrrrrrrrrd up! Another fat Kid Capri remix
G. Simone, runnin things for the 9-0-S
And we up outta here, PEACE!
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
(So G. Simone got the music for the 90's)
[KRS-One]
You told me man, you need me man
Who the teacher me man, who gon' lead you me man
Who gon' free you me man, well not mostly me man
But come up close to me man, make a toast with me man
I'm not starvin me man, I be feedin me man
You won't be seein me man, cause I be bookin me man
Them lights be hookin me man, while people look at me man
They sing the hooks with me man, yo read this book with me man
How these rappers slash actors wanna fuck with me man
When we be up inside the spot they be duckin me man
I be movin me man, showin and provin me man
My wife is soothin me man, yo' life is new to me man
[Minister Server]
Aiyyo what's goin on this is Minister Server
Now you've been readin the books, seein the lectures
Hearin the CD's watchin the tapes
Now's the time for you to get rid of your fears
Aiyyo teacher tell 'em what's going on
[KRS-One]
You see me man, it don't take much to be me man
I just stay extra focused on the G-O-D in me man
Not too many ahead of me man
If rappers were television channels I'd be C-SPAN, believe me man
Don't nobody sound like me man, I'm a free man
For that golden age hip-hop, you know you gotta see me man
From 1973 man, to 1993 man
If you unaware of them 20 years you won't understand me man
So here's the plan for you and me man
Hip-Hop is not a product to be bought and sold
Hip-Hop is you and me man
So in the years to come you gonna see me man
On top of a Shaquille like Leland
And you gonna be right there with me man
As you can see man I got S-T-Y-L-E man
Why for 17 years you already knew this about me man
So you be you man, and I'll be me man
[repeat 2X - *sung*]
Lord live within my heart.. Lord don't you ever stop..
Fill me up with what I need.. just have to ask I shall receive..
[KRS-One]
Look, look!
Ba-bi-di-ba-bi-dang-a-dang-diggy
How many rappers can actually hang with me?
My style is that Kris-style, it's witty
In they style, I have no more Faith like Biggie
I battle on many levels, I shatter so many devils
'Fore you challenge me you better know the essentials
It's the K to the R to the S, to the uno
You know, if you don't know your crew know
When you hear the thunderin sound, you under the ground
You can tell by the way we jumpin around
It's the teacher, breakin it down
I'm an upright MC, these others they be crawlin around, word
[repeat 2X - *sung*]
Lord live within my heart.. Lord don't you ever stop..
Fill me up with what I need.. just have to ask I shall receive..
[KRS-One]
Yeah yeah, word up, look, look!
You know when the teacher returns, just get ready to learn
Just get ready to earn, health, love
awareness and money to burn, I'm not really concerned
how the Benz just turn, 'round the corner
for our sons and daughters to yearn, stand firm
If you lookin at these hooks you becomin a mad worm
Danglin from the pole of the fisher, the corporate fisher
The talent scout and no doubt ready to get ya!
[repeat 1X - *sung*]
Lord live within my heart.. Lord don't you ever stop..
Fill me up with what I need.. just have to ask I shall receive..
[KRS-One]
Look look look look!
I'm anything BUT regular, not even similar
I get rid of the SIN in ya when I spit at ya, my new literature
Now who forever been with ya? THE TEACHER!
Who remembers the kid in ya? THE TEACHER!
I'm winnin ya, or winnin a convert when the rhyme splurt at the concert
Forget the times that hurt, if the mind's alert let the mind work
Uh! Let the body divert
To get to the top of the mountain, you've got to climb dirt
So c'mon climb through, don't get stuck lookin behind you
It'll blind you, however I'm here to remind you
Many of you lost you've got to find you
You'll be found you simply by you finding you, c'mon!
[repeat 4X - *sung*]
Lord live within my heart.. Lord don't you ever stop..
[cut and scratched: "Life"]
[KRS-One:]
With every breath I breathe I choose life for the children
With every breath I breathe I choose a wife and good livin
With every single breath that I ingest I am given
A smidgen to make life-changin decisions, listen
My mission with precision will position our children
by the millions to start buildin our culture for the billions
and trillions of people comin after us
If they doubt, they won't be as fast as us
Cause in our time we kick a new power rhyme
We keep renewin your mind, cause soon you will find
That every single breath that I breathe keeps us conscious
Enough to perceive and achieve if you believe
But oxygen comes from the trees
Without air for four minutes forget it you catchin some Z's
So which is really conscious, us or nature?
Maybe the trees wish to elevate the paper
And maybe this was just the fall
To forget that nature thinks, we doin nothin at all
And this is the way of the world
The world meanin the conscious nature and the earth that swirls
Like buffalo girls we go 'round the outside
Kris is controversial but Kris never lied
In the forest, the mountains and the hills I reside
You gotta follow the purpose you feel inside
[cut and scratched: "Life"]
[KRS-One:]
With every single breath I choose
With every single breath I move
With every single breath I prove
With every single breath I use
With every single breath I snooze
With every single breath I cruise
With every single breath I choose life
Not strife
Or strain, some like that I came, to rearrange the game
Others blame and remain the same
Same same, but me the plan is plain
[ CHORUS ]
The word I bring to you today
is Knowledge Reigns Supreme
You got no time to joke and play
cause Knowledge Reigns Supreme
While others play that game for fame
their concepts bring you stress and strain
But blessed are those that know my name
is Knowledge Reigns Supreme
[ VERSE 1 ]
Why do I call myself God when I'm speakin?
People always ask me this question when I'm teachin
What you gotta understand is that Kris don't exist
The only existence is God conciousness
And God consciousness is what exists as Kris
Your ego tells you that you're doin all this
You amidst a mister professional lyricist
I get rid of this forever, it only gets better
Kris from the universe you could never sever
Cause there is no Kris, only the universe, remember
Goin a little deeper you can check me
My whole campaign is about livin life correctly
But don't respect me, respect the universe
Iit's her verse that I disperse
And free you from the curse of the Spaniards
The French, Portuguese and English
Check me as I sing this
Science of mind, I bring this
[ CHORUS ]
[ VERSE 2 ]
I bring you out the cave and change how you behave
Everything you see is really particles and waves
Not to mention your visual extension
Is ruled by perception, guiding your every direction
If you really want money your mentality must switch
If you really wanna be rich you gotta act like you're rich
You can't act like a bitch if you wanna be a lady
You can't get the gravy if you're sittin around lazy
You can't be in the hustle if you ain't lookin for trouble
You can't be single if you know you're really double
You can do it (yeah) we can do it (yes)
You can do it (yeah) we can do it (yes)
We the best, don't worry 'bout the card they dealt ya
It's real, I proceed myself out the shelter
Every day and night seein myself rock the mic
Lyrics tight, gettin paid right for my mental sight
Richer not poorer, expanding my aura
To attract more of positive energy
(What you dealin with? What you tellin me?)
[ CHORUS ]
My man Kris
Flip the style, you do it like this)
[ VERSE 3 ]
How'd you forget it?
The culture that's embedded
Check it, it's energetic
My people really won't be deaded
But Kris won't let it
The same thing that you read I read it
My hair is dreaded
But hip-hop, yes, you must respect it
We must direct it
And use it positively so these sceptics
Can learn our mathematics like metrics
I said it
I'm 'bout to shed it
Why don't you check me like your credit
You still don't get it
You twisted like that ????? Keith Sweat ????
Rappers nowadays sound so pathetic
Yo, let me set it
Although my presentation is ??????
And hypothetic
My genetics is highly poetic
And athletic
But still some don't get it
The paparazzi life is all synthetic
The balancing of the mind is what's authentic
The total body is ultramagnetic
Like that (like that)
We did it like that
Like that (like that)
And we did it like that
Like that (like that)
And we did it like that
Like that (like that)
And we did it like that..
There is no need to be afraid
Open your mind
Do your knowledge
+Do+ your knowledge
Stop studying your knowledge
And +do+ your knowledge
..did it like that
Like that (like that)
We did it like that
We did it like that
[Chorus: KRS (guest)]
It's all a struggle (tryin to make it day to day)
It's all a struggle (from my hood to around your way)
It's all a struggle (single parents all by theyself)
It's all a struggle (diseases decreasin your health)
It's all a struggle (fiends swearin that's they last puff)
It's all a struggle (hustler tryin to avoid handcuffs)
(No matter what you do, who you are or where you from)
(Rich poor black white, at the end of the day)
[Verse One: KRS-One]
It's all a struggle - and most people's struggles are doubled
You ain't the only one with a challenge facin some trouble
Look at the woman chewed up by the dog with no muzzle
Or the workers that got trapped underground in that tunnel
Some kids are playin in pools, others in puddles
When they listen to the news the propoganda is subtle
But it's time for you to know that the cryin got to go
Release the guilt that you built and let it flow
Slow and low, that is the tempo
Move slow and on the low, this you gotta know
You don't get the muscles without the hard struggles
You ain't the only one out here tryin to get dough
From the hustler to the preacher to the government leaders
From the airline pilot to the chef to the teachers
We linked in the same huddle, in the same tussle'n'bustle
Cause at the end of the day, it's all a struggle
[Chorus]
[Verse Two: KRS-One]
It's all a struggle - but don't let the challenges bug you
Or the government drug you, or the thieves in the street
beat and mug you - build your tunnel under the rubble
Come up on the other side eye to eye with the trouble
Look at the Twin Towers crumble
Look at the religious leadership stumble, everybody struggles
But not everybody comes through nifty, it's fifty/fifty
The city itself will outrun you quickly
Whether you be healthy or sickly
Whether you be wealthy or thrifty, ugly or pretty
Everybody's tryin to get 50's and 100's
I taught this at UCLA just off Sunset
Now run get "Ruminations"
It's a book that I published for the healing of this nation
In just a few chapters we run through, some possible solutions
Cause at the end of the day
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
[KRS-One]
Instead of reading the word of Christ, BE the word of Christ
Instead of following God's word, BE God's word
That's the conciousness of hip-hop
You are not just doing hip-hop, you ARE hip-hop
You are not just reading the word of God, you ARE the word of God
[KRS] I will make it
[HWC] I will make it!
[KRS] They can fake it
[HWC] (??)
[KRS] Time that I state it
[HWC] I can create it
[KRS] I create it
[HWC] No one can make it
[KRS-One]
For me, what you see is what you get in these days
I'm so hungry you can throw my dinner right on the stage
You can bite down on my rage, bite down on my anticipation
With no doubt or hesitation, repeat this affirmation
(I WILL MAKE IT) Not I wanna make it
(SHOW 'EM HOW WE MAKE IT) In fact, we've made it
Every time we state and believe it we create it
The power of your very word is highly underrated
Sleepin in the dark in the park watchin others push they cart
Say this whole thing in your heart
[KRS] I will make it
[HWC] I will make it!
[KRS] They can fake it
[HWC] (??)
[KRS] Time that I state it
[HWC] I can create it
[KRS] I create it
[HWC] No one can make it
[KRS-One]
For me, I ain't askin I ain't beggin I ain't pleadin
In a positive direction my lifestyle I'm leadin
I'm readin about ways of achievin what I'm believin
Every time I'm speakin I'm seein myself leapin
over buildings, over the one on the corner chillin
Straight into knowledge of self, countin up millions
Changin my situation, with creative visualization
Givin libation for this ancient information
[KRS] I will make it
[HWC] I will make it!
[KRS] They can fake it
[HWC] (??)
[KRS] Time that I state it
[HWC] I can create it
[KRS] I create it
[HWC] No one can make it
[KRS] For me
[HWC] I will make it.. cause you're gonna make it!
[HWC] I will make it.. cause you're gonna make it!
Intro
What I want you to do is count to ten.
Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two
on one, you will be asleep.
Chorus
I'm a blunt gettin smoked and I can't wake up
I'm a blunt gettin smoked and I can't wake up
I'm a blunt gettin smoked and I can't wake up
I'm a blunt gettin smoked and I can't wake up
Verse
I'm dreaming about being a blunt
I'm running around and I just can't wake up, Hah!
I'm dreaming about being a blunt. Ho!
I'm walking around and I just cant wake up.
I'm tryin to wake up, I cant wake up
So I run and jump
someone yelled get that blunt.
Get that blunt, now Im thinking this is major
I've got a bunch of people chasing me with a razor
I dont like this dream as a blunt
But I can't get out of it
And I cant seem to wake up
So Im running and racing
Blunt smokers are chasing
This is insane, I'm caught by House Of Pain
I'm picked up
they said they gonna put my head out
They slit my back and all the tobacco fell out
Now I'm hollowed wet thin and yes ready
They poured the shumpang gently and rewet me
Check it out now, in the same attire
here comes the fire
Now they lit it, now Im burning by the minute
But check it out
more heads came to chill
Everlast took a pull and passed me to Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill took a pull
lungs are full, who's next?
I'm being passed to Das Efx
As they took a mad pull, smoke blows in heaps
It's really smokey but I can still see Black Sheep
Woe! Black Sheep gets me, relights me
Room is proper, Im passed off to Shabba
Shabba's voice gets low like a tuba
he said, "Me no folllow no rumor"
and passed me to Grand Puba
I wasnt burnin right so Puba got mad at me
And said who rolled this
and passed me to Kid Capri
Kid Capri said "I wont front
pass it to Redman, he knows how to roll a blunt"
Redman said no need to re-roll
and passed me to De La Soul
De La Soul took a hit and kept hittin
now they're buggin cause they passed me to Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton said I'll smoke but I won't inhale
I'll only hit it twice
he got slapped by Greg Nice
Now I fell on the floor, Greg Nice picked me up
I'm a blunt being smoked and I can't wake up
Chorus
Verse
Get me out of this, somebody wake me up
I'm still on fire and Im still being smoked up
half my body is gone, now they're coming to my head
now my head is being pinched by Ted-D-Ted
A crazy nightmare i got to go
I got to wake up and Im passed off to Yo-Yo
Yo-Yo gets respect as a lady
She didnt smoke
She passed me off to Showbiz and A.G.
A.G. said respect due see
he got one big pull and passed me to Smooth B.
Smooth B. although he's talking to Ted-D
took a hit and passed me to Fab 5 Freddy
Freddy said Yo! There's nothing left Pop
Looked at me in my face and passed me to Chubb Rock
Chubb Rock said "Yo Freddy chill!
If you ever catch me smoking, just kick me in the grill"
Im in the mouth yo! I cant wake up
Yo! Im a blunt getting smoked and I can't wake up
[knocking]
[KRS-One:]
Come in [door opens] sit down
Yeah...
I have a magical mind, a magical body
Ancient metaphysician, you better AX somebody
With one handshake, I can tell if your plan's fake
I am to hip-hop, what flour is to pancakes
I write rhymes 'til my hand aches
In the mountains of Colorado, takin in the landscape
When I'm in the city I can't wait to live again
In the underground hot springs of the Hopi Indians
So you look around your heart and your mind
You will find, I am there
If you're cold and you're broke and there's fog in your scope
Have hope, I am there
Get in tune with me, move with me, boom with me, room with me
Zoom with me, I am there
I can see where you're at, feelin trapped, can't move can't act
I was there
And it's quite clear
My hardware was set ahead of most folks by ten years
The hand of God set it, so on Earth I speak prophetic
Publishin papers with no edit
I speak but most don't get it, but the few that do get it
In their minds my words stay embedded
And they blessed if they don't forget it
They'll never need a psychiatrist, a psychic or a medic
Where we headed? To the ultimate state of freedom
That's where I'll lead 'em, if you let it I'll free 'em
Let's set it, for human beings in recreation
Havin fun recreatin themselves into a nation
Hip-Hop! It's home could never be a station
Sharin a space with R&B;, stop fakin
Do you know how much money they makin offa you and I
Just because hip-hop won't unify?
So look inside your heart or your mind you will find
Everytime, I am there
If you're cold and you're broke and there's fog in your scope
Have hope! I am there
Get in tune with me, move with me, boom with me, room with me
Zoom with me, I am there
I can see where you're at, feelin trapped, can't move can't act
Yeah
Who will be standing when the smoke clears?
(KRS-One)--> Redman
Word up!
What's up with this?
We're coming through
Boogie Down style, kid
What's up
This is KRS-One
The light at the end of the tunnel
Yo, they not HOT, all they do is talk a lot
That's not HOT, where's your respect on the block?
That's HOT, not cause you're friends with the cops
That's not HOT, a real MC you're not
I'm HOT, been hot, repeatedly heated
Don't call the teacher, hah, you best be seated
You got these kids gased up like you own the inventory
Fake muthafuckas ain't tellin the whole story
Tell em how you borrow from everyone you knew
And now that you're on top, they can't borrow from you
That's not hot, tell em how you love bein pop
Cause you was so broke before, sleepin cold on a cot
You don't rock, you grab money
Your crocks rock the spot and you grab them honeys
It's about to get ugly
I don't even go to these bullshit kiddie-ass clubs
You wanna be a thug? Let's thug
First of all, soldiers speak to soldiers
Captains speak to captains
Lieutenant/lieutenant, cool?
But your first mistake is: he's steppin to me, rookie
Like you a O.G. and you just a run-up, fool
Who really got these streets on lock?
Whose name really holds high respect on the block?
Who opened up these clubs and taught you how to mix?
Who opened up these thugs from Compton to the Bricks?
I don't even sound like the rest of you kiddies
I study the ways of God, you studyin titties
And ass, I pity your class
Cause you come out with a blast
But you're trash, so you really don't last
They not HOT, all they do is talk a lot
That's not HOT, where's your respect on the block?
That's HOT, not cause you're friends with the cops
That's not HOT, a real MC you're not
They not HOT, all they do is talk a lot
That's not HOT, where's your respect on the block?
That's HOT, not cause you're friends with the cops
That's not HOT, a real MC you're not
This is hotter than heat, too deep, I'm on top of the streets
You weak, you ain't really rockin these beats
You ?????, you dress straight, eat straight
But you're a slave, and yo, you can't come up in a heat tank
G-o-d we thank, we watch what we sell
You better hope these Christians are wrong cause you goin to hell
Think about that when you're spittin your raps
And you call out KRS, I'll put you flat on your back
You're not HOT, all you do is talk a lot
That's not HOT, where's your respect on the block?
That's HOT, not cause you're friends with the cops
That's not HOT, a real MC you're not
What's HOT?
(KRS-One)
That's HOT!
What's HOT?
(KRS-One)
That's HOT!
Who's HOT?
(KRS-One)
That's HOT!
Where's your respect on the block?
[ *scratching of* ]
(KRS-One need to be runnin for office
You know.. life is funny..
If you don't repeat the actions of your own success
you won't be successful
You gotta know your own formula, your own ingredients
What made you, YOU..
1987 I was at the Latin Quarters
Listenin to Afrika Bambaata give the order
The call of the order was to avoid the slaughter
He said, "Record companies ain't got nuttin for ya!"
Without a lawyer, he taught The Infinity Lessons
In how hip-hop could be a, many a blessing
And that was great, so in 1988
there was no debate, we had to end the hate
The name of the game was "Stop the Violence"
and unity, knowledge, and self-reliance
We - started talkin bout Martin and Malcolm
Had these ghetto kids goin, "Huh, what about him?"
1989, Professor Griff speaks his mind
but his freedom of speech is declined
1990 came with the West coast
East coast, West coast, who is the best coast?
Lookin back now, of COURSE it was bogus
The whole argument was where we lost focus
We got hopeless; not with the lyrics and music
but with hip-hop, and how we used it
Or abused it, you know how the crew get
"You like it cause you choose it"
1991, we opened our eyes
with Human Education Against Lies, we tried
to talk about the state of humanity
But all these others rappers got mad at me
They called me "Captain Human", another message was sent
"Self Destruction don't pay the {fuckin} rent"
Remember that? Nobody wanted conscious rap
It was like - where these ballers at?
Where can they call us at? All was wack
Hip-Hop culture was fallin flat and that was that
So in 1992, I found my crew
They said, "Yo Kris, what you wanna do?"
I said, "Damn - why they wanna get with me?
If I bust they {shit} I'm contradictory.
If I play the bitch role, they take my shoe.
Tell me what the {fuck} am I supposed to do?"
So I did it, don't stop get it get it get it
All of a sudden these critics they wanna spit it
"Kay Are Ess One is con-tra-dic-to-ry"
Just cause I wouldn't let these rappers get with me
{Fuck} that, {fuck} you and {fuck} your pen
If a rapper wanna diss, yo I'd do it again
But I'm makin these ends, and I got my friends
And I really don't wanna have to sit in the pen
So I go back to the philosopher
1993 hip-hop is uhh.. wack
Go back, check the facts
1994, "Return of the Boom Bap"
It wasn't all about the loot
It was all about Harry Allen Rhythm Cultural Institute
Blowin up, 1995
Conscious rap is still alive
But nobody wanna play it, nobody wanna say it
Nobody okayed it, they'd all rather hate it
1996 it really don't stop
We put together somethin called the Temple of Hip-Hop
Not just DJin, breakin, graf and lyrics
But how hip-hop affects the spirit
"Step Into a World," that's what I did
1997 I was raisin my kid
or kids, but I, had to go
Cause New York DJ's changed the flows
to clothes and hoes, but that wasn't me
I'll be damned if I dance for the MTV
So in 1998 I began to debate
Should I go now, or should I really wait?
'99, I moved to L.A. you see
and took a gig with the WB
Started studyin philosophy full-time
To have a full heart, full body, full mind
But you know what the problem is or was?
DJ's don't raise our kids, cuz
they so caught up in the cash and jewels
How they gonna really see a hip-hop school?
How they gonna really see a hip-hop temple?
They don't even wanna play my instrumentals, but
big up Dr. Dre, Snoop, Xzibit
Especially Xzibit, he was there in a minute
Mic Conception, all of them, said
"Yo you need help? I should call them"
When I was in L.A., I held the crown
Bloods, Crips, they held me down
I could never forget Mad Lion, killer pride
with the gat in the lap in the low-ride
Oh I can't forget, Icy Ice, Lucky Lou
Julio G, that was the crew
Davey D, Ingrid, David Connor
The list goes on and on, let me tell ya
FredWreck, and my man Protest
Much respect, no less
To my spiritual and mental defenders
Big up to L.A., temple members
But in 2000, I seen how I wanted to live
I wasn't no executive
So I picked up the mic and I quit my job
Said to Simone I gotta get with God
She said, "Don't worry bout these dollars and quarters.
Record companies ain't got nuttin for ya."
Damn, she took me back to Bam!
Took me back to who I am!
Brought me back to the New York land!
Now I overstand!..
{interviewer}
Now KRS-One, now you've been quoted as saying that
rap is something we do, hip-hop is something you live.
{KRS} Yes!
{interviewer}
Explain that to us please.
{KRS-One}
Well, well, today hip-hop, we are advocating that hip-hop is not,
just a music, it is an attitude, it is an awareness, it is a way
to view the world. So rap music, is something we do, but HIP-HOP,
is something we live. And we look at hip-hop, in it's 9 elements;
which is breaking, emceeing, graffiti art, deejaying, beatboxing,
street fashion, street language, street knowledge, and street
entrepenurialism - trade and business. And uhh, that's where y'know
that's the hip-hop that that that we're about. We come from the uhh
the root of, of Kool DJ Herc, who originated hip-hop in the early 70's
and then Afrika Bambaata and Zulu Nation (mmhmm)
who instigated something called The Infinity Lessons
and added conciousness to hip-hop, and then Grandmaster Flash
with the invention of the mixer, on to Run-D.M.C. and then myself.
And uhh, we created the "Stop the Violence" movement, you may recall
a song, "Self Destruction" and and and so on. All of this, goes to
uhh uhh, the idea of LIVING this culture out and taking responsibility
Yeah.. yeah.. yup!
You know what? I was just downstairs
and I was on my way up here to the studio and
a guy bumped into me and
and he said.. he said, "Yo Kris!
How is it that you stay in this music?
You know, this rap music ex-specially for SO.. LONG.. SO.. LONG"
I said, "Well you know years ago I made a deal with the Goddess"
He said, "The Goddess?"
I said, "Well yeah, you might know her as God
but I know her as the Goddess"
The universal mother
The mother of everything you see in existance
I ax-ked her for assistance
in lyrical persistance
and she gave it to me, under one condition
She said, "I'll give you the gift
but use the gift to uplift"
I said, "Okay mom!"
So I tell you the truth, really
Me nah gon' need nuttin else
but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself
Me nah gon' need nuttin else
but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself
In the beginning was the word, the word was made flesh
Knowledge K. Reigns R. Supreme S.
Some of us guess while others of us are blessed
Take heed to the word, that I manifest
I manifest the future, the present, followed by the past
Everything in nature, rules by kickin ass
What they tellin me, but yo, you a friend to me
so I'ma tell you the secrets of MC longevity
Secret one: if it ain't fun, you're done
And about your career, huh, well choose another one
If you don't like what you do, you're through
Lesson two: make sure you got a dope crew
Not some crew, that's like an anchor on a shoe
A MAD CREW, that's of some benefit to you
Lesson three, might be contradictory or funny
but MC's should have OTHER WAYS of gettin money
That's to say learn other things beside music
Make money elsewhere, Hip-Hop you won't abuse it
Too many MC's, just emcee
so their longevity, is based on an Uncle Tom
at the record company
Lesson four: sell your image, never sell a record
Image is respected, records come and go
and get collected
Even the records of platinum artists, that used to rip shop
can be bought, for a quarter at the thrift shop
Which brings me to lesson number five, the illusion
has me thinkin, the minute they drop a record
they'll be cruisin, in the Acura
Slow down! You're still a amateur
What seperates the pro from the amateur is stamina
Not how long you can rhyme, but how long you've been rhymin
changin with the times, and findin yourself
still CLIIIIIIIIIIIIMbin for wealth
Blow for blow, you're still growin, still showin
(all knowin) now that's a pro at it
Me nah gon' need nuttin else
but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself
Me nah gon' need nuttin else
but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself
[unknown singer]
When the mooooon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter, aliiiiigns with Mars
And Pete, will guide the planet
And love will steal the stars
Right now we're living in the age of Aquarius
The age of Aquariussssssssssss
Aquariusssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
(Aquariusssssssssssss)
[KRS-One]
Yeah, ah, yeah, ah
Harmony and understanding
Sympathy and trust abounding
No more need for superstition
All your living dreams are visions
Mystic crystal revelations
And the mind's true li-ber-aaa-tion
[unknown singer]
Aquariusssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!
[KRS-One]
Uh-huh! Y'all forgot about this shit right? Haha
Haha, TURN THE RADIO OFF!!
Word! Yeah, whattup Choco? Haha
Yo turn it around for me one time
Uhh, uhh, yo
[Verse One]
I don't despise thugs, I +ADVISE+ thugs
I teach y'all thugs, cause that's what I was
Yeah I say was cause today I'm above
All the guns, illegal funds, the crews and the drugs
ANY HOOD I walk in, they show me love
They say 'Knowledge Reigns Supreme, WHATTUP CUZ?'
Cops wanna get sit down and get all bud
They wanna think as they drink drink down to the suds
I respect it, but I don't get down with the fuzz
I don't drink with DT's I don't hang with the judge
But truth be truth and I got the proof
Most ministers were straight thugged out in they youth
See if you're over 25 and you never got live
when it was time to ride, you ain't got no heart
But if you're over 26 and you're still in the mix
and your life you ain't fixed, you ain't doin your part
You see them cats on TV, playin the role?
Gassin y'all, them cats be over thirty years old!
Actin all dirty and cold
NONE OF MY CLASSIC ALBUMS they was worthy to hold
I'm concerned with the soul, overstand?
When we was slappin up rappers they was doin the running man
You don't know my style, we be straight gunnin man
If you don't know you better ask your older brother man
Shit gets realer than, Real TV
From eighty-six, ain't no rapper realer than me
Or Just-Ice, I.C.U. or Steady B
What y'all waitin to see? Somethin faker than me?
Don't let me have to pull out the Jamaican in me
I'd rather pull out the asalaam alaikum in me
Wa-alaikum salaam, yo you wan' tess de Don?
BLAOW BLAOW BLAOW-BLOAW-BLAOW, bwoy gone!
[Chorus]
They don't really wanna learn - well start gunnin 'em down!
Yo they really ain't concerned - well start gunnin 'em down!
They don't wanna get the book - well start gunnin 'em down!
They don't want a conscious hook - well start gunnin 'em down!
They don't wanna pay dues - well start gunnin 'em down!
They be actin brand new - well start gunnin 'em down!
They don't wanna get the light - well start gunnin 'em down!
Yo, pass me the mic - we'll start gunnin 'em down!
[Verse Two]
Watch dis! Your crew is my crew and my crew is my crew
Your crew you lied to, my crew will find you
The light I recite will blind and outshine you
Street cats be wonderin why they even signed you
Where they find you? WHO is the first cat to rap
"wa-da-da-ding" and show you what the nine do?
You ain't never seen me behave with them firearms
Maybe not, cause you just a slave to Viacom
Me, I'm a free MC hip-hopper
I teach real gangsters, hang with real Godsters
I am to hip-hop what Selassie is to rastas
Watch your mouth before someone I don't know pops ya
Lemme stop, don't-a-stop the street rhetorhic, ha
Your soul you sellin it ha, come wit some better shit, ha
In five years your whole catalogue's irrelevant ha
You spit the ignorance while I spit intelligence
You got it backwards like sayin hop-hip
That's why when you battled your whole crew got ripped!
[needle drags across record] You wanna battle?
Yeah, yeah, let's switch the flow up a little
Word.. bring the love back, here we go
You ever lost somebody, a member of your party
Your daddy maybe mommy, for them there was no copy
Just know that we all asleep, pray to the lord my Soul will keep
Life is a dream no need to weep, God's gonna wake us up from sleep
Every night we die, we practice for death
Everytime we sleep we say goodbye
But I, still can't get over the fact
That my best friend's awake and not comin back
So as the tears.. {tears roll from my eyes}
Uhh, uhh, I never got a chance to say
{Goodbye!!!} Trouble MC, Scott LaRock, Paul Sea, Doctor Rock
Mastadon, Trouble T-Roy, Aaliyah, Cowboy
Sugar Shaft, Eazy-E.. {got to say goodbye}
Yeah.. bring the love back, bring the love back
When you wake up, then you'll know, what was up
You won't live, so corrupt, only love, you'll take up
All the chasin and rushin impatience and fussin
The racin for somethin the hatin and frontin is makin you NOTHIN
So, die before you die so when you die you don't die
You got to die before you die so when you die you don't die
You got to die to all the world, all the guys and the girls
You got to die to lovin money and them diamonds and pearls
So as the tears.. (tears roll from my eyes}
I never got a chance to say to y'all
{Goodbye!!!} Prince Messiah, Bigga B, Freaky Tah, B.I.G.
Big Pun, Mercury, June Bug, Buffy
Tupac, Darryl C.. {got to say goodbye}
Bring the love back, bring the love back, uhh, hip-hop
So remember when they die, they have only woke up
It's our wants and our needs that be chokin us up
{And I want and I need and I want and I need..}
Yo, there was a time when hip-hop was on our mind
It wasn't about no crime, just reality rhymes
If you battled me fine, but in the end we reclined
with a bottle of wine, MC's the ORIGINAL kind but
{Why did you stray..} hip-hop
{Why did you stray..} hip-hop
{Why did you stray..} hip-hop!
{Why did you stray....} bring the love back
{Why did you stray..} bring the love back
{Why did you stray..} {Why did you stray..}
{Why did you stray..} rise up y'all
{Why did you stray..} remember where you came from
{Why did you stray..} bring the love back
"Why do you listen to KRS-One?"
"Cause it's more than just music.
He speaks to my way of life."
"KRS is the best. Listen for the inner meanings."
"Never heard, anyone like this."
[KRS-One]
Feel this! Feel it!
Feel the power, of DJ Kenny Parker, word up.. huh!
C'mon, yeah.. uhh.. {"Yeah yeah yeah"}
So we gonna come down one time for your mind, you know whassup
Turn it up, turn it up turn it up turn it up
Look!!
We spit out hits, ghetto chicks, chromed out whips
Philosophers rockin your corner movie scripts
Ghetto lifestyles, keep watchin..
{"Protect yourself"} - that's right!
We spit out hits, ghetto chicks, chromed out whips
Philosophers rockin your corner movie scripts
Ghetto lifestyles, keep watchin..
{"Protect yourself"}
Yo, all summer they bump the KRS-Oner
From the microscopic atomic structure of the under
I spit thunder, which hunts ya, runs you down and stuns ya
I'm at the center of all rap worlds like a rotunda
Then again, I rock you and your friend again
In any club in the country when you say KRS they say, "Let him in"
V.I.P. passes for intellectuals with glasses
Ignorant asses get left outside with the masses
Next day we attend classes and gatherings
Shattering, those that be rattling about battling
Battin 'em down from the Bronx like Don Mattingly(?)
The black African snappin backs again and laughin again
You won't be askin again, my album I'm already masterin
Whoever you think is dope I'm already blastin him
We spit out hits, ghetto chicks, chromed out whips
Philosophers rockin your corner movie scripts
Ghetto lifestyles, keep watchin..
{"Protect yourself"} - that's right!
We spit out hits, ghetto chicks, chromed out whips
Philosophers rockin your corner movie scripts
[KRS-One:]
YEAH! YEAH!
C'mon...
Let me tell you cats {get what I'm sayin}
[Chorus:]
Snitchin and squealin and the underhand dealin
That's how you get fucked up!!
Robbin and stealin like you ain't got feelings
That's how you get fucked up!!
Gettin head in the bed with another man's wife
That's how you get fucked up!!
You better always think twice how you're livin your life
That's how you get fucked up!!
[KRS-One:]
People walk around just, in a daze and oblivious
To them demons that live in us
Who can you really trust
Is it them demons that got us schemin or is it really us?
People really fuss, and them guns really bust
Brothers dyin over silly stuff
Them streets can get really tough
They ain't playin man, you better {get what I'm sayin}
[Chorus:]
When you can't forgive and all you spit is negative
That's how you get fucked up!!
When you're dissin your elders and cheatin your relatives
That's how you get fucked up!!
Messin with a man's crib, kids or wife
That's how you get fucked up!!
You better think twice how you're livin your life, cause
That's how you get fucked up!!
[KRS-One:]
Yo, I'm a true school cat, just a cool cool cat
Got security tellin these people to move back
I got two new tracks, somethin new from DAT's
Tunnel Rats with Proper and Triune in the back
I don't move with a pack, I move membership
Hip-Hop we livin it and what I'm doin is rap
But cats wanna talk that crap
'Til they see that I'm not playin, you better {get what I'm sayin}
Everyday more betrayin, more lyin, and from friends
More crime and more revenge - HUSH
Things are really rough; cause there's really no one out there
that I doubt that you can really trust
Them guns bust - how many hustlers gotta die
go to jail for a fiend to get a rush?
From ashes to dust, that man of lust
is decayin, you better {get what I'm sayin}
[Chorus:]
Talkin that crap behind another man's back
That's how you get fucked up!!
Spittin gossip and scandal and don't have facts
That's how you get fucked up!!
Bein caught in the hype, flashin off your ice
That's how you get fucked up!!
You better always think twice how you're livin your life cause
That's how you get fucked up!!
[KRS-One:]
I'ma close it out, cause all my foes they doubt
I'm rollin out, they know what I'm all about
I don't roam about, I appear and shout
I wear 'em out, then we clear 'em out
I steer the route to where the end be at
Where the peace, where the love, where my friends be at
Where the jealous ones envy that
And they start betrayin, that's right you better {get what I'm sayin}
[Chorus:]
If you schemin a lot on what another man's got
That's how you get fucked up!!
Dreamin up a plot for another man's spot
That's how you get fucked up!!
If you live by the knife then you die by the knife
That's how you get fucked up!!
You better always think twice how you're livin your life cause
That's how you get fucked up!!
Flashin what you got cause you think it's cool
That's how you get fucked up!!
You better watch yourself cause when you ACT A FOOL
That's how you get fucked up!!
When you act like you better, treatin men like mice
That's how you get fucked up!!
You better always think twice how you're livin your life cause
That's how you get fucked up!! {get what I'm sayin}
Knowledge, where the people at?
Free Mumia!
Channel Live! (KRS-One, come and represent)
(The wisdom)
Hah hah hah hah hah hahaha!
Free Mumia!
Everywhere I look there's another house negro
Talkin about they people and how they should be equal
They talkin but the conversation ain't goin nowhere
You can't diss hip-hop, so don't you even go there
C. Delores Tucker, you wanna quote the scripture
Everytime you hear nigga, listen up sista
[Verse 1: Hakim, KRS, Tuffy]
I met up with this girl named Delores, a prankster
I said I MC, she said, "You're a gangster"
But she was caught up, she hit the floor like a breakdance
Wrapped her up like the arms in a b-boy stance
You have money cause I hear u get stars
She said "where you from? " I said "I was born up in the south Bronx! "
But now I reside all across america
She said "You the one who be causing all that mass hysteria.
Wisdom shall come out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
But you blinded by cultural ignorance and steady judging
But judge not, lest ye may be judged
For the judgment ye judge ye shall surely be judged, you gets no love
She said, "I like it, that's why I jock it"
Then I said, You only on my dick because I fill brotha's pockets
Cut the bullshit take me to you pad. she said, I'm gonna give you the ass cause I like the way your pants sag
Spread the legs with the otha hand she threw her kitty then I sprayed jizm like graffiti on her titty
Freestyled all night no doudt the bitch could'ntget enough cause she was strung the fuck out.
[Chorus: KRS-One]
Warner, Elektra, Atlantic equals WEA
Instead of fighting them why don't you go free Mumia
[x2]
[Verse 2: Tuffy, KRS, Hakim]
Wild recital, I kicks the vital, like the _Final
Call_ as I watch, Babylon fall
I had to Rush Limbaugh, get that pig with an axe
Tuffy dips to the side, buckin cannons that's phat
Because he censors the uses of the metaphor
You can get the dick bum up
Because it's you that brings the, real horrorcore
Expenditures forgettin, gut from the poor
Why sure! Back before we were born they sold us out
Yeah J. Jackson we know what you about
Back when you were running for the presidencey and competeting
All rap was dope and u love every beat and but you took the beating
You was using us then like you're using us now in the urban nation league
I don't know how you figure the stop the violence movement gave you $600, 000 NIGGA
And now u quicker to diss and get with miss Tucker you better find another you sell out
Mutha fucka's
Hate to be so rough, it could be the White Owls
House niggaz are full of crap, like my Colin Powell
Kickin vowels, is how we relieve the tension
Until we start to bounce white people like suspension (revolution)
You paint the pictures, the black man on the corner
But tell me, who blew up Oklahoma?
The City, ain't no pity, for the beast
It's Hakim that voice from the East
[Chorus]
[Verse 3: KRS, Hakim, Tuffy]
Buck buck! Buck buck buck!
It sound like gunshots but it could be the cluck
Of a chicken, definition, is what you're missin and
Listen to your children instead of dissin em
Senator Dole doesn't understand the young people
Like they be sayin want to, but we be sayin wanna
They gettin dumber every summer as they walk the rope
Maybe because they cannot understand the quotes
Word, in actuality, this Norman Bates mentality
Always seems to represent, minus three-sixty percent
For degrees full circle, dead from the purple
Rays of the sun I gots melanin so check it
Bag your nuts quick or get sick from being naked
Suspect it, was it a means for the end
For just a few to drive the Benz while you eat the pigskins
Turned you into mannequins, cause the trick of technology
A revelation, revalations
Sensation gives me inspiration of revolution
That's my solution, there will be no sequels
I'm audi hundred forty four thousand with my people
From Caligula to Hitler, now it's Schwartzeneggar
A lust for the violence is the science of their behavior
Who enslaved ya (it's the Devil) but the God of virtuosity
And of the world created, could it be mental sodomy
Got my mind twisted like the blades of fonta leaf
I sit in disbelief as he crawls underneath
The rock cock back the glock, cause I don't trust
The Devil I rebel until Babylon is dust
Yeah, listen to the lyrics
We are the ones prophesized to return
My main concern is for all of you to learn
How to live, yes through the lyrics I give and send my friend
This age is coming to an end
Not the world, but the age is ending
Ending, listen to the astrological message I'm sending
I'm sending, tell em
Truth is truth, whether or not you like me
We are living now in the age of Pisces
When Pisces is over, at the year two thousand
When the Sun of God, changes his house and
enters the Age of Aquarius
The Sun of God as man is hilarious (okay)
When you think of Jesus, think of the Sun
The flaming Sun, that's where they stole this concept from
Stop believing and read your bible logically
The new testament is really old astrology
Jesus is the son of God no lie
But they might be talking about the Sun up in the sky
The Sun, that hangs on the cross of the zodiac
The zodiac with twelve signs to be exact
Each sign is a house, and you should keep in mind
Each house equals, a period of time
The time, two thousand years and that's a fact
It's called an age or a house in the zodiac
The twelve disciples, are twelve months of reason
The four gospels signify the four seasons
When Jesus fed the multitude with two fishes
It signified the Age of Pisces, not fish or dishes
If you read the bible astrologically it's clearer (no doubt)
The next age will be the age of the water-bearer
It's called the Age of Aquarius (word)
When logic and truth will take care of us
So in this age, of spiritual dignity
You'll see a rise in femininity
and creativity, meshed with masculinity
You got to get with me, this is your true her-story (rrryyy!)
Get 'em, get 'em (yeah yeah!)
Get 'em, get 'em (that's B & NYCE)
Get 'em, get 'em (ha ha)
Get 'em, get 'em
[Chorus: KRS-One]
Let's go, let's start the show
Contracts and dough, you came to hear Kris
Let's go, let's start the show
Watch how I flow, you came to feel this
Let's go, live MC rappin
Cut mix and scratchin, you came to see me
Let's go, let's make it happen
For your satisfaction, you came to be free
[KRS-One]
From all the bull, from all the push, from all the pull
From all the critics and the cynics that there happens to be
Relax from the attacks, there's no battlin me
Write whatever you like, I will rattle you G
No hassle for me, with the freestyle skill
Believe I'm ill, chill, I be surpassin MC's
Ain't too many faster than me man
Neck movin, sweat oozin, schoolin, that's how we jam
I write with a free hand, I write with a purpose
If you bought the CD, thanks for the purchase
If you downloaded the album then COME to the concert
Don't sit in front of the computer 'til your eye hurt
Get up, get out, and join the movement
Hip-Hop culture is more than music
And I'ma prove it, whether freestyle or written
Ax yourself how KRS still spittin
[Chorus]
[NYCE]
Me and my niggaz go to the club with hooded jeans and boots
Fuck a dress code, fuck a tie, fuck your shoes and suits
We rock doo rags to fitteds, and throwback jerseys
Front pockets with cash, paint a wall with a slash
Gettin our drink on, burnin trees, eyes lookin Japanese
Whylin out because the DJ threw on M.O.P.
Peepin how the ballers with the gators is hatin
But fuck what they be talkin this is straight from the streets
They got war comin out they mouth but they don't want beef
Cause yo I snatch them outta they ride, click click, surprise
Run your jewels, your shoes, before you make tonight's news
All downs are bet, and I'm playin for keeps
Actin like you gon' scheme, then my man gon' squeeze
Word to the {?} cause I knows you don't want it
You be up in, {?} tear while I be, everywhere
Yeah, it's like that what?
[KRS-One]
Okay now, listen to this..
{*sound effect: seagulls*}
A mystical teacher sat by the seaside
It was about five o'clock cause we heard the free ride
Anyway; the teacher was talking in stride
sitting upon a rock that was wide
and warning against false pride
"Come to where I reside!" a woman cried
and the teacher replied, "Do you serve your fish fried?"
"Yes," she replied, "with potato salad on the side."
And the teacher replied, "Well where do you reside?"
She said, "Up on the hillside, it's not a far ride.
If you came to have dinner, I would be so gratified."
The teacher replied, "It's six o'clock, seven o'clock, you decide."
She replied, "Seven o'clock, do you like stir-fried?"
She was mystified and felt so dignified
The teacher was coming to the house where she resides
So she purified with pesticides
{*sound effect: chemicals sprayed*}
Called her friends up nationwide
{*sound effect: phone being dialed*}
Some of her friends were tongue-tied they felt so glorified
She made steamed fish, baked fish, fish that was fried
Soup, steamed vegetables, potato salad on the side
{*sound effect: food cooking*}
You could smell the bread in the oven far and wide
Natural juices and water purified
Organic fruits brought from the countryside
with silver forks and knives placed side by side
{*sound effect: silverware clinks*}
You could not be dissatisfied;
looking out the window staring at the mountainside,
you would have died
6:59 she's swollen with pride
As the moment intensified, there's a knock from outside
{*sound effect: door knocking*}
She opens the door, for the teacher has arrived
{*sound effect: door creaks open*}
But to her surprise, it was a bum who cried
"Please, I smelt the bread from outside!
One piece," and then she replied
"The teacher is coming, he's soon to have arrived.
You're making me look bad, come on now, step aside!"
The bum then replied,
"When I say I'm hungry I haven't lied.
Give me some of that chicken that you just fried."
{*sound effect: food cooking*}
She replied, "Chicken - fried?
No that's for the teacher, you're not purified"
Then she slammed the door and went back inside
{*sound effect: door closes*}
Sat on the couch with the TV Guide
She looked at the clock, it was 7:09, then 7:30;
he still hasn't arrived
Eight o'clock, she's on the downside
Nine o'clock, by now she's teary-eyed
She's pissed off and her anger multiplied
She cried, then fell asleep dissatisfied
Next day she woke up, and was preoccupied
with meeting the mystical teacher who lied
Where could he hide?
She ran down by the seaside
{*sound effect: seagulls*}
He was there teaching about - false pride
"You lied!" she replied, "You lied!
You said you'd be there at seven o'clock, you lied!"
He replied, "No I have not lied.
I came at 6:59, and you told me to move aside.
I asked for bread and the chicken that was fried.
{*sound effect: food cooking*}
And you said, that I wasn't purified."
She replied, "I wasn't notified!
I had no idea that you was the bum that cried!"
And the teacher sighed, then replied,
[KRS-One:]
Haha, wha' ya call that?
Boogie Down, Boogie Down, Boogie Down, Boogie Down Productions
You ha fe understand your situation
You create your life through your imagination
Anything you think is a manifestation
Of who you are - you're creation!
Can't you understand?
Everytime you think in bad mind
You attract that to you same time!
Listen [? ]
Refine, expand your mind
Consciousness go through all space and time!
Look at [? ]
We teach the philosophy
Deal with no hypocrisy
The sun is there on top of me
Beaming down that vitamin E
Feelin sick we're not gonna be
Kris in jail you're not gonna see
Take my shots on the [? ]
We get you jumpin around
We the number one sound
You want [? ]
[? ]
I'm flippin' the sound, flippin' the flow
Some say I'm stuck back in '84, I don't know
I don't see no nickel bags, yo
I don't see no Word Up mag, yo
All I see is straight up fags, yo
These rappers they brag, though
Til we in the club, not in they castle
Somewhere in El Paso, Texas
That's when Kris gets reckless
Goes down the checklist
You rappers best respect this
It's better you listen to this metaphysician
While people bling and glisten I seek that higher vision
Don't get so high, til you can't see past your eye
Enjoy yourself but don't die
Listen now, listen now, why why?
Why you want to be like a fly guy?
Don't get so high, til you can't see past your eye
Enjoy yourself but don't die
Tell me now, why you ha fe be such a fly guy?
Temple of HipHop and me
We step in any party - top celebrity
See when we come in a dance we never look for grammy
'Cause that's 'cause we got r-e-s-p-e-c-t
I want just one wife - S-I-m-o-n-e
She said she always want fe marry an Emcee
Travel 'round the world and live a life so free
Then she met me - H-I-p-H-o-p
Started countin' up twenty, thirty, forty G
Started gettin' fresh garments now for free
Dealin' with promoters and countin' the money
Takin' trips to Europe on the Queen Mary
What do you see?
You ha fe direct your chi
You must live your life properly
What do you see?
You have to be what you see
You have got to live your life free
What do you see?
You ha fe direct your chi
You must live your life properly
What do you see?
You have to BE what you see
Yeah, Word Up
Yeah
[Chorus:]
Bling blung, bling blung, First you see the bling
then you feel the blung
This is the way that the world is run
Can't you tell
Bling blung rock the bells
[Verse 1:]
Move along, move along, along, this is a newa song
KRS-One the supa strong
Move along before you lose your tongue
Before you lose ya lung
Be sure MCs get done
Detour or move along
We teach the young
How many young men hung so we could sing a song?
You need to move along, along, along
The string of injustice stung those that bling cause now they blung
Materialism stings and now they stung
You need to move along
Life is like ding, dong, ying, yang, bing, bang, ping, pong, or ping, pong
Any lyrical battle we won
Yes, this a master flow, this how life go on
First you got it then your gone
So don't get stung
Cause after the bling it's blung
No material thing stays with you long
[Chorus]
[Verse 2:]
Move along, along, we can't get stung
We the one, my melanin stuns right up in the sun
I go and I come, don't mind me son
I'm just a teacher, them cats should't try me son
I'm that lively one
I roll with them grimey ones
At the Temple (of Hip Hop) you can find me son
What I bring and sing reflects what I brung
I be rolling, aling off the tongue
You can check them other ones
Maybe them younger ones
But I be that I witness just like Connie Chung
Some burn the paper
Some burn the bong
I'm burning rappers, I think you need to move along!
[Chorus x2]
[Verse 3:]
Move along you little singers
Never linger round a rhyme bringer
These rap blingers
I break you off a middle finger
Bell ringa, in your mind a dong dinga
Yo, that's what's wrong with these singas
When they sing all they bring is bling
THEY DUMMIES
But after the bling aling, aling is blung
Post bling is blung
A new ting son
I'm rockin these bells like ding dong
As you can see I got no rings on
Cause it got nothing to with what springs song
So ding dong
Open the door to freedom
Any of my books you should read dum and be strong
Or else you need to move along, along, along
Your lyrics are cow dung
There use to be a TV talent show with a gong
And when the gong gonged you were gone
Yes I am the lyrical Don
Beats for art um
But I am unattched to all of thum
The message of the song is bling blung
Don't get caught up in watcha bought up
Be Strong
Buck buck buck-buck-buck, buck-buck buck buck!
All rude bwoy lissen up!
Black cop!! Black cop black cop black cop
Stop shootin black people, we all gonna drop
You don't even get, paid a whole lot
So take your M-60 and put it 'pon lock!
Take your four-five and you put it 'pon lock!
Lookin for your people when you walk down a block
Here in America you have drug spot
They get the black cop, to watch the drug spot
The black drug dealer just avoid black cop
They're killin each other on a East Coast block
Killin each other on a West Coast block
White police, don't give a care about dat
Dem want us killin each other over crack
Anyway you put it it's a black on BLACK
Black cop black cop black cop
Black cop black cop black cop
Thirty years, there were no black cops
You couldn't even run, drive round the block
Recently police trained black cop
To stand on the corner, and take gunshot
This type of warfare isn't new or a shock
It's black on black crime again nonSTOP
Black cop!! Black cop black cop
Black cop black cop black cop
"Don't be the sucker..
Don't be the sucker comin into my face..
Don't be the sucker.."
Here's what the West and the East have in common
Both have black cops in cars profilin
Hardcore kids in the West got stress
In the East we are chased by the same black beast
The black cop is the only real obstacle
Black slave turned black cop is not logical
But very psychological, haven't you heard?
It's the BLACK COP killin black kids in Johannesburg
Whassup black cop, yo, whassup?!
Your authorization says shoot your nation
You wanna uphold the law, what could you do to me?
The same law dissed the whole black community
You can't play both sides of the fence
1993 mad kids are gettin tense
Black cop!! Black cop black cop black cop
Stop shootin black people we all gonna drop
You don't even get, paid a whole lot
Take your four-five and you put it 'pon lock!
Take your M-60 and put it 'pon lock!
Take your uzi, put it 'pon lock!
Black cop black cop black cop
Black cop black cop black cop
"Don't be the sucker..
Don't be the sucker..
Don't be the sucker..
Don't be the sucker comin into my face
Don't.. don't be the sucker comin into my face
Don't-don't-don't be the sucker comin into my face
Don't-don't-don't-don't
Don't be the sucker comin into my face
Don't-don't, don't-don't
Don't be the sucker comin into my face
Don't-don't-don't!
[KRS-One:]
Yeah, HUT HUT HUT HUT!
I know we ain't gettin soft, HUT HUT HUT HUT!
I know we ain't gettin soft, listen
FIYAH!
[Chorus: KRS-One]
When you advertise in New York
You best to beware, oh yes
When you advertise in New York, you best to beware
Cause the bling bling, and de sex t'ing
Dem no care, oh no, you best to beware
Oh no, yo you best to beware, oh no noooo
[KRS-One:]
This is how they do it kid, I thought you knew it kid
This is how they set us up listen I can prove it kid
Many don't understand, you see it's all a plan
To keep the black man a child like he's Peter Pan
You'll never see a man, a real black man
Until you see a man with control of his hands
And to control your hands means you control your mind
And to control your mind means you ain't commitin crimes
Man you smarter than that, goin to prison is whack
Even the people in prison know I'm spittin the facts
I'm gettin open, open the class up
Don't smoke crack it'll tear yo' ass up
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
Listen! We got our own problems here in the States
So you know I'm not pointin the finger BUT WAIT
This is somethin y'all got to see
Even the UN knows violence begins with poverty
When you ain't got no money, it's quicker to kill
It's human nature that's way the jails are filled
And the MILITARY? From the time you sign up
To kill your neighbor man it's a SIN already
And SIN meaning Selfish Inconsiderate Needs
Gimme what I want! I don't care who bleeds
These days people ready to steal and rob
All in the name of I'm DOING MY JOB~!
But what about doing your work, what's your purpose?
No human being is worthless
Think about this before you pull the trigger
And you call your sister a bitch and your brother a - WHOA
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
Knowledge Reigns Supreme again, ignorance is weakenin
Truth is what I'm speakin when I'm reachin and teachin my friends
Life is more than just cars and lust
Unity is a must, we need to build trust
Open up your mind to this, raisin up your consciousness
Whether you a pessimist, strategist or optimist
My synopsis is knowledge ain't where college is
Knowledge is for leaders and wisdom is for philosophers
Now I'm hearin London gettin violence like Brooklyn was
Brothers gettin shot just for lookin cause?
I thought we deaded that, we need to be headed back
Yo France, you need to be coverin your brother's back
Bring the lovin back, cause the government don't love you
They into murder, money, and stayin above you
They want you all in prison
So before you kill your sister or brother stop and listen
[KRS-One:]
Gather round, I want to tell y'all a story
See if you can get the meaning
We gonna go real far (all right)
Watch this (God, you alright)
I'm steppin' in this place like it's all right
I got my partners with me, yep we feelin' all right
I got my woman with me, yup she lookin' all right
When it's time to move I'm never left, I'm all right
Well, I met my man "What up Duke? " - "I'm all right"
He said "Listen to this", I said "All right"
He said "This strictly confidential", I said "All right"
He said "Yo, you like this spot? " I said "It's all right"
"You wanna change it? ", I said "All right"
"I got a way that we can purchase it in 30 days" - "All right"
"How we gon do that? " He said "All right"
He put a stack of hundreds on the table right there, I said "All right"
30 days later we all right
Limousines, elevators, yo things are lookin' all right
All night everybody feelin' all right
I told my man "I gotta go", he said "All right"
"Let me take your Jeep", he said "All right"
But just as I started the car it got all bright
I started liftin' up, felt my spirit driftin' up
What's goin' on? The Jeep is gone and everything's all white
I heard people sayin' "Is he all right? "
Floatin' above my body I felt all right
How can I tell 'em, really tell 'em, that I'm all right?
Standin' outside my cerebellum I'm all right
The fourth dimension is all right
The fifth dimension is sure right
The sixth dimension is all light
Livin' as a spirit is all right
But then I didn't feel all right
I felt the shock in my chest, it wasn't all right
They revivin' me - all right
I heard a paramedic say to someone "Yep, he gonna be all right"
I'm back alive, people askin' "Are you all right? "
"The Jeep exploded. It's a miracle you all right"
Layin' there on my back, strapped up all night
I smirked and said to myself "God, you all right"
"Ha, you all right"
[KRS-One:]
Call me old-school, but
It's all about love (yeah)
If you ain't doin' this for the love
What you doin' it for?
(Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go)
[KRS-One & Carlet Boseman:]
I do it for the (love, baby)
All in the streets we get (love, baby)
Beats like this we just (love, baby)
KRS-One be driving them thugs crazy
I'm not Johnny-come-lately on your station
I takes it back to Zulu Nation
You see what HipHop is facing
How can we sit back and be so complacent?
[Chorus: x2]
I'm giving you...
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) You feel it
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
[KRS-One & Carlet Boseman:]
When I'm on tour I spread (love, baby)
The greatest law is (love, baby)
For sure, sex is not (love, baby)
Love is love, have you had a hug lately?
I ain't waitin' for the system to save me
I'm standing up, using what God gave me
Old-school, Kris is no fool
How we gonna organize with no tools?
Man, we gotta do it for the (love, baby)
Respect and more (love, baby)
Less checks and get more (love, baby)
K-R-S One!
[Chorus x2]
[KRS-One & Carlet Boseman:]
Put down the gun and show (love, baby)
We ain't never gonna grow without (love, baby)
HipHop started with (love, baby)
Not shooting your man with a slug like Janie [? ]
We hangin' out up north with Slim Shady
We hangin' out down south with Lil' Wayne
East coast raised me, west coast pays me
This is HipHop, them critics don't phase me
KRS, I know it sounds crazy, but I do this for the (love, baby)
My motivation is (love, baby)
And yes I'm building this HipHop Nation with
[Chorus: x2]
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) You feel it
[KRS-One & Carlet Boseman:]
This last verse goes out with (love, baby)
Thanks for the years and that (love, baby)
KRS-One gets (love, baby)
Duane "Da Rock" this beat is crazy!
[Chorus: x2]
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) I'm giving you
(all my love, baby) You feel it
Boogie Down (love, baby)
Productions (love, baby)
[KRS]
You know it's Kris!
[Chorus]
It ain't the same now (it ain't the same)
They switched the game now (they switched up on us)
They talk 'bout chains now (bling bling)
Rims on the Range now
It's sounding plain now
Y'all rock the same style (sound of the mic)
I know the way how (I know)
Bring it back to one
It's supposed to be...
[KRS]
This is the way it's supposed to be
It's supposed to be like you more close to me
It's supposed to be about our families
It's supposed to be about avoiding catastrophe
But it's all about salary and flattery
Distrust, lust, hate and tragedy
It's supposed to be about you and me on the same route
Were you there in eighty-six when I first came out?
And you know about how they runnin' this game out
It's supposed to be about fun and getting' the pain out
But it's all about clout and poppin' them chains out
Instead of forgiveness, we poppin' they brains out
It's supposed to be about seekin' in the seek out
You witnessin' injustice, you got to speak out
If you claimin' you love this, you got to release doubt
Knowledge is what I'm all about
[Chorus]
[KRS]
Well it's supposed to be sunlight over me
Light over you, not you runnin' over me
It's supposed to be a two dollar royalty minimum
A Hiphop guild—we got to begin buildin' 'em
It's supposed to be NO police brutality
And the fact that we tolerate that crap is insanity
It's supposed to be museums and archives
Where people can see the importance of OUR lives
But it ain't about any of this
Cats are trying to get that diamond-studded Rolex on they wrist
You hear a voice in the wilderness—you know it's Kris
Higher consciousness lyrics, they will persist
But it's supposed to be about makin' it better
You see, Hiphop's not a product like pants or sweater
Go ahead—be a hero, get your cheddar
Even y'all gonna see when you look back you remember that
[Chorus]
[KRS]
You can see in your heart how it's supposed to be
You doin' your part, THAT'S how it's supposed to be
Pursuin' your art, THAT'S how it's supposed to be
Today you will start, THAT'S how it's supposed to be
It shouldn't be about you movin' slowly
Then talkin' junk when you don't even know me
And you cats be pussy like Josie
I +Touch+ "50 MC's" like +Tony+
Everybody in the hood ain't your homie
I spit the truth, but I'm not the only
There's plenty
K-R-S-O-N-E
[KRS-One]
Uhh! They don't wanna battle
They ain't ready for the battle, uh-uh, uh-uh (Temple of Hip-Hop)
Listen, listen, listen
[Chorus: repeat 2X]
Your spirit AIN'T READY
Your church AIN'T READY
Your bishop AIN'T READY
Your deacons AIN'T READY
Your choir AIN'T READY
Your ushers AIN'T READY
At the Temple of Hip-Hop
WE TEACH MANY!
[KRS-One]
Look! To all my people hurtin, all my people searchin
What we know for sure, God is always workin
Workin while you flirtin, workin while you jerkin
Workin while the world is turnin and these cities burnin
God is always workin, workin while you learnin
Workin while you ignorant and when you're not concernin
Christ consciousness, get that, got that
Spit that, rock that, hip that, hop that
You sniff that? Stop that, I give back and got back
Greedy? I'm not that, you needy for that shock rap
Slangin on the block rap, duckin where the cops at
I don't know that, but Jesus done copped that
Not that man on the cross, it ain't like that
You must act like the son of God, that's where the lights at
Stop readin only and start bein show me
Like the resurrection I'll be back, they can't hold me
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
One thing's for sure and believe it hurt
It's when the pastor ain't sure, and deceives the church
They don't know God's law, and can't see God at work
So when they see hip-hop, they push it to the back of the church
Like fig trees or figures they don't bear fruit
They gospel artists, still tryin to chase that loot
Hear the truth now, I come to enhance the light
They women of God, singin while they pants is tight?
They not hot! Really they, regular
They clothes they flows, all that, secular
What's the difference I could stay in the world and wild
if these church girls wear more makeup than Destiny's Child
Keep it real Christian, some of y'all liftin ain't likin
But this is the difference between a Christian and a Christ-ian
Stop readin only and start bein show me
Like the resurrection I'll be back, they can't hold me
.. listen, listen, listen
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
Look! Spiritual minded, you must find it
Find your spirit and go deep inside it
This goes out to the Christ-ians listenin
This is the flow that, gospel's missin it's
urban inspirational rap
We got our own section in the record stores, in our own rack
We respect tradition, from the start
But we now know, the true word of God is written in our heart
We gotta say somethin to the streets kid!
All these churches surroundin the devil still ain't defeat it?
They the type to get down, I'm the type to get up
From "Criminal" to "Spiritual Minded", now raise your head up
Let me start, these rappers ain't got God in they heart
All they want is quick money, and a movie part
Let me begin - what, where, why or when
What's the use of double platinum if you're livin in sin
Hear the truth - how long you think you gonna last
rockin the mic, without havin to go back to class?
Now you're forced, to listen to the teacher outrap them
Yeah, listen to the lyrics
We are the ones prophesized to return
My main concern is for all of you to learn
How to live, yes through the lyrics I give and send my friend
This age is coming to an end
Not the world, but the age is ending
Ending, listen to the astrological message I'm sending
I'm sending, tell em
Truth is truth, whether or not you like me
We are living now in the age of Pisces
When Pisces is over, at the year two thousand
When the Sun of God, changes his house and
enters the Age of Aquarius
The Sun of God as man is hilarious (okay)
When you think of Jesus, think of the Sun
The flaming Sun, that's where they stole this concept from
Stop believing and read your bible logically
The new testament is really old astrology
Jesus is the son of God no lie
But they might be talking about the Sun up in the sky
The Sun, that hangs on the cross of the zodiac
The zodiac with twelve signs to be exact
Each sign is a house, and you should keep in mind
Each house equals, a period of time
The time, two thousand years and that's a fact
It's called an age or a house in the zodiac
The twelve disciples, are twelve months of reason
The four gospels signify the four seasons
When Jesus fed the multitude with two fishes
It signified the Age of Pisces, not fish or dishes
If you read the bible astrologically it's clearer (no doubt)
The next age will be the age of the water-bearer
It's called the Age of Aquarius (word)
When logic and truth will take care of us
So in this age, of spiritual dignity
You'll see a rise in femininity
and creativity, meshed with masculinity
You got to get with me, this is your true her-story (rrryyy!)
This is it, New York City
It's very rare you get to hear it like this
We bringin? it back to y'all golden age
Watch this, here we go
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back, the teacha's back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
Had to chill for a minute so you could see what was whack
Rappers enter the game to increase they stack
No skill, no style, man, please step back
This that real, real, raw, raw, rah, rah, rappin?
We started off street, now you pop, what's happenin??
You callin? me contradictory
Yet I'm the most consistent MC in rap's history
Is that the mic? Give it to me, hip hop, it's livin? in me
I smack rappers in they mouth deliberately
KRS-One, I really MC
I'm the difference between real and Music TV
We ain't done, uh huh
We ain't done, let's go
Here we go, here we go
Y'all been waitin? for this
Here we go
I spit them conscious lyrics for those that can hear it
I'd rather rhyme about the mind and the body and spirit
But them cats be too hardheaded, they like, ?Aww, forget it?
'Til they locked up and they blood is sheddin?
I really spit conscious rap
And when I say stop the violence
How you think we stoppin? that?
With a flower, a protest, a rally, a band
Oh no, I got the baseball bat in my hand
Overstand, I'm takin? a stand, not takin? ?The? stand
I don't disrespect women ?cause I'm a man
And some say fe-man
You uninformed journalists, y'all can talk to the hand
On my block, women get respect and trust
?Cause when you diss a woman you dissin? her fetus
And dissin? our unborn children will defeat us
I'm not an elitist, I just know the world need us
And the whole world don't need y'all
Y'all just beatmakers
You need to learn from Marley Marl
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
The teacha's back
The teacha's back, the heat is back
Only a few... will understand
and appreciate what's about to happen
Das EFX, come in!!!
[Verse One: Das EFX]
[Drayz]
Well it's the super duper rhymer rhymer I'm about to set it
Niggaz best forget it let it be or you'll regret it D
So what it B... the D to the fuckin P
(Yo it's me the lyricist they fear in this as you can see)
I be's the ultimate, drop the ultra shit, fuck the other shit
Biggety buttah shit is how we comin kid we runnin shit
Now who you fuckin with is Diggey Das EFX'n
We flexin, cause kid we got this rhyme and took effect y'all
[Books]
Aiyyo I figgety flow I rocket blow a nigga out the socket
Keep in mind to keep the dread, now they like my pocket, watch it
It's the rhyme fiend about a second from the crime scene
The boogie banger twisted off the lime green
Fuck a dime we, strictly fifty, the BDP and Hit Squad committee
King of my city, ask my cousin Smitty, yo
Got to get the dough, got to blow the spot
Diggity Das KRS East coast on lock
[Verse Two: Das-EFX, KRS]
[Drayz]
To corny niggaz y'all get ate, my shit'll make you faint
So much platinum on my walls that I can hardly see the fuckin paint
You think it ain't before a year and stopped recordin
Now look we comin back and runnin shit like fuckin Michael Jordan
Accordin, to my niggaz in the sewer
Yo you a, corny nigga so we gots ta do ya
[Books]
This for my niggaz on the block, handlin rock like Kenny Anderson
I'm brandishin, stiggedy styles to keep MC's vanishing
Scattering, fuck it, styles don't be mattering
My pattern's amazing son Blazing like a Saddle and
Battling's a no-no, got more Fame than Coco
I'm paid and still drips ya with a blade from my logo
So take your, style and Go-Go like D.C. niggaz
Y'all know the haps we movin strapped on the East nigga
[Drayz]
Yo, yo, well miggedy mayday, mayday, it's Crazy Drayz's payday
I riggedy wreck it eryday, kick shit like fuckin Pele
But wait a, minute, cause we get in it for the masses
For classes, yo KRS come get up in they asses
[KRS]
What... I say, follow me follow me
with my syllable syllable lyrical criminal
MC threats are minimal to my phsyical they just
whittle and whittle away, with little and little to say
As they piddle and paddle away, they say OK
But I chop that ass up anyway
What's your handle I got mad MC heads upon a mantle
I got genuine MC skin sandals
I light the mic up like a candle, watch it melt
Cause when I felt lyrics you both are screamin for help
when you hear it, you can't bear it, you can't even wear it
You oughts to just cheer it, go get it spirit!!
As I fa-la-la-la-la, I'm comin with that rara
Rockin mics when you was googoo gaga to your momma
You wanted to battle KRS when you was young you told your poppa
He slapped you in your head and said UHH-UHH
But you didn't heed the warning
Now I'm in the place, now I'm your face
Lookin at your crew but they all broke out
because they nothin but lace
KRS is like mace, in your motherfuckin face
Justin is the pimp on the block
he smacks and cracks around hoes alot
every day around 3 o'clock
you can hear all the nasty talk
he loves the dizease infested little whores
whose mouths and things are covered with herpes sores
he brags to the public about how he scores
with 12 year old girls behind convinience stores
his brain is gone from smoking crack
he lost his hair, it won't grow back
he carries around a burlap sack
and searches around for a needle to slap
hes a drug addicted little boy
who infests your town with disease
don't play around with his toy
if you don't want it to burn when you pee
Wake up your mind black people, it's ill
Superior people use superior skill
We can defeat any congressional bill at will
The hip-hop nation will prevail
all problems in society with inner city philosophy
The hip-hop in me must come out or die to lock in me, no doubt
Executed properly
I bigin to shout out, splat out approximately
three single syllable words per second
like I am God, you are God, we are God, forget it
Time to sell it in a lyrical battle, I'll never jet it
Like a shot to ya head I'm embedded in your mind
With constant conscience lyrical rhyme
At the end of time, I'll be in my prime
Read the sign, men, rhymin
like an oratorical shymin
I look still but I'm climbin
Newsflash here's the latest findin
Ya whole environment created in ya mind and in ya heart
Hip-hop displays art
The highest level of mental expression, play your part
Hook:
I'm the intelligent wise on the mic (x3)
Everybody knows
All these motherfuckers tryin to be large
with their two car garage just like El DeBarge
It's played out, fadin out, over
Talk to ya broker, time to give back that Range Rover, soldier!
I told ya woe onto the hip-hop perpetrator
Wholesome like a neighbour stealin all ya flavour
Danger danger ya better rearrange ya thinkin
Check what you eatin and drinkin, ya breath is stinkin
with the stench of a snitch with information, leakin
linkin up with the enemies of Kris speakin
But I'm already in 1999
feelin fine while most MCs will be out of sight and outta mind
Rewind cos I got a little bit of time
Negativity will be wiped out by pain after turpentine
I find my rhymes combines mobility, creativity
positivity, purger of sensibility
to a wide vicinity, engulfin your facility
O silly me, killin me I begin to see your stupidity
I rock way hard you can't get wit me
or go wit me or float wit me
Frankly, this is wrong, people, poetry
Forget ya little off-the-head rhyme
It's way past your bedtime, for the tenth time
forget tryin ta get mine
I went from the park with my arc in the dark
A simple spark, the little Park sparked now I'm in ya heart
Everytime you think I'm comin one way, I come another way
If you ain't got no fly rhymes, say today
Run away, run away, run away....little boy
Like the TAT crew I terrorise your toys
Noise is what I hear
when you shout your rhyme into the atmosphere
The blast master's here!
Hook (x2)
Now which motherfucker wants their title tooken, defended
I see my schedule it's open-ended
I can move somethin around like ya booty ass sound, beginner
What happened? You couldn't be an Apollo Amatuer Night winner?
Now the teacher you retrudge
Don't you know I am that lyrical gate keeper
You'll get railed like the sleeper
No peep tha, no peep mine, no peep this hard style
that keeps the party floatin like a foetus, meanwhile
you hold your head, you can't belive this godchild
This *?sins?* recommend ya and because you're not fertile
or fertile {pronounced "fertil"}
Your reflex's slow like a turtle
Yeah my picture you circle from papers and journals
Without rehearsal, *?mic is first all?* is the worst
I verse, I burst sua
Into a million children
in Tiananmen buildings
Willing and start illing, comin thru the ceiling
[Redman]
Alright everybody move back from the ropes
If you don't move back we're gonna turn this music off
and that's my word, move back!
Word is bond let's get this shit goin
Word up, it's the Funk Doc in the house
say hell yeah! HELL YEAH!
Say fuck yeah! FUCK YEAH!
Word up, it's the Funk Doc Spock you don't stop
It's my man KRS you don't stop
It's the girl Angie you don't stop
With the hah haha ha haha hah!!
[Angie Martinez]
It's the Butter Pecan Rican speakin deletin
other radio jocks that think they competin
they pre-sweetened, like candy, I'm hot like pepper
Big up to Sandy but my name is Angie
Martinez, what a true microphone fiend is
Steppin up lovely with MY, AD-IDAS
through your speakers, representin
boriquas, and all hip-hop rhyme seekers
You may think I'm crazy right, but I'm crazy hype
Slay this nice y'all, everytime Angie grab the mic
I jams it right tonight, not the hardest
But peep the style of this Puerto Rican Goddess
[Redman]
Aiyyo yo yo yo, stop the music!
Aiyyo back up off the ropes, man, word up!
Yo get from the off the ropes
Now aiyyo yo yo, KRS-One, come again the selector!
[KRS-One]
It's been a long time but we made it, you waited
You gettin frustrated cause these MC's in trainin
Skills on the mic for a royalty save it
Pullin down rap so that others can't make it
They can't fake it in front of KRS they naked
That same old MC trend I'm here to break it
The highly conceptional multidirectional
Hot in ninety-seven so I guess I'm flexible
Rap relieve stress so yes I guess it's medical
All your wrecking and raping is still theoretical
Redman, you know you must understand (Whatup?)
Redman, you know you gots to understand (Hah! Whatup love?)
Angie, rockin with the one BDP (Ha, haha)
Representin right now at Hit Factory
[Redman]
One two hah, and you don't quit
It's Kris and Angie with the ultimate
One two hah, and you don't quack
It's Funk Doc smoke weed and don't smoke crack
Hahaha, hah, and you don't quit
Hoohahhahah, and you don't quit
I rock jams like, Samsonites with mics
Stage two boomin system and flood the lights
The lyrical, fo'-fo's lettin off like suppose
Reggie Reg is rockin on the ra-dioooo!
Hahh, huh, the oooh-child too chill
Caps peeled, Someone In My Bed like Dru Hill
Raise em up, cause I feel my spot can't be touched
No time for the Pauline jack, hit the clutch
Shotgun what?? It's the high exalted
Ruler of the buddha, the cash make my pockets
stick out like a tumor, for the consumers
I get busy with La Pluma, detonate the bomb
to make you hibernate sooner, certified luna-tic
My click run deeper than Charlie Tuna
Kahunas, raw for the able key movers
all over the hood like them Crooked I coolers
Bang maneuvers, from Jerz to Vancouver
Back to the Bronx with heartbeats ample looped up
I Blastmast like Kris, funk abyss
like a phone chauvenist with a Roley on the wrist
Sike! I can afford it, less I slaughtered
three platinum niggaz and none of em prerecorded
KRS-One need to be runnin for office
I, brrrrrrrrrrrrrring!
Philosophy when I s-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-ing!
I step like wildabeasts, killll-llll-lllling!
MC's harming me I sling-lllll-ling!
Rhymes don't copy me you gots to be crazzzyaaayyyyy
Yet you believe that you can slay me play me maybe
Flip the style I be killll-illl-ing, the track
Obey me, easssssse back, you're silly wack and idle
Give me back the title my arrival questions the survival
of any rival rapper you're simply a promotional data
Me, Kris the Master, beat, this the Master
Seek, Kris the Master, eat, with the Master
Treat, this the Master, but don't compete with the Master
or you'll seek disaster
Faster than the BlastMaster's folk can say "Oh!"
That means YOU yo, you wrestlin with the style in your mind
but I'm like sumo, doin judo, you know
I go then you go, lyrics we run through run through
You think you got the 4-1-1
But I got the 5-5-5-1-2-1-2
You're done through rhyme sessions with the teacher
you know you shouldn'ta come to
"Once again back is the incredible, rhyme animal" --> Chuck D
KRS, K-K-KRS (or variations)
(repeat 4X)
Canibus/Can-I-bust, like weed?
And give you what you need
There's the kickoff and KRS-One has the lead!
Indeed I'm all around your neck like beads, raw hell
I knock like doorbells, I'm hot while you chili/chilly like Hormel
I'ma sure sell, no doubt
How you think you gonna battle and take me out
with my phrases in your mouth?
Stop I rock your socks your blocks and set fire
to your Reeboks, can't you see dat de God of rap I be dat
From the highest tree top you'll hang
I ride the fly cars like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
You can't hang, with my mic con-cep-tion
Cause we're not in the same gang, my juice is instant like Tang
You rhyme beginner, wack rap sinner
You attack next snap back CRACK and I'm the winner
But that's simple for me to do as I'm speakin defeatin you
Fairly beatin not cheatin you, heat-seekin and leakin through
All styles be creepin through, in amazement they keepin you
You be thinking, "What were you doin? The teacher competes with you?"
You can run like the people do or you stay and you see it through
I be lyrically eatin you anywhere I be seein you
On the hip like I'm beepin you in your mental you're peek-a-boo
No limit what we can do metaphorically teachin you
Tell me what can you show me, simply you do not know me
No I am not your homie, yo my lyrics are Epic
but I'm not down with Sony, in the middle like Monie
Scarfacin like Tony, your whole style is baloney
You think you off the hook... but you're simply a pho-ney
"Once again back is the incredible, rhyme animal" --> Chuck D
K-K-K, KRS (or variations)
Look who just walked in the door
Look who just walked in, DJ Premier, huh, word up
Oh, you got Poet wit'chu, Blaq Po' whattup man
Yo, gimme some headphones
Yeah, distort the mic, Marley, I want you to distort the mic
We gon' do it like we used to do it
Aiyyo Premier, there the turntables
Do your thing man, rock on
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
KRS, Wild Style'n today
I stay controversial like Guantanamo Bay
My society is secret, sort of like the boulet
I'm not a average MC, I don't say what they say
I don't play what they play, I'm the type to find the needle
At the bottom of hay, that's why I'm rockin' today
Often they say "No way", until I say
Da-da-da-day and the crowd go "Hey"
From the time I stepped in the game
Kris been clear 'bout his rep and his name
I don't tolerate disrespect to my name
To uplift my people that's the reason I came
If you believe in peace then we believe in the same
If you believe in war I got that tec for your brain
If you think I'm a whore, man, you must be insane
I'm war in reverse like Big Daddy Kane raw
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
DJ Premier
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
My man Poet
DJ Marley Marl, Bronx connection, Queens bridge connection
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
I know y'all motherfuckers ain't gon' believe this
Poet on the track with the nigga that dissed Queen's bridge
Let me show y'all how to bury the hatchet
The Blastmaster, with the Black Bastard, a classic
This is one for your dome
Niggaz must understand, it's hip-hop full blown
Gimme the mic, I'ma stay shittin'
I'ma stay rippin' and banana clip spittin'
Niggaz know, Blaq Po', green beret flow
It's nuttin' to me, I do it all day yo
The victory is almost here
I'm at the front line, yo, Kris, pull up on they rear
We got the shit surrounded, time to wild out
Nigga what you wan' do, nigga don't ask me, this is your LP
Marley hollered at Preem, Preem hollered at me
Now I'm standin' here warrior, reppin' QB
Nigga what's really good, what it's gon' be?
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
DJ Premier
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
Marley Marl whattup
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
This ain't what you're used to
KRS-One, Marley Marl, BDP with the Juice Crew
Who knew 20 years after Scott Marley Marl would pass the rock?
And I'd dribble it, dribble it, livin' it, nibble it a little bit
Before I enter the club and start killin' it
K-R-R, S-wah-wah-One
Yes they'd be the stars, me I'd be the sun
Jump right off the stage, breakin', breakin' you off
KRS is the best, of c-c-course
Street to the c-c-core, down by l-law
You the number 1 MC, oh sh-sh-sure
Meet me at the c-club, if you thinkin' you thug
KRS and Poet, this the type of hip-hop you love
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
Marley Marl
The victory is almost there, just a little bit of
You rocked it, kid, you rocked it
[Intro/Chorus:]
[Krs]
Let's Do It!
[Cold Crush]
When I say how then you say ho
and if somebody say thug then you say so
cuz theres hell below and you aint tryin to go
so get ready for the throw down
Headz catch wreck and bums get done
B.D.P., Cold Crush & Krs One
nowhere to hide, nowhere to run
so get ready for the throw down
[Verse 1]
[Krs]
Throw down, low down
Mc's get throw down
I mastered the sentence, paragraph & pronouns
I think you oughta go down
you cant stand the blow of toe to toe now!
that you heard all the rap criminals
skills minimal, dispicable,
check out the rhyme original
indivisible justice for all
before ya learned to walk, you gots ta learn to crawl
before ya learned to crawl, you gots to be born
now before you were born, your folks had to get it on
The point to the matter comin from the blastmaster
is hip hop culture might be headed for disaster
All these wack rappers don't know the past data
They act like hip hop history doesn't matter
So when you see Krs One brace the stage
the difference that you see, has to do wit my age
Fresh in 74....Fresh in 75
Fresh in 76 when Mc's rocked live to cassette
Fresh in 77 don't forget
Fresh in 78 on a turntable set
Fresh in 79
Fresh in 80 I was grandmaster G wit my man double T
Fresh in 81
Fresh in 82 when DJ Mad Mike off of Church Avenue in the B-K
BROOKLYN-FLATBUSH!!!...when B-K MC's got mushed!
Fresh in 83, 84 and 85 when I moved back to the B-X and got live
Fresh in 86......Fresh in 87
Fresh in 88 after Scott went to heaven
Fresh in 89......Fresh in 90
Im Fesh in 91, 92 and 93
Fresh in 94, 95 don't be forgetten
Fresh in 96 and Fresher in 97
Fresh in 98 and Fresh in 99
In the new millenium I'll be aroused in your mind so....
[Chorus]
[Verse 2]
[Krs]
What does it take to be a real MC?
it means you can't write rhymes for the tv
cuz a real MC, whether amatuers or pros
MC that knows how to rock live shows
another thing while I sing MC talk
a real MC never diss New York
cuz if you knew the time while your rhymin MC'n
you'd know that New York is hip hop's garden of Eden
and if this aint sacred, we neva gonna make it
your disin your very own hip hop tradition
you know why when I grab the mic I'm superior
cuz I was at the Roxy and Danceteria
Krs a product of respect and courtesy
while the rapper is a product of the record company
Im not braggin but this is what hip hop is achievin
it's becomin all rap and no Mc'in
still we aint seein, cuz still we aint believin
the West and the East of hip hop can cease
[Cold Crush]
Hey yall this is true
the boys in blue gotta plan for you
dont mess wit the suits cuz they do too
so whatcha gonna do
Tried to be the best
live positive and free from stress
dont limit yourself to east or west
whose the very best...
[Krs]
Krs...I warm up your chest while your bones untangle
the lyrics hit your head then goes down your ankle
I'm saved for rainy days like casserole
then rediscovered later like the dead sea scrolls
you wanna get out the ghetto, the projects and profit
but first negativity you gots to stop it
Big up the east coast and the west coast
but you cant big up no coast when your ghost
I can see now how the other man stole rock and roll
and guitar rippin cuz we was bullshit
sick of eatin chicken,
but fix it theres time tickin
we spittin and complainin but the worlds rearrangin
still we doin the same, whose to blame we dont need this
its not black strangness, its black weakness
[KRS-One]
Where the real at!
Where the real at!
Yeah!
[KRS-one]
Where I come from gats bust for nothin'
Thugs, ministers, cops, teachers, all be hustlin'
Your family's the only one ya trustin'
Clubs be jumpin', redesigned cars be bumpin'
Now there's ranks supreme KRS is a free man
In Hip-Hop culture, I'm like Allen Greenspan
I tell the culture what's hot and what's not
Now look who's on top and look whose shit just dropped
We ain't about sellin' records, we ain't music merchants
We emcees we go straight to the club and hurt shit
[Hook]
New York, New Jers', Boston, COME ON!
California, D.C., Baltimore, COME ON!
Texas, Atlanta, New Orleans, COME ON!
Philly to Chicago, Carolinas, COME ON!
Memphis to Nashville, Colorado, COME ON!
Detroit to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, COME ON!
Seattle to Miami, Arizona, COME ON!
San Fran', Oakland, Hip-Hop, COME ON!
[KRS-One]
Down to the spot this is real Hip-Hop
Join this movement; them other cats steal a lot
You can feel the knowledge of self or feel this glock
I'm authentic, KRS I'm really hot
Yo, what up Fat Joe that's my nigga for life
Remember when Pun fell off the stage, right on my wife
In the Bronx, we all laugh about it today
What up Freddie Fox, 2 Glocks, Pik and Spay
Dr.Dre all day, both of them
Dr.Dre with Ed Lover and the one with Eminem
This a movement, all over the world we reach
I can prove it, all over the world I teach
You hear that Dr.King, “I Have A Dream” speech a lot
But no where is it manifested but in Hip-Hop
While them other cats be lookin' for a radio song
I'm in Washington Heights, puttin' them Dominicans on
You can feel it I'm strong, I last longer lets do it
You want the real Hip-Hop well join this movement
We ain't about sellin' records, we ain't music merchants
We emcees we go to the club and straight hurt shit
[Hook]
Utah, Minnesota, Mexico, COME ON!
V.A., Arkansas, Portland, COME ON!
Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, COME ON!
East St.Louis, Milwaukee man, COME ON!
Montreal, Toronto, Canada, COME ON!
East Coast, West Coast, Dirty South, COME ON!
Mid-West, Bible Belt, Up-Top, COME ON!
Hip-Hop, COME ON!
[KRS-One] Yeah, all my fathers
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[KRS-One] Uh.. uh, word
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin
[KRS-One] Uh.. hold your head up!
[Tekitha] Survivin, survivin
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin, survivin, survivin
[Verse One: uncredited - possibly Shuman]
Yo, time to do what we gotta do
These days, livin ain't true, but I ain't mad at you
I don't got time for the stress and the nonsense
So I try to stay blessed, but it's all tense
When I awake, feel the sun on my right side
It make me wanna grab a gun and change my lifestyle
But it only goes so far, so live it up
Or realize what you know star, and give it up
Or either switch it up, gotta keep reppin on
And lookin out for our kids, like the rest of (?)
Now I know how it is, and what you're handin me
So I can calculate the right moves for my family, yo
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[KRS-One] Keep on!
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin
[KRS-One] C'mon, c'mon!
[Tekitha] Survivin, survivin
[KRS-One] C'mon, that's right
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin
[KRS-One] Word up!
[Tekitha] Survivin, survivin
[Verse Two: KRS-One]
C'mon, let's do this
When it comes to the cash, we ain't equal
Rich man, poor man, poverty defeats you
Where my people? Yo, Kris see you
There's only one of you, that's why you gotta be you
Them others be see-through, flashin and flossin
Me I'm with Inebriated Beats in Boston
Strivin, survivin, we get cash often
But do you really know what daycare be costin?
All my fathers, all my mothers
All my sisters, all my brothers
Hold your head up and teach them younger cats
It ain't where you're from, it's where you're at!
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin, survivin, survivin
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin, survivin, survivin
[Verse Three: uncredited - possibly Priest]
Now see I'm livin just to die without most any reason
So I keep on chasin paper 'til it's time to go
But should I really go for mine and put the clip all in the 9
Or stay at the 9 to 5 a day I just don't know
But a brother got a daughter I gotta support her
Caught up in the system inside a order, man I can't afford
a kitted Escalade, or bling bling
And so I gotta keep survivin, is the song that I keep singin
I try to keep my head off the floor, the country's goin to war
While Bush is givin dough to NASA and ain't feedin the poor
But I keep love over these beats, these beats keep me alive
Alive, I got to stay the Priest, I will survive y'all
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[KRS-One] Uh, word
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin, survivin, survivin
[KRS-One] C'mon, c'mon.. SURVIVIN
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[KRS-One] Uhh! Keep your head up, word!
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin, survivin, survivin
[KRS-One] C'mon, uhh.. SURVIVIN
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[KRS-One] Uh
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin, survivin, survivin
[KRS-One] Word! Uh-huh
[Tekitha] That survive, gotta ride to break the illusion, confusion
[KRS-One] Uh.. ALL MY FATHERS
[Tekitha] Keep on fightin, strivin, survivin, survivin
[KRS-One] Word!
[KRS-One]
Sadat X, is down wit us
Stud Doogie, is down wit us
Lord Jamar, down wit us
Alamo, you down wit us
Grand Puba, down wit us
Brand Nubian, down wit us
Shuman, you down wit us
Yo Priest, you down wit us
Marlo, you down wit us
Choco, you down wit us
Vangod(?), you down wit us
Desmond Terrow(?), you down wit us
Cliff Cultrary(?), you down wit us
Yo Tekitha, you down wit us
Aiyyo RZA, you down wit us
The whole Wu-Tang, is down wit us
Makin funky music is a must!
Makin funky music is a must!
{"Stop scheming!" - Milk Dee}
{"What more can I say?" - Milk Dee"}
{"Stop scheming!"}
[repeat 4X]
{"What more can I say? - Stop scheming!"}
{"Stop scheming!"}
{"Stop scheming!"}
{"What more can I say?"}
{"What more can I say?"}
{"Stop scheming!"}
[KRS-One]
Yo I'm, I'm here to see a friend
He came here last night about 12:10
The charge? Well he killed his girlfriend
Huh? Fill this out - yo you got a pen?
What time did I come in?
Yes, yeah I'll follow you
Oh there he go - yo whassup? Man you went OUT yo!
Tchk, yo how you shruggin your shoulders?
You lookin at double life here soldier!
[Joe - singing #1]
Tell me what was on your mind
You should've thought a second time
Now you gotta leave your dreams behind
For life.. {"What more can I say? - Stop scheming!"}
[KRS-One]
See that's what I'm sayin, you gots to change your attitude G
Listen to me, the judge seein your case is a thirty-three degree
Maybe you can find your pops, a thirty-three degree
And see if you can be free by no later than three
Yo why you lookin at me like that? What'chu mean it's whack?
You got a six figure bail and not a dime in the sack
See I told you, one day you'd caught her last time creepin
You shoulda just let her go but you couldn't stop schemin
[repeat 2X: Joe - singing #2]
Shoulda just walked away, walked away
Walked away..
Now they got you locked away, locked away
Locked away.. {"What more can I say?"}
{"Stop scheming!"}
[Joe] Whoa-ohhhh!
[KRS-One]
Nah nah, na nah nah nah yo listen man you ever heard of
the fact that you get one time for premeditated murder?
Um, don't argue man just yesterday y'all were kissin and huggin
What you lost your temper or somethin?
Huh? Yeah well killin a lady WORSE
You should always think FIRST!
Yo I'ma try to.. tchk here comes the C.O.
Yo whassup Thompson? Yo I'll say whassup to your P.O.
[Joe singing #1]
[Joe singing #2] - 1/2
{"What more can I say? - Stop scheming!"}
Chorus:
Woop-woop!
That's the sound of da police!
Woop-woop!
That's the sound of the beast!
Verse One:
Stand clear! Don man a-talk
You can't stand where I stand, you can't walk where I walk
Watch out! We run New York
Police man come, we bust him out the park
I know this for a fact, you don't like how I act
You claim I'm sellin' crack
But you be doin' that
I'd rather say "see ya"
Cause I would never be ya
Be a officer? You WICKED overseer!
Ya hotshot, wanna get props and be a saviour
First show a little respect, change your behavior
Change your attitude, change your plan
There could never really be justice on stolen land
Are you really for peace and equality?
Or when my car is hooked up, you know you wanna follow me
Your laws are minimal
Cause you won't even think about lookin' at the real criminal
This has got to cease
Cause we be getting HYPED to the sound of da police!
Chorus
Verse Two:
Now here's a likkle truth
Open up your eye
While you're checking out the boom-bap, check the exercise
Take the word "overseer," like a sample
Repeat it very quickly in a crew for example
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Officer, Officer, Officer, Officer!
Yeah, officer from overseer
You need a little clarity?
Check the similarity!
The overseer rode around the plantation
The officer is off patroling all the nation
The overseer could stop you what you're doing
The officer will pull you over just when he's pursuing
The overseer had the right to get ill
And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill
The officer has the right to arrest
And if you fight back they put a hole in your chest!
(Woop!) They both ride horses
After 400 years, I've _got_ no choices!
The police them have a little gun
So when I'm on the streets, I walk around with a bigger one
(Woop-woop!) I hear it all day
Just so they can run the light and be upon their way
Chorus
Verse Three:
Check out the message in a rough stylee
The real criminals are the C-O-P
You check for undercover and the one PD
But just a mere Black man, them want check me
Them check out me car for it shine like the sun
But them jealous or them vexed cause them can't afford one
Black people still slaves up til today
But the Black police officer nah see it that way
Him want a salary
Him want it
So he put on a badge and kill people for it
My grandfather had to deal with the cops
My great-grandfather dealt with the cops
My GREAT grandfather had to deal with the cops
And then my great, great, great, great... when it's gonna stop?!
[Intro]
... to you super listeners
How you doin' tonight
All you fly guys and fly girls
Welcome once again to the world famous Mister Magic Rap Attack
And of course I am...
[Verse 1]
Way way back before the *Hots* and the *Powers*
We used to listen to live mixing for hours
Rocks and Shantay, U.T.F.O.
Mister magic rap attack some of y'all know
But I was in the shelter in weakness, homeless, turntableless and microphoneless
Fresh gearless, but still I was fearless and focused on being the dopest MC alive
It's '85, LL's on Def Jam with the best jam
And Whodini's on job
Man you know I had to survive
New York City was crazy in the 80's but damn it was live
So here comes the Juice Crew with MC Shan
Shantay's already the queen
Marley's already the man
Y'all don't really understand
When you throw on Shantay or Shan it got live in the jam
So we went to Mister Magic
If anybody had to power to put you on he had it
We gave up the demo tape no love lost
But it seems Mister Magic just brushed us off
Somehow we heard we were wack
Every track, and that we shouldn't even call back
Right there my chore dropped, no doubt
But it made me see what I was all about
[Chorus]
And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got
I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got
We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got
We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got
[Verse 2]
In the spot new Hip-Hop and Latin corners
And the Union Square and the rooftop
We used to hear them tunes pop in the parking lot
Where it got dark a lot
Me and Scott La Rock
But it was all for the Hip-Hoppers
Salt-N-Pepa answered Doug E Fresh with *The Show Stoppa*
MC Shan was gonna challenge LL
Shantay was battlelin' 3 or 4 groups at the same time what the hell
Answer records were big then
After Shantay did it everybody was trying to spit them
So we spit off, to tell you the truth it was the only way an MC could get on
We answered MC Shan's *Queensbridge*
A dope jam about where he was from and where he lived
But in the Bronx there was these kids
KRS, Scott La Rock trying to live
[Chorus]
And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got
I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got
We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got
We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
...give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got
[Verse 3]
This it what an MC was
We had a strong street buzz
Marley and Shan showed us some love
And love never hurt
Cause while Shan was with Marley we was with DJ Red Alert
Every Friday night, every Saturday night
On the airwaves the battle was right
Under New York nights, ????
Jar King at night
The rocks used to get so hype
You could put on your headset and get with heads ????
Live MC's going *check check*
Spitin' rhymes over the radio set
These are the days and the ways I can never forget
So I don't forget it
To Marley and Shan I am indebted
For the start of my career these guys could take credit
For my rappin', the whole battle they let it all happen
Marley and Shan and Shantay could have been guns trappin' cousin
But they wasn't, and you know why
Cause we was on some real Hip-Hop
Lets keep it buzzin'
[Intro]
[D.J. Premier]
Tellin' it like it is, right about now D.J. Premier is in the
motherfuckin' house and shit, ya know what I'm sayin'? But yo,
yo Kris, run that shit, ya know what I'm sayin'? That, that shit,
my joint. Run that motherfucker...it's only right kid...
[KRS-One]
(Do it, do it, do it...)
Drop that bassline...
You want lyrics? We give ya lyrics. Check it out now, one time...
(Do it, do it, do it...)
When we come in all de dance 'nuff D.J.'s shut up, woy!
Gal! Will ya come slap dem up
When we come in all de dance 'nuff D.J.'s shut up, woy!
Ill Will, slap dem up
[Verse]
[Ill Will]
MC's get ate, get broken like a pretzel
and get dissed if they ever try to step to
They can't take a MC with loose lips
Talk a lotta shit (but sink no motherfuckin' ships)
Lyrics make bigger holes than hollow tips
Watch another rapper body get stiff
Just like in church, we pass the basket
as I preach over his casket
Fuck it, kick the body right over
and say "See ya, hmm...nice to know ya"
Got another rapper to see
Yo Kris, bust that ass (certainly)
[KRS-One]
If you're shiverin' get off the pot
Let the original rapper rock the spot
You stand there and jock, goin' (mumbles)
This is absolutely ludicrous, what can you do to Kris
Chattin' foolishness, step along quick with that stupidness
It's me rippin' this for self, where else ya lookin'?
I got more rhymes than all the Jamaicans in Brooklyn
So beat it or be seated, Gee I'm mad undefeated
Young boy, you can't see me, run along and make pee-pee
I was rockin' rhymes when "La-Di-Da-Di" was a demo
Admit you been on my tip for years and just can't seem to let go
Go, go call your mother, tell her you wanna battle KRS quick
I bet the minute you get home you'll get your ass whipped
Crazy ill mad styles is what I give'em
Not a run-of-the-mill'em, I drill'em, I got ridiculous rhythm
None of my styles you can get with'em
Still um, will um, your crew come get some so I can kill'em
[Ill Will]
Well I roll by myself but don't let it fool ya
If I got beef my crew'll damn step to ya
We don't play no games, I'll come straight to your rest
Lift up your shirt and blast you in your chest
[Well that was fresh]
[KRS-One]
A fad doesn't fill the bill, but mad skills will
Don't let me have to kill you kid, god forbid still
Greed will lead your need to succeed
but your speed, your speech
Your outreach is a breach of what I teach
For lyrical styles you're a leech
If I was Spanish I'd say, ("You lie like a beech")
Wow-wow-wow-wow, wow-wow-wow, wow-wow-wow...
Wow, for a amateur you really looked hard
But you're really a bitch, when you get it together
call me, here's my card
Check the list: you lack breath control, mental behaviour
Lyrical talent, imagination and flavour
I got no time for amateur rhyme, you could be hurt
Thinkin' you're hard because you wear a gangsta T-Shirt
I'll smash your wanna-be ass in the deep dirt
Black, you'll come up dizzy sayin' "How da fuck he do dat?"
'cause you're yappin' like you can't be reached
If your name ain't Arrested Development, well save your speech
Time to ill, I got mad skills to fill
Not a fake, I got more styles than Drake's got Tasty Cakes
Gotta be the best Gee, don't try to test me
You'll get jacked son, even if your name is not Jesse
Let's be up front when I meet ya
Peace, uh, I'm the motherfuckin' teacher
[Outro]
When we come in all de dance 'nuff D.J.'s shut up, woy!
Gal! Will ya come slap dem up
When we come in all de dance 'nuff D.J.'s shut up, woy!
Gal! Will ya come slap dem up, up, up, up, up...
(Do it, do it, do it...) [x2]
Yo...South Bronx, South South Bronx
South Bronx, South South...yo, Uptown
Brooklyn's in the house, lemme tell ya 'bout Staten Island
[Verse One:]
Blastmaster Kris I don't talk ish
Expand your conciousness and dismiss foolishness
No one is new to this or new to Kris
In hip-hop's atomic structure, I am the nucleus
That is the center of the group we/us
they/them/you, every squad every massive every crew
Dental floss is lost when a true rapper jumps off
The cash is incidental but not mental distract you off course
The style that I am kickin is like chicken
It will be bitten, rewritten, then performed for a $25 admission
Reviewed in The Source
You will listen then find somethin missin of course... it's skills
That's what you're fishin for, it's lost
I'm gettin too explicit, the track jingles
I won't do a wack album then remix it for my single
Kickin rhymes til I wrinkle, and my brown eyes twinkle
God called hip-hop for the nine-cinco
[Verse Two:]
Tasty like a souflee french croisant on Tuesday
Rappers be boo-tay
Goo-fy that's how they crew stay
Bitin whatever you say to boost they ego
We know the steelo, your whole character is foul
Makes me want to shoot a free throw, BLAOWW
From the git go, no, get go, my flow hits low
Wherever all the dope shit go, there's where my shit go
Bee-dee-bee-bo, skank, I think
Self with ya groups everyone else and the bank
Others like to bring the shottie to the party
I bring knowledge of self, you cure the mind, you cure the body
Some rappers like to come to the party, hopin to leave with somebody
check, I come with skills and I leave with your motherfuckin respect
Ahh yeah... so check, UH!
[Verse Three:]
New types of verbal hip-hop I bring
When you know you can sing BOY you know you can sing
I do not clutter up the airwaves, with stacks of useless facts
MC's trying to be macks, but acts like ignorant blacks
Freak that, I'll snap your back as it cracks
you will experience, loss or lack of balance
Stop the violence, fry from week to week like an allowance
All of you are cowards hiding behind the mask of MC
I remember, thinkin back to eighty-three
No video, no you had to be a real live MC
Now you younguns grow up buggin, any new jock you're huggin
weak production, let me tell you somethin
Any MC can battle for glory
But to kick a dope rhyme to wake up your people's another story
Act like you never saw me
Reality, ain't always the truth
Rhymes Equal Actual Life, In The Youth
"These are the streets!
Shit is real out here!
This ain't no fuckin joke!"
I lived in a spot called Millbrooke Projects
The original Criminal Minded rap topic
With twenty cents in my pocket I saw the light
If you're young gifted and black, you got no rights
Your only true right, is a right to a fight
and not a fair fight, I wake up wonderin who died last night
Everyone and everything is at war
Makin my poetic expression hardcore
I ain't afraid to say it, and many can't get with it
At times in my life, I was a welfare recipient
I ate the free cheese, while the church said believe
and went to school everyday, like a god damn fool
Well anyway, here I am, chillin at the party
Brothers lookin at me like they wanna kill somebody
A cypher manifested in the center of the jam
I got to show these wack rappers really who I am
It's me against them, so I clear the phlegm
and wage the war, hardcore to the end
For someone lookin inside, yeah from the out
it seems like disrespect is what rap is all about
But hip-hop as a culture, is really what we give it
But sometimes the culture contradicts how we live it
Cause every black kid lives two and three lives
The city's a jungle, only the strong will survive
Reality, ain't always the truth
Rhymes Equal Actual Life, In The Youth
Reality, ain't always the truth
Rhymes Equal Actual Life, In The Youth
Every single day I hear lie after lie
Like "Black people don't die, we multiply"
So when I kick a rhyme I represent how I feel
The sacred street art of keepin it real
Why I gotta listen, to somebody else?
How they got wealth, let me talk about myself
But all I really got is hip-hop and a glock
The results are obvious, if I'm confined to my block
Occasionally, in the city I'm released
to meet other beasts, lookin for the feast
We grunt and growl, on the prowl, as the air gets thinner
"Yo yo there he go, him," there's the dinner
White meat, carryin a bag of some sort
Life is short, white meat is quickly caught
A scuffle a muffle yet none of us hesitated
Like Mother Africa, white meat is violated
We quickly dissapear, like Santa's little elves
And go into a area to fight amongst ourselves
We say, "peace/piece" cause that's what we really want
A piece of the pie that America flaunts
Reality, ain't always the truth
Rhymes Equal Actual Life, In The Youth
Reality, ain't always the truth
Rhymes Equal Actual Life, In The Youth
"Oh shit!"
The truth is that police must serve and protect
REALITY is black youth is shown no respect
The truth is government has a war against drugs
REALITY is government is ruled by thugs
With all this technology, above and under
Humanity still hunts down one another
Rappers display artistic cannibalism
through lyricism, we fight each other over rhythm
Through basic animal instincts, we think
So the battle for mental territory is glory, end of story
Reality, ain't always the truth
Rhymes Equal Actual Life, In The Youth
Reality, ain't always the truth
Rhymes Equal Actual Life, In The Youth
Yeah
"These are the streets!
Shit is real out here!
[Verse One: KRS-One]
Yo turn me up just a bit, so I can hear it and spit
Reverse spit, and get tips, rehearse a hit and take tricks
Research the art just a bit, don't let me start I won't quit
But if I start I'ma flip, just like I'm startin the whip
Puttin the key into it, mentally seein it
G.O.D. believin in it, I get a fee when I spit
C-L-U-B's I just rip, I'm lyrically well equipped
Over the beats and the mix, I keep the streets in a fit
When it comes to lyrical spit, I'm the t'cha of it
Higher consciousness, truth, I'll be reachin for it
Metaphysics, here's an example cause I'm speakin of it
Put your hands in the air, but you must be aware
That even if your hands are down, ain't they still in the air?
I be takin you all the way down the road, takin you there
I'm livin and givin just a smidgen of what I share
The style that I'm kickin, lyric lickings from over there
We rockin forever, we get better with every year
With letters and intercessors I sever every fear
Lookin here, like UPS KRS takes it there
Let's make it clear, thought waves go through the air
You can act like you busy or you dizzy or you don't care
But listen here, everybody got a fear
An insecurity, some type of thing they gotta clear
So that's when I, reappear, from the rear
Philsopher, follow the bright light to right here
I might wear, light gear
Appear when you least expect it, tellin you now how to fight fear
With faith, you hear the bass, well clear the waste
You gotta get the negative cats out your face
Get that irrelevant crap out your space
Conceive it believe it decree it achieve it with HASTE!
[Chorus]
Nuttin in the world is impossible
Listen to the shit that I drop on you
KRS-One, philosophical
Believe and achieve what you got to do
[Verse Two: KRS-One]
We rawwwwwwwwwk, we don't stop
Hip-Hooooooooop, we don't stop
Tick-tooooooock, we don't stop
We at the top we never drop cause true hip-hop is so hot
Some people thuggin, some be pimpin, I be teachin a lot
I be teachin about the meaning of a deeper hip-hop
That don't make me any better than a thief or a cop
All I know is when I flow, the people be shocked
You don't really want the teacher to come step on your block
With my whole glock takin everything that you've got
I'm a different type of deeper intellectual rock
For when you really wanna compete and get up off your block
You are not just doin hip-hop, you +ARE+ hip-hop
Like if you have a badge and a gun, you ARE the cop
Like if you practice medicine, you ARE the doc
You just forgot rappers rap about cars a lot
And the magazines worry about stars a lot
But I'm the sun and they avoid me BECAUSE I'm hot
The orthodox hip-hop is sure to rock
With or without a video, I'm leavin 'em all in shock, OHH!
Everything over?
Sounds can't be the end yet
Nah nah nah we can't go that route
Uh-ahh
That's what I'm sayin though!
*applause*
Yeah, everyone gather round, gather round
Now I'm gon' start it off first (why don't you start it off first)
And you gonna follow me, it goes like this
I'm lookin at this girl who's been livin a lie
But I don't know why she's livin a lie
(Perhaps she'll die)
I'm lookin at this girl tryin to be fly
But behind the scenes she breaks down and cries
See she breaks down and cries caise she's livin a lie
But I don't know why she's livin a lie
(Perhaps she'll die)
I'm lookin at this girl she's always high
Cause she likes to get by by stayin high
She's always high cause she always cry
cause she's livin a lie...
And I don't know why she's livin a lie
(Perhaps she'll die)
Yeah, yeah you got it, here we go (check it out)
I'm lookin at this girl wit her bloodshot eyes
You could really tell now by the size of her eyes
She got bloodshot eyes, cause she's always high
Cause she always cry, cause she's livin a lie
But I don't really know why she's livin this lie (here we go, one more time)
(Perhaps she'll die)
(Yeah, yeah) Last time, last time
I'm lookin at this girl tryin to hide her face
Cause she thinks she looks bad and her life is a waste
See her face she hides cause of her bloodshot eyes
Cause she always high cause she always crys
Cause she's livin a lie...
And I don't know why she's livin a lie
(Perhaps she'll die) Rrrrrrrahhh!
You don't really need-a, lyrical teacha
When I reach you through the particles and ways of the speaker
What I got to say is positive and negative
You draw whatever energy you need to live, give and take
Build and destroy, life and death
Inhale, exhale, of breath
The point is yes, everything in life is a choice
East and West, wack rapeprs or DJ KRS-One
Dunn I come like the ancients with a drum
Come along you can hum along or run along
Sing a song if you wanna sing a song
This meta-lyrical poet will surely put it on
I don't wear or count of frauds
but I can prophesize by lookin in your eyes
if you're right or wrong, it could be all
It's always the little things that control the big things
Undirected mind waves will bring a string
of unexpected anything until you cipher
Whether niggative or negative you don't need either
You need to direct your thinkin through your speakin
Prevent the negative from leakin out into the atmosphere
Do I make myself clear? Achieve a major goal this year
But don't ever step here
*DJing of 'Spark Mad Izm' by Channel Live and KRS-One*
Expertism, is lyr, lyr, lyr, lyricism
My flow, my flow, my flow'll take you over
My ex, my ex, my expertism
Is lyr, is lyr, is lyr, lyr-i-cism
My flow, my flow, my flow'll take you over
My, my flow'll take you over
My, my flow'll take you over, like
*only on Front Page Entertainment 12*
Its time for me to get on and represent the Bronx
so lets set this shit off like this
Uhh, now check it,
underground verbal hip hop you selected
by only a few, this type of artist is bought
so like Bartles & James thank you for your support
it's time for all this chit-chat to skit-skat
arent you tired of hearin ple-ple-ple-ple-pla
rase the level of your listenen pleasure a letter
and let the teacher put these new jacks under pleasure
my first name is hip hop no doubt
my last name is run with me breath for breath
yes I'll blow your lungs out
BLOW! And cut your tongue out
and use that shit to clean my rug out
I aint even start to bug out
somebody requested for the teacher to get active
cuz of all these rappers I look good to battle
Im unattractive when actively in your brain cavity
you be singin 1-2-3, and your family B-D-P
I'm Total 'Cant you see'
I took it there
you bee sayin with your swollin eye
damn it just aint fuckin fair
but your crew told you what was up
you just didn't give a fuck
my lyrics are intact
so my picture you can pin it up
take me out? Give it up your late
I rocked the 9-1-7 when it was 7-1-8
I'm a juvenile deliquent group home lord of the state
the truth about the matter is that I feel great
I'm comin in the form of the mind-bender bar tender
servin that lyrical-net serve your chest then send a
remember battlin MC's Im not always doin
cuz we need new rappers and careers I always ruin
what are you pursuin, who in the hell want this friction
I'll volt your scene and make you drum machine start blitchin
switchin my diction, I'm quick you need a fixin-
Im quick to turn you off like the light in a kitchen
Chorus -sample/scratching of-
Cuz Krs One means simply one Krs
thats it, thats all solo, single the one no less
Verse
I do my dirt and I keep it to myself
I don't speak it on record and to no one else
you think about...
when you do crimes you talk about it
HELL NO! You keep that real shit on the low
cuz prison aint a place you motherfuckers wanna be at
half of you motherfuckers would turn trick
BELIEVE THAT!
yo I can see that, all you ask is where the weed at?
you vision is as far as whereever you throw the seed at
Look at Malcolm X and try to be that
or get lost if you cant pick up where Malcolm X left off
don't you know were listened to by judges and lawyers
when you go to court they play your album for ya
then you turn into Tom Sawyer fiction
beggin a judge to just listen sayin...
if you listen to my album twice, the positive message is....
they shut yo ass up and give you life
Had you hah a wife instead of bein a lover
the court would of seen you as a family man wit some structure
but you is a wild brother, black women you cant respect em
now you catchin wreck in your rep
Negativity never had no pull in jail
yeah, its positivity that they hail
but you fail, cuz red books you can't read em
your people you mislead em
your people you mistreat em
mislead em for fun...my name is KRS ONE!
KRS ONE......KRS ONE
Real Headz they down wit us
Yeah, Krs One representin
KRS-One representing Ma 6T va Crack-er
Cercle Rouge, KRS-One
Droppin on em like this
Pick it up, pick it up
You know what time it is when KRS-One comes through
Representing all true hip hop culture
You know how we do
How can they throw you in prison now for long years
If in reality the black man doesn't belong here
Have you forgotten how we got to this place
Why then are all the jails predominantly the black race
If you dont teach me my culture I dont know who I am
I dont know the difference between my enemy and my friend
So I'm robbin and killin I got nothing to live for
You turn my father into a boy my mother into a whore
Now I'm hardcore on the Ave
Watching while people that got me to walk fast
After beatin us, rapin us and robbin us
400 years of that's what's inside of us
Take a look at me now I'm really your creation
A technological anti-human mutation
A mutation of a better way of life
You first pulled the knife but to heal it will take my whole life
I fought no force on this level
I listen to bass and treble
Thinking that the white man is the devil
Cause who could be so cruel like this
So heartless, so senseless
But I'm taught by the devil
To grow up and be a Devil
To do the same devilish things on another level
However when I act out the mission
You turn around and throw me in prison
You a sucker
Chorus: KRS-One
If you come from France
and you like the breakdance say OHOH (OHOH)
And If you come from New York
and you like the way I talk say Yeah (Yeah)
You can kill a man by taking him out of his land
And putting him in a land he really doesnt understand
Then teach him to respect Greek mythology like
Pythagorus, Ptolomies, Socrates
These people are thieves
They stole us astronomy, mathematics, all tactics of biology
Even the concept of democracy stolen from the king Akhanoton
Put down the book, use your brain
If you dont know who you are you are clinically insane
The board of education cant see that
Well it deserves to get beaten and robbed by black
Give me my frame of mind back
Give me my culture
But you dont understand that cause you a sucker
Chorus
I see Beauval in the house, Collinet in the house
Sarcelles in the house, Cercle Rouge in the house
KRS-One rocks the mike without a doubt
Turning parties out
You know what I am about
Cause we will be here forever I told you
Soldier floods your mind like Noah
As you get older you've got to pay attention
At how you livin hardcore
You aint a kid anymore grow up, to blow up the spot you're at
Learn the skill and go to the top of that
Cercle Rouge definitely rockin in rap
KRS-One I got your back
Chorus
KRS-One with the freestyle rhyme
Representing Cercle Rouge in France
All the graffiti artists
we like to breakdance to the MC yes you know that's me
KRS-One down with the BDP
From way back you know we take it like that
Kenny P and Zizwe, Will-Dee, gods of rap
* train whistle *
Yo right here, right here
It's right through the fence, right through the fence
Jump!* feet landing *
Yeah.. right there, right there
That's the 2's and the 5's
* bag rustling *
Joe gimme that, the fat, the fat cap, fat cap
Yeah..
* train rolls in *
Aight* shaking can up *
Aight, let's do it now, let's do it now
* spray paint *
Yeah.. yeah..
Nah gi-gimme the other cap, gimme the other one
Yeah right there
* more spray *
Front .. Page .. Entertainment .. Group
Yeah..
"I'm writin my name, in graffiti on the wall" (repeat 8X)
* first time, minus "I'm" *
Hah! Hahahaha
All graffiti artists hold tight, hooo!
All graffiti artists hold tight, word
Check check check it out y'all
Check check check check check it out y'all
[KRS-One]
I got twenty-five cans in my knapsack, crossin out the wick-wack
Puttin up my name with a fat cap
Suckers that want to be in my face I just slap that
Big respect to Artifacts, Fat Joey Crack and
Mack and, Bio, and Brim come again
with B.G. 183, recognize me
with the mad colors, I'm a fiend for spraypaint
Laugh if you wanna, I really care if you ain't
cause you don't me see, and I don't know you
But I do know Cope2, he be gettin walls too
It's the underground community of what we call writers
Worldwide burners, gettin hotter gettin brighter
Whattup Nicer, whattup Razor, whattup Chino
Masta Ase in the place, you know we know
my man Rican, my man Zorro, taught me how to draw
in the yards of the 5 train and the 4
So when I'm on tour I represent the hardcore
I'm taggin up your blackbook sure, I'm out for the fame
"I'm writin my name, in graffiti on the wall" (repeat 4X)
* first time, minus "I'm" *
Yeah, check it out check it out check it out one time
Hip-hop music in effect one time
[KRS-One]
When I was growin up, I had no butcher baker candlestick maker
I had rubbing alcohol and carbon paper
Yeah, carbon paper and a blackboard eraser
got me chased in the bus yards, with Rican and Nazer
Historically speakin, cause people be dissin
The first graffiti artists in the world were the Egyptians
Writing on the walls, mixing characters with letters
to tell the graphic story about their life, however
today we do the same thing, with how we rap and draw
We call it hardcore, they call it breakin the law
There used to be a time when rap music was illegal
The cops would come and break up every party when they see you
But now the rap music's making money for the corporate
It's acceptable to flaunt it, now everybody's on it
Graffiti isn't corporate so it gets no respect
Hasn't made a billion dollars for some corporation yet, so
in the name of Phase2, Stay High, Pre-streets
Grab your cans and hit the streets, I'm out for fame
"I'm writin my name, in graffiti on the wall" (repeat 6X)
Yeah, hip-hop culture in the house one time
All graffiti artists in the house one time
Yeah..
Biggin up the other side things here y'all
The visual, not your video (check it out)
[KRS-One]
I'm livin in the city, inner city not a farm
Steady bombin til I get fatigue in my arm
Watchin for the beast cause many artists they shot em
And beat em in the yards, while doin a top to bottom
So pass me a can, not of Old Gold
but full blue, sky blue, watch me unfold
with the cold burner, of names you mighta heard of
like Fab 5 Freddy, Sam Sever
Word to the wise, Futura 2000 recognize
Nation of creation, G Man come alive
Checkin out Revolt and Zephyr
My man Easy, and Rembrandt, Mitch 77
Oh no with the paint we can never dilly-dally
Big up and respect to Con Art in Cali
The Soul Artists, The Rebels, The Rascals, 3YB
United Artists, TAT and Dondi
Yes the other side of hip-hop is representin the visual
Toys we be DISSIN you, I'm out for fame
"I'm writin my name, in graffiti on the wall" (repeat 10X)
Hip-hop in the house one time
Video graf in the house one time
All graffiti artists in the house dig the rhyme
Put up your nine, put up your nine, yeah!
Fresh.. for nineteen-ninety-five
Knowledge, where the people at?
Free Mumia!
Channel Live! (KRS-One, come and represent)
(The wisdom)
Hah hah hah hah hah hahaha!
Free Mumia!
Everywhere I look there's another house negro
Talkin about they people and how they should be equal
They talkin but the conversation ain't goin nowhere
You can't diss hip-hop, so don't you even go there
C. Delores Tucker, you wanna quote the scripture
Everytime you hear nigga, listen up sista
Verse One: Hakim, KRS, Tuffy
I met up with this girl named Delores, a prankster
I said I MC, she said, "You're a gangster"
But she was caught up, she hit the floor like a breakdance
Wrapped her up like the arms in a b-boy stance
Recognize moms I'm one of your sons I'm hip-hop
in the form of Channel Live and KRS-One
Representin MC's across America
She said, "You're the one who be causin all that mass hysteria"
Wisdom shall come out of the mouths of babes and sucklings
But you blinded by cultural ignorance and steady judging
But judge not, lest ye may be judged
For the judgment ye judge ye shall surely be judged, you gets no love
She said, "I like it, that's why I jock it"
Then I said, "You only on my back because I fill brother's pockets"
Got em drivin Benzes Jeeps and Rolls Royces
Attackin me will leave youth with no voices
The choice is yours not mine hang with me
I'll have you freestyle and bombin graffiti
We can cut it up like like wax
Claimin I cause violence but America was violent before rap, FACT
Chorus: KRS-One
Warner, Elektra, Atlantic equals WEA
Instead of fighting them why don't you go free Mumia
(repeat 2X)
Verse Two: Tuffy, KRS, Hakim
Wild recital, I kicks the vital, like the _Final
Call_ as I watch, Babylon fall
I had to Rush Limbaugh, get that pig with an axe
Tuffy dips to the side, buckin cannons that's phat
Because he censors the uses of the metaphor
You can get the dick bum up
Because it's you that brings the, real horrorcore
Expenditures forgettin, gut from the poor
Why sure! Back before we were born they sold us out
Yeah Dade Jackson we know what you about
Youse a Slave Mason, not a Free Mason
Before long the Goddess Tiamat through hip-hop you'll be facin
Don't start me, cause I be the, lyricist
At the nineteen ninety-nine millenium party held at Giza
Sayin he's a, fraud, oh my Goddess
Never in your life should you disrespect an artist
Instead, focus your attention on astronomy
And the up and coming, shift in the economy
If you can't do that, then heed the final call
To free Mumia, Abu-Jamal
Hate to be so rough, it could be the White Owls
House niggaz are full of crap, like my Colin Powell
Kickin vowels, is how we relieve the tension
Until we start to bounce white people like suspension (revolution)
You paint the pictures, the black man on the corner
But tell me, who blew up Oklahoma?
The City, ain't no pity, for the beast
It's Hakim that voice from the East
Chorus
Verse Three: KRS, Hakim, Tuffy
Buck buck! Buck buck buck!
It sound like gunshots but it could be the plot
of a chicken, definition, is what you're missin and
listen to your children instead of dissin em
Senator Dole doesn't understand the young people
Like they be sayin want to, but we be sayin wanna
They gettin dumber every summer as they walk the rope
Maybe because they cannot understand the quotes
Word, in actuality, this Norman Bates mentality
always seems to represent, minus three-sixty percent
For degrees full circle, dead from the purple
rays of the sun I gots melanin so check it
Bag your nuts quick or get sick from being naked
Suspect it, was it a means for the end
For just a few to drive the Benz while you eat the pigskins
Turned you into mannequins, cause the trick of technology
A revelation, revalations
Sensation gives me inspiration of revolution
That's my solution, there will be no sequels
I'm audi hundred forty four thousand with my people
From Caligula to Hitler, now it's Schwartzeneggar
A lust for the violence is the science of their behavior
Who enslaved ya (it's the Devil) but the God of virtuosity
And of the world created, could it be mental sodomy
Got my mind twisted like the blades of fonta leaf
I sit in disbelief as he crawls underneath
the rock cock back the glock, cause I don't trust
the Devil I rebel until Babylon is dust
Ha! Ha! Huh! Huh! What's this?
Yo, huh, huh, huh
[Verse One]
I'm the one that steps in the club, ya not see it
Givin dap, givin pounds and hugs, ya not see it
In the club I'm not lookin for love, ya not see it
Gimme the mic and I'll show you whassup, better believe it
I'm not at the bar, whatever the pub, ya not see it
Still they sendin me these bottles of bub, ya not see it
But I will open the minds of thugs, ya not see it
Who you think really bring in the drugs, ya not see it
60 million people smokin the bud, ya not see it
Cause the American way of life is bugged, ya not see it
You never peep it, yo this ain't a secret, ya not see it
They confiscate it, resell it, you retrieve it, ya not see it!
So believe it while you sit there weeded, ya not see it
Hip-Hop culture who gonna lead it, ya not see it
K, R, S One, ya not see it
Peace love unity and havin the fun, ya not see it
[Chorus]
Cocaine business control America
Ganja business control America
KRS-One still causin hysteria
Illegal business control America
Diamond business control America
The oil business control America
KRS-One still causin hysteria
Illegal business control America
[Verse Two]
Yo, rise up brother, raise up sister
Visualize wealth, put yourself in the picture
Very few cats gon' tell you the half, ya not see it
Cause they're really only after the cash, ya not see it
But they wind up sellin they own ass
One album, two album, they gone they don't last
So hold on a minute now, don't be so fast
Knowledge Reigns Supreme with me ya won't crash
Ha, I'm the cat that spits the raw, ya not see it
They can't believe when I hit the tour, ya not see it
I'm not ready to retire for sure, ya not see it
I'm from the 70's, I'm down by law, ya not see it
We passed fliers door to door, ya not see it
Popularity's growin more and more, ya not see it
Conscious rap where the heart is at, ya not see it
We be screamin WHERE THE PARTY AT, ya not see it
But instead of the Bacardi sack, ya not see it
Fallin out in the party in the back, ya not see it
Let me show you where the art is at, ya not see it
Put down your money I'm takin all of that, ya not see it
All the clubs they be callin me back, ya not see it
I'm never short cause I'm taller than that, ya not see it
I'm only showin you the other way out
Maybe I'm preachin but this is what love is about, ya not see it
[Chorus]
[Verse Three]
KRS, I speak when I must
This that official underground rap, this you can trust
I stand outside the industry and there's many of us
Talkin mad shit but for those who not bilingual, plenty of stuff
My whole crew is why you can't get with any of us
Reason I'm not on TV cause I'm not sellin you nothin
I'm not rhymin for a Bentley or a house this plush
I spit for the conscious, what about us?
Time's up, time to open that mind up
Temple of Hip-Hop sign up, devils we bind up
When I'm up rhymin cuts your spirit hear it and shines up
Climb up before you wind up takin
[Chorus]
[scratching]
It's meant to be evidently
When I rock so eloquently
Put the beat on and let me
Kill another wack emcee
Can't trust them, never test me
I practice and study
But I'm not in it for the money
But to me they look so funny
You can't test the teacher
The teacher won't reach intact
Through the speaker you're weaker, now sit your ass in the back
My lyrical you hear it, you fear it, you can't get near it
Cause the spirit eat Eric
And Eric your rhymes is wack
Like that, that, right back
Check it out!
Check it like this
Just skills You know you gots to build just skills
*A phone is dialed a man says hello and a woman starts speaking in
Spanish*
You know you gots to build just skills, uh come on get down
Just skills You know we got to build just skills, come on get down
Yeah, uh come on
I got that rip track, flip that, underground rap
When I kick back
Most of what I'm hearin be weak
So I speak through beats and the streets as I teach
I impeach, through speech, each lyric leech I reach
Have a seat in the lecture
Nothin can protect you
Hard is the texture
Of the mic wreckin rock in your sector
Better than ever remember I am no beginner
I like to shout out Eric Skinner
Just skills, you know we gots to build just skills, come on a get down
Just skills, you know we gots to build just skills, come on a get down
Yo, we livin in a world of private jets and limousine
The fruit we eatin as we prepare tangerine to nectarine
See everybody livin in the same routine
We need the telephone, and yes, we need the fax machine
You listen to the sound, well I think you know it's me
Now, let me educate you with my concious poetry
Me want, me want, me want, me want, me want no wack rap
Me want, me want, me want, me want, me want no wack rap
Me love, me love, me love, me love, me love it when it's bad
See if you wack rap you ought be steppin out the back
See emcees on the microphone forgettin that they black
See hear them kick the lyrics that are holdin people back
But when you hear the teacher, KRS will find the track
You bound to see the light, and you don't want return back
So listen very closely to the secret scientist
I'm sending this one out to all my inner city kids
Now you supposed to be apostle what you have inside your head
Can make you more reliable, it can make you feel dead
Now listen very closely to the way I say this rhyme
It's the thing called the brain, and the thing called the mind
But I'm outta time
Chorus (scratching on the word "can"):
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun?
No, you can't cause now you bouts to get done!
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Never had a gun, never had a gun?
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun?
No, you can't cause now you bouts to get done!
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Never had a gun, never had a gun?
On the block you just yap a whole lot
About the clothes that you got
Yo, or the gold that you got
Everybody sees all the friends in your Benz, yo, it's fat
But they ain't gettin money like that
Word to my brother Kenny, jealous one envy
The rich are few, while the poor, many
But you got gold cuffs and cars and stuff
You eatin well, but still in the ghetto you dwell
You know it's hot, so you make it known about your glock
To any perpetrator tryin to blow up your spot
You grab the microphone and talk a good ramble
You the hardcore outlaw, criminal, vandal
Burnin emcees like a candle, but you frontin
You ain't got nothin, with your life you gamble
One day you gamble up snake eyes
Talkin all that junk about you don't take dives, you take lives
Nobody on the block tries, cause you claim you got powerful ties
So at the red light you arrive
And to your surprise you get heffed up with just two steak knives
You're terrified, they take your Benz, and what makes things worse
You ain't got gun the first
I come back, every year I get newer
I'm the dust on the moon, I'm the trash in the sewer
Let's go, I come back, every year I get brighter
If you thinkin' hip hop is alive, hold up your lighter
Let's go, I come back, every year I'm expandin'
Talkin' to developers about this city we plannin', c'mon
I come back through any endeavor
This is hip hop, we gon? last forever
Hip means to know, it's a form of intelligence
To be hip is to be update and relevant
Hop is a form of movement
You can't just observe a hop, you gotta hop up and do it
Hip and hop is more than music
Hip is the knowledge, hop is the movement
Hip and Hop is intelligent movement
Or relevant movement we sellin? the music
So write this down on your black books and journals
Hip hop culture is eternal
Run and tell all your friends
An ancient civilization has bee born again, it's a fact
I come back, every year I'm the strongest
KRS-One, Marley Marl, yup, we last the longest
Let's go, I come back ?cause I'm not in the physical
I create myself, man, I live in the spiritual
I come back through the cycles of life
If you been here once you gon? be here twice
So I tell you, I come back ?cause you must learn too
Hip hop culture is eternal
Hip hop, her infinite power
Helpin' oppressed people, we are unique and unequaled
Hip hop, holy integrated people
Havin' omnipresent power, the watchman's in the tower of
Hip hop, hydrogen iodine phosphorous
Hydrogen oxygen phosphorous, that's called
Hip hop, the response of cosmic consciousness
To our condition as hip hop
We gotta think about the children we bringin' up
When hip and hop means intelligence springin' up
We singin' what? Sickness, hatred, ignorance and poverty
Or health, love, awareness and health, follow me
I come back, every year I get newer
I'm the dust on the moon, I'm the trash in the sewer, that's right
I come back, every year I get brighter
If you think hip hop is alive hold up your lighter, let's go
I come back, every year I'm expandin'
Talkin' to developers about this city we plannin'
I come back through any endeavor
This hip hop we gon? last forever
We will be here forever
We will still be here forever
Get what I'm sayin' forever
Marley
I come back, every year I get newer
That's that, that's that
I come back, every year I get newer
Right now as we rockin they shootin outside
Now we have got to chill
We have got to chill
We can't have no gunfire because hip-hop can't build
Let's leave all the shootin and the violence outside
I know there's some people in here, armed to the teeth
But understand...
It is the conciousness behind the gun
that determines if the gun is positive or negative
So let's not blame it on no pistols, no guns, no gats
[Mad Lion: singing to the tune "Walk Like an Egyptian"]
Who wan come try, dis-respect
De mother yon chop upon dis head (chop man)
Mother knows every style, oh-wayyy-ohh
like Shaggy, one called KRS [Yes!] (whooooh!)
The champagne drink, rock-n-roll link
Holy smoke pon de bass mix (tell em, tell em, tell em)
Never know tell me go, oh-wayyy-ohh
Yo Kali, serve his head like Chef
All de massive in de pub just say, eyyy-yo, eyyy-yo
(Rob him like dat, man now come down bring it)
Eyyyheyyyyyo eyyyyy-yo
(Ya come down now KRS, tell em, tell em, yeah!)
[KRS-One]
You don't realize the magnitude I laugh at you
Flappin you rat-a-tat, you on your own avenue
while I'm slappin you, askin you, "Why you actin new?"
Crushin a mack and you turnin up the black in you
Skill for skill you the minor we the major
I grade your whole album like a mad term paper...
ZERO, don't be a fan! Like DeNiro
Be a teacher, be a role model, be a hero
Get it clear yo, I be rollin with de po-sse
Now do your plan over or get, ran over
[Mad Lion]
I be crusin down the highway, just sportin in the fly way
Turn it up a notch and de sound hits dem
Creepin through traffic with the sunroof open
to ventilate the scent from the spliff we smokin
Huff with a chop we do not
We make up a mighty powder, said scrap, last week!
We close in the Jeep, no fire for sleep
Dem come rough and make you one of dem weak or
in de dance kill a watch like chicken in my pot
Call dem with de champagne, can't stop that's right!
Man of been to dem place, to champagne away
Sign of money, can virus strike
"I see you move..."
Look now man, look look
"I see you move..."
I think it's time for it
[Shaggy]
Who dat from the chat with the boom shot
Hit you with the lyrical bash, so won't last
Rudebwoy check your stash, caught the cash
and if you don't like dat, somebody gettin bitch-slapped
I'm the raggamuffin with the Dream Team
KRS, Mad Lion guaranteed to make your money scream
(See? All you need) rhythmatical style
(Need) ya done gwan irie, peep
Pump ya best if ya irie, like me
Cause we don't want know si-ren, hey
Nuff a rhyme works, nobody gets hurt
Look up on the dancefloor, herd of nothin but skirts
Fellas in the club, actin like vi-pers
Bitin them girls like your name was Marv Albert
Baby love no fighting, come to back biting
You and your girlfriend should do the right thing
I'ma let this beat swing, while I think I'm the king
and go rap pon a nice sexy young queen
"I see you move..."
"I see you move..."
[Mad Lion] *singing to the tune "Walk Like an Egyptian"*
Who wan come try, dis-respect
De mother yon chop upon dis head (chop man)
Mother knows every style, oh-wayyy-ohh
like Shaggy, one called KRS
The champagne drink, rock-n-roll link
Holy smoke pon de bass mix (tell em, tell em, tell em)
Never know tell me go, oh-wayyy-ohh
Yo Kali, serve his head like Chef
All de massive in de pub just say, eyyy-yo, eyyy-yo
Eyyyheyyyyyo eyyyyy-yo
[KRS-One]
Yo... get your hands up!! Yo!
On the mic I'm sheddin light, you better get it right
I produce what you like, satisfy your appetite
No fly-by-night, we rock you right
KRS Shaggy Mad Lion yo whassup with this money?
[Mad Lion]
Mind bogglin, oh love them ogling
Turn watch while we seek, see now stop dance wid dem
Don'tcha want this girl, with her Erykah streak
Kafi yome love go me because we off that weed
Chase while we head to the watch pon me wrist
We gets another week til we own necklace
Get receipt on me watch, if we buy it then we flaunt it
Kill you alla dem, make dem come back haunted
[Shaggy]
Alla big up to Shaggy rock love
Mad supporters, love
And de people rock dis KRS-One
Ya feel the vibes all mel-low
Shaggy, I want cha pump ya fist and just throw it up like this
Yeah, uhh, push it up, yeah, uhh, let em know
I wanna big up my whole, hip-hop fraternity, yeah
My reggae fraternity, yeah
All men, all posse everybody in this rock
left right yeah, uhh, sync your butt, yeah
Uhh, Mad Lion, uhh
Uhh, Flatbush style, uhh
Brooklyn Queens Bronx style, yeah
Strong Island, wicked wild, yeah
Uhh, and New York town flavor
All the crew
{*scratched: "hit you with the real"*}
[L Da Headtoucha]
Geah, it's Headtoucha and KRS combined and
Yes, through the new millenium era we grindin
Yes, this combination right here's one of a kind and
It's Soul Supreme's dream team, we shinin
Clap, I'm tryin to tell 'em there's more to it than rhymin
It's now or never, all and together we climbin
Clap, let's rewind to the beginnin of time and
Back again, words merge over tracks like um, Shaq goes in
I, crack yo' cabbage in, we ain't no average men
My pen takes people to places they haven't been
Like the streets or the gutter, when I speak over beats
You discover I drop heat, don't compete with this brother
No, just compete with each other, I'm deep in the gutter
This underground sound, and I'm keepin it gutter
Music is - the reason I'm livin, the reason I'm driven
and givin my all to all y'all
{*scratched: "Everybody rise!" - Busta Rhymes*}
{*"Learn the techniques of" - KRS*} {*"real hip-hop" - Das EFX*}
{*"no doubt"*} {*"so you don't have to worry and doubt"*}
{*"KRS-One"*} {*"savagely attack*"}
[KRS-One]
Forgive me, I always been an indie-pendant
Hip-Hop started on my block, I remember it
It's in me, others wanna spit what's trendy
But I take it back to Mork & Mindy
Tellin these young cats, Nanu Nanu
Keep my name out your mouth, it's too much to swallow
Big up to my people, Peedo and Gato
Victory over the streets, that's our motto
I ain't forget you Choco-latte
Chocolatte, you the original not the co-py
But enough of that, run it back, we lovin that
Break from them other cats, KRS-One is back
Just look where the sun is at, where the moon is at
If you in tune to that, you can never lose in rap
Astronomy, all in inside of me
For that conscious lyric, you know who you got to see!
{*"KRS-One"*} {*"KRS-One"*}
{*"KRS-One"*} {*"rap graphic"*}
{*"collaborate with"*} {*"L Da Headtoucha"*}
{*"we'll touch you"*}
Some fear de 'matic
Ah hah hah, heh heh heh, EHHH
Check it out
Some fear de 'matic, yes de automatic
Disrespect, from MC's, me nah go have it
De automatic, get de automatic
Tonight a rapper gwan die
Crazy MC's waste they time chasin millions
While KRS-One, holds the minds of the children
I'm buildin a followin of a hundred and forty-four thousand
Chosen few heads up in project housin
A true rapper, street rapper, rappin to the center
I enter any cipher, with tales of adventure
If rappers are ridin beats like cars, I'm bendin mad fenders
Put down your mic and surrender
Youse a pretender, Blastmaster KRS rules the pavement
Kickin Edutainment while you wait for your arraignment
Save it friend before your chest I cave it in
I got my way again, I'm classical like a fuckin Harley Davidson
How do you think I kick a lyrical style no and you figure
It's simple, I'm a rap God, and youse a nigga
Don't mean I'm bigger, it simply means I'm smarter
For starters, I come at you poetically harder
De automatic, get de automatic
Disrespect, from MC's, me nah go have it
De automatic, get de automatic
Tonight a rapper gwan die
Ha hah, fake ass rapper, how you think you got juice?
When you rock a pair of panties underneath your bubblegoose
(Word) KRS-One will fuck up parties dramatically
My reflex'll slap a wack rapper automatically
When you was home witcha mother, afraid of the dark
I was sleepin out in Prospect Park
Eatin one meal every 48 hours
Writin dope rhyme styles that you now devour
Don't you realize, that I'm all about survival
I got only friends cause I KILLED all my rivals
Show up at the rhyme recitals, took they titles
From eighty-six to ninety-six completes my first cycle
De automatic, get de automatic
Disrespect, from MC's, me nah go have it
De automatic, get de automatic
Tonight a rapper gwan die
I spent 40 days, and 40 nights in the wilderness
I'm hard, from head to toe yo there ain't no killin this
I wrote over 100 rap hooks
and sociological books, while you worried about your looks
Now you wanna enter the dragon in sound
But I've got the live club show locked down
Platinum and gold don't hold in my arena
You gots to keep it real on the mic, when they see ya
I manifest, in the West the East and overseas
The vision in rap is wack, and I don't know of these
I represent New York to be specific
The South Bronx, but in Japan I'm still gifted
I grab a jet and land on your set, what the fuck?
Twenty bucks for a rap show is still, twenty bucks
I start from eighty-six, and bring you into ninety-six
No gimmicks, tricks or lip-sync lyrics
De automatic, get de automatic
Disrespect, from MC's, me nah go have it
De automatic, get de automatic
Tonight a rapper gwan die
[Fat Joe]
Yeah yeah it's the God Fat Joe
Representin the motherfuckin South Bronx
With my nigga Kris, knockin off frauds
Motherfuckers wanna do what?
Big shout out to my nigga Kenny Parker
Ill Will, BDP crew for life nigga
Naughty Gotto, the Big French productions
Of course the TAT crew, my nigga Brim
The T.S. crew, and the whole Godsville
South Bronx represent nigga, uhh
The South Bronx, the South South Bronx
South Bronx, the South South Bronx
Open a de herb gate sellin pure ganja
babylon come but they undercova
they never really want me to stop sell ganja
(they just want to take a cut of what you make so far)
But Im not having it, I load the SLR
pack thje ganja BOOM they break down the door
ha-ha, 3 shots exchange at close range
out of 3 babylon, hit one in the brain
ha-ha, 2 shots hit the window pane
I exchange 4 shots, I drop and feel pain
but Im not hit, into the bathroom I crawl
I look out the window its a one storey fall
Im fallin, hit the ground and start crawlin
instead Im walkin round and blendin in wit the crowd
another day, I gotta way, I gotta fix this problem someday
but the very next day...
Chorus >repeat *2
Can stop wont stop sellin mad izm
all comeptition I gots to get wit em
me nah go jail and me nah go prison
(take it to his face kid dis em)
Im in another herb gate like a superstar
11:AM things are safe so far
I used to worry about the competition on the block
but now the competition on the block is the cops
and even blackwatch dont know where we lay
well..(open up its the D.E.A.)
ah man, just when I went for more led
my door opens up wit the beam to my forehead
wit nowhere to escape, I thought I was dead
but I woke up instead in a cell on my bed
I lay back down, then I heard a crack sound
2 D.T.'s came in and layed they glocks down
one was whistlin a love song, he put some gloves on
I thought to myself, damn somethings wrong
boom bap, boom bap against my head
I fell back on my bed, down to his feet
the pain was insane but the hit was sweet
cuz these dumb ass cops punched me right by the heat
the glock, 2 shots, 3 shots they screamin
then someone said..(ay wake up kid your dreamin)
I said what dreamin, that nightmare was hell
but as I look around, I was still in my cell
damn I got myself caught up in a jam
the D.T. that woke me up was like WHAT
I wiped the saliva off my mouth
then the D.T. said..(lets make a deal)
no doubt no question, now started up the session
no need for guessin, yes they want my supplier
I said, what makes you think theres anyone higher
he said..(dont be a god damned lier)
you killed 3 D.T.'s yesterday you heard me
but still the cops you knocked off, yesterday was dirty
now the whole investigation is federal
we want you to point out the rest of the cops that are criminal
he continued to say you cant think it thru
this whole drug game is bigger than you
follow our plan man and you'll be free
let me explain one thing so you can see
we....
Chorus
Now Im back in the herb gate all wired up
constantly thinkin about being tied up
snap out of it, Im thinkin damn we like l's
the federal and local cops got laws wit themselves
and Im in the middle and cant solve the riddle
my nose is runny {knock of door}..(let me get a 20)
a 20 of the green or a 20 of the brown
give me the whole brown clown or duck down {gunshots}
god damn, god damn, here we go again
but this time Im set up by my federal friends
suddenly I hear (yo move from the door) {gunshot}
followed by the shots sounded like a 4-4 {gunshot}
after the violence, then there was silence
then I heard (ah yo its us, open up the door)
but rule number one, in this game is self reliance
so I pickd up the mini Mac incase they wanted more
the door opened up, the feds said what up
they was stickin you up, so they had to get bucked
suddenly a sense of trust came over me
thought to myself.. .well soon I'll be free
but as I turned around I heard the gun go click
I said wait...but it was too late {gunshot}
Ha, hahaha!
("Bring it back, that old New York rap
Bring it bring it back, that old New York rap") -- repeats in background
The only reality
Is now...
Verse One:
I rock slow and easy like soul
The New York flow, is strictly for the pro
Hip-hop! Ladies and gents
So you can know, every word yo, of the sentence
Hey la, like De La, I got Common Sense
Save the compliments for after I commence
to evidence of MC's, rockin under false pretense
Yes they get burned like incense
Myrrh and frankencense, you know the consequence
When you rock with KRS and don't make sense
Kris represents all MC's, that rock with ease
I'm not conceited, I got confidence in my abilities
Agility's my credibility
Oratorical artillery in all facilities
It Takes a Village like Hillary
when killin me, KRS has wide range capabilities
On the microphone, in the combat zone
MC's get eaten like the ozone layer
Hey ya, I'm not a playa I'm a teacher
But if I wanted your girl
You'd be Living Single like Latifah
Action Uptown like Monifah
I hit like a beeper, and hot like the bunny on Easter
Lyrically let me freak ya
With moves like Scoob and Scrap
Rock Stready, Stretch, Al and Kiko
I warm up any room like a heater
Bringin a New Balance to the speaker like a sneaker
Still a teacher, prove it, like medicine squared
This Garden of Eden, keeps the party movin
("Bring it back, that old New York rap
Bring it bring it back, that old New York rap") - repeat 2X
Verse Two:
I'm interested in skill and how we build as a culture
I don't eat off old material like a vulture
Repeatin myself for wealth is bad for my health
Everyday I express myself with a dope lyric
From my inner spirit, then I share it with others
As they hear me, enhancin
East and West, overseas, brothers and sisters
Sons and daughters transcended all borders
I deal with mind expansion
Anytime you aimlessly dancin, and romancin
It's your life that you be chancin
Not that I wanna sound gloomy
But I don't rhyme about Judy Judy, cutie and shake your booty
When you gonna grow up and be GOD?
Instead of making a rap a full time job
Yeah, it's a job and not an art
They only rhyme to get money;
cause true self-expression takes heart, and guts
Rhymes, and cuts
Tight minds and not tight butts
Reach your goal, like a puck
I wish you good skill and not good luck
Cause only skills put you up out the gutter so I utter
("Bring it back, that old New York rap
Bring it bring it back, that old New York rap") - repeat 2X
Verse Three:
That old New York flow means wrote for fun
And if the money come, THEN THE MONEY COME
But today and everyday, KRS speaks the truth
We dealing with unemployment in the city black youth
usin rap, to put clothes on they back
No culture, or disciplined, way to act
But soon yo, we'll take care of alla that
We're huntin fi de power help supress people tracks
That keep the culture intact, and soon you will see
In the black community, black unity
Not black nudity, after black puberty
For every crew to see, to breakin down the black community
The only one to blame is you and me
For not takin responsiblity for our artillery
Verbally, you heard of me, Knowledge Reigns Supreme
Over Nubians Everywhere, I kick it cause I care
The end isn't near, it's way over there
BLAOW! The only reality is now
But when I say bring back the old flava
That means bring back the ORIGINAL MC behavior
("Bring it back, that old New York rap
Bring it bring back, that old New York rap") - repeat 2X
Verse Four:
Now I got to show you how the BX rocks
MC's, are jumpin out shoes and socks
Body body rock body body rock
I'm the king of rock'n'roll, ahh yeah
Throw your guns in the air! Glocks down
Who the hell is, pagin me at 5 o'clock in the mornin
Where you gonna be, because...
Fresh is the word, many money missin many
Jenifa, oh Jenny
We make up all these rhymes inside our head!
Verse One: KRS-One
Check, I control your mind with one rhyme I speak
And get you open like a prostitutes buttcheeks
Rapper get kicked in they mouth with cleets
cause they're speech refuses to reach beyond the beach
Have a seat quick I speak or spit flicks on your ???
Time to complete shit, no weak shit, I mean freak shit properly
I can feel myself becoming a lyric monopoly
Others will copy me but repeat my shit sloppily
Shocking me with inclinations of rocking me
Insanity it got to be
My true idenity is never meant to see
I simply use the gifts sent to me mentally
[Busta Rhymes]
Yo! Word up! Get from out my face, before you get bust quickly!
Verse two: KRS-One
Thats the hip hop, the hibby
I rip it in a minute cause I'm gifted
Like December 25th
Now let me flip
I'm all knowing lyrically syllable growing
Even when it's snowing I'm party going
Free flowing and stomping!
Never tip-toeing
Overthrowing the comp
Big up Bronx!
I got more styles than the planet got women
I got as many rhymes as is many styles of women
Don't make me come out on that ass start flippin'
Your mental I'm afflictin'
Actin' ill and sickin'
Pickin' the victim at random, slammin' ‘em
Draggin' them to the stage and dismantlin' them
As my Hydrogen turns to Helium I shine!
None of your lyrics I'm feelin' ‘em
You rhyme
Like you should be wearin' an apron scrapin' a pot with a name like Mariam
Chorus:
But rappers talk too much shit
And can't back it up with lyrics
Build ya skills
It's time for the raw shit
Not that on tour shit
That real hardcore shit
KRS-One runs shit like diarrhea
Bitin' motherfuckers hear my shit and get up outta here!
I don't care this year
Alot of albums is wak this year
"Will KRS bring it?" Ahh yeah!
Thanks for the invite
It's just about to get hype
That straight up raw street type shit is what it feel like
I will be displayin' lyrical styles I'm saying
Lyrical styles from the miracle child
Want a pile of ill styles wildin' on your radio dial?
Smile
I been here for awhile
Peep my style while I go on with the song
I rock the microphone then it to the streets with the Krylon
clicka clacka! clicka clacka!
Take a spraycan and slap a wak rapper!
Stacks of money for videos I don't have it
You're lookin' at the last MC with true talent
Get your tape recorder fast kid
Boombastic another classic
Turn up the cassette!
All my styles are lyrically fantastic and movin'
While soothin' any urges for booing
Ungluing your mouth from my private
The more the merrier
Syllable superior
East coast- West Coast battles are inferior
Cause I by myself will take out the whole North America
We need to expand rap beyond this land
Set up competitions with England and Japan
World cups for rappers that really fuck shit for fun
....Yeah I know I'll get one
[Intro: Redman]
Hey baby bring me something to drink in here
Sit down and watch a little TV.
[KRS-One]
(static) Yo they comin'. It's crazy but I know it they comin'. Maybe not
lately I feel it coming. I knew it, they comin'. (static) This just in.
President (static) I guarentee (static) Jim...Jimmy, Jimmy wake up. Jimmy!
(static) Only the Lord can save (static) 5.99 no obligation (static) Let me
start to rock this mic (static) Now the polar bear hybernates (static) And
and what was going through your mind right now.
[KRS-1:]
Look aat these weak MC's getting G's
Never wore BVD's or even bellbottom Lees
Please, with these fantisies about you selliing keys
When you know you bees in front of the TV eatin' grilled cheese
On your knees you know my steez
Kris is nice with theses M-I-Cs
I'm Poison like BBD the plot thickens while I be hitten
And lyric lickin', flippin' any mix and over the skippin'
And cable clippin', still sickenin'
Even though some people ain't admitting
Through they system I keeps it kickin'
And tippin' the scale I pay tuiton not bail
Drink water not ale, MC Hammer hits it right on the nail
I can't fail with my 7 stripes
Strike one pierces the lung over the drum MC's become dumb
Like "um?" They numb, bite the tongue over the bass drum
I am D the MC like Run, spittin' lyrics for fun
And for a sum of the bread crumb
You missed when you swung, I connected whole hum
Another one done underestimated KRS-1, yeah so...
[Hook:]
[Redman:] Say blowe
[KRS-1:] If you really want true skill
[Redman:] Say blowe
[KRS-1:] If you want the hip hop to build
[Redman:] Say blowe
KRS-1: We rock it all year round
Redman: You better cool the F out before we go up in your mouth
[KRS-1:]
It's just beguuuun, to bubble
KRS-Onnnne spells trouble
On the mic soooon there is no double
I emerge from under the rumble
Count the truth poetic construction, audio abduction
Showbiz production for wack lyric reduction
And fly rhyme instruction keep the party hoppin'
Keep the DJs buggin' for the orthodox
Non Xerox hip hop chatter box
It was dope first crack out the box with Scott LaRock
How MC's are washed up like sweat socks
KRS-1 makes the heads nod
[Hook]
[Redman:] KRS-1
[KRS-!:] Yes my son
[Redman:] Tweet tweet [x2]
[KRS-1:] You know they can't compete, ain't that right
[Redman:]
No doubt. You better cool the F out before we go up in your mouth
[KRS-1:]
When it's my turn kid, look at what you done did
Like my head is dreadable you edible
I kick incredible shit, for my poeple
I'm jackin' these like me so sue and Stretch like Bobbito overloops
While you sittin' on stoops I'm rockin' mics for U.S. troops in group
You screwed up, oops, I can read a true crook
Like I can read a good book
I'm hooked on hip hop culture
Look at the tip top lyrical structure
Floatin' like a soap bubble that you don't wann puncture
Or rupture, I write what I udder, mother mother mother
There's too many of us dying still trying and not doin'
Not suceeding still pursueing what you doing?
What you doing? What you doing?
The session is started departed on schedule
I beg you please lookover my lyrical menu
What other can't do I can do
Enhancing 7 levels of your mental
I dismantel stress, you're listening to the advanced lyrical best
Worldwide qualified to administer any MC test
Stop guessin' class is in full session
Intro: KRS-One
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you see a devil down
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you take the devil's crown
Ah yeah, stay alive all things will change around
Ah yeah, what? Ah yeah!
Verse One: KRS-One
So here I go kickin science in ninety-five
I be illin, parental discretion is advised still
dont call me nigga, this MC goes for his
Call me God, cause that's what the black man is
Roamin through the forest as the hardest lyrical artist
Black women you are not a bitch you're a Goddess
Let it be known, you can lean on KRS-One
Like a wall cause I'm hard, I represent GOD
Wack MC's have only one style: gun buck
But when you say, "Let's buck for revolution"
They shut the fuck up, kid, get with it
Down to start a riot in a minute
You'll hear so many Bowe-Bowe-Bowe, you think I'm Riddick
While other MC's are talkin bout up with hope down with dope
I'll have a devil in my infrared scope, WOY!
That's for calling my father a boy and, KLAK KLAK KLAK!
That's for putting scars on my mother's back, BO!
That's for calling my sister a hoe, and for you
BUCK BUCK BUCK, cause I don't give a motherfuck
Remember the whip, remember the chant, remember about rope and
you black people still thinkin about vot-ing
Every president we ever had lied
You know I'm kinda glad Nixon died!
Chorus
Verse Two: KRS
This is not the first time I came to the planet
But everytime I come, only a few could understand it
I came as Isis, my words they tried to ban it
I came as Moses, they couldn't follow my commandments
I came as Solomon, to a people that was lost
I came as Jesus, but they nailed me to a cross
I came as Harriet Tubman, I put the truth to Sojourner
Other times, I had to come as Nat Turner
They tried to burn me, lynch me and starve me
So I had to come back as Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley
They tried to harm me, I used to be Malcolm X
Now I'm on the planet as the one called KRS
Kickin the metaphysical, spiritual, tryin to like
get wit you, showin you, you are invincible
The Black Panther is the black answer for real
In my spiritual form, I turn into Bobby Seale
On the wheels of steel, my spirit flies away
and enters into Kwame Ture
Chorus
Verse Three: KRS-One
In the streets there is no EQ, no di-do-di-do-di-do
So I grab the air and speak through the code
the devil cannot see through as I unload
into another cerebellum
Then I can tell em, because my vibes go through denim
and leather whatever, however, I'm still rockin
We used to pick cotton, now we pick up cotton when we shoppin
Have you forgotten why we buildin in a cypher
Yo hear me kid, government is building in a pyramid
The son of God is brighter than the son of man
The spirit is, check your dollar bill G, here it is
We got no time for fancy mathematics
Your mental frequency frequently pickin up static
Makin you a naked body, attic and it's democratic
They press auto, and you kill it with an automatic
[Chorus: KRS-One]
Well are you ready for this? (We ready for this)
Are you ready for this? (We ready for this!)
Well we just can't miss (just can't miss)
Well we just can't miss (drop the beat like this)
Well are you ready for this? (We ready for this)
Are you ready for this? (We ready for this!)
Well we just can't miss (just can't miss)
Well we just can't miss
[KRS-One]
Well when I speak this
I'ma be like this, I'ma be like Kris
I'ma teacher, I'ma preacher, I'ma free my kids
I'ma grow dem and show dem what a leader is
I'ma teach dem the laws of receive and give
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, believe and live
You done heard the hype, COME to where the talent is
"I'm Still #1," yup you heard right
People say, "KRS-One you shine bright!"
Others say, "Yo - you rhyme tight"
When you find me, you find light, and that's alright
I don't know about pimpin, sellin women like retail
Or turning coke into crack for resale
But I do know if we fail
In 2020 our children by the million gonna be jailed
We got the victory over the streets
God willin we chillin, we know we gon' eat
I'm a whole different kind of MC, hoes don't like
not tempt me but the ladies treat me oh so gently
Universities sendin me stretch Bentleys
My seminars and lectures, are rarely never empty
We teach students plenty, honorary degrees
Gold and platinum plaques I got many, ask Kenny
People get shocked when I walk into Denny's
Or the corner Kwik-Stop, they say, "That's Hip-Hop
right there," and yeah it's really quite clear
2004 might be the right year
for mental and spiritual repair
The solution is in the resolution you just declared
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
When I speak like this
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, hip-hop philosopher
All in the street well I'm very popular
All through the hood I make all the stops and I
avoid the cops and them random shots well I
love hip-hop and I, live hip-hop so I
spit that shit to get you off your block cause I
can't understand and I, wish I could see dem
cats that talk bout they love the hood and they
never bring the hood anything that's good, and they
rap for the money tree, chasin a company
But I think you can now see, rap is fun to me
I got a ministry, a class, a staff that's under me
KRS in pop rap? Nah, it ain't ought to be
It'll never happen like, you eatin pork with me
Amateurs hawkin me, DON'T EVEN talk to me
My house is in Atlanta but I still got New York in me
Walk with me, most rappers are short to me
I'm like Chamberlain, dominatin the sport you see
I toss MC's off of me
When you hear KRS you say that's how it ought to be
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
For those interested in higher knowledge
on issues of health, wealth, and self-mastery
you are urged to register with the Temple of Hip-Hop
by filling out the attached registration form and questionnaire
located on the album's pull-out panel
Welcome to hip-hop culture
Where DJ-ing, MC-ing, graffiti art, breaking
and the philosophies are expressed everyday
within the inner cities of America, and the world
You are not doing hip-hop
You ARE hip-hop
Well my ladies and gentlemen
This is a rapsession and my name is "KRS-One!"
And when I talk about "Hip-Hop Music!", I know
[Kris]
[One:] Breaking or breakdancing
Rally b-boying, freestyle or streetdancin'
[Two:] MC'ing or rap
Divine speech what I'm doing right now no act
[Three:] Grafitti art or burning bombin'
Taggin', writin', now you're learning! uh!
[Four:] DJ'ing, we ain't playing!
[scratch] You know what I'm saying!
[Five:] Beatboxing
Give me a beatboxin Yes and we rockin'!
[Six:] Street fashion, lookin' fly
Catchin' the eye while them cats walk on by
[Seven:] Street language, our verbal communication
Our codes throughout the nation
[Eight:] Street knowledge, common sense
The wisdom of the elders from way back whence
[Nine:] Street entrepreneur realism
No job, just get up call 'em and get 'em
Here's how I'm tellin' it, all 9 Elements
We stand in love, no we're never failing it
Intelligent? No doubt
Hip-Hop? We're not selling it out, we're just lettin' it out
If you're checkin' us out this hour, we teatchin' hip-hop
Holy integrated people have it, I'm the present power!
[Chorus]
Rap is something you do!
3x Hip-Hop is something you live! [scratched]
Rap is something you do!
Hip-Hop is something you live! [scratched]
[Kris]
Skaters, BMX-bike riders rock
Don't you ever stop! You are hip-hop
You doing the same things we did on our block in the suburbs
You know you be packing that black block
Selling that crackrock and ecstacy
Gettin' pissydrunk, fallin' out next to me
But like I told those in the ghettoes
Here's the facts! True hip-hop is so much more than that
Some much more than rap, so much more than beats
Hip-hop is all about victory over the streets
What you see on TV is a lie
That's not something you wanna live or pattern your life by
But, huh that's too much preachin' ain't it?
You don't want the ?education?, you wanna be dead on the pavement
Well, so be it, some of ya'll ain't gonna see it
Others wanna enslave your mind! Kris wanna free it!
[Chorus]
Rap is something you do!
5x Hip-Hop is something you live! [scratched]
"Oh yea" [scratched] [From "P is dead"]
"I have spent my whole life livin'", "talk to the fullest", "no doubt"
[Kris]
You know that's why these rappers can't hang
Cause the essence of hip-hop is not a material thang
They so careless, hip-hop is in a {?} we give
Rap we do, hip-hop we live
How many times I gotta say it? How the radio ain't gonna play it
And you hip-hoppers sit back and okay it
Think about it! (think about it)
The present course of action, we have got to reroute it!
[Chorus: x3]
Peace and much love my people, I am Minister Server
Right here with the teacher, KRS-One
Album #13, "Keep Right, " or you gon' get left
You know what time it is, ain't no time to be frontin
Trust yourself, get with the movement
Yo teacher, let 'em have it - like this, c'mon
[KRS-ONE]
You get the CD and then, it's time to see me again
You break it open and then, no we not jokin again
Turn on your player and then, the rhyme sayer again
Put in the cd and then, you can't believe me again
Turn up the volume and then, we blowin by you again
You start to listen and then, you see the mission again
You start to listen and then, you get the vision again
U-N-I-T-Y that spells unity man
On G-O-D I demand, as you can see I don't end
Your family I defend, don't battle me you won't win
I'm not livin in sin, but I'm livin with Him
Her/They/Them/Us trust yo let us begin
KRS is unique, you can hear how I speak
I be teachin the streets, I'm fin' ta reach for the peak
I rock a club every week, I keep them thugs on they feet
He's back, just me, please, don't try to compete
I kick that knowledge in college when I club it it gets rugged
And you can see that these others be garbage and I love it
Uhh, what's the state of hip-hop? Don't confuse it with rap
It's the state of your mind, it's the way that we act
It's that thing that makes you say yo I can never be whack
It's also clickin through my lyric lickings spittin the facts
Hot tracks y'all prep for combat
Baby I'm back, they crazy whack, takin 'em out!
The philosophical flow son, that's live at my show son
I'm soundin like no one, you feelin me though?
The people want me back like they want The Arsenio Show
They want the real, not a video hoe!
This is KRS-One, you gotta believe me
I'm sittin in the studio with Nice and B.C.
See me tonight, we keepin it tight
Awww yeah! All ruffneck rudebwoy hold tight
Just a little somethin for the Jeep
Turn my voice up a little bit and let's get this started
Comin to you live and direct from the 1986 version
Comin up to 1993
Of course, Premier on the beat
Now check it out
The girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
I said the girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
Ridin one day in a '92 Beamer
After seven years I seen Denise she still a skeezer
But look what she did, she went and had a kid -- no dad
And just released her ass out the rehab
You think she'd act like she don't know
She's still a hoe, but umm check my man for the show
"Hiiiii, DJ K-R-S"
She tried to shake her butt, I rolled my window up!
She got pissed and said, "You ain't all that!"
And went and got some other girl schemin for crack
In my car, I couldn't hear what they spoke about
I hit the ac-celerator and I was out!
I never check my man but I knew the plan
Come to the jam MC's in there be thinkin they Superman
Sure enough, the place is packed with no breeze
Crazy girls -- and wall to wall MC's
I'm like a cat these MC's are Fancy Feast
I'm thinkin of rhymes but I'm interrupted by Denise
She said, "Kris I really need a favor honey
My girlfriend here really needs some quick money!"
I looked at her girlfriend and her girlfriend was fly
But I ain't stupid, she had that LOOK in her eye
I touched her back, she said, "Denise has he got the crack?
Is he the one? I gotta run back and feed my son"
I said, "How old is your son?" She said, "Three months"
I walked away but my man cold bust her fronts
So she pulled out a gun and shot him in the party
Except for the MC's, I knew EVERYBODY
She tried to let off a shot, one more time
But got stomped so bad, she turned to wine
No one could find Denise for several weeks
You know the time, on this '93 beat
The girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
I said the girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
I knew a group that had a dope lead singer
Swinger, single guy, that knew his style was fly
After the show he was tired sweaty and kinda sloppy
But of course, a million girls are in the lobby!
He saw a group of girls hangin out and lookin good
So he took one to his room because he knew he could
Inside the room he said, "Make love to me and never stop"
She said, "Sure, but how's about a crack rock?"
I knew my man down the hall had it all
So he called, down the hall, but homeboy wasn't there at all
He turned to the girl and said, "My man ain't there"
So she let down her hair, unzipped his pants down right there
Oral sex in effect, or rather deep throat
But just before he came she bit his dick and slit his throat
As he fell back dizzy, he began to choke
She took his wallet and said, "You ain't broke!"
The girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
I said the girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
* DJ Premier cuts n scratches "Oh yeahhh!" *
Yes Premier you know you rule hip-hop, an'
yes Ced Gee you know you run hip-hop, an'
yes Kenny bwoy you run hip-hop, an'
but KRS-One'll rock it non-stop!
When I'm Brooklyn, we rulin HIP-HOP!
When I'm in Jersey, we runnin hip-hop
Over in Brazil yes we rulin HIP-HOP!
Over in Germany we rulin hip-hop
But in New York, we rulin y'all tonight badda-bye-bye-bye
In New York, we rulin y'all to-NIGHT!
We come to rock you whether you black or you white
Cause KRS-One, you know I'm never frank, come catch the style
The girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
I said the girlies is FREEE-EEE, cause the crack cost money, oh yeah!
[KRS-One]
Open a de herb gate sellin pure ganja
Babylon come but they undercova
They never really want me stop sell ganja
(They just wanna take a cut of what you make so far!)
But I'm not havin it, I load the SLR
Pack the ganja BOOM! They break down the door
Pop-pop! T'ree shots, exchanged at close range
Out of three Babylon, me hit one in the brain
Pop-pop! Two shots hit da window pane
I exchanged four shots, I drop and feel pain
but I'm not hit, into the bathroom I crawl
I look out the window, it's a one story fall
I'm fallin, hit the ground and start crawlin
Soon I'm walkin 'round, blendin in with the crowd
Another day, I got away, I gotta fix this problem someday
But the very next day...
[Chorus: repeat 2X]
Can't stop, won't stop - sellin mad izm
All comeptition - I gots to get wit 'em
Me nah go jail and me nah go prison
(Take it to his face kid, diss him!)
[KRS-One]
I'm in another herb gate like a superstar
Eleven A.M., things are safe so far
I used to worry 'bout the competition on the block
But now the competition on the block is the cops
And even block watch doesn't know where we lay
Well.. ("Open up! It's the D.E.A.!")
Aww man, just when I went for more lead
The door opens up, I got a glock to my forehead
("Get down! Get on the floor!") I felt the stick, I thought I was dead
But I woke up instead in a cell layin on my bed
I lay back down, then I heard the crack sound
Two D.T.'s came in and laid they glocks down
One was whistlin a love song, as he put some gloves on
I thought to myself, damn something's wrong
Boom bap! Boom ba,p against my head
I fell back on the bed, down to his feet
The pain was insane but the hit was sweet
Cause these dumb-ass cops punched me right by the heat
The glock, two shots, three shots they screamin
Then someone said... ("Hey wake up kid, you're dreamin!")
I said, "Yo dreamin?! That nightmare was hell"
But as I look around, I was still in my cell
Damn, I got myself caught up in a jam
The D.T. that woke me up was like, WHAT?!
I wiped the saliva, off my mouth
The D.T. said.. ("Let's make a deal") No doubt!
No question, now we started up the session
No need for guessin, yes they want my supplier
I said, what makes you think there's anyone higher?
He said.. ("Don't be a God damned liar!")
You killed three D.T.'s yesterday, you heard me
But still the cops you knocked off yea was dirty
Now the whole investigation is federal
We want you to point out, the rest of the cops that are criminal
He continued to say, you can't think it through
This whole drug game is BIGGER than you!
Follow our plan man and you'll be free
Let me explain one thing so you can see, we
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
Now I'm back in the herb gate, all wired up
Constantly thinkin about bein tied up
Snap out of it - I'm thinkin, "Damn we like elves!
The federal and local cops got wars with themselves;
and I'm in the middle, and can't solve the riddle.
My nose is runny.." {*knock at door*} ("Let me get a 20!")
A 20 of the green or a 20 of the brown?
("Gimme the whole pound, clown, or duck down!") {*gunfire*}
God damn, God damn, here we go again
But this time I'm set up by my federal friend
Suddenly I hear.. ("Yo, move from the door!") {*two shots*}
Followed by the shot sounded like a four-four {*two shots*}
After the violence, then there was silence
Then I heard.. ("Hey yo it's us, open up the door!")
But rule number one in this game is self-reliance
So I pickd up the mini-mac in case they wanted more
The door opened up, the feds said WHATTUP?
They was stickin you up, so they had to get bucked
Suddenly a sense of trust came over me
I thought to myself, "Well soon I'll be free!"
But as I turned around, I heard the gun go click {*clik-clak*}
Yeah.. uh-huh.. underground, never stop y'all
Underground, K.P. y'all c'mon!
[Chorus: April S. Williams]
Ain't no stoppin what we done
Don't give up this fight is won
There's no way they can hold us down
Cause with power and strength we gonna take it now
Take that stand realize the truth
Knowledge intellect bringin minds anew
There's no way they can hold us down
Cause with power and strength we gonna save you now
[KRS-One over Chorus]
Uh-huh
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh-huh
Tell them again, tell them again!
Get 'em up now, word
Just get it up now, uh-huh
ALL OF THE MASSIVE!
[KRS-One]
B, R, O, N, X
See these cars, see these checks, intellect
See these thugs, ain't no sweat, intellect
A thousand miles, how do you do it? One step
Now check out this flow, they wanna be down, but they cain't
Original +Criminal Minded+ flow, they just ain't
ready for the real, ready to peel off the paint
Your style is fake, the teacher returns to debate
You the best? That's bull, you questionable
Highly flexible, wasn't you sexual?
Now you hardcore? You need to see God more
I sit on the faculty; you, you sophomore
[Chorus]
[KRS-One over Chorus]
Uhh, get 'em up
Yeah, get 'em up uhh
Yeah, uhh, that's right
That's right uh-huh, tell 'em again
It go.. get 'em up
Yeah, that's right, uh-huh
Uh-huh
Another Kenny Parker exclusive!
[KRS-One]
Time to get it, now you did it, tryin to spit it
You don't fit it, ask the critics, already did it, skipped the gimmicks
I don't mimic, metaphysics, you'll admit it, better to live it
better to give it, so I spit it every minute so you get it
My lyric is wicked an' full of culture y'all
Huh? Battle, nah - get back in your car
Either you never heard of me or you really wanna get with me
But as your teacher let me test you for a learning disability
You feeling me? Cause you can't, get it through your head
This is, sui-CIDE!! You're better off dead
Let me not amp you up, cause this style you can't do what
My stomach can take it and your stomach it'll cramp you up
This is, breath control, breath control stylee
I get up all in that ass that (?) heinie
Try me, back in the days you woulda had sorrow
Try the teacher today, and you won't see tomorrow cause
[Chorus]
[KRS-One over Chorus]
Uhh, we get 'em up
Uhh, that's right, get 'em up
Yeah, uh-huh, get 'em up
Yeah, ONE MORE TIME NOW!
Uhh, that's right, get 'em up
Uh-huh, uh-huh, get 'em up I HEAR YOU
Uh-huh, I HEAR YOU, WORD UP!
LOOK AT THIS!
[KRS-One]
Like a piss on the streets I exist
Not the meat but the fish
Complete the feat when I'm speakin the heat into this
Witness Kris rippin this
Don't trip on this, skip ahead if you're ready
My show medley is deadly
I'm about a hundred million mic years away
These players I don't hate, but I'm not here to play
I hit it all day, all night, all afternoon
Rock all mics from the days of sassoon
Where the hell was you? On the corner with rats
when we was at the LQ, lockin it down and that was that
Divine speaker, mind keeper, time teacher, time leader
I'll be sittin in the club by the speaker
Waitin for you rappers to choke up then I eat ya
like some prehistoric winged creature, AHHH!
On your neck, like the American eagle facin East and West
I be the best, Blastmaster KRS cause
[Chorus]
[KRS-One over Chorus]
We get 'em up
Uhh, yo, we get 'em up
Like, YEAH, I SEE IT OVER THERE
I SEE IT OVER THERE, IT'S.. YEAH IT'S OVER HERE!
Uhh! Uhh, one more time we get it up
Yeah, yeah, we get it
Uhh, uhh, IT'S OVER HERE NOW!
IT'S OVER HERE NOW! UHH!
[April and KRS-One ad lib]
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
Attention all true hip-hoppers
Let us come together, for the unity of hip-hop culture
Every third week in May, is hip-hop appreciation week
Celebrate with us
Then, join us in November, for hip-hop history month
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight.. we keep it right..
We're comin strong.. we're movin on.. (yeah)
It's time to rise.. and unify..
Keep comin strong (uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!)
Just keep movin on..
[KRS-One]
Yo, where's my people at
We be where the elite be at
We really never need the gat, we comin with a sneak attack
In fact, best believe we back
What we rap it heats the track
Kenny Parker sees to that, my job is to teach these cats
Present the clear speech they lack
And show 'em how to eat from rap
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight.. we keep it right.. (that's right)
We're comin strong.. (uh-huh, yeah) we're movin on.. (tell 'em again!)
(Uhh) It's time to rise.. and unify.. (yeah, yeah)
Keep comin strong (uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!)
Just keep movin on..
[KRS-One]
You know why the devil can't get with me
Cause he's a liar, I've got victory
You can stick with me, my click is free
Negativity, that doesn't live with me
These rappers on one, I've skipped to three
These rappers on A, I've skipped to C
My image, heads ain't quick to be
So I thank you for pickin me
I know why people got to know, these wack rappers got to go
Let a MC rock the show
I'll show 'em how it 'posed to go
We forgot simply what we supposed to know
We still must defeat the foe
So what you got the dough Your words don't make us glow
In fact they make us slow
How long this gonna take to know you ain't gotta be a hoe
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight.. we keep it right.. (yeah)
We're comin strong.. (yeah, yeah) we're movin on.. (uh-huh)
(Tell them again!) It's time to rise.. and unify.. (yeah)
Keep comin strong (uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!)
Just keep movin on..
[KRS-One]
Look at the teacher, I stay attuned
People are blessed when I walk in the room
Snakes() don't stop me, and if they did
they'd be askin for a tag 'fore they kids
Medical students lose it when I enter any hospital
Doctors wanna talk music and whatever's topical
It's all logical, I perform the impossible
Through words I put hip-hop in you; listen
Here's what we got to do, unify
Defeat the flesh, defeat the beast in you and I
Win or lose I never shout, believe in yourself and never doubt
Discipline is simply a better route
[April S. Williams]
We keep it tight - we keep it tight
We keep it right - we keep it right
We're comin strong - comin strong
We're movin on - movin on!
It's time to rise - it's time to rise
And unify - unifyyyy
Keep comin strong - comin strong
Just keep movin on - keep on movin on
We keep it tight - we keep it tight
We keep it right - we keep it right
We're comin strong - we're comin strong
We're movin on - movin on!
It's time to rise - it's time to rise
And unify - it's time to unify
Keep comin strong
Just keep movin on - keep on movin on
..
Just keep movin on - keep on movin on
Just keep movin on - we gotta keep on movin on
Just keep movin on - wake up and realize
Just keep movin on - that you just keep movin on
Just keep movin on - it's time to realize
Just keep movin on - that you gotta keep movin on
Just keep movin on - keep movin on, keep movin on
Just keep movin on - you gotta keep movin on, you gotta take that time
Just keep movin on - you gotta realize, that it's time
- keep on movin on, keep on movin on
[KRS-One]
We crush, them, and they click
Let me tell you right now what you supposed to get
You supposed to get free and intelligent
Not a platinum plaque, that's irrelevant
We CRUSH, THEM, and they crew
Let me tell you right now what you supposed to do
While they floss with the chi-ching and all the rings
You stay focused, keep doin your thing
You cannot get the diamond ring, if you can't really sing
Or if you haven't got a skill, that you ready to fling
What you bringin to the table if you not really able
Tryin to get to the top, like the Tower of Babel
Back in the days, remember all the old gold cables
Where they at now? Sold, when they dropped from the label
All the money they gave you made you very unstable
They really enslaved but you wasn't able with the coke in your nasal
to see, you up in the crib but they rockin your cradle
You a joke and you fatal, they made you an M.C.
Meaning: Most Confused
Not E-M-C-E-E, that's what I use
Many people really wanna know from me
when I'ma drop and they can go cop, the next LP
Or CD, or T-A-P-E you see
It's about word of mouth, for me
We crush, them, and they click
Let me tell you right now what you supposed to get
You supposed to get free and intelligent
Not a platinum plaque, that's irrelevant
We CRUSH, THEM, and they rap
Yo, they don't really know where the money is at
And what's funny is that, is if you'd just stay focused
they'd be the one to be the brokest!
I'm from the inner city, that's right
Flashy asses and titties that's right
No pity mad graffiti that's right
Broken gang treaties, that's real
I speak complete broken slang freely at will
I spit what I'm about to spit, get what I'm about to get
Never no counterfeit, movin about a bit
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, only a few like the sound of it
Others can't get down with it (ONE.. TWO.. THREE.. BREAK!)
So why did I have to come off my sabbatical?
Battle you? My metachromatical will splatter you
I got another track to do, I can't mack witchu
Your rhymes are fictional, mine are factual
I'll embarass you, I'm glad to do
I'm the teacher but in the streets it can be bad for you
I feel sad for you, cause you frontin like you gettin ahead
but you really on E instead
I've come to show these people you're not my equal
All you want is the cash and a hoe in a see-through
Yeah; KRS-One comin through with the breeze team
You know how we do
We crush, them, and they click
Let me tell you right now what you supposed to get
You supposed to get free and intelligent
Not a platinum plaque, that's irrelevant
Yo we crush them, and they squad
Let me tell you right now that it's all about God
You can walk around the streets like you livin it hard
But a real teacher know when you scarred
I refuse to be bought, I refuse to snooze
I refuse to come up short, I refuse to lose
I refuse to be caught in the court
I refuse to refuse bein taught, I refuse evil thoughts
Cause they whole {shit's} wack, trap's wack
You're wack, you're pack's wack, in fact I jab-slap that
Cap at that, now, retract that crap, wherever I'm in or at
You better go back and sip that crap
Bring your gat, I'm lovin that
Like football, you'll be, runnin-back
Blazin 'em, merely dazin 'em, barely playin 'em out
These are God's lyrics, I'm just sayin 'em out
We crush, them, and they click
Let me tell you right now what you supposed to get
You supposed to get free and intelligent
Not a platinum plaque, that's irrelevant
We CRUSH, THEM, and they crew
Let me tell you right now what you supposed to do
You supposed to be buttoned up right to your neck
If you a woman, you'll get respect
Let me tell you we crush the, and they crew
Let me tell you right now what you supposed to be
You supposed to be a man of integrity
Above the law, you effect destiny
We CRUSH, THEM, and they lies
This is concious rap, we not hypnotized
Anywhere the action's at, we rappin at
Uh-huh, whatchu thought? Uh-huh, we was done?
Uh-huh, whatchu thought?! Yeah, yeah
Yeah, whatchu thought? Uhh, uhh, uhh
Yo, yo, back again! What's that? Back again!
What's that? Word! C'mon
[Chorus x2: Nyce]
A North Face and skully hat don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A army suit, a pair of Timbs don't MAKE YOU A THUG
An ill mug and a gat don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A real thug is a thug that's HUSH!
[KRS-One]
Yo, yo, yo, check it, check it
Let us begin, KRS, winnin again, KRS-One did it again
KRS bigger than them, look at them they bit it again
I think my gun just gonna start clickin again
Click-clack, I always spit back
Anybody call my name I go get that
In fact we draggin 'em out, to a deserted route
The teacher returns, you must learn, the word is out
No doubt highly respected, Front Page Records
Off the hook, yet still connected
Are you teachin yourself, teachin yourself?
I'm like history repeatin itself
"Criminal Minded", you've been blinded again
Lookin for my style you can't find it again
You can find these others that may sound like Kris
but when it comes to the hands they don't get down like Kris!
They never ran up in the clubs with a hundred thugs
Never had the respect of Crips and Bloods
Never knew B.O., they never knew Big Pun
They never battled MC's, they never bust they gun
They don't know that, all they know is that show DAT
That's Digital Audio Tape if you don't know that
Now go back and get my name correct
'fore I snatch that platinum from 'round your neck
[Chorus x2: Nyce]
A doo rag a platinum chain don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A fat ride with chrome don't MAKE YOU A THUG
That tough guy talk don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A real thug is a thug that's HUSH!
[KRS-One]
Word, yeah yeah, uh-huh, yo
Yo, yo, yo (hit 'em Kris!)
What mean the world to me? H-I-P, H-O-P
And S-I-M, O-N-E
And G-O-D, I stay low key
I go down to hell, and slap up Satan
Then return to heaven, where Scott LaRock is waitin
Resurrection, just like my brown complexion
when I speak, I don't need protection from the heat
I walk these streets and I'm quick to hit first
Throw on any beat I'll be quick to spit first
and rip town, I take one look around
And all you hear is, "Get down, get down, get down!"
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, I stay on blast
That's why these rappers want me to go on last
That's the truth, that's the fact, that's the deal
Forget sex appeal, my tech is real
And my rep is real, K-R-S
Woo-woop-woop! That's the sound of E-M-S
The rag on your head, it best stay white
Cause I can turn that red in a mintue a-ight?
Now go back and get my name correct
'fore I snatch them diamonds from 'round your neck
Once again, get my name correct
'fore I snatch that platinum from 'round your neck
[Chorus: Nyce]
A North Face and skully hat don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A army suit, a pair of Timbs don't MAKE YOU A THUG
An ill mug and a gat don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A real thug is a thug that's HUSH!
A doo rag a platinum chain don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A fat ride with chrome don't MAKE YOU A THUG
That tough guy talk don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A real thug is a thug that's HUSH!
[KRS-One]
Yeah.. yeah.. yo, yo, yo
To all my heads who wanna see an improvement
in hip-hop culture, join this movement
We need more glocks than my man Freddie Foxxx
The knowledge I spit to the click it don't stop
That hardcore God-core, ready to start war
Rock more shock more top your pop tour
I'm sure I'll drop the grade to zero
When the teacher return, I don't chase DeNiro
Like where yo? Where yo? They livin in fear yo
It's a jungle sometime, but I got my spear yo
The album's called "Sneak Attack", that's what it is
KRS-One spittin facts to kids
[Chorus: Nyce]
A army suit, a pair of Timbs don't MAKE YOU A THUG
That tough guy talk don't MAKE YOU A THUG
An ill mug and a gat don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A real thug is a thug that's HUSH!
A doo rag a platinum chain don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A North Face and skully hat don't MAKE YOU A THUG
A fat ride with chrome don't MAKE YOU A THUG
Yeah
(Yeah)
Yeah
(Yeah)
Ah-ha
(Ah-ha)
Ah-ha
(Ah-ha)
Hardcore!
Word
Hardcore!
[ *live excerpt* ]
(You really think they're ready, black?)
Let's break it all the way down
All the way down
Huh-huh
Don't be fooled
Don't be fooled
Rap is something you do
Hip-hop is something you live
Rap is something you do
Hip-hop is something you.. ( *crowd responds* )
Rap is something you do
Hip-hop.. ( *crowd responds* )
You are not just doing hip-hop..
( *crowd responds* )
Yeah
Let's get this started
Word up
[ CHORUS ]
You gotta - get - your - self - up!
You been knocked down?
Get yourself up!
You been shot down?
Get yourself up!
You been locked down?
Get yourself up!
Get - your - self - up!
Been knocked down?
Get yourself up!
Been shot down?
Get yourself up!
You been locked down?
Get yourself up!
What is a real hip-hop MC?
Is it MTV, is it BET?
Is it five m-i-c's
So the people can see
I mean, how you think you're free
When you act like property?
Tell me, how do you judge an MC when he's rockin
I mean rockin it live, not pickin his cotton
I mean adjustin his clothes, I mean how do you know
Before you come to the show that you're not gettin heated
That you're not gettin cheated
That you ain't come to the club thinkin 'I must've been weeded!'
(Word)
You got to be a educated consumer
Spend your money on MC's cause these rappers'll do ya
Ass they want is your cash, ass, grass, gas in a flick
When you ask for that autograph they ass-dash quick
Beware of the rapper, he talks like it don't matter
He pulls his gat while we bust off the gatler
[ CHORUS ]
This is the "Sneak Attack"
The "Edutainment" style returns like that
Take it off your shelf
Cause all we deal with is knowledge of self, health and wealth
Not Stealth bombers, leather goose bombers
Original hip-hop armor on cd-rom - eh
You got to get with a
21st century philosopher
Representin the religion of hip-hop, sir
Those that oppose are foes and will get rocked - eh
Stopped, eh - I rise like a helicopter
Like Zulu I'll Shaka, crowd
With a beat that's loud
Huh, I'm black and I'm proud - irrelevant
I'm black and intelligent
I teach my kids to watch the education they give em
Cause it's really all about street wisdom
[ CHORUS ]
True hip-hoppers don't bleed
True hip-hoppers don't need
True hip-hoppers don't speed
No time for greed
True hip-hoppers do read
And will lead, not plead
Will sow seeds that breed
Ah-ha that's safer than weed, indeed
True hip-hoppers don't slave
True hip-hoppers don't crave
Silver and gold, we're not amazed
We live f-r-e-e
If you not into lyrics you can't really hear it nor see me
My philosophy keeps it plain and simple
Here it is: the kingdom of hip-hop is within you
Or is it the kingdom of hell that sends you?
I'm ringin a bell within you
You only seek in a cell, that's what sin do
It tells you to put your craft on a menu, a chart
So they can sell you and your art
[KRS-One]
Thou knowest not what thou sayeth in speech?
Doth thou know what thou teacheth to each?
From thine own mouth, thy corrupt thine own house
Thy corrupt thine siblings and thine own spouse
Satan has hold of thy spirit
So evil has hold of thy lyric
Whomsoever shall hear it shall adapt it
And walk the talk of evil just as ye rapped it
But I cometh forth today to say thus
Evil is an illusion, in GOD we trust
In Satan we lust
Coveting thy brother's vehicle while riding the bus
Feeling unjust
Trust not sinners in the flesh they aren't winners
But in the spirit they art children, beginners
Eat not of the dinner they serve
[KRS-One]
Who was the first to flash the heat on the cover?
Who was the first crew to go against another?
Who was the first to go acapella on a video replay?
Who was the first to lose a DJ?
Who was the first to teach at Yale?
Who was the first to hit that hip-hop reggae, on the nail?
Who was the first to say +Stop the Violence+
and teach that real bad boys move in silence?
You're soon to see the mindbendin rhyme weapon
Get more busy than two-two-three-double-nine-seven
All these rappers, swear they the best
I know whatchu thinkin about, "Where's KRS?"
Eighty percent of these rappers fake they {shit}
The other twenty percent they goin upstate and {shit}
There's no way out except knowledge and wisdom
I got it so I spit 'em you ain't got it you gotta get 'em
Who was the first to produce mix and write
at the same time up in the club rockin the mic?
Who was the first to have a DJ and a side man?
The first to say what is hip-hop? "I AM!"
Who was the first to produce gangster {shit}?
Put out, gangster hits with a gangster click?
Not no prankster {shit}, Steady B, Mad Lion
Just-Ice, Shabba Ranks and {shit}
My Channel is Live, my only battle is Jive
MC to MC, you won't survive
You'll be censored cause my Crew is 2 Live
I ascend like Christ and watch you die
[Chorus: repeat 2X]
Breakers (HERE!) MC's (HERE!)
Writers (HERE!) Beat-boxers (HERE!)
DJ's (HERE!) Hip-Hop (HERE!)
Hip-Hop (RIGHT HERE!) Hip-Hop (RIGHT HERE!)
[KRS-One]
I'm like Noah, I'm takin 'em, two by two
I took, them and them and I'll take, you and you
Be I'm right or be I'm wrong
You'll see I'm tight with this mic, you should be like, "B I'm gone"
But you still in my face Neo, I'm not your girl
All that ice and thug life, that's not my world
I'm the teacher, but you still can't see
cause while you respect Tupac, Tupac respected me
Another thing; don't ever show me another ring
Remember you Rudy Ray Moore, I'm Martin Luther King
Everything you bring sounds horrendous
You need repentance, 'fore I take attendance
[Chorus]
{*KRS-One hums a melody for a bit*}
You think this is easy right? (Yeah!)
You think this is easy right? (That's easy!)
You think you got what it takes? (Yeah that's easy!)
Huh, we gon' see.. we gon' see right now (Now what?)
Look
[KRS-One]
So you wanna be a conscious rapper
Can you handle the press and they negative chatter
Can you eat cold platters, and still spit data
Watchin others spit lies and they pockets get fatter
Can you climb up the ladder, and reach the top?
But it still doesn't matter, cause you ain't pop
Can you rock for the love of the art
Can you drop hit after hit after hit and still don't chart?
Can you REALLY stay loyal to God
when your life is full of strife, plus it always seems so hard
Can you handle the criticism
People holdin you up to higher standards, but they don't live 'em?
Can you hear these kiddy flows and laugh at it
But when you spit they callin you arrogant?
You better think about that before you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to pop your Cris', let's do it!
[Chorus: *sung*]
Think you can do what I do
Think you can step in my shoes
You have no clue what I go through
You never felt my pain
When they attack my name
All because I have spoken the truth
[KRS-One]
To be a conscious rapper ain't a mystery
You gotta laugh when they call you contradictory
The whole industry, you gotta push and pull it
To really get with me, you gotta dodge they bullets
Blaow, blaow, blaow, every day and every way
You critics got somethin to say
At the same time, you gotta uphold Christ
Uphold life, while others flash cars and ice
It could break you down, take you down, make you frown
It could actually shake your ground
But if you love who you are, and believe in that
Best believe you will BE where the teacher's at
And where's that? In fact, in cold or heat
Yes, I declare victory over the streets
Overstand, over these beats, over the so-called elite
Over the strong, over the weak
I know how to speak, and most of all I know how to eat
I know I want humble and meek
So you better think about that before you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to pop your Cris', uhh
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
Look!
So you thinkin about bein a concious MC
Well you gotta love God and you got to live free
You got to see the life that others can't see
You got to be the person that others can't be
You can't be a S-L-A, V-E
If you sayin to yourself, "This may be me"
Then you know goin in that you work against sin
Your very skills will kill the demons within
So don't expect respect from slaves and hoes
Nor the slavemaster's video shows
Nor the rap mags, you know how it go
Especially black mags, you know they don't know
Just go to the crowd that you know will need you
Cause NOTHING compares to the respect of the people
That's what you look for, that's what you work with
Cause anything else, is truly worthless
You better think about that before you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to just pop your Cris'
You better think about that, 'fore you rock to this
Sometimes it's easier to just pop your Cris', uhh
"At midday today, some Americans attended memorial services
for victims of Tuesday's acts of terrorism. Thousands
gathered at Chicago's Daily Plaza. Hundreds more looked
on from the windows of surrounding office buildings.
Many waved flags, and traffic came to a complete standstill.
On the rooftop of City Hall, which faces Daily Plaza, a
police sharpshooter watched the crowd, even as he saluted
the flag. After a minute of silence, church bells rang."
{Ain't no need in all the tears, oh no no, yeah yeah
Yeah cause things will be better tomorrow}
[Chorus: repeat 2X *sung*]
No need for tears, no need to cry
No matter what we face, we shall get by
When the problems you face are too much to bear
Know I'll be there
[KRS-One]
Hold that head up y'all, don't get fed up y'all
C'mon let's get up y'all
Make that bed up y'all, life is a set-up y'all
Sadness comes from a lack of knowin, not knowin
where the one that you love is goin
We all gonna reap what we all are sewin
There is no death, just constant growin
We can't stay here forever
We all gotta go to a place we believe is better
So why be sad, why be mad
Now you can see it ain't about the cheddar
It's all about the time that we spend together
Not the rhyme or the crime or the Gucci sweater
The house that's built on a rock can stand the weather
Faith, can stand the weather
But is your house, upon the rock
Or is it on sand and about to drop
Here is the question that you got to ask
Do I live for today or do I live for the past?
Think fast, but do not hurry
Life is a class and we should not worry
But tell me, how long you gonna ignore
Tell me how long you gonna ignore God's law?
How long can you really endure
Livin like pimps, livin like whores
The choice is yours, or really ours
Think about this while you lay the flowers
on the grave, uh, let's talk about how you behave, uh
Do you come out the neighb' or out the cave?
Better change your ways, we comin up on some stranger days
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
Uhh, uhh
Don't step where the danger lays or danger lies
Open them EYES UP, better to RISE UP, WISE UP
Raise your MINDS UP
Look to the left, look to the right
Pray in the day and the night
Be prepared for the fight, not scared of the fight
He's the way, the truth AND the light
J to the E to the S to the U to the S
You can remove the stress
Yes, we do need you here
Yes, we wanna be free from fear
Yes, we wanna start seein clear
Havin you here, not over there
Lookin around sayin where, does anybody care?
Yeah, I'll be there
At the door, not at the war
At Matthew 5:44
"But I say, unto you
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you
Do good to them that hate you
And pray for them which despitefully use you
and persecute you"
This goes for them terrorists too
But them publicans, done put themSELVES up above again
Lookin for blood again, hate no love again
Got them soldiers runnin in, with a gun again
With a ton of sin, in a holy war, how we gonna win?
I think it's time for KRS-One again
[Chorus] - repeat 2X
[KRS-One]
The time is now, you gotta make your choice
Which side are you on? Turn now to Matthew 5:46
"For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?
Do not even the publicans the same?
And if ye salute your breddern only, what do ye more than others
do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect;
This what you call hardcore, fat gospel.. street gospel
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] Yo where my people at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] Yo where my heart is at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] C'mon let's bring it back
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS-One]
Raw rhymes for raw times
My albums are underground, but this blessing is all mine
And when it's tour time, we open more minds
You need to rethink who you think is the "Greatest of All Time"
I got this -- I'm raw like Freddie Foxxx is
Hardcore like The LOX is, Scott LaRock is where Tupac is
Where hip-hop is, Digital-ly Underground like Shock is
Oh yes -- I know where the top is
But I'd rather rhyme about how crooked some of these cops is
My synopsis ain't pretty
I'd stay, off them plains and, out the city if I were you
Do what you gotta do
But while you wave them flags, remember Amadou .. Diallo
Here's what we gotta do, follow
I'll put hip-hop in you if you're hollow
Those that already filled, STILL take swallows
Goin over potholes with Tahoes
You don't think +I+ know? Huh! I'm lookin at you right now
You ain't dancin in the club, you in your car, sittin down
You in the crib, on the low
You got them headsets on the go
You just saw me at the show - oh you don't know?
It's the Temple of Hip-Hop, comin, with a whole DIFFERENT flow
Yo where them hoes at? I don't know
But wherever God at, I'ma go
I give 'em a hard rap AND a flow
That's why when they call back for the show, with no video
We get up and go!
[Chorus: repeat 2X]
[KRS] Yo where it started at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] Yo where my people at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] Yo where my heart is at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] C'mon let's bring it back
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS-One]
Peep it out while I tell ya like this
In every single hood in the WORLD I'm called Kris
It's the, truth for ya, it's the proof for ya
My Cristal passes more bars than lawyers
The underground sound, this is not easily found
You don't need no rings to be down
This is, past the platinum and gold
We already had 'em, it's old
Here's the truth if it be told, gather 'round
Philosopher style is known to be wild
If you only holdin them guns, who's holdin your child?
You got to be thinkin you KNOW that you shrinkin
When the art of Navigation has been reduced to a Lincoln
Change the dial! I was free then and I'm free now
You free, runnin to MTV? I don't see how!
You know the real from the fake, you know they stealin they cake
You know it ain't about the art, it's all about what they make
You know the radio's late, you know they play what you hate
That's why you got that Kay Slay tape, tryin to escape
You know the love of the cars and the rims
Tattooed arms and Timbs, are also called sins
You know you got to pay for these spins
You know the rap magazines be wack from beginning to the end
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
I never was a king and I'm not the Pres
I'm a teacher like that reefer goin straight to your head
I'm a preacher tryin to bring my people back from the dead
I'm a leader tryin to keep you all away from the feds
You my sister I'll be tryin to get you OUT of the bed
I'm a philospher sayin what has GOT to be said
I don't FILL you with lead, I bring that KNOWLEDGE instead
FOLLOW this dread, I'll take you from A to Zed
Who am I? Just a scholar called K-R-S
You can spend your money on others but THEY AIN'T BLESSED
You can spend your money drugs and STILL BE STRESSED
Look around for conscious rappes yo there AIN'T NONE LEFT
I'm holdin it down; better yet I'm holdin up
Waitin for some young buck to come and sip from the cup
And continue with the menu puttin new knowledge in you
I got a question and a lesson cause I KNOW what you been through
But..
[Chorus] - 1/2
{*no beat*}
[KRS] Yo where it started at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] Yo where my people at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] Yo where my heart is at?
[all] South South, Bronx!
[KRS] C'mon let's bring it back!!
[KRS-One]
Gather 'round, gather 'round, ha
Metaphysical style, spiritual style, the ORIGINAL style, ha
Yes.. let's do it
[Chorus]
- you can never give up, you should never give up
- you can never give up, we can never give up
- you can never give up, you can never give up
- you should never give up, we can never give up, you can never give up
[KRS-One]
Yeah, yeah
Y'all don't really know about the KRS rap
Y'all don't really about why we stay trapped
Y'all don't really know hip-hop ain't rap
But let me tell you how we can get it all back
First realize givin up is wack
Say to yourself I can never be wack
Then realize that we must go back
And the reason you can't seem to get on track
is you, keep, buying, HOES, simple and plain
You, keep, buying, HOES, all y'all know my name
And how I get down and move around
I've already been to the proving ground
In conscious rap, who rule the sound
The question is are you down?
[Chorus] w/ minor variations
[KRS-One]
Look - KRS-One, I've learned already
Everything they doin is temporary
No matter how big you live
You still the creation of a music executive
And when you get old no matter what you did
They throw you away and they pimp your kid
Yeah kids, on the TV whylin
You know why we got racial profilin?
Cause you, keep, buying, HOES, simple and plain
You, keep, buying, HOES, all y'all know my name
So there in the future we'll look back
And then we will see we were under attack
But it'll be too late, the loss'll be too great
You'll see, just wait!
[Chorus] w/ minor variations
[KRS-One]
C'mon, c'mon, yeah c'mon
You see how they shuttin down KRS-One
Cause I'm not sexy, thuggin or dumb
Ask yourself -
- why they only promotin criminal activity and nothin else?
On the videos and on the radio
Teachin our kids which way to go
And the way that they tell our kids to go
If you listen, heads right straight to prison
While you, keep, buying, HOES, simple and plain
You, keep, buying, HOES, y'all better peep the game
You got to release that temptation
Get a brand new affirmation
Your life is what you make 'em
Peace, salaam alaikum
You ready to go? I'm ready to go
What about y'all, y'all ready to go? (yeah aight yeah) I'm ready to go
Look
[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)
God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?
What does it mean to be in the world but not of it
It means you want the cars the cash the jewels the house but you don't love it
It means to taxes regulation state law you live above it
It means you a FREE hip-hopper, you ain't nobody's puppet
You don't see no money on me, you see it up in the cupboard
You see me up in Toys'R'Us, with my seeds cause they love it
You see insurance flash out, if my kids pass out
You see seven acres of land where we can all spaz out
To all my fathers that fathered, hold your head up for starters
Teach your toddlers, not to be thieves and robbers
This that other kind of rap, that leads to true hip-hop
There's other kinds of raps, but they lead you to get shot
The choice is yours, you gettin older now
You got a kid comin, how you gonna hold it down?
It's one thing to be iced out and rocked up
What's the point if you're gettin locked up?
[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)
God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?
It's really time we seperate the young men from the big men
The young girls from the women, whatever the title that fit them
My style designed to open a child's mind when I spit them
I only got a little bit of time to really rhyme and uplift them
You see them brothers talkin about that crime? Forgive them
It won't be long before they words manifest and they live them
Sometimes you gotta go back to the beginnin to learn
After fifteen years I'm just BEGINNIN to burn
To all my true hip-hoppers, that pay bills and live proper
Never allow a negative thought to stop ya
Correct ya posture, stand upright not uptight
Don't be scared of the light, just prepare for the fight
We say "Criminal Minded", cause our thoughts are illegal
We represent the very thinkin of, inner-city people
Real people, people that take care of theyself
They need health, love, awareness and wealth
Not to mention, knowledge of God
Not college, the job then dead - if you agree nod your head
It's one thing to be iced out and rocked up
But what's the point if you're gettin locked up?
[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)
God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?
C'mon c'mon yo, tonight is it
We gonna steal away together, through these rhymes I spit
When the student is ready, the teacher, shall appear
So I'm here, but are you really ready to face your fears?
Mo' money, mo' money, is that your credo?
You've been livin in a dream world Neo, power to the people!
Nobody's equal, everybody's diversed and different
My lyric'll never cheat you, my verse is gifted
So manifest what you believe is God almighty
It could be Allah Jesus Krishna Buddha Aphrodite
It could be Nefretire come hear me and never fear me
It's like at some point in your life you gonna have to hear me
I represent them teachers preachers comin through your speaker
Manifestin another lesson to them true believers
Instead of pickin up our women ready to mistreat 'em
You better get yourself a wife and kid and never leave 'em
You better teach 'em you better read 'em you better feed 'em
The system will defeat 'em if you don't teach 'em the cops'll beat 'em
The style that I be kickin quick is "Edutainment"
Hip-Hop culture needed a teacher quick so I became it
Instead of rhymin about my history and what I been through
I'd rather rhyme about awakening the God within you
Yo, it's one thing to be iced out and rocked up
But what's the point if you're gettin locked up?
[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)
God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?
[KRS-One]
Yeah.. yeah.. FRESH, for two-thousand and two
[KRS-One]
Bo! Boom bye bye, hip-hop will never die
Despite the fact that I'm fly I'm never dry
You could beat me, cheat me, when you meet me try to defeat me
But nevertheless you'll have stress, cause I don't rest
You wanna know what my problem is, if you're curious??
I take this hip-hop shit too serious!!
I forget that other rappers ain't true to this
So when they grab the mic I get hyped like LET'S DO THIS!!
All my rhymes are fat, while rappers are skimpy, wimpy
So I simply chew they crew like a Blimpie
Skip me when you dissin, skip me when you on a ego mission..
I blow up, like nitroglycerin!
You better tune in to Teddy Ted
"Yo stop frontin', and use your head"
[KRS-One]
Well if you ain't called it hip-hop, there's a door, I ain't stoppin
I got more flavors than Baskin Robbins!
I flash the funky fresh flavors force-fully
Freak the phonies and flip philosophy constantly (true!)
That reminds me, rappers rock drip-drop
Not hip-hop, they wanna SING and all dem ting
Thank God KRS is still rappin; all that "ooh I love you baby"
and "blink blink blink" - this ain't happenin
[Kid Capri]
Yo this is curtains for these rappers that be frontin on the next man
Lookin down at brothers just because they gettin checks and
haven't got a skill but they're LARGE on the hum-bum
You wanna step to Kid Capri, COME COME COME!!
I break em up, just for actin like a superstar
Around the way, we got a neighborhood trooper car
We ride by, and spray your crew, and your honies too
And rip you open and drink your blood like a Mountain Dew
[KRS-One]
I descend to lend a friend a helping hand
to stop a trend, again and again and again, I just can't say when
I beg to confess my sins to other men
Reverands guard lips, within there I'll begin
I'll always win, over-sakin
The party is ripped, without a hit or with a hit I'm rippin shit
You must admit, I'll never quit the lyrics I flip
I'm tough like licorice, battlin Kid Capri? It's ridiculous
Chorus:
Woop-woop!
That's the sound of da police!
Woop-woop!
That's the sound of the beast!
Verse One:
Stand clear! Don man a-talk
You can't stand where I stand, you can't walk where I walk
Watch out! We run New York
Police man come, we bust him out the park
I know this for a fact, you don't like how I act
You claim I'm sellin' crack
But you be doin' that
I'd rather say see ya
Cause I would never be ya
Be a officer You WICKED overseer!
Ya hotshot, wanna get props and be a saviour
First show a little respect, change your behavior
Change your attitude, change your plan
There could never really be justice on stolen land
Are you really for peace and equality
Or when my car is hooked up, you know you wanna follow me
Your laws are minimal
Cause you won't even think about lookin' at the real criminal
This has got to cease
Cause we be getting HYPED to the sound of da police!
Chorus
Verse Two:
Now here's a likkle truth
Open up your eye
While you're checking out the boom-bap, check the exercise
Take the word overseer, like a sample
Repeat it very quickly in a crew for example
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Officer, Officer, Officer, Officer!
Yeah, officer from overseer
You need a little clarity
Check the similarity!
The overseer rode around the plantation
The officer is off patroling all the nation
The overseer could stop you what you're doing
The officer will pull you over just when he's pursuing
The overseer had the right to get ill
And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill
The officer has the right to arrest
And if you fight back they put a hole in your chest!
(Woop!) They both ride horses
After 400 years, I've _got_ no choices!
The police them have a little gun
So when I'm on the streets, I walk around with a bigger one
(Woop-woop!) I hear it all day
Just so they can run the light and be upon their way
Chorus
Verse Three:
Check out the message in a rough stylee
The real criminals are the C-O-P
You check for undercover and the one PD
But just a mere Black man, them want check me
Them check out me car for it shine like the sun
But them jealous or them vexed cause them can't afford one
Black people still slaves up til today
But the Black police officer nah see it that way
Him want a salary
Him want it
So he put on a badge and kill people for it
My grandfather had to deal with the cops
My great-grandfather dealt with the cops
My GREAT grandfather had to deal with the cops
And then my great, great, great, great... when it's gonna stop!
Chorus
* DJ Premier samples/scratches between verses:
"Boogie Down was performin, hey they ain't no joke" -> Slick Rick
"Down with the sound called B-D-P" -> KRS *
Verse One:
Back in the days I knew rap would never die
I used to listen to Awesome-2 on WHBI
I used to hear all kind of rap groups before sampling loops
Rappers wore bell-bottom Lee suits
Me and Kenny couldn't afford that
So we would go to the park when they was jammin' to hear rap
I used to listen till the cops broke it up
I always thought to myself "Damn, why they fucked it up?"
But never the less I was in love with the microphone
And it stayed that way until I left home
On the streets of New York, now I'm free
But with freedom comes big responsibility
I used to walk around driven by the force
I remember how large Super Rhymes was when he fell off
I used to wonder about crews that used to rock
They were large, but none of them could manage to stay on top
Do you ever think about when you outta here?
Record deal and video outta here?
Mercedes Benz and Range Rover outta here?
No doubt BDP is old school, but we ain't goin' out!
Verse Two:
After livin' on the streets alone
Some years went by, I signed myself into a group home
I used to watch the show "I Dream of Jeannie"
And dreamt about "When will I be large like Whodini?"
But I was messin' with graffiti on the subway
And gettin' chased by the cops almost everyday
I knew it had to bea better way see
So I would go to my room, blast RUN DMC
Around 1984 I left the group home, again alone
Still dreamin' about the microphone
Gimme a chance man, I know I can rock it
But I had to worry about puttin' money in my pocket
So when I reached the shelter I met my helper DJ Scott La Rock
And we both loved hip-hop
I was takin' suckas out in the shelter system
Yeah there was rappers in the shelter but I had to diss 'em
But all along, my vision was never lost
I kept seeing all these rap groups fallin' off
Do you ever think about when you're outta here?
Fly girl and fresh gear outta here?
Five-thousand dollar love seat outta here?
No doubt BDP is old school, but we ain't goin' out!
Verse Three:
While I'm battling these rival crews
Yes, BDP would stay in the street news
Some said all they wanna do is battle
They can't write a song, so their careers won't last long
Around this time I used to hang with Ced Gee
And DJ Scott La Rock used to buy gold with Eric B
I didn't meet Rakim till later with Scott
I remember we were jammin' at the rooftop
It used to irk me when these critics had opinions
Scott would say "Just keep rappin', I'll keep spinnin'"
We had a fucked up contract, but we signed it
And dropped the hip-hop album Criminal Minded
We told the critics your opinions are bull
Same time Eric B and Rakim dropped Paid in Full
Hip-hop pioneers we didn't ask to be
But right then hip-hop changed drastically
People didn't wanna hear the old rap sound
We started samplin' beats by James Brown
In the middle of doin' My Philosophy
Scott was killed and that shit got to me
But knowin' the laws of life and death
I knew his breath, was one with my breath
I had nothin' left and it was scary
So I dropped By All Means Necessary
Another hip-hop group that was a friend of me
Was a revolution crew called Public Enemy
It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
These two albums set off consciousness in rap
But all along, I'm still lookin' around
And all I can see are these rap groups fallin' down
Do you ever think about when you outta here?
Condominium and beach house outta here?
Credit cards and bank accounts outta here?
Intro:
So in the clubs I get (mad)
On the mic I get (mad)
On the beats I get (mad)
Chorus:
I got the
(Mad, mad crew up in the house)
I'm wit the
I be chillin' wit the
I'm rollin' wit the
Verse One:
See, this is what I'm sayin' and I know you don't see this
Wack, underpriveledged MCs think they can see Kris
They watchin' too much television and they rocka
This ain't the TV show "Taxi," and I ain't Lotka
I break an MC off proper, yo don't check me
Ask your Moms and Pops, yo they respect me
But here you stand, tryin' to get yours, but gettin' NOTHIN'
You probably can't spell "Boogie Down" or "Productions"
I play for jeeps, I play for keeps, I play for streets, believe me
Put down the microphone and consider a squeegie
You're rated PG
Again I win when I begin
I'm slammin' again, no win, try to comprehend
I don't bend
I ravage and damage
I'm wild like a savage, kickin' asses
Hot flashes, your style's with trash's
Stay out of my classes, PUNK
Stay out of my classes - yo
Chorus:
Verse Two:
Twinkle, twinkle to the little rap star
I got all type of MC tongue in a pickle jar
So here's a quick freestyle to my target:
My core audience, *fuck* the rest of the market!
'Cause I spark it, styles I loanshark it
Then break your legs if you try to chart it
I got heart, it
Doesn't take a lot to rock a record, get wit it
Some MCs can't rock for five minutes
Sorry, that's not the way to approach me
Use caution
I rip up lyrical crews and MCs often
You probably don't know this:
I give birth to MCs
And I also give abortions
I'll do a number to your body structure
You look like supper
And I'm that _hungry_ motherfucker!
You don't wanna be on the menu!
I'll end you, twist you up and bend you
Like Gestapo
Pick up the microphone and crush up MC like a taco
No, we're never sad because we nah deal with sorrow
That's why dem challenge me, jah man you know dem challenge trouble
Me are number one of me there is no double!
And you don't want no trouble
'Cause Blastmaster KRS is flashin' lyrics on the double
Chorus
Verse Three:
Check
Me comin' on quick, me cominadance, now me a sing
KRS-One in a party, man me do me own ting
Nuff MC test, but you don't hear vowel one
All you hear is when the BDP crew slap them up
We have the champion belt and lyrical cup
Any DJ they want my title filled, no way now man step up
But when you lose, now understand you get fucked up
This ain't no game upon the mic
Me bring the noise to you like Chuck
Chorus:
Kid Capri got the
Gang Starr got the
Ill Will got the
Intro
Boom Bap Original Rap
Boom Bap Original Rap
See how it sounds(bo!) a little unrational(bo!)*4
Verse 1
Now bad boy squad and bad boy crew
everything I do, I do jus for you
another silly sucker wants the champion belt
but like a microwave these days I make em melt
Return Of The Boom Bap means jus that
it means return of the real hard beats and real rap
the ladies in the place like it jus like that
Im a around the way gay with a baseball cap
you know my style, you know my name
I'm chillin at the top, but I'm still the same
I never crossed over, never went pop
you know Krs will give you real hip hop so..
Chorus
See how it sounds(bo!) a little unrational(bo!)*4
Verse 2
People always callin me a top celebrity
cuz when I'm on the mic
I like to speak freely
You hear me chattin lyric but Im not an MC
A one poetic member of the crew B.D.P.
I looked around the nation but I simply couldn't find
another entertainer wit a rhyme like mine
I pick up the mic and I tear up the phone
At this point in the party I should be left alone
but uh-oh uh-oh Ive come to show
a brand new flow
Is the flow wack? NO!
listen to the pro
come to the show in a b-boy stance..bogle in the dance
bogle and a bogle and a bogle in the party
Here's a likkle stylee, come an wake up everybody
Boom Bap original rap
Boom Bap, Boom Bap original rap
Refreshin when you hear it hard rap is all that so...
Chorus
Verse 3
Bogle in the dance, bogle in the dance
bogle in a, bogle in a, bogle in the party
Bogle in the dance, bogle in the dance
bogle in a, bogle in a, bogle in the party
On and on to the PM Dawn
I buck two shots and you squad is gone
you add a little street in your R-a-p
but never do you wanna challenge B.D.P.
cuz smashin up a crew, one-two is the least
when a sucka wants ta battle that just gets me geesed
I never backed down from to an MC feud
never on stage KRS got booed
stayed hardcore never changed my attitude
I got the hip hop juice for the hip hop food
I eat when I drink, an I drink when I eat
when I speak, what I speak
what I speak is not weak
now Boogie-down, boogie down, boogie down produc
wit the buck buck buck buck buck buck BUCK!
Throw ya hands high in the sky
wave em around, cuz I get down
down to the nitty, to the nitty, to the gritty
peace to all the hardcore kids in the city so....
Chorus
Outro:
Tell me right now, tell me what’s wrong
Please tell me something before I’m gone
It seems like we have come to the end
Should I be listening to all my friends
Is it true what they say?
Is it true what they say?
Is it true what they say?
Is it true what they say?
I’M HEARING THINGS LIKE YOU’LL BE SLEEPING CREEPING BEHIND MY BACK
YOU MIGHT BE LAUGHIN MIGHT BE JOKIN BUT I’M THINKIN IT’S WACK
IF WE ARE OVER LET’S BE OVER AND LET’S LEAVE IT AT THAT
SEE I CAN’T TRUST YOU ANYMORE BECAUSE YOUR LOVE IS AN ACT
Is it true what they say?
Is it true what they say?
Is it true what they say?
Just who do you, think I really am?
One of your mindless and stupid friends?
Why can’t you simply tell me the truth?
So I can hold you, or cut you loose?
I’M NOT THE TYPE TO LISTEN TO WHAT EVERYBODY WILL SAY
BUT MORE AND MORE IT’S SEEMIN THAT I CAN’T TRUST YOU ANYWAY
YOU MAKE ME THINK THAT I MUST SLEEP WITH SOMETHIN OVER MY HEAD
FOR FEAR I WAKE UP IN A POOL OF BLOOD AND PROBABLY DEAD
HOW ARE WE LIVIN? HOW ARE WE LIVIN? IT SEEMS
YOU ARE NOT GIVIN WHAT YOU GAVE IN THE BEGINNING
HOW ARE WE LIVIN? HOW ARE WE LIVIN? IT SEEMS
YOU ARE NOT GIVIN WHAT YOU GAVE IN THE BEGINNING
Is it true what they say?
Is it true what they say?
Is it true what they say?
I’M HEARING THINGS LIKE YOU’LL BE SLEEPING CREEPING BEHIND MY BACK
YOU MIGHT BE LAUGHING MIGHT BE JOKING BUT I’M THINKING IT’S WACK
IF WE ARE OVER LET’S BE OVER AND LET’S LEAVE IT AT THAT
SEE I CAN’T TRUST YOU ANYMORE BECAUSE YOUR LOVE IS AN ACT
I’M NOT THE TYPE TO LISTEN TO WHAT EVERYBODY WILL SAY
BUT MORE AND MORE IT’S SEEMIN THAT I CAN’T TRUST YOU ANYWAY
YOU MAKE ME THINK THAT I MUST SLEEP WITH SOMETHIN OVER MY HEAD
FOR FEAR I WAKE UP IN A POOL OF BLOOD AND PROBABLY DEAD
Probably dead!
Probably dead.
It's meant to be evidently
When I rock so eloquently
Put the beat on and let me
Kill another wack emcee
Can't trust them, never test me
I practice and study
But I'm not in it for the money
But to me they look so funny
You can't test the teacher
The teacher won't reach intact
Through the speaker you're weaker, now sit your ass in the back
My lyrical you hear it, you fear it, you can't get near it
Cause the spirit eat Eric
And Eric your rhymes is wack
Like that, that, right back
Check it out!
Check it like this
Just skills You know you gots to build just skills
*A phone is dialed a man says hello and a woman starts speaking in
Spanish*
You know you gots to build just skills, uh come on get down
Just skills You know we got to build just skills, come on get down
Yeah, uh come on
I got that rip track, flip that, underground rap
When I kick back
Most of what I'm hearin be weak
So I speak through beats and the streets as I teach
I impeach, through speech, each lyric leech I reach
Have a seat in the lecture
Nothin can protect you
Hard is the texture
Of the mic wreckin rock in your sector
Better than ever remember I am no beginner
I like to shout out Eric Skinner
Just skills, you know we gots to build just skills, come on a get down
Just skills, you know we gots to build just skills, come on a get down
Yo, we livin in a world of private jets and limousine
The fruit we eatin as we prepare tangerine to nectarine
See everybody livin in the same routine
We need the telephone, and yes, we need the fax machine
You listen to the sound, well I think you know it's me
Now, let me educate you with my concious poetry
Me want, me want, me want, me want, me want no wack rap
Me want, me want, me want, me want, me want no wack rap
Me love, me love, me love, me love, me love it when it's bad
See if you wack rap you ought be steppin out the back
See emcees on the microphone forgettin that they black
See hear them kick the lyrics that are holdin people back
But when you hear the teacher, KRS will find the track
You bound to see the light, and you don't want return back
So listen very closely to the secret scientist
I'm sending this one out to all my inner city kids
Now you supposed to be apostle what you have inside your head
Can make you more reliable, it can make you feel dead
Now listen very closely to the way I say this rhyme
It's the thing called the brain, and the thing called the mind
But I'm outta time
Chorus (scratching on the word can ):
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
No, you can't cause now you bouts to get done!
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Never had a gun, never had a gun
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
No, you can't cause now you bouts to get done!
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Never had a gun, never had a gun
On the block you just yap a whole lot
About the clothes that you got
Yo, or the gold that you got
Everybody sees all the friends in your Benz, yo, it's fat
But they ain't gettin money like that
Word to my brother Kenny, jealous one envy
The rich are few, while the poor, many
But you got gold cuffs and cars and stuff
You eatin well, but still in the ghetto you dwell
You know it's hot, so you make it known about your glock
To any perpetrator tryin to blow up your spot
You grab the microphone and talk a good ramble
You the hardcore outlaw, criminal, vandal
Burnin emcees like a candle, but you frontin
You ain't got nothin, with your life you gamble
One day you gamble up snake eyes
Talkin all that junk about you don't take dives, you take lives
Nobody on the block tries, cause you claim you got powerful ties
So at the red light you arrive
And to your surprise you get heffed up with just two steak knives
You're terrified, they take your Benz, and what makes things worse
You ain't got gun the first
[KRS] One, two, three..
[Joe]
Come to da party, come to the dance
Everyone is fightin
So they fired up, up and away
Come to da party, come to the dance
To pull out the vinyl
so they fired up, up and away
[KRS-One]
Yeah, yeah
Hardcore lyric comin at ya they attackin ya
Rappers bite like Dracula the soul of hip-hop
I'm puttin back in ya, with the South Bronx vernacular
Bound to put the crack in your armor, I am much sharper
than a lot of other mic rockers, slightly eccentric
but everything's authentic, when I said, "I'm hip-hop," I meant it
Emcees wanna debate the issue, but false though
If they studied they would see that they are hip-hop also
Hip-Hop you can't do it, you gots to be it
You can't confine it, you have to free it, so you can see it
as your expression, and learn the lesson, on life in ghetto sections
and what you feel is the forward direction
for black people, not these Star Wars save that for R2-D2
I got five fingers like Bruce Lee do
And with the five fingers I grab microphones and bring the
stinger to DJ's, rappers, singers and beer drinkers
This MC's a thinker, unlike others but I won't diss yaz
You're still my brothers and sisters, Kris is
ONE aspect of hip-hop rap
Negative rap, positive rap, forget that black it's a trap
to set us back, concentrate on various rap talents
Presently the rap radio format is unbalanced
You either got the player, or the concious rhyme sayer
all day, on your radio, not with a different flavor
Someone has to DIE before you hear a concious record
People don't like gangsta rap, but concious rap, they don't respect it
The truth is people are afraid of black youth
Our expressions, our lessons and gold teeth, so..
[Joe]
Come to da party, come to the dance
Everyone is shoutin
So they fired up, up and away
Come to da party, come to the dance
Everyone is singin
[Minister Server: speaking]
The God of your understanding, has chosen you and you've agreed
To be here in this space and time to do something, that only you can do
Now I won't stand here to try and tell you what it is
But deep, inside yourself
As you take time to uncover, and ask yourself some vital questions
Like - what is it that brings me peace, what is it that brings me joy?
What do I love doing?
What am I willing to become highly skilled at doing?
What part can I play for the betterment of the society
And the world in which I want to live?
When you begin to ask yourself those real questions
And it doesn't have to be done in a formal way
It can be done just like we're speaking, right now
Ask yourself the question
Look at how you see yourself in just a year from now
And then go forward
And if you have children or even if you don't have children
Now begin to, look at your future beyond
The space and time that you are
Now visualize exactly, the way that you desire to live
There's no such thing as a government
There's only people rulin over people
People jerkin around people
People lendin a hand to people..
What part of the system do you play?
Who do you oppress? .. Uhh!
[Chorus]
What kinda world are we livin in? Yo
What kinda world are we livin innnnnn?
Can I get with my people? Can I sit with my people?
Break bread with my people? Move ahead with my people?
[Chorus] - 1/2
[KRS-One]
When every day, seven thousand kids are gettin locked up
When every day the justice system seems to stay stocked up
When every day they cuttin 'em down 'fore they even pop up
When every day you gotta duck 'fore you get shot up
What kinda world are we livin in, spinnin in
Winnin in, sinnin in, let us begin again
Churches are ran like corporations makin me holla
Corporations are ran like churches praisin the dollar
There's no way out, or is it? Release your doubt and live it
Teachin metaphysics don't listen to these critics hear it
What kinda world are we livin in?
Believe in yourself, achieve for yourself, see for yourself
Speak for yourself, never weaken yourself, by deceivin yourself
Believe in your wealth, c'mon!
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
Yo, yo, yeah
What kinda world are we livin out, we move about
in fear and doubt, tryin to get more clout
Just check it check it out, we took the wrong route
to a morality drought, basically I'm callin 'em out
What kinda world are we livin in, when a song
will not get on, unless it talks 'bout thongs
Now where did we go wrong? We don't have long
Preference all torn all worn not norm and all gone
What kinda world do we live around, when we lay around
Let me break it down, they shuttin us down
while we play around, we fallin, stallin
while God's callin, all in to fall in
[Chorus]
[Chorus] - 1/2
[KRS-One]
When every day another unwanted pregnancy ends
When every day another person is betrayed by a friend
When every day it never ends, and the people pretend
like the President is there cause of them, let me ask
What kinda world can we really trust
when the cops they can shoot at us? Bo bo!
What kinda world can we really grow (ohh)
when our daughters wanna be hoes (ohh)
and a father that nobody knows (ohh)
and a mother wearin them sexy clothes (ho)
What kinda world are we livin in, yo
What kinda world are we livin in, uhh
[Chorus] w/ variations
[KRS]
Can I get with my people? Can I sit with my people?
Break bread with my people? Move ahead with my people?
Can I sit with my people? Can I get with my people?
Break bread with my people? Move ahead with my people?
Can I sit with my people? Can I get with my people?
Break bread with my people? Move ahead with my people?
"One two, testing one two
Alright party people in the place to be
The party has already started
An-an-an-and it's about to il-il-il-ill *echoes*"
Let me introduce you to another type of rapper MC
where glamour and glitter don't matter gently
I'm tired of the Chattanooga empty
Classical like a German luger
Deep like a tune for scuba diving who am I the hyper
Like I said before my radar's going BIBBIT BIBBIT
The microphone I grip-it grip-it, lyric lyric I live it
Hear it my spirit is where it should be
Don't push me if you pussy, HUH
I spot em, it seems you want to ride the dillz
I got em, KRS got skills in the place
I waste megahertz of bass bottom, chill
As I rock em and get ill, I build the perfect spot to kill
Verbal excitement will lead to your indictment
Whether or not you like it, still, number one I hype it
Your album, rewrite it
How many MC's, wannabemceez
Never be MC's, cause they can't MC
How many MC's, wannabemceez
Never be MC's, cause they can't MC
Triplet syllables for minimal criminals
Lyrical riddles that got hard flavors in the middle
Sit back and chittle as I stand and still rebuild on skills
The admission of serial lyrics, calculated to weaken the spirit
will be diverted by this lyric when you hear it
Ricochet any style any day
Any which way and you'll Cherish the Day like Sade
The advanced oratorical techniques I speak
Keep the heat at full peak! My grammar
with stamina, grabs a rapper like the fresh catch of the day
and crack the back of that DJ
I'm strappin and attackin a pack
And whatever happens after that just happens, FACT
Flamboyant and flashy is one point in time when you're not ashy
Focus on the syllable formats and the cash G
G for guard your grill, I'm hard to kill
Odd but ill, a job to fill is to refill on skills
We built and killed style and skill
while poetically recriminate you like a child I will
get ill, and switch to earn
Cause I prefer to slur but not blur
Blurring you're stirring up trouble surely you don't need it
be seated I'm undefeated dem not see it
Observe me then beat it
How many MC's, wannabemceez
Never be MC's, cause they can't MC
How many MC's, wannabemceez
Never be MC's, cause they can't MC
Let's get back to the point quickly, get with me
The voice from New York City is too witty
I come from a era of ?OJ cars?, Latin Quarter
fake Gucci and fake Fendi, you can't send me
Nowhere, that I ain't been to
You can't tell me nuttin that I ain't been through
Disrespect the teacher I gots to get you
*cause they can't MC*
But what you really sayin
You sound like a bitch-ass rapper when he's saying
"Yo Kris you hit too hard" stop playing!
Switching and swaying
Day in and day out, your styles are played out, see you way out
Before you're laid out, your bright lights start to fade out
The last thing you heard is "Who let the K out?"
?No great area?
Everything is black and white we took the gray out it's scarier
Either you're winnin or losin, spinnin the rules of conscience
But lyrically there ain't no stoppin
I'm droppin a lot in your noggin
Cause I know that you're lyrically starvin
Carbon, your name, battle battle
Everybody wants to battle but you BAB-BLE
Who knows ya, battlin me, is the only way that you can gain exposure
I feel for ya soldier
I hate to say it but I told ya so
You know that I know the ancient flow KRS-One
is the holder of a boulder yo, money folder yo
You want a fresh style let me show you slow
your blow, I'm not your foe
Battling me? No no no no no no NO!
How many MC's, wannabemceez
Never be MC's, cause they can't MC
How many MC's, wannabemceez
Never be MC's, cause they can't MC
[Mad Lion]
If a DJ think he man den he better prepare for war!!
BDP crew get up in that ass like a piece of toilet tissue
General Lion I chase them all and I am on fiyah
Represent the hardest crew, you know how we do
Anything tess, dead! Gun shot to dem head
[KRS-One]
Y'all don't know? Y'all don't know your body is a temple?
A temple to the living God? Don't get gassed y'all
All my sisters out there, here's the truth
You, a you've got to.. {TAKE.. YOUR.. TIME}
Look, look!
You don't want no unsteady relationships, you want it tight
You don't want no man beggin and always gonna get, am I right?
You don't want no man sleepin cheatin freakin behind his wife
There's no such thing as make love, it's really make life
I don't care what nobody say; you sleep with a man, that's your husband
So make sure, before you lay down, you love him
And learn him, yes it's still sacred to be a virgin
Relax, it's curiosity that always burns 'em in fact
Sex is like candy, be disciplined, no splurgin
You don't want your stomach hurtin
Girl, you gotta.. {TAKE.. YOUR.. TIME}
Listen!
Cash is an issue with that he can never diss you
Even if he makes you cry, you bought your own tissue
witcha own case, witcha own hand, wipe ya own face
And throw him out, no doubt, out of your own place
If your heart is broken you can mend it
If you're independent, your womanhood, that's when you defend it
Just.. uhh, just {TAKE.. YOUR.. TIME} woo!
Look!
{TAKE.. YOUR.. TIME}
Don't come witcha hand always out
If he buys you somethin thank him, but that's not what a man is about
Real men are real friends, showin their real commitment
He tells you he really loves you, a boy can't really admit it
If a man really wants you, that man really flaunts you
In public or private a real man really supports you
'Member what Guru taught you? Of course you "Royalty"
You dress how you like when a QUEEN is what you ought to be
and ought to act like, and also ought to manifest
How you dress makes you constantly blessed, or constantly stressed
{TAKE.. YOUR.. TIME} Yo!
{TAKE.. YOUR.. TIME}
Yo, yo
So while you burnin off those calories, think about reality
Get a skill for the salary, a man for the family
Not a boy, that's a catastrophe, don't get mad at me
Instead of always clubbin visit museums and art galleries
Pick the single man, admirin the ancient sculpture
He's cultured, chances are he won't insult ya
Give him your number only after you know what he does
Ask him what it is, not what it was
You want the good life (GOOD LIFE)
You want the good life (GOOD LIFE)
You want the, you want the, you want the
Worldwide B.D.P. are the freshest
Worldwide, worldwide, worldwide
One, two, three, the crew is called B.D.P.
And if you want to go to the tip top
Stop the violence in hip-hop, Y O
Time and time again, as I pick up the pen
As my thoughts emerge, these are those words
I glance at the paper to know what's going on
Someone's doing wrong, the story goes on
Mary Lue's had a baby someone else decapitated
The drama of the world shouldn't keep us so frustrated
I look, but it doesn't coincide with my books
Social studies when I speak upon political crooks
It's just the presidents, and all the money they spent
All the things they invent and how the house is so immaculate
They paid missiles, my family's eating gristle
Then they get upset when the press blows the whistle
Of course the main profiles are kept low
You temper with some jobs, now the press is controlled
Not only newspapers, but every single station
You only get to hear the president is on vacation
But ehrm, stay calm, there's no need for alarm
You say go back to your mom, and you're off to Vietnam
You shoot to kill, come back and you're a veteran
But how many veterans are out there pedaling?
There's no telling, 'cause they continue selling
As quiet as it's kept, I won't go into depth
You can talk about Nigeria, people used to laugh at ya
Now I take a look, I say U.S.A. for Africa?
What's the solution, to stop all this confusion?
Rewrite the constitution, change the drug which you're using
Rewrite the constitution or the emancipation, proclamation
We fight inflation, yet the president's still on vacation
B.D.P. posse I say "One two three, the crew is called B.D.P.
And if you wanna go to the tip top
Stop the violence in the hip-hop, Y O"
This might sound a little strange to you
Well here's the reason I came to you
We gotta put our heads together, and stop the violence
'Cause real bad boys move in silence
When you're in a club, you come to chill out
Not watch someones blood just spill out
That's what these other people want to see
Another race fight endlessly
You know we're being watched, you know we're being seen
Some wish to destroy this scene called hip-hop
But I won't drop not I or Scott LaRock
Now here is the message that we bring today
Hip-hop will surely decay
If we as a people don't stand up and say
Stop the violence, stop the violence
Stop the violence, stop the violence
Stop the violence
I say, "One two three, the crew is called B.D.P.
And if you wanna go to the tip top
Stop the violence in the hip-hop, Y O"
B.D.P. and me we step into the party top celebrity
Say when we're coming to dance, we never have to pay a fee
'Cause that's where we got R E S P E C T
I have this one wife, her name is Miss Melody
I know I'm from the Bronx, she from the Brooklyn posse
I tell ya look a little like this, then I tell you some that I
Sometimes I got my gear on, sometimes I wear a hat
Sometimes I'm in a Mercedes and sometimes I'm in a plane
Sometimes I find myself upon the number two train
Some people look at me and see negativity
Some people look at me and see positivity
But when I see myself I see creativity
So if I can create, well then I make some money
Sha man, just put your hands up if you're out here gettin' paid
Sha man, just put your hands up if you're out here gettin' paid
One, two, three, the crew is called B.D.P.
And if you wanna go to the tip top
They slippin' duke, you slippin' duke, you trippin' duke
Remember, you still livin' in a corporate chicken coop
With a hundred other chickens yellin' get that loot
Makin' a hundred other chickens tryin' to spit what's cute
But KRS spits the fruit, my words are not hollow
I'll lead you out the chicken suit
You slippin' duke, I got proof, spit truth in the club
So the colleges man, we get so loose, what's the use?
You slippin' duke, how America great when Iraq had no nukes
Now oops, whatever happened to samples and loops?
The same thing that happened to organs and flutes and real artists
Thank God for The Roots, the soldier that's home with his family
Support for the troops, yeah, now let's start this
I've taught many groups, been through many suits
Teachin' new recruits that can't take it back to hula hoops
I know we're on mute, stand up straight
I'm like sky walker without the loot, you slippin' duke
At 8 you're a sucker, at 7 a motherfucker
Talk your talk, degrade my character
Your remarks are amateur, the future laughs at ya
I got much stamina and I know my facts
I am hip-hop, I don't speak for blacks
I speak for hip-hop's preservation and only that
Peace love unity, I'm known for that
What's your hassle with me, man? No man is ownin' me
You just mad 'cause I lead hip-hop globally
Your hassle is that, I'm an international cat
You know in any debate, I'm smashin' your crap
When it comes to hip-hop, you behind
'Cause I've been organizin' this politically since 1989
I stay selective, the objective peace of mind
I am hip-hop and so are you don't be so blind
Use the key next time, you know my roots
But listen, dog, you slippin' duke
You wanna hear a fresh rhyme, you'll come to the source
Stamp BDP on your head then you're off
At 8 you're a sucker, at 7 a motherfucker
This what you call hardcore, fat gospel street gospel
South South, Bronx
Yo where my people at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where my heart is at?
South South, Bronx
C'mon let's bring it back
South South, Bronx
Raw rhymes for raw times
My albums are underground, but this blessing is all mine
And when it's tour time, we open more minds
You need to rethink who you think is the "Greatest of All Time"
I got this -- I'm raw like Freddie Foxxx is
Hardcore like The LOX is, Scott LaRock is where Tupac is
Where hip-hop is, Digital-ly Underground like Shock is
Oh yes -- I know where the top is
But I'd rather rhyme about how crooked some of these cops is
My synopsis ain't pretty
I'd stay, off them plains and, out the city if I were you
Do what you gotta do
But while you wave them flags, remember Amadou Diallo
Here's what we gotta do, follow
I'll put hip-hop in you if you're hollow
Those that already filled, still take swallows
Goin over potholes with Tahoes
You don't think +I+ know? Huh! I'm lookin at you right now
You ain't dancin in the club, you in your car, sittin down
You in the crib, on the low
You got them headsets on the go
You just saw me at the show oh you don't know?
It's the Temple of Hip-Hop, comin, with a whole different flow
Yo where them hoes at? I don't know
But wherever God at, I'ma go
I give 'em a hard rap and a flow
That's why when they call back for the show, with no video
We get up and go
Yo where it started at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where my people at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where my heart is at?
South South, Bronx
C'mon let's bring it back
South South, Bronx
South South, Bronx
Yo where my people at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where my heart is at?
South South, Bronx
C'mon let's bring it back
South South, Bronx
Peep it out while I tell ya like this
In every single hood in the world I'm called Kris
It's the, truth for ya, it's the proof for ya
My Cristal passes more bars than lawyers
The underground sound, this is not easily found
You don't need no rings to be down
This is, past the platinum and gold
We already had 'em, it's old
Here's the truth if it be told, gather 'round
Philosopher style is known to be wild
If you only holdin them guns, who's holdin your child?
You got to be thinkin you know that you shrinkin
When the art of Navigation has been reduced to a Lincoln
Change the dial! I was free then and I'm free now
You free, runnin to MTV? I don't see how
You know the real from the fake, you know they stealin they cake
You know it ain't about the art, it's all about what they make
You know the radio's late, you know they play what you hate
That's why you got that Kay Slay tape, tryin to escape
You know the love of the cars and the rims
Tattooed arms and Timbs, are also called sins
You know you got to pay for these spins
You know the rap magazines be wack from beginning to the end
South South, Bronx
Yo where my people at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where my heart is at?
South South, Bronx
C'mon let's bring it back
South South, Bronx
I never was a king and I'm not the Pres
I'm a teacher like that reefer goin straight to your head
I'm a preacher tryin to bring my people back from the dead
I'm a leader tryin to keep you all away from the feds
You my sister I'll be tryin to get you out of the bed
I'm a philospher sayin what has got to be said
I don't fill you with lead, I bring that knowledge instead
Follow this dread, I'll take you from A to Zed
Who am I? Just a scholar called K-R-S
You can spend your money on others but they ain't blessed
You can spend your money drugs and still be stressed
Look around for conscious rappes yo there ain't none left
I'm holdin it downbetter yet I'm holdin up
Waitin for some young buck to come and sip from the cup
And continue with the menu puttin new knowledge in you
I got a question and a lesson cause I know what you been through
South South, Bronx
Yo where my people at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where it started at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where my people at?
South South, Bronx
Yo where my heart is at?
South South, Bronx
C'mon let's bring it back
South South, Bronx
* You cats still worried about chart position
It's the heart that your missin
It's the art that your missin
Just a little something to hold yall over
The Kristal album on the way, word up
When you're number one, everybody come
But when you drop to two everybody still with you
But when you drop to three everybody want to see
But when you drop to four everybody still endures
But when you drop to five people will help you strive
When you drop to six you still in every mix
But when you drop to seven people start guessin
When you drop to eight people hesitate
But when you drop to nine thats when you start to find
That when you drop to ten you start to lose your friends
When you drop to eleven your record stop sellin
When you drop to twelve it's everyone for themselves
So when you drop to thirteen you stop working
When you drop to fourteen no more self esteem
You drop to fifteen cuz you lived and you seen
When you drop to sixteen you now out the scene
When you drop to seventeen you see things you never seen
Like when you drop to eighteen you know what it mean
So drop to nineteen and on then to twenty
At nineteen you lose your honey
At twenty your money to a Playboy bunny
At twenty one things ain't funny
At twenty two you don't know what to do
So you hit twenty three you look for security
So you drop to twenty four no more can you endure
When you drop to twenty five at the bottom you've arrived
When you drop to twenty six you in a old school mix
When you drop to twenty seven until you start steppin
When you drop to twenty eight you start to meditate
When you drop to twenty nine you expand your mind
When you drop to thirty you see it was all dirty
No you drop to thirty two and it occurs to you
When you hit thirty three now you can see
That it's all about skill and a love for the art
Not whose above or whose below in the chart
You got to look in your heart
It's there where you start
I and hip hop are never ever ever apart
La la-la la-la la-la la...la...la...la
La la-la la-la la-la la..la..la...la...la
Buck! Buck!
Chorus:
Wa da da dang
Wa da da da dang (Ay!)
Listen to my 9 millimeter go bang
Wa da da dang
Wa da da da dang (Ay!)
This is KRS-One...
Verse 1:
Me knew a crack dealer by the name of Peter
Had to buck him down with my 9 millimeter
He said I had his girl, I said ""Now what are you? Stupid?""
But he tried to play me out and KRS-One knew it
He reached for his pistol but it was just a waste
Cos my 9 millimeter was up against his face
He pulled his pistol anyway and I filled him full of lead
But just before he fell to the ground this is what I said...
Repeat chorus
La la-la la-la la-la la...la...la...la
La la-la la-la la-la la..la..la...la...la x2
Verse 2:
Seven days later I was chillin in the herb gate
But seven days too much when the gossip has to circulate
Puffin sensemilla I heard ""knock knock knock""
But the way that they knocked it did not sound like any cop
And if it were a customer they'd ask me for a nick
So suddenly I realized it had to be a trick
I dropped down to the floor and they did not waste no time
They shot right through the door so I had to go for mine
They pumped and shot again but the suckas kept on missin
Cos I was on the floor by now, I crawled into the kitchen
Thirty seconds later, boy, they bust the door down
The money and the sensemi' was lyin all around
But just as they put their pistols down to take a cut
Me jumped out the kitchen, went ""buck! buck! buck!""
They fall down to the floor but one was still alive
So I put my 9 millimeter right between his eyes
Looked at his potnah and both of them were dead
So just before he joined his potnah this is what I said...
Repeat chorus
La la-la la-la la-la la...la...la...la
La la-la la-la la-la la..la..la...la...la x2
Verse 3:
I gathered all the money and I ran up the block
I said ""This is a perfect time to meet with Scott LaRock""
But Scott is either psychic or he has a knack for trouble
Cos Scott LaRock showed up in a all-black BMW
I jumped inside the car and we screeched off in a hurry
And Scott said ""What is wrong? Relax, tell me the story""
I said ""You remember Peter? Well his posse tried to kill me
I'm all right now because the sensemi' fill me""
Scott just laughed, he said ""I know they're all dead
And just before you pulled the trigger this is what you said...""
Repeat chorus
La la-la la-la la-la la...la...la...la
So, you're a philosopher?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes
I think very deeply, I think very deeply, I think very deeply
I think, I think, I think very deeply, I think, I think very deeply
Let's begin, what, where, why, or when
Will all be explained like instructions to a game
See I'm not insane, in fact, I'm kind of rational
When I be asking you, "Who is more dramatical?"
This one or that one, the white one or the black one
Pick the punk, and I'll jump up to attack one
KRS-One is just the guy to lead a crew
Right up to your face and ditched you
Everyone saw me on the last album cover
Holding a pistol something far from a lover
Beside my brother, S C O T T
I just laughed, 'cause no one can defeat me
This is lecture number two, 'My Philosophy'
Number one, was 'Poetry' you know it's me
This is my philosophy, many artists got to learn
I'm not flammable, I don't burn
So please stop burnin', and learn to earn respect
'Cause that's just what KR collects
See, what do you expect when you rhyme like a soft punk
You walk down the street and get jumped
You got to have style, and learn to be original
And everybody's gonna wanna diss you
Like me, we stood up for the South Bronx
And every sucka mc had a response
You think we care? I know that they are on the tip
My posse from the Bronx is thick and we're real live, we walk correctly
A lot of suckas would like to forget me but they can't
'Cause like a champ, I have got a record of knocking out
The frauds in a second on the mic, I believe that you should get loose
I haven't come to tell you I got juice
I just produce, create, innovate on a higher level
I'll be back, but for now just seckle
I'll play the nine and you play the target
You all know my name so I guess I'll just start it
Or should I say, start this, I am an artist
Of new concepts at their hardest
Yo, 'cause I'm a teacher, the Scott is a scholar
It ain't about money 'cause we all make dollars
That's why I walk with my head up
When I hear wack rhymes I get fed up
Rap is like a set-up, a lot of games
A lot of suckas with colorful names
I'm so-and-so, I'm this, I'm that
Huh, but they all just wick-wick-wack
I'm not white or red or black
I'm brown from the Boogie Down
Productions, of course our music be thumpin'
Others say they're bad, but they're buggin'
Let me tell you somethin' now about hip hop
About D-Nice, Melodie, and Scott La Rock
I'll get a pen, a pencil, a marker
Mainly what I write is for the average New Yorker
Some mc's be talkin' and talkin'
Tryin' to show how black people are walkin'
But I don't walk this way to portray
Or reinforce stereotypes of today
Like all my brothas eat chicken and watermelon
Talk broken English and drug sellin'
See I'm tellin', and teaching real facts
The way some act in rap is kind of wack
And it lacks creativity and intelligence
But they don't care 'cause the company is sellin' it
It's my philosophy, on the industry
Don't bother dissin' me, or even wish that we'd
Soften, dilute, or commercialize all the lyrics
'Cause it's about time one of y'all hear it
And hear it first-hand from the intelligent brown man
A vegetarian, no goat or ham
Or chicken or Turkey or hamburger
'Cause to me that's suicide self-murder
Let us get back to what we call hip hop
And what it meant to DJ Scott La Rock
How many mc's must get dissed
Before somebody says, don't with Kris
This is just one style, out of many
Like a piggy bank, this is one penny
My brother's name is Kenny, that's, Kenny Parker
My other brother I.C.U. is much darker
Boogie Down Productions is made up of teachers
The lecture is conducted from the mic into the speaker
Who gets weaker? The king or the teacher
It's not about a salary it's all about reality
Teachers teach and do the world good
Kings just rule and most are never understood
If you were to rule or govern a certain industry
All inside this room right now would be in misery
No one would get along nor sing a song
'Cause everyone'd be singing for the king, am I wrong?
So yo, what's up, it's me again
Scott La Rock, KRS, BDP again
Many people had the nerve
To think that we would end the trend
We're criminal minded, an album which is only ten
Funky, funky, funky, funky, funky hit records
No more than four minutes and some seconds
The competition checks and checks and keeps checkin'
They take the album, take it home, and start sweatin'
Why? well it's simple, to them it's kind of vital
To take KRS-One's title
To them I'm like an idol, some type of entity
In everybody's rhyme they wanna mention me?
Or rather mention us, me or Scott La Rock
But they can get bust get robbed, get dropped
I don't play around nor do I f around
And you can tell by the bodies that are left around
When some clown jumps up to get beat down
Broken down to his very last compound
See how it sounds? A little unrational
A lot of mc's like to use the word dramatical
[scratched:] "Whattya think makes up a K-R-S?"
[KRS-One:]
Skinny cat, young cat, with a knapsack strapped to my back
1981 before the crack attack
I used to let the Olde English 800 suds bubble
In the last car of the Franklin Avenue shuttle
Brooklyn, no doubt, Wingate Park, no doubt
Prospect Park I'm all laid out
Homeless, my gear played out and I know this
But I'm an MC I stay focused
I took the shuttle to the D and wrote my rhymes in a hour
Took the D to the E, last stop the Twin Towers
Sittin in the belly of the beast
In the World Trade organization, bein harassed by the police
I wrote my rhymes right there on the spot
New York City, 1984 corruption was hot
Cats sellin uzis out the Jacob Javits Center for a high price
Let me tell you 'bout my life
[Chorus:]
[scratched:] "The type of shit a young black man
gotta go through every day of his life"
[scratched:] "Hard times to live in
Wake up in the morning thank God"
[scratched:] "The type of shit a young black man
gotta go through every day of his life"
[scratched:] "Hard times to live in
Wake up in the morning" ... "Now it's my turn"
{"Listen"}
[KRS-One:]
Eighty-five comes in, eighty-six comes in
The marijuana with the cocaine mix comes in
High class hustlers, I'm takin flicks with them
My first songs Red Alert, he's mixin them
This a far cry from a kid sleepin on the bench
Now I'm V.I.P. in the club, this don't make sense
But it does, as I take daps and hugs
from cats that move drugs, they say "Kris rise above"
Everybody knew my style, Kris was no coward
I wanted to get in the game but my peeps wouldn't allow it
They'd say, "Read them books and write them hooks
Save our children, give 'em a whole new outlook"
So I did, I lived like any street kid
But I was handed 20 books, others were handed 20 year bids
Still they wouldn't sell to your mother or your wife
There was respect man~! Let me tell you 'bout my life
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
1987 my career blowin up now
Me and Scott LaRock took the year growin up now
Me I'm just a private cat, whatever you perceive as live
KRS is as live as that
We the livest act, in eighty-eight, eighty-nine, and ninety-now
But them years be far behind me now
In ninety-one, no one can find me now
I chose the underground to rhyme where it's grimy, WOW
Rewind me now, 13 albums for you to see
Or catch me speakin at them universities
My mind stays keen, I'm hardly ever seen
I do a lot of work, just not in the mainstream
[scratched:] "Know what you need to learn
Old school artists don't always burn"
[scratched:] "Know what you need to learn...
Yeah, uh, huh
Use your real eyes to realize these real lies
Yo Marley, let's hit 'em, word up
I don't know why these cats tryin to front
Marley Marl on the musika, KRS on dem lyrics da
On the side I teach meta-ta-ta-physica, Kris is a
Master MC, challenge he, no nigga nah
Let me get this-a, clear like vinegar
Kris is the hood of America, I stay ahead of ya
What I spit will better ya, retire? Me? No, never, nah
Way too clever for cats that want me to sever this endeavor
I'm like whatever, hah
The opposite of a lie, many tried to get with this guy
But only the best can spit with this guy
It's the teacher, go on and give him a try
I take you all the way back to ba-da-bad-ba-ba-bi
Stay fly, without the flashyness my
Jewels is the gift that I apply, so I ask why
These Kentucky Fried Chicken DJ's promotin' breast and thighs
Marley Marl test these guys, it takes real eyes to realize these real lies
Oye repeta mietro
This for the hood, for the ghetto
Do the math loc or get goin
Huh, 'bout that cuenta
How can I get in the front if I ain't gettin in front
That's why I spit what I want and slide credit to pun
Lies spread it to none, rely on heaven and funds
A two-faced nigga's what I'll never become
Used to be a [unverified], now I see my rhymes get applied
To a track with two live nayendas
Marley, KRS cono dude well that makes it tres
Make a tape, no crosshairs, my aim is great
This ain't the top 8 at 8, it's Hip-Hop 88
When it wasn't all about guap' in a baby face
Back then
How all them entiendo porque
Soy un free ya boy, hundred percent loco see the toys
Can't win on the streets dog you need a lawyer
Use your real eyes and realize
That real lies are upon us and stop gettin cornered
Mira, Mira, the teacher
Mira, see the teacher, he a come tina rap eater
The teacher, a specialist speaker
To stand next to the leader you must be next to BE leader
We free and we strive to be freer
The one that helps you to become a better you, that's your teacher
Through these lyrics I reach ya
The truth speaker, roof reacher, proofreader, meaner no one
We chosen, lyric shogun
Young gun turned old gun
Challenge me? No son
Adjust that treble right now adjust the bass
Turn it up, stop frontin
C'mon, turn it up
Alright, check it out ninety-three lyrics, here we go
I never want a jheri curl up under my hat
The woman in my bed has got to be strictly black
I never want money if my lyrics are wack
So I must, roc, the mic
I play only the reggae and I play only rap
I rock the African, the European, and Jap
Beneath I got to show you that I am all that
So I must, roc, the mic
Are you tired of lyrical liars, passing fliers
Wannabe MC's, but really good triers
Tripping over mic cords, getting you bored
A total fraud, this kind of thing I can't afford, so I
pick up the mic and kill it ill it top bill it
The cough is a skillet, where MC's get fried in it
You got beef chill it, blood I spill it
After seven long years of ripping the party and I'm still widdit
You call my name I don't think about suing ya
I come to the club with that BOOYAKA
Laughing while I'm doin ya the crowd is booin ya
Gimme one month, record for record on tape I'll ruin ya
Some likkle awl pon sound bwoy wan fi rule de city
His style is lookin pretty beats and rhymes are dibby dibby
Here comes the rootical ratical teacha
I'll eat ya defeat ya beat ya till ya stagger and ya teeth chatter
You'll be goin through convulsions as I flash data
Any rapper can be a decapitated rapper now what's the matter
You're full of more junk than a sausage
Let me show you what a real hip-hop artist
*DJ Premier cuts and scratches "My posse from the Bronx is thick!"*
I never want a jheri curl up under my hat
The woman in my bed has got to be strictly black
I never want money if my lyrics are wack
So I must, roc, the mic
I play only the reggae and I play only rap
I rock the African, the European, and Jap
Beneath I got to show you that I am all that
So I must, roc, the mic
Of course yeah I'm the most brilliant recording artist in your life
Never have to repeat a rhyme style twice, precise
In a lyrical drought like water to your lips oh yes my lyrics will suffice
I'm nice, like beans and rice, I am delicious
Who's the freshest lyricist on the mic, you don't want to fuck with Kris is
Lyric for lyric rhyme for rhyme style for style I break you like dishes
Either you come fully correct or the lyrics you simply makin wishes
We got no time for fake black leaders and dreamers blowin wishes
youse a fraud, I mean a fraud like in fraudulation
I know what it is, the crown of rhyme supremacy you're tastin
And yes, before the flavor hits your greedy tongue
You get ripped up by KRS-One
Now, lyrics, somebody want lyrics, from the lyrical terrorist
Here's a little somethin for you all to remember Kris, and remember this
I am no pessimist, more of an optimist
Activist revolutionist, yes the hardest artist
And the smartest, Premier, spark this
*Premier cuts and scratches "My posse from the Bronx is thick!"*
I never want a jheri curl up under my hat
The woman in my bed has got to be strictly black
I never want money if my lyrics are wack
So I must, roc, the mic
I play only the reggae and I play only rap
I rock the African, the European, and Jap
Beneath I got to show you that I am all that
You know, that's why man I've been telling
You all the time man, you know love
That word love is a very serious thing
And if you don't watch out, I tell ya that
(Love's gonna get you)
(Love's gonna get you)
Because a lot of people out here say
I love my car or I love my chain or or
I'm just in love with that girl over there
So far all the people out there
That fall in love with material items
We gonna bump the beat
A lil' something like this
I'm in junior high with a B plus grade
At the end of the day I don't hit the arcade
I walk from school to my mom's apartment
I gotta tell the suckers everyday, "Don't start it"
'Cause where I'm at if your soft your lost
To say on course means to roll with force
A boy named Rob is chillin' in a Benz
In front of my building with the rest of his friends
I give him a pound, oh, I mean I shake his hand
He's the neighborhood drug dealer, my man
I go upstair and hug my mother
Kiss my sister, and punch my brother
I sit down on my bed to watch some TV
Do my ears deceive me?
Nope, that's the fourth time this week
Another fast brother shot dead in the street
The very next day while I'm off to class
My mom goes to work cold busting her ass
My sisters cute but she got no gear
I got three pairs of pants and with my brother I share
See there in school, see I'm made a fool
With one and a half pair of pant, you ain't cool
But there's no dollars for nothing else
I got beans, rice, and bread on my shelf
Every day I see my mother struggling
Now it's time, I've got to do somethin'
I look for work, I get dissed like a jerk
I do odd jobs and come home like a slob
So here comes Rob, he's cold and shivery
He gives me two hundred for a quick delivery
I do it once, I do it twice
Now there's steak with the beans and rice
My mother's nervous but she knows the deal
My sister's gear now has sex appeal
My brother's my partner and we're getting paper
Three months later we run our own caper
My family's happy everything is new
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do?
That's why
(Love's gonna get you)
(Love's gonna get you)
(Love's gonna get you)
You fall in love with your chain
You fall in love with your car
Love's gonna sneak right up and snuff you from behind
So I want you to check the story out as we go down the line
Money's flowing, everything is fine
Got myself an Uzi and my brother a nine
Business is boomin', everything is cool
I pull about a G a week, fuck school
A year goes by and I begin to grow
Not in height but juice and cash flow
I pick up my feet and begin to watch TV
'Cause now I got other people working for me
I got a 55 inch television you know
And every once in awhile I hear 'Just say no'
Or the other commercial I love
Is when they say, this is your brain on drugs
I pick up my remote control and just turn
'Cause with that bullshit I'm not concerned
See me and my brother jump in the BM
Driving around our territory again
I stop at the light like a superstar
And automatic weapons cold sprayed my car
I hit the accelerator scared as shit
And drove one block to find my brother was hit
He wasn't dead but the blood was pouring
And all I could think about was war and
Later I found that it was Rob and his crew
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do?
You know that's why
(Love's gonna get you)
(Love's gonna get you)
(Love's gonna get you)
That word love is very very serious
Very addictive, my brothers out of it
But I'm still in it
On top of that I'm in it to win it
I can't believe that Rob would diss me
That faggot, that punk, he's soft a sissy
I'm driving around now with three of my guys
The war is on and I'm on the rise
We rolled right up to his favorite hang out
Said, "Hello", and then the bullets rang out
Some fired back so we took cover
And all I could think about was my brother
Rob jumped up and began to run
Busting shots hoping to hit someone
So I just stopped, and let off three shots
Two hit him and one hit a cop
I threw the gun down and began to shout
"Come on I got him, it's time to break out"
But as we ran there were the boys in blue
Pointing their guns at my four man crew
They shot down one, they shot down two
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do?
(Love's gonna get you)
(Love's gonna get you)
(Love's gonna get you)
You know a lot of people believe
That that word love is real soft
But when you use it in your vocabulary
Like your addicted to it, it sneaks right up
And takes you right out
So, for future reference remember
It's alright to like or want a material item
But when you fall in love with it
And you start scheming and carryin' on for it
I don't understand this man
(It's bullshit)
Why they can't ever solve the crime Marley?
Whatever happened with that Scott LaRock case man?
I don't know
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
Scott LaRock's a open case, unresolved
The cops never find the killer, when it's one of ours
Tupac's a open case, even though
He was killed in a open place, there's really no haste
It's sorta like we govern ourselves
Even though we lack a love for ourselves
Or is that we know this thug shit sells?
You want them pockets to swell well
Even though we know we livin' in hell, what about big L?
Hold up, let's stop frontin', let me tell you somethin'
JMJ's dead and the cops don't know nuthin'?
We gotta open our eyes to this too, this issue
Lisa 'Left Eye', we miss you
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
It seems like when a rapper dies, it don't matter
He simply becomes a poster, somethin' to run after
A reason for these kids to pull they guns faster
Tryin' to emulate and be like dead rappers
I roll with them visionary look-ahead rappers
From the city to the farm pushin' John Deere tractors
Bust this, in the city, there is no justice
The whole system is flawed, how could you trust this?
Crimes can't seem to be solved when it's one of us
That's why there's no forgiveness and cats just wanna bust
Hush, some people take the law into they own hand
And get burned like touchin' frying pans
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
Man, we lyin' too much, we dyin' too much
Mothers cryin' too much, brothers tryin' to touch
That cash and such, in they hand they want a grand to clutch
Dissin' they man and such
But Christopher Wallace is a unresolved murder
Another one is Mac Dre, I don't know if y'all heard of him
But word is grim, when it turns to sin
All hip-hoppers are next of kin
We face what we supposed to face
But when it comes to them crimes
They never seem to close the case
Yo Marley, uhh, uhh, uhh, uhh
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
There he go right there
Jack
Jack
Jack
Again we start, let me say my part
About the only guy who has some heart
It took some time for the heart to come
But it's here, and everybody's in fear
Crashin' through the door of that whore
Bringin' a end to this gold chain war
What you saw, KRS-One is now seeing
Another fly human being
Making, no excuses for the losers
Chain-snatchers, pimps, drug abusers
You don't like it but you gotta keep pushin'
Until somebody starts mushin'
All these suckers, claimin' to rule the environment
Nah man, I ain't buyin' it
You seem to think that everybody can be taught
That everyone else can be bought
But, you took a short, 'cause one guy hasn't been paid
He is the Jack of Spades
Jack
Jack
Jack
He's a, calm kind of guy, courageous and loyal
But don't let the temper boil
'Cause just like a pot when the whistle blows
That's right boy, anything goes
The crime is committed and he's right on your tail
There's no bail, not thinkin' 'bout jail
All the ends, are justified by the means
when Jack's on the scene
Track the movement, don't lose it
'Cause if he come through the back, he attacks
Crack, cocaine, cops, and more fiends
Who all get the same in the heat of this gold chain game
Here is the aim
Destroy all the stereotypes, hypes, and crack pipes
We don't like, criminals, and crime
But we don't pay it any mind
So here comes Kung-Fu, Joe, and Fly Guy
Slade, Hammer, and Slammer
I, am a, renegade teacher and scholar
And if you ain't up on it you gotta
Fall to the back of the line
Hear this rhyme, 'cause I'ma say it one more time
It's Jack's theme song that KRS made
It's called the Jack of Spades
Jack
Jack
Jack
You know, the Jack of Spades is now down with the BDP Posse
If you wanna see more, just watch me
Man, do what I do, throw your hands in the air
And scream it out, ohh yeah, ohh yeah
One more time, ohh yeah
Flash the rhyme
Cool, guy, loud and quiet
If your head's in the way, he'll fly it
Don't try it, 'cause Jack of Spades doesn't buy it
He's a one man riot
Cleanin' the community, of all it's debris
The C R I M E
The road was long and scary and some didn't make it
The average guy couldn't take it
But Jack, is not, the average guy
He took a piece of the pie and bit it
Got with it, for his brother he did it
So you gotta admit it
This is a martyr, a soldier, a hero
Why? Because he started from zero
In this battle he clearly understands their power
They're payin' people by the hour
To sell, to lie, to try, to stand up and deny
They are gettin' everybody high
High on a cable, cash under the table
Currency is how they're able
To buy the cops and props and keep the law paid
But here comes the Jack of Spades
Jack
Jack
Jack
Break it down
Jack
Jack
Jack
It's meant to be evidently when I rock so eloquently
Put the beat on and let me kill another wack emcee
Can't trust them, never test me, I practice and study
But I'm not in it for the money, but to me they look so funny
You can't test the teacher, the teacher won't reach intact
Through the speaker you're weaker, now sit your ass in the back
My lyrical you hear it, you fear it, you can't get near it
'Cause the spirit eat Eric and Eric your rhymes is wack
Like that, that, right back
Check, check it out, check it like this
Just skills, you know you gots to build just skills
You know you gots to build just skills, uh come on get down
Just skills, you know we got to build just skills, come on get down
Yeah, uh come on, I got that rip track, flip that, underground rap
When I kick back, most of what I'm hearin' be weak
So I speak through beats and the streets as I teach
I impeach, through speech, each lyric leech I reach
Have a seat in the lecture nothin' can protect you
Hard is the texture of the mic wreckin' rock in your sector
Better than ever remember I am no beginner
I like to shout out Eric Skinner
Just skills, you know we gots to build just skills
A come on a get down
Just skills, you know we gots to build just skills
A come on a get down
Yo, we livin' in a world of private jets and limousine
The fruit we eatin' as we prepare tangerine to nectarine
See everybody livin' in the same routine
We need the telephone, and yes, we need the fax machine
You listen to the sound, well I think you know it's me
Now, let me educate you with my conscious poetry
Me want, me want, me want, me want, me want no wack rap
Me want, me want, me want, me want, me want no wack rap
Me love, me love, me love, me love, me love it when it's bad
See if you wack rap you ought be steppin' out the back
See emcees on the microphone forgettin' that they black
See hear them kick the lyrics that are holdin' people back
But when you hear the teacher, KRS will find the track
You bound to see the light, and you don't want return back
So listen very closely to the secret scientist
I'm sending this one out to all my inner city kids
Now you supposed to be apostle what you have inside your head
Can make you more reliable, it can make you feel dead
Now listen very closely to the way I say this rhyme
It's the thing called the brain, and the thing called the mind
But I'm outta time
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun?
No, you can't 'cause now you 'bouts to get done
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Never had a gun, never had a gun?
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun?
No, you can't 'cause now you 'bouts to get done
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Never had a gun, never had a gun?
On the block you just yap a whole lot
About the clothes that you got, yo, or the gold that you got
Everybody sees all the friends in your Benz, yo, it's fat
But they ain't gettin' money like that
Word to my brother Kenny, jealous one envy
The rich are few, while the poor, many
But you got gold cuffs and cars and stuff
You eatin' well, but still in the ghetto you dwell
You know it's hot, so you make it known about your glock
To any perpetrator tryin' to blow up your spot
You grab the microphone and talk a good ramble
You the hardcore outlaw, criminal, vandal
Burnin' emcees like a candle, but you frontin'
You ain't got nothin', with your life you gamble
One day you gamble up snake eyes
Talkin' all that junk about you don't take dives, you take lives
Nobody on the block tries, 'cause you claim you got powerful ties
So at the red light you arrive
And to your surprise you get huffed up with just two steak knives
You're terrified, they take your Benz, and what makes things worse
You ain't got gun the first
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun?
No, you can't 'cause now you 'bouts to get done
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Never had a gun, never had a gun?
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun?
No, you can't 'cause now you 'bouts to get done
Can I tell them that I really never had a gun
Of course we have just accepted all applications
And tuition will be paid on Friday [unverified]
You you can't can't be be ripping the mic the mic
Like do re me me measles are contagious
Like my lyrical pages ripping and flipping the mic
From back in the back in the days the days
It's kinda hectic, hectic when these suckas
Don't respect it check it, flame on
I know the light is bright but keep on watching me
I'm stolen property, kicking the flavor to society
Police be clocking me, but logically they got to be
'Cause they were taught that serious poetry
Would come from Socrates
But that ain't it, in 94 I'll kick the hit
And if I was in front of Shakespeare
Battle a punk and take his shit, I'm not having it
Bust a narrative and come to get with it
Rap is something you do, hip hop is something you live
The difference is kids nowadays, they got the videos
Rappers don't need skills to build so they don't really know.
Hear me yo, I'm four times on Arsenio
Got ten videos, but does that help me flow? No
That's why when I come to the show MC's act like they don't know
'Cause they were too young to rock up in the disco
Frisco disco, the disc is like a Nabisco
Chocolate chip cookie, don't fuck with me rookie
I'm rocking beats and with death defying feats
And I'm never sneaking, always peeping when I'm speaking
Inside, I'm keeping a statement for police and
I'm down for peace and but not turn the other cheek
And so this DJ, he gets down mixing records
While they go 'round and 'round, 'round we go
Two years ago a friend of mine and Flash is gonna rock your mind
Welcome to the terror dome, the terror dome
I wonder if I take you home E F F E C T a cool operator
Operating correctly but back in the day I knew rap would never die
Too late baby bwai bai in a body boy head, head
Head insane in the membrane take the train, take the train
M E T H O D man 'hattan keeps on making it
Brooklyn keeps on taking it
We keep coming back with more and more hits
Party people, I came through the door, I said it before
Two years ago, super hoe if my train goes off the track
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up back, back
Back to the grill again, the grill again friends
How many MC's must get dissed?
Before somebody says don't fuck with Chris
Hey, ho, keep on moving don't stop no body beats the biz
Let's do the dance called the Pee Wee Herman
Hey, Erick Sermon, hey, you you get off my cloud
Go down baby, go down baby, the gods must be crazy
Verse One:
After seven years of rockin'
How do you rate me?
Poorly or greatly?
Everybody seems to be goin' for their's lately
Yo mad heads be needin' money
So listen very close as I conduct this little study
See it's, funny to me, you can watch TV
And give up your life trying to be all you can be
In the Army
Not knowin' your history
You either fight and die or come back home in misery
Yo get with me, I deal with reality
Loosen your mind to the truth, and don't get mad at me
No politican can give you peace
If you trust Jesus, why do you vote for a beast?
Emancipation is long over due
So overcome procrastination
Because freedom is within you
For some reason we think we're free
So we'll never be
Because we haven't recognized slavery
You're still a slave, look at how you behave
Debatin' on where and when and how and what Massa gave
You wanna know how we screwed up from the beginning?
We accepted our opressor's religion
So in the case of slavery it ain't hard
Because it's right in the eyes of THEIR God
Where is our God, the God that represents us?
The God that looks like me, the God that I can trust?
A God of peace and love, not mass hysteria
I don't want a God that blesses America
I could never really vote for the devil
Let me take you to a higher level...
Verse Two:
Title, take the title from the Bible we can get there
Rip the title from off the front of the Bible, God don't live there
Too many inconsistencies, too many mysteries
Picture the Pope and the Vatican, laughing and drinking and singing and
Kissing me
I stand with God whether I'm paid or whether I'm cryin' broke
I like to ask these politicans would Jesus vote?
The way we view God is a freakin' shame
Church is to blame
We trust God, but bomb Hussein
We simply lovin' the scripture
Same scripture that whipped 'cha
Sooner it'll hit 'cha
Religion's gettin' richer
With that European version of Christ made into a picture
Our society's gettin' sicker, and sicker, and sicker...
Like liquor, we are God-Intoxicated
Not to the true God, but the one the government created
The same governments tellin' people to vote
I pray to God because the people have lost hope
You either vote for the mumps or the measels
Whether you vote for the lesser of two evils, you vote for evil
Politics and God are not equal
But the education if you don't guard, is really lethal
People have more respect for a holy book
Than they do for a cow on a meat hook
Belivers of Jesus be denouncing Satan on every level
But every Halloween they're dressin' like devils
I pray to you for the light you might give them
Mother make them know that you're livin' with them
You begin them and end them in silence
Frankly, if they knew you, they would understand violence
I pray to you for the Pope and the Vatican
Have mercy Mother, cause I know that you're mad at them
The White Jesus deceived us awhile ago
And Pope Julius the Second paid Michaelangelo
I know this happened in 1519 yet
This is the image we can't seem to forget
Vote for God, don't vote for the Devil
Yeah, that?s the one
Yo, Thor-El, just just check your mic
So you wanna be the Million Dollar Man, kid, what?s your plan?
Make a deal with the Devil, settle for a hundred grand
Not enough, I call your bluff, hit you with the stuff
Deal with this an' think you?re tough?
Gimme a call when things get rough
You get no Vette an' if I could stay leaded
I?m leavin' rappers one-legged from fakin' like the prosthetic
More artificial by cripple, rap is like your pistol
Grim Reaper, I got the whistle, death, I pull no tissue
Hit you like the Mac-11, MC?s subtract by seven
Callin', callin' for the Reverend, lookin' at Hell like Heaven
I?m on the map, makin' it like the crazy on the track
Oh, what the hell, I get my mail while I raid you 'til it crack
H.I.P.H.O.P., we are
H.I.P.H.O.P., we are
Dead, two in the head before some A an' R tell me
I must give up the streets, you lift the company, can sell me
What?s the sense in being large if you can?t take a risk?
Thinkin' a risk upon a disc means you?re written off the list
I?m not sayin' you can?t have your fame an' glory just don?t bore me
When I come to see you live an' I paid twenty-five
That?s crazy loot Kris is sayin', I don?t play those games
'Killing Rhyme Sessions' is the meanin' of my name
But don?t call my name in vain 'cause I will appear
An' your livest MC will get slain right here
See, I do the homework an' I do the extra credit
You could sell a million records an' still can?t set it
'Cause the Lex or Beem is probably just the matches an' a Jeep
So I?m sure your rap career, now if they come before your people
Oh, Lord, you can?t be thinkin' about Billboard
With the mic cord an' several thousand people just bored
Bein' dope live is like bein' insured for life
You always get called back twice, you are
H.I.P.H.O.P., we are
H.I.P.H.O.P., we are
H.I.P.H.O.P., we are
H.I.P.H.O.P., we are
I burn like hydracholoric an' my city got itty
He?s terrible, Thor-El?s incredible an' terrific
Is it that you?re under the influence of local obvious?
Rappers that die, but why? Explain the obvious
No stoppin' this lyrics from the esophagus
You've got the time
I've got the time
You've got the time
Am I supposed to stand here?
These bright lights, I'll probably get a tan here
Scott, turn up the master so I can hear, and talk faster
I'm the Blastmaster, 'cos I'm blasted
I know a lot of y'all are shocked that I've lasted
But Blastmaster is a subtitle, KRS-One is more vital
And more lethal and more vicious
As the suckers always say, "He just dissed us
He got a problem, yo, he's conceited"
I'm not conceited, they just couldn't beat it
'Cos when I'm in a club I like to mingle
Seconds later they're playin' that single
Loud as a collision and pumped up dramatically
So the people in the place will automatically
Time it, and dance right behind it
Those that have it on tape will rewind it
It's not surprising, we rock parties
Anywhere, anyone, anybody
Some sound shoddy, like cardboard
But I'm blessed, praise the Lord
You see I like to study, I like money
I like eatin' wheat bread with honey
But to none of these am I addicted
I like to remain free and unafflicted
With the sickness of attachment
The material road of entrapment
Those that walk this road become weak
They can't think, they can't speak
Unself-sufficient, 'cos they're leeching
I'm not dissin', I'm simply teachin'
Well if you notice, not once
Have I said Scott's name to gain fame
See it's a shame that they're blinded
If they had a piece of paper I'd sign it
That's called an autograph, this is called a class
I've only come to educate the mass
Of young people, to this there's no sequel
Just a message, be peaceful and loving, but not a sucker
And stay away from negative motherfuckers
They only pull you down with their hate
But wait, here's somethin' to meditate
You've got the time, I've got the time
Down ratin' statements you always seem to make
You never wanna create 'cos b-boys you don't affiliate
You're self-whipped 'cos you claim it's not a gift
To execute the rhyme on time without a shift
You only utter negativity, never productivity
For the b-boy talent or b-boy productivity
Yet when all the currency comes in tax free you wanna see me
My name is Kris and now you guessed this
I got X-ray vision and I'm lookin' through your game
It's the same, what a shame, now take aim on what I shall obtain
Absolute respect from you, con, 'cos now you know it
I'm Blastmaster KRS One, short for poet
I do not read the paper, I read the dictionary
'Cos nuclear destruction, yeah, AIDS just doesn't scare me
The girls be lookin' sweeter, the cops be lookin' meaner
Carryin' bigger gun, shoot the people for fun
If you could realize this you won't be called a toy
But yet a b-boy, and I know you'll enjoy
Just coolin' out without a doubt, livin' life a little different
Yeah, different, never innocent, with a little delligence
I am only 20, yet here's my present level
Just one of the Boogie Down Production crew rebels
Our reputation grows as the music gets vicious
I will succeed while you suckers make wishes
Time and time again I prove to be exciting
But time and time again you prove to be biting
I need no judge, no jury, no lawyers
With DJ Scott La Rock, better known as The Destroyer
You've got the time, I've got the time
You've got the time, I've got the time
You've got the time, I've got the time
God core, urban inspirational
Holy hip hop
You know the type, all in your city
Word up
I know that the dayz ahead are dark
But you can shine the light that's in your heart
You've gotta see yourself in victory
The love I give to you, you give to me
Let's come together once and for all
Before our children cannot walk in the mall
Before we cannot talk or walk at all already aviation is stalled
Now everybody wants to drive, bringing our highways to a crawl
Just about three weeks on back
I was talking to a journalist about my album, the sneak attack
Now I know, why I felt that way
Why the cards God revealed to me was dealt that way
Be prepared for the unexpected, that was the theme
But if your booty's shaking, you can't know what that means
Look, we all, in the, same, game
It's that world bank game that got struck with two flame
But we, yes the people, are struck with true pain
'Coz the world Bank'll do the same under a new name
We gotta recognize the prize and the people at the door
No more lies, you can no longer ignore
I know that the dayz ahead are dark
But you can shine the light that's in your heart
You've gotta see yourself in victory
The respect I give to you, you give to me
I know that the dayz ahead are dark
But you can shine the light that's in your heart
You've gotta see yourself in victory
The respect I give to you, you give to me
I know
(Know what?)
I know
(What you know?)
What do I show?
(What you show?)
Captivating lyrical flow
(They don't play it on radio)
Yeah, but the spirit know
But only a few can hear it though
The metaphysical lyrical blow
The minute you're in it and hear it, yo
See the evil and clear it, yo
See that for as many that died there was twice as many miracles
Uh, so let the dead bury their dead
Life is but a dream and in the dream we gotta get ready for bed
Better we look ahead instead, to the ones that survived
Pray for them too, 'coz there grace of God kept them alive
Yes, we mourn for the dead and will still kill for them
But what about the injured that must still rebuild again?
I know that the dayz ahead are dark
But you can shine the light that's in your heart
You've gotta see yourself in victory
The love I give to you, you give to me
I know that the dayz ahead are dark
But you can shine the light that's in your heart
You've gotta see yourself in victory
The love I give to you, you give to me
To all the people, that never lost someone
Consider the cost of the loss of a lost daughter or son
These cowards slaughter and run
And to know that there's more than just one
Makes you wanna store up your gun
And withdraw all the funds, but
I know that the dayz ahead are dark
But you can shine the light that's in your heart
You've gotta see yourself in victorya
The love I give to you, you give to me
I know that the dayz ahead are dark
But you can shine the light that's in your heart
You've gotta see yourself in victory
Boogie Down Productions will always get paid
We'll take the wackest song and make it better
Remember to let us into your skin
'Cause then you'll begin to master
Rhymin', rhymin', rhymin'
Criminal minded, you've been blinded
Lookin', for a style like mine you can't find it
They are the audience I am the lyricist
Sometimes the suckas on the side gotta hear this
Page, a rage and I'm not in a cage
Free as a bird to fly up out on stage
Ain't here for no frontin', just to say a little somethin'
Ya suckaz don't like me 'cause you're all about nothin'
However, I'm really fascinatin' to the letter
My all around performance gets better and better
My English grammar comes down like a hammer
You need a style, I need to pull your file
I don't beg favors, you're kissin' other people's
I write and produce myself just as fast
Keep my hair like this, got no time for Jheri curls
Attractin' only women, got no time for little girls
'Cause girls look so good
But their brain is not ready, I don't know
I'd rather talk to a woman
'Cause her mind is so steady, so here we go
I'm not a musical maniac or b-boy fanatic
I simply made use of what was upstairs in the attic
I've listened to these MC's back when I was a kid
But I bust more shots than they ever did
I mean this is not the best of KRS, it's just a section
But how many times must I point you in the right direction
You need protection, when I'm on the mic
Because my mouth is like a 9 millimeter windpipe
You're a king, I'm a teacher, you're a b-boy, I'm a scholar
If this was a class well, it would go right under drama
See kings lose crowns but teachers stay intelligent
Talkin' big words on the mic but still irrelevant
Especially when you're not, college material
Wake up every mornin' to your Lucky Charms cereal
DJ Scott LaRock has a college degree
Blastmaster KRS writes poetry
I won't go deeper in the subject 'cause that gets me bored
It's a shame to know some MC's on the mic are fraud
Sayin' styles like this to create a diss
But if you listen, who you dissin'? See I am a musician
Rappin' on the mic like this to me is fine
'Cause if I really want to battle I will put out a nine
You can see that Scott LaRock and I are mentally binded
In other words we're both criminal minded
We're not promoting violence, we're just havin' some fun
He's Scott LaRock, I'm KRS-One
Never off-beat 'cause it don't make sense
Grab the microphone, relaxed and not tense
You waited, debated and now you activated
A musical genius that could not be duplicated
See I have the formula for rockin' the house
If you cannot rock a party do not open your mouth
It's that simple, no phony cosmetics to your pimple
Take another look because the gear is not wrinkled
The K, the R, the S, the O, the N, the E
Sayin' rhyme for eighty-seven not from 1983
Well versed, to rehearse and my rhymes are my curse
Originality come first but the suckers get worse
Allow me to include I have a very stable mood
Poetic education of a high altitude
I'm not an MC, so listen, call me poet or musician
A genius when it comes to makin' music with ambition
I'm cool, collected with the rhyme I directed
Don't wanna be elected as the king of a record
Just respected by others as the man with the solution
An artist of the 80's came and left his contribution
On wax, relax, there's 24 tracks
After years of rockin' parties now I picked up the knack
Because everythin' that flows from out my larynx
Takes years of experience and bottles of Beck's
I cannot seem to recollect the time I didn't have sex
Is it real or is it Memorex?
I'm livin' in a city known as New York State
Sucka MC's gotta wait while I translate
I hang with real live dreads with knowledge in their heads
People with ambition and straight up musicians
Although our lives have been so uprooted
I have it included, you all get zooted
So take each letter of the KRS-One
Means knowledge reigns supreme over nearly everyone
You look at me and laugh, but this is your class
It's an all-out discussion of the suckas I be crushin'
So now you are awakened to the music I be makin'
Never duplicated, and also highly cultivated
Don't get frustrated 'cause nothin' has been traded
Only activated, it came out very complicated
Not separated, from my DJ, you see my voice is now faded
I'll see you folks around the way, criminal minded
The beat was sposed to drop right there
The beat was sposed to drop right there
The beat was sposed to drop right there
Yeah yeah yeah... uhh
I send this one out, to my right hand man
or mens, or womens, the whole crew
The real fam
Chorus: KRS-One
We can count the dough or kick a flow
or chill out watchin videos
or actin really silly yo but really doe
all that can end...
Whether at the bar with superstars
or cruisin in the trooper car
I really don't care who you are
All I really need is a friend
Verse One: KRS-One
If we can't have trust then you can't hang with us
We respond to those who show respect with respect
We respond we connect on the same deck
same intellect, my man, never shifty, thinks quickly
If you can't understand, we boys we boys
We could stand on the corner with a hat sellin toys
It ain't about your Benz I hope it ain't about mine
my man, I be dissin in my freestyle rhyme
Gettin G's around the world, I can trust you with my girl
my man, we chillin at the jam, what's the plan?
I'm not a yes man and none of my friends are yes men
or women, I'm drivin, I see my peeps yo get in
Where you fit in? True friends are quick to sit
in the beginning of all trouble, and when your bankroll doubles
Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble
Still I got my own space like Hubble
Chorus
Verse Two: KRS-One
Cause don't nobody care about us, all they do is doubt us
Until we blow the spot then they all wanna crowd us
and wanna shout us, but you my man from way back
I just gots to say that, actin large I don't play that
But I can't say that, where I play at isn't fast-paced
A friend can acquire the taste to become two-faced
And that's a disgrace there ain't nothing you can say to us
When the kid you grew up with betrays your trust
When we used to ride the bus we had trust
Now we cash checks and drive Lex, and can't show respect to one of us
Yo the heads I hang with ain't tryin to just get
what they can get, sit quickly backstabbin the click
I roll thick, but only some are friends really
down to the end, my right hand men and women
Mutual support, from the beginning
Been in, exactly what I've been in
Chorus
Verse Three: KRS-One
Back to back we attack corporate America
Gettin fees that amount to G's in every area
You my man I ain't gotta drag you along
You pull your own weight, yeah you definitely got it goin on
I don't see nothin wrong wit a little bumpin car system
thumpin, between the crew we always got sump'un
But if we had nuttin no frontin whatever
We'd still be crew you and me, me for you together
Word, fake people ain't worth a turd
They only want to be your friend because of what they overheard
I send this record to the well respected
Friends that I've collected, I hope I am what you expected
Yeah, so check it, so check it
anybody in here right now with tape decks turn em on
and put em on record, I'll give you a second
I want to add authenticity to your tape
so when it's sold out in the street
you all can know this was a real party
These are poems circulating throughout the nation
everybody's bad and everybody's tough
but how many people are intelligent enough
to open up their eyes and see through the lies
discipline themselves, yourself to stay alive?
not many
That's why the universe sent me today on this stage
with this to to say
the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer
and in the final hour many heads will lose power
what does the rich versus the poor really mean?
psychologically it means you got to pick your team
when someone says the rich gets richer
visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture
the rich get richer, cause they work towards rich
the poor get poorer, cause their minds can't switch from the ghetto
let go, it's not a novelty
you could love your neighborhood without loving poverty
follow me, every mother, father, son, daughter
there's no reason to fear the New World Order
we must order the whole new world to pay us
the New World Order and the old state chaos
the Big Brother watching over you, is a lie you see
Hip-Hop could build it's own secret society
but first you and I got to unify
stop the negativity and control our creativity
the rich is getting richer, so why we ain't richer?
could it be we still thinking like niggas?
educate yourselves, make your world view bigger
[Verse 1: KRS-One]
I'm bringing back the style that others have pushed to the rear
Now you see me, now you don't, now I'm everywhere
Maybe you can see that knowledge does reign supreme
Rap is like a ballclub and I coach the team
Move the crowd, that's what MC mean
How many albums I got? Mmmm...12, 13
I've told y'all before
You are not just doin' hip-hop, you are hip-hop
Them jokers need to stop, be hip-hop
I mastered this and him, her, they, them, that one
she and he did not
I speak a lot
I hit 'em in they weakest spot
Come see me rock, yo, you'll leave in shock
KRS, you ever wonder why he's so hot?
It's because he's not pop yo, he's hip-hop
West to East the sound of the police will rock
If you don't love this you won't have the heat I got
Disciplined if you listening the beats (?)
Fuck the dumb shit yo, we gotta teach the tots
They say I preach a lot
And last year the took the jeep and shot
But this year the beat will knock
[Hook x2: KRS-One]
I know where
We can go
To see how a real MC flow
No video
No radio
Just a live show
C'mon now you gon' go?
[Verse 2: KRS-One]
I'm still standing, demanding playing my lex jammin'
Cats wanna really see me start blam-blammin'
Put away the cannon for this overstandin'
I'm landin'
Let the music play like Shannon
I'm so hot, why not, I bring all the fans in
Watch me now come alive like Peter Frampton
Listen to me people, listen to me loud and clear
It's time I found out what type of people up in here
When I shout out the classic if you know it say yeah
South Bronx-Yeah!
My Philosophy-Yeah!
Black Cop-Yeah!
You Must Learn-Yeah!
Yeah we gonna do it up in here
I'm still standin'
And rappers be mad-mad
Cause they know they'll give birth like the American
flag in Baghdad
All they do is blab-blab, that head chatter
Why the dopest MC always a dead rapper?
I'm a real live rapper, I'm out to set it
I pay dues, while your crews still on credit
You talk that shit till I come out the school
And all y'all sound like Trina sayin' "That's Cool"
Time for the streets again
Time for them cats to pop gats into the mic you speakin' in
I'm creepin' in with a hundred soldiers
When I step on the stage it's over
[Hook x2]
[Verse 3: KRS-One]
They don't play me a lot
KRS you don't see a lot
On TV a lot, but I do MC a lot
I don't duck and hide when I see the cops
I'm free with the knowledge to free the block
Live on the radio I'm sendin' my rhyme, you can see
I'm behind enemy lines
You already heard about plenty of crime
Now hear about the sciences that could really open ya mind
I only got a little bit of time to rhyme before the
producer over here says "Ok, that's fine"
So let's get to it, I got my whole squad with me
On top'a all that I got God with me
You can go far with me
From New York, to Atlanta, to LA
You know they all with me
You might not see me on this station cause this is a
Rapcity and KRS leads a Hip-Hop nation
Even though y'all chase ends
Why can't weeeeee be friends, it all depends
Cats wanna thug it out
Isn't it true that Hip-Hop was bigger when we all loved it out?
Look at the difference in raps
See when I'm spittin' the facts
Louder than anyone could rap, the industry collapse
No one's special anymore
Variety is gone for sure
[KRS-One:]
We gonna take it to the back of your brain (tell 'em!)
We put it on the side of a train (tell 'em!)
We gonna make it so simple and plain
Revolutionary people, yo this ain't a game! (tell 'em!)
How many y'all really ready for change? (tell 'em!)
Or do you really want to keep it the same? (tell 'em!)
Edutainment - this the reason I came
If you down for the struggle, yo remember these names
Kwame Toure (Whachanoabout)
Martin Luther King (Whachanoabout)
Malcolm X (Whachanoabout)
Medgar Evers (Whachanoabout)
If you really want to change the game
Take a little time and study these names
Frederick Douglass (Whachanoabout)
Booker T. Washington (Whachanoabout)
If you want injustice to end
Take a little time and study these men
Marcus Garvey (Whachanoabout)
Nat Turner (Whachanoabout)
Let me tell you about the struggle my friend (tell 'em!)
We want freedom, I'm a say it again (tell 'em!)
We want freedom, not more money to spend (tell 'em!)
You got to listen to this message I send, come on!
Let me talk to you a little bit more
Our ancestors, tell me, what you dissin' 'em for?
Break the cylce of first I like, then I don't like
You raise and praise me up to tear me down like Michael?
KRS loves his people
I walk with my people, not above my people
Teach my people, I try to reach my people
With real truth, evidence and real proof
Thurgood Marshall (Whachanoabout)
W.E.B. DuBois (Whachanoabout)
Carter G. Woodson (Whachanoabout)
Nelson Mandela (Whachanoabout)
If you really want to change the game
Take a little time and study these names
Elijah Muhammad (Whachanoabout)
Noble Drew Ali (Whachanoabout)
If you want injustice to end
Take a little time, man, study these men
Kwame Nkrumah (Whachanoabout)
Sékou Touré (Whachanoabout)
We gonna take it to the back of your brain (tell 'em!)
We put it on the side of a train (tell 'em!)
We gonna make it so simple and plain
Revolutionary people, yo this ain't a game! (tell 'em!)
How many y'all really ready for change? (tell 'em!)
Or do you really want to keep it the same? (tell 'em!)
Edutainment - this the reason I came
If you down for the struggle, just remember these names
Remember these names, remember these names, remember these names! Rock!
"Africans in America burned down over 290 cities in the '60's to get 289 powerless mayors in the '80's"
What you really want to debate me for?
What you hate me for? What you take me for?
Always sayin' "Amen" and "As-Salamu 'Alaykum" for
If I can't speak my mind, even if it may be raw
New ideas is what they pay me for, but here's an old one
The Feds[? ] are gonna save us, sure
Since '89 I be coming again, with peace, love, and unity
Remember these men
Kwame Toure (Whachanoabout)
Martin Luther King (Whachanoabout)
Malcolm X (Whachanoabout)
Medgar Evers (Whachanoabout)
Frederick Douglass (Whachanoabout)
Booker T. Washington (Whachanoabout)
Marcus Garvey (Whachanoabout)
Nat Turner (Whachanoabout)
If you really want to change the game
Take a little time and study these names
If you want injustice to end
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
This is what it is
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
This is what it is
A man once said that the streets are watchin' us
If this be the truth we must keep hip-hop in us
They'll never topple us, you done heard them thugs
Now, it's time to hear from the philosophers
Buildings fallin', employment stallin' us
Now, it's time, the future is callin' us
Television is boring us, radio is whorin' us
Lurin' us with a chorus plus, you can't even trust
The church, the synagogue, they all deceivin' us
It's time to believe in us
To believe in a hip-hop lifestyle that agrees with us
No squeeze or bust, bo, bo, you find ease with us
The DJ's, the MC's is us
The ice we've seen enough
It's time for hip-hop and this is what it is
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
This is what it is
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
This is what it is
You know we lead a movement
It's called 'I am hip-hop'
Cats debate about it, but I am hip-hop
Cats wanna talk about but I am hip-hop
My cats in New York like "I am hip-hop"
My cats in Atlanta like "I am hip-hop"
Cats in Miami like "I am hip-hop"
Chi-Town like "I am hip-hop"
All over L.A., "I am hip-hop"
Keep the rawness, the gutter the real
The movement's growin' like corn in the field
KRS-One was born with the steel
I'm on top of my game like Shaquille O'Neal
No surprises, hip-hop come in all sizes
Now, watch as KRS rises up, up, up, up and away
Now, you critics mouth shut, got nothin' to say
And that's good for the kids, 'cause hip-hop
This is what it is
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
This is what it is
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
This is what it is
Stay focused, focused
Stay focused oh, oh
Yeah, uh-huh, focused
Yo, look, look, this is what it is
Y'all need to stop confusin' the kids
Makin' 'em think you gotta do a bid to be hip-hop
Man that ain't it
Rob a nigga, kill a nigga, man that ain't shit
How you figure, how murder make you hip?
You need to hop to the bookstore and look for Kris
Anything by KRS-One
Will lead you to peace, to love, to unity and havin' fun
Y'all know but some of y'all don't
And some of y'all won't that's why only some of y'all dope
The rest of y'all, food for the Gods
I eat everything but Pop's 'cause I don't eat lard
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
This is what it is
We keep showin' you and showin' you and showin' you
This is what it is
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop
Hands in the air! [x4]
[KRS]
Good looking, word...
DJ Revolution, word up...
Let's do this, kid...
Here we go!
[Chorus]
A good time, a good vibe, and a house with a court
Good life, good wife, a little food for thought
I need (I need) food, clothes, and a whip with rims
I need God in my life
I need family and friends
(I need) money, power, respect, I need love
I need world peace, homeless to eat, no drugs
I need every race and creed to be one
Every nation, every face and seed to see sun
[KRS]
You need to listen to this
You need to listen to Kris
You need to have peace at least
You need spiritual bliss
You need a lyrical twist
Do you know what a miracle is?
Before we begin, you may need a kiss
I suggest either one from J to O-one from the lips
Either way what I'm saying, yo, is bound to uplift
You need checks, you need cash
You need intellect
You need to be moving fast
You need that big respect
You need to be rolling in a car
Going to a bar that's far
Makin' the deal to make you a star
You need to ask yourself, now do you know who you are?
Where you goin'? How many steps you took so far?
You need patience, you need to control your mind
If you read and don't act, then you're wasting your time
We need better leaders, we need better preachers
We need a three-thousand dollar raise to all teachers
[Chorus]
[KRS]
You need some meditation
You need rejuvenation
You need assistance right now with your situation
You need some contemplation
You need a combination
–A combination of will power and concentration
You need some syncopation
With regular relaxation
But you can't, 'cause you runnin' and racin' and chasin'
You need to slow down, maybe you should speed up
One sayin' "lay down," the other's sayin' "leap up"
You gotta keep up
I suggest you start to speak up
A lawyer, a doctor, a rapper—you wanna be what?
Whatever it is, you gotta visualize
You need to focus for real, and stop livin' them lies
The time you givin' them guys
You could be workin' upon the goal you hold
Yo, you must realize
Yo, you need to be wise
Yo, you need to be alive, there could be no revenge or deceit in your eyes
Rise!
[Chorus]
[KRS]
Gimme what I need
Do it with speed
Change the situation around, plant new seeds!
I roll with a righteous team of adults
Forget the insults
We plan to get results
You can call us a cult, you can call us a gang
But when it comes to Hiphop, no, you cats can't hang
When the Gatts go bang
And the telephone rang
Telling you to come to identify the remains
That's when you feel the pain
And my name comes as comfort, ease and all stress and strain
You need to know the game
You need to know the meaning of your own name
Reprogram your own brain
Ask questions with no shame
How you think you gonna master your craft if you don't train?
Perfecting your skill, that's the aim
Perfect your skill, and you'll always have money and fame
C'mon!
[Chorus]
What I, uhh, what I need
(House on the hill)
That's what I need
(Cash credit on my bill)
That's what I need
(All my dreams fulfilled)
That's what I need
(New whip that I can wheel)
What I need
(With the chromed out grill)
Uh huh, that's what I need
(And the girl that can chill)
That's what I need
(And my spirit all healed)
That's what I need
(That's what I need)
That's what I need
(That's what I need)
That's what I need
(That's what I need)
That's what I need
(That's what I need)
That's what I need
That's what I need
(That's what I need)
[Afrika Bambaataa:]
In the name of the force who is the source who is called by many names
Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh, Elohim, Jah, El Nu, El Kuluwm, The All
And as we give praise to the creator
And we give praise for all you human beings
Who's down here on this planet, so-called Earth
And to all the extraterrestrial beings
In other planets and other places and other dimensions
Throughout our universe of universes
Uh-ha! Uh-ha!
Another Inebriated beat
You know what time it is, straight for the street
KRS-One, hold tight! Look, look
[Chorus One: KRS-One]
Crack - don't mess with that
Speed - don't mess with that
It's whack - don't mess with that
Greed - don't mess with that
Knowledge - yeah, mess with that
God - yeah, mess with that
College - yeah, mess with that
A job - yeah, mess with that
Look look; dealing - don't mess with that
Crying - don't mess with that
Stealing - don't mess with that
Lying - don't mess with that
Meditation - mess with that
Forgiveness - mess with that
Education - mess with that
Hip-Hop - we lovin that
[Verse One: KRS-One]
I rhyme for respect y'all, intellect y'all
Not sex y'all, move that neck y'all, correct y'all
Checks y'all, cash y'all, don't last y'all
With cops y'all to blast y'all, harass y'all
Flash y'all as they pass y'all, through the glass y'all
These videos gas y'all cause they trash y'all
I ask y'all this fact y'all
Unaired y'all, these cops y'all they scared y'all
They fear y'all they hear y'all they hate y'all
Less than 40,000 a week, they make y'all
Cops y'all with black feet, livin from week to week
Walk crooked beats in the streets y'all
They greet y'all with the heat y'all, to defeat y'all
It's deep y'all, hear what I teach y'all, and speak y'all
[Chorus Two: KRS-One]
Hate - don't mess with that
Trends - don't mess with that
? - don't mess with that
Revenge - don't mess with that
Truth - yeah, mess with that
Skills - yeah, mess with that
Proof - yeah, mess with that
Build - yeah, mess with that
Wars - don't look for that
Freaking - don't look for that
Whores - don't mess with that
Cheating - don't mess with that
G.E.D. - mess with that
Science of mind - mess with that
Family - mess with that
Hip-Hop - we lovin that
[Verse Two: Shuman]
Yeah, yo.. aiyyo, yo
Who seein us, with an overdose level of free in us
They bring the heat to us
They don't really want the beat in us
Take heed to us
While they plottin and schemin to be deletin us
Best believe in us, they not defeatin us
Them glocks wanna bust
With twenty-one shots to put the leak in us
So they can bloody the street with us
What does it mean to us
You know what they need from us
Give cream to us, hide the lies and deceit from us
That doesn't equal us
Who's ready to get in the Jeep with us
Form a fleet with us and take back the street with us
Meet with us, drop bombs in the street with us
Never saw it comin, attack on the sneak with us
Thus, they can't compete with us
We flow through your veins like DJ's
When they cut, you'll be bleedin us
I came with Kris to heat it up
Showin my body's the temple, hip-hop is the lock
Now put the key in us
[Chorus One]
[Verse Three: KRS-One]
Truth y'all, facts y'all, proof y'all, black y'all
Time to check this map y'all, are we goin back y'all?
Let's make a pact y'all, come together watch your back y'all
Stay in tact y'all, never whack - gimme dap y'all
Comin at y'all, headcrack y'all with the facts y'all
Police y'all, on the attack y'all if ya black y'all
So if this is fact y'all, when we rap y'all
over the track y'all, why we rap about crack y'all?
That's whack y'all, we trapped y'all
Holdin the gat y'all just to kill another black y'all
Clak clak clak y'all, it's like that y'all
KRS-One yo, let's take it back y'all, listen!
Where shall we land, there?
Which city shall we destroy today?
This one, or that one? This one?
[KRS-One]
Take a look a look around, we last forever
We carry books around, manuals are bound in leather
We rock the center, the only point that's in the circle
We free MC's, what we decree will not desert you
We know what we doin, we wise and we chillin
We calculate against the continued cries of our children
They may be cryin now but they won't be cryin later
We love hip-hop, because WE are it's creators
So we, build the Temple, write the books, teach the classes
Create instrumentals, write hooks and rock masses
NONE passes, without studyin this flow
It's all good as long as you know Kris know!
[Chorus: Mad Lion]
While I deal with I, Jah talk to I
When I dem go alike, only de one comply
Whatchu see with de I, look twice toward de I
If you don't unify your children them a gon' cry
[KRS-One]
I stand with the rejected, the unsuspected, the unconnected
The neglected the one you, never suspected
It seems you forget hip-hop plays the back
Sayin that's my sound, and that's my sound
And that's my track, and that's my rap
And that's some chorus they did way back, look honey bringin it back
I'm actually, I'm everywhere at every time
Animating every rhyme and every dare in every mind
KRS is my representative on Earth
Challenge him not, he's been hip-hop since birth
His main objective, is to put hip-hop in perspective
Show pity, and DESTROY these wack cities
[Chorus]
[Mad Lion]
Inna style dem a {?}, yo alla dem a cry
Dey worship slackness and to be under sky
We lead dem to de water but we cyan't make dem drink
Pussy to take a sip, cause it gon' make you t'ink
We don't usually {?} shit {?}, yo alla dem a sing
Wisdom wort more den any diamond and gold
People use it and find it like de Dead Sea Scrolls
[KRS] Take dem Lion, take 'em, take it over!
[Mad Lion]
Cause of dem outer, dem outer, dem outer inter outer inter
Outer inter outer inter out of control
Dey neva find wisdom til dem dead ohhh
Mad Lion make de {?} roll
KRS make up a sea and bulge ya
Of the story of never been told-a
Cause we outer, outer, inter outer outer ese
Out of control, out of control
I'm so serious ay (what?)
We don have no time fi play, ay (tell 'em again)
Some people diss dem {?} hell's in this world
But dey'll come around one day
[KRS-One]
Yo, yo, only Beezlebub think my voice is aggravatin
Children of light hear my voice and start congregatin
The mind's debatin, is he a prophet or is he Satan?
But the tree is only known by it's fruit, what am I creating?
What am I stating? Have I stood the test of time?
Or am I fading, or has God blessed my rhyme?
Settle your dissin, you better be listenin, forever we glisten
[Intro:]
FRESH~! For 2008, you suckers
Yeah! James Desmond, yeah, ha ha ha ha
KRS, keep bringin that
[Chorus: KRS-One]
Heat, the heat, the heat, the heat
The heat, the heat, the heeeeeat!
[KRS-One:]
I'm called when all falls and yes y'all stalls
And cornballs wanna get smoked like Pall Malls
I'm on all fours, all year on tours
Place your bets I'm takin all yours
All wars, topplin all scores
Teachin street laws, the teacher because I bring the
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
I'm called when no one is talkin
The truth about what's goin on and on and
When you wanna put that New York talk in
You cause the KRS-One to start barkin
Toward the mic, grab the mic, start barkin
Outside the club spot cars start parkin for the
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
Yeah, get it bumpin now, get it bumpin now
Turn up that da-dumb-dumb-dumb-BLAOW
I know you know how, we doin it right now
People in the club like WOW~! For that
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
OHH! It's gettin hot, don't stop
We just about to reach the top of hip-hop
That's why I'm called, with that yes yes y'all
At this very moment you feel no stress at all
No, I'm not testin y'all, this a real lyric
If you can hear it I'm blessin y'all, with the
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
So we can continue to go down the menu
I send you my poetry that critiques the evil that men do
You better attend to, the AC
When I MC I'm bringin heat lately, now fade me
No ifs ands buts or maybes
I'm not crazy, God made me speak with the
[Chorus]
[Outro:]
KRS-One representing Ma 6T va Crack-er
Cercle Rouge, KRS-One
Droppin on em like this
Pick it up, pick it up
You know what time it is when KRS-One comes through
Representing all true hip hop culture
You know how we do
How can they throw you in prison now for long years
If in reality the black man doesn't belong here
Have you forgotten how we got to this place
Why then are all the jails predominantly the black race
If you dont teach me my culture I dont know who I am
I dont know the difference between my enemy and my friend
So I'm robbin and killin I got nothing to live for
You turn my father into a boy my mother into a whore
Now I'm hardcore on the Ave
Watching while people that got me to walk fast
After beatin us, rapin us and robbin us
400 years of that's what's inside of us
Take a look at me now I'm really your creation
A technological anti-human mutation
A mutation of a better way of life
You first pulled the knife but to heal it will take my whole life
I fought no force on this level
I listen to bass and treble
Thinking that the white man is the devil
Cause who could be so cruel like this
So heartless, so senseless
But I'm taught by the devil
To grow up and be a Devil
To do the same devilish things on another level
However when I act out the mission
You turn around and throw me in prison
You a sucker
[Chorus: KRS-One]
If you come from France
and you like the breakdance say OHOH (OHOH)
And If you come from New York
and you like the way I talk say Yeah (Yeah)
You can kill a man by taking him out of his land
And putting him in a land he really doesnt understand
Then teach him to respect Greek mythology like
Pythagorus, Ptolomies, Socrates
These people are thieves
They stole us astronomy, mathematics, all tactics of biology
Even the concept of democracy stolen from the king Akhanoton
Put down the book, use your brain
If you dont know who you are you are clinically insane
The board of education cant see that
Well it deserves to get beaten and robbed by black
Give me my frame of mind back
Give me my culture
But you dont understand that cause you a sucker
[Chorus]
I see Beauval in the house, Collinet in the house
Sarcelles in the house, Cercle Rouge in the house
KRS-One rocks the mike without a doubt
Turning parties out
You know what I am about
Cause we will be here forever I told you
Soldier floods your mind like Noah
As you get older you've got to pay attention
At how you livin hardcore
You aint a kid anymore grow up, to blow up the spot you're at
Learn the skill and go to the top of that
Cercle Rouge definitely rockin in rap
KRS-One I got your back
[Chorus]
KRS-One with the freestyle rhyme
Representing Cercle Rouge in France
All the graffiti artists
we like to breakdance to the MC yes you know that's me
KRS-One down with the BDP
From way back you know we take it like that
Kenny P and Zizwe, Will-Dee, gods of rap
Be strong, be strong
[Intro: KRS-One]
You must tell the devil (HUH), you must tell the devil (HA!)
You must tell these devils, word, (HA! HA!)
You got to tell a devil (HUH), then tell a devil (HA!)
Got.. word.. what, (HA! HA!)
You must tell the devil (HUH), huh huh (HA!)
Be strong! (HA! HA!) Word
Stand on the rock (.. stand up on the rock ..)
[Verse One: KRS-One]
When the devil got your soul, and you ain't got control
You know you Born Again, but you feel like you old
You put your mind on Christ, or put your mind on Kris
For everlasting life, you must listen to this
Now you could get with this, or you can get with that
I think you'll go with this, yo Christians where you at?
Oh yes it's KRS, with Church of the Harvest
With Clarence {?}, hip-hop's winning evangelist
And then there's Hezekiah, his fire brings the fire
He's takin it higher, tell 'em {THE DEVIL IS A LIAR}
I know, you thinkin bout that Y2K
And I see, this fear that makes you lose your way
But we got, somethin that is bigger than Benz
And we stand, upon the rock that cannot break
Through millineiums, don't you think we been here before?
Through millineiums, God has always opened the door
Word!
[Chorus: KRS-One]
You must tell the devil (HUH), you must tell the devil (HA!)
You got to tell the devil (Ahhhhhhhhhh HA! HA!)
You must tell the devil (HUH), you must tell the devil (HA!)
Word, word up (Ahhhhhhhhhh HA! HA!)
Word (HUH) (HA!)
(Ahhhhhhhhhh HA! HA!)
[Interlude]
(.. be strong ..) Be strong (.. be stronnnnnnnng ..)
Be strong! Word
(.. be strong ..) Be strong (.. be stronnnnnnnng ..)
Endure! Endure!
[Verse Two: KRS-One]
Yo, if all you got is money and the little things you wear
You worry bout your car note, you worry bout your hair
Then you ain't got no faith, and you must live in fear
Now listen to me people, and listen to me clear
So like I was just sayin, I think it's time for prayin
Don't put your trust in Satan, it's Christ you put your faith in
You minimize your hatin, and stop your hesitatin
It's faith that keeps you movin, so do not be mistaken
[Chorus: KRS-One]
You must tell the devil (HUH), you must tell the devil (HA!)
You must to tell the devil, word (Ahhhhhhhhhh HA! HA!) word
You got to tell the devil (HUH) UHH tell the devil (HA!)
You got to tell the devil, word (Ahhhhhhhhhh HA! HA!) word
You must tell the devil (HUH), you must tell the devil (HA!)
Word, tell that devil, word (Ahhhhhhhhhh HA! HA!) wo-word
You must tell the devil (HUH) uhh (HA!) uh-huh, yo
(Ahhhhhhhhhh HA! HA!) Yo
[Verse Three: KRS-One]
Now you listen to these lyrics, they speak into your spirit
You shiver when you hear it, but some just cannot bear it
But when you get up near it, there's no need that you fear it
It's KRS O-N-E you know me hip-hop be spirit
So you tell the devil HUH, tell that devil HA
Tell that devil HUH, tell that devil HA
You must tell the devil HUH, tell that devil HA!
Get out of my life, change your life, word
[Outro]
(.. be strong ..) (.. be stronnnnnnnng ..)
(.. be strong ..) (.. be stronnnnnnnng ..)
[Intro: sped up vocal sample]
Tonight's a special night
So remember with pride, these 20 happy years
[KRS-One:]
I can't leave my b-boys alone
I can't leave my b-girls alone
Let's turn this house right into a home
C'mon y'all let's get into the zone
Vibrate or mute or cellular phone
In here they might already be on roam
Minds are blown, I'm showin
You ain't gotta go major you can do it alone
As I look back on all the years, all the tears
All my peers, in fear
I hear, insecurity, the need for clout
Low self-esteem and self doubt
KRS lays out a whole different route
And shows you what hip-hop is really all about
Then we on the route, release self doubt
And sing with the feds when the fear is out now
Clear 'em out now, from the bottom to the tip-top
Take the vow, I am hip-hop
And recreate yourself, love don't hate yourself
Do not deny or lie or fake yourself
You can make yourself, reawake yourself
You can mold remodel and reshape yourself
You gotta take yourself more seriously
Create yourself to what you really can be~!
Yo the villain is free, look at me, I do what I do
I am hip-hop and so are you
Yo we almost through, but before we go
I wanna invite y'all all, to every show
Where the b-boys and girls are kept on their toes
Like the Rocksteady Crew tribute with Fat Joe
So now you know, if you got what it takes
No doubt, show 'em what you really all about!
[KRS-One:]
Yo, now that that is out of the way
Let me continue what I came to say
Breakers, writers, emcees and DJ's
Beatboxers too we've come a long way
Come to the Temple of Hip-Hop today
Our hip-hop week is every third week of May
Hip-Hop appreciation we remember
Hip-Hop history, that's in November
Peace, love, unity, that's the agenda
When I'm on the mic that's just what I send ya
We at the end sir, so what's the answer
Hip-Hop can be more than MC's and dancers
It's time to expand your
Awareness, consciousness, enhance your
Living, tell me, what are you playing for
What are you staying for, what are you giving?
I will demand your respect, with two MC's
Two b-boys, two DJ's on set
Two hour shows you bet!
We get authentically hip-hop as hip-hop can get
Independent, free from debt
2005 you ain't seen nuttin yet
Some like it dry, some like it wet
Some like to give, some like to get
Some like a good soundset
You a b-boy and you ain't been out to the Bronx yet?
No, yes, maybe, someday
Whatever, we bring it to you Sunday to Sunday
Workin for peace love unity and fun day
Just a little somethin to balance off gunplay
So now for the break if you got what it takes
[Milk Dee: "Stop scheming!"]
[Milk Dee: "What more can I say?"]
["Stop scheming!"]
[repeat x4]
["What more can I say? - Stop scheming!"]
["Stop scheming!"]
["Stop scheming!"]
["What more can I say?"]
["What more can I say?"]
["Stop scheming!"]
[KRS-One]
Yo I'm, I'm here to see a friend
He came here last night about 12:10
The charge? Well he killed his girlfriend
Huh? Fill this out - yo you got a pen?
What time did I come in?
Yes, yeah I'll follow you
Oh there he go - yo whassup? Man you went OUT yo!
Tchk, yo how you shruggin your shoulders?
You lookin at double life here soldier!
[Joe: singing #1]
Tell me what was on your mind
You should've thought a second time
Now you gotta leave your dreams behind
For life.. ["What more can I say? - Stop scheming!"]
[KRS-One]
See that's what I'm sayin, you gots to change your attitude G
Listen to me, the judge seein your case is a thirty-three degree
Maybe you can find your pops, a thirty-three degree
And see if you can be free by no later than three
Yo why you lookin at me like that? What'chu mean it's whack?
You got a six figure bail and not a dime in the sack
See I told you, one day you'd caught her last time creepin
You shoulda just let her go but you couldn't stop schemin
[Joe x2: singing #2]
Shoulda just walked away, walked away
Walked away..
Now they got you locked away, locked away
Locked away.. ["What more can I say?"]
["Stop scheming!"]
[Joe] Whoa-ohhhh!
[KRS-One]
Nah nah, na nah nah nah yo listen man you ever heard of
the fact that you get one time for premeditated murder?
Um, don't argue man just yesterday y'all were kissin and huggin
What you lost your temper or somethin?
Huh? Yeah well killin a lady WORSE
You should always think FIRST!
Yo I'ma try to.. tchk here comes the C.O.
Yo whassup Thompson? Yo I'll say whassup to your P.O.
[Joe singing #1]
[Joe singing #2 1/2]
[KRS-One:]
It don't stop, word
It don't stop, we still spittin! Word
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, Over Nearly Everyone
When you gon' get it? Aww man
Watch how I spit 'em, watch how I hit 'em
Inebriated rhythm, we get up all in 'em
KRS you gotta get him, we the best we always win 'em
Them cats won't admit I'm in the club rippin they shit
I'm raw when I'm on tour you better be sure when you get 'em
'Til you hit the floor and spin 'em, them elements do you live 'em?
Or are you just usin 'em, confusin 'em and killin them
Your touring is boring, your minimum ain't fulfillin them
So let's start drillin 'em, why we ain't feelin them
Cause we lookin and lookin and don't see that real in them
Cars we be wheelin them, minds we be healin them
With books and CD's, believe me we straight dealin them
Live in the club them thugs hit the ceiling
When they get the feeling KRS-One start delivering
So who's up? (Akbar) You live hip-hop?
Yo, get on the mic and show 'em what you got
[Akbar:]
This whole rap game is a gamble, some MC's can't handle
Financial freeze, your record company's at a standstill
While I breeze through a sample, and lead by example
Find fertile minds and drop seeds by the handful
Man you ain't gotta hit me in my head with the anvil
I grow wise, I recognize the lies and the scandal
Once you sign on that line, your career could depend on
these white collar crooks who cook the books like Enron
So I took an oath to speak no lie
While mad rappers die over beef like E. Coli
I guess you thugs won't get the picture until them slugs hit ya
I ain't a hater, but sooner or later "Love's Gonna Get 'Cha"
And if you don't know that, then you dumb fella
And everything I said, went right over your head, like an umbrella
So who's up? (L) You live hip-hop? (Damn right)
Yo, get on the mic and show 'em what you got
[L Da Headtoucha:]
Categorize me with the best clique, rhyme majestic
with it I get sick and mo' connected
So electric my energy is remembered I'm limitless
My mind screamin just against the rhythm, intense is the ism
In 'em I long salute the young and hungry to shine
Nightmares of lost time haunt taunt me to rhyme
Been isolated, waitin years to finally reappear
Cheers I made it, all praise due, Inebriated
These words are weaponry, huh, mental telepathy
Rocks for definite, reppin it, 'til the death of me
Pain left in me runs deep, and leaks through the speakers
In Jeeps and tape decks, then connects to your peeps
We keep it, thorough borough to borough, city to ghetto
Rock like, heavy mental on the, instrumental
So who's up? (Illin') You live hip-hop?
Get on the mic and give it what you got
[Illin' P:]
I got five on it, you want it, flaunt it without hazzy
Dues paid check the rezzy, the black film be
that of a blunt's ash, past he of the spectacular cash
To get after master {?} atlas
I rep even when I be fingerin them, get it, probably not
Probably thought I meant that snitch talk
Starvin your brain, I never come with the simple and plain
To get at these thoughts, get on the train-er
I'ma af'ta learn ya bwoy, ya not fi come wit de sum'n
Microphone check one, no frontin
You niggaz is mimin your rhymes cause y'all ain't sayin nuttin
Some of dem soft, me foot bak I'm 'pon de mic
{?} +Good Will+ stay +'untin+
Fear new day mon, un if ye wake up
Industry feel de shake up
Married to the ghetto you niggaz forget, break up
Ahh so who live hip-hop
Upon de hip, me ride the Soul Train ock
[Supastition:]
Yo I'm not to be confused with these popular new names
I been paid my dues I'm at the top of the food chain
And I should get an award for slept on peeps
So this beat'll be perfect for my acceptance speech
Forever loved in your city, thanks to rap
My album's a continuous seller like fitted Yankee caps
I'm like a demon, crossbred with a ragin bull
I'm from the South but I relate more to "Paid in Full"
So focused on my grind, I'm potent when I rhyme
Tell niggaz close your fuckin mouth and open up your mind
It takes more than a few weeks to learn
I make sure rappers and microphones ain't on speakin terms
As far as you concerned, I'm losin my temper and patience
Nobody takes shit serious like an impotent rapist
So who's up? (An Ion) You live hip-hop? (True dat, true dat)
Yo, get on the mic and show 'em what you got
[An Ion:]
I'm aggressive, progressive, words young ticker be vital
Rip the game and the name to reclaim any taken title
Directly hand out stares to the needle as it rotates
An agent to decrepit from rigormortis in flow eighths
Not even for a minute can you rap
Let down by the sound that drowns the clowns even dare to step
Don't ride the rhythm, I order you to jock
Your claim to fame was holdin down but you can't hold cock
Damn right we can fight, I stay with grudge
with no prior budge from the previous
And when is it that fourth'll crack cranium, kids come in the picture
Knowin that asshole and Ion and you ain't the perfect mixture
Like Alice, diners become the impeccable haven
That any enter my zone must be stripped down and shaven
I stand before you as a fiendish critter
Creatin causin collision with a pen
Written that hatred of spaced-out squashed men like it was a sin
The only job payin me enough to snuff the rough
should have never planned the plan to make you perish
[Shock G]
Yeah.. aiyyo Kris tell 'em what's up yo
[KRS]
Yo, yo yo, one two!
Comin at you live and direct (that's right)
Digital Underground kid, you know what's up
[Shock G]
Aiyyo Kris is chillin, Shock G's chillin
What more can we say, about the village
The real killers, chillin in the Whi.. I mean the not RIGHT house
Want me to be they lab white mouse
The smile of seedy greedies, deprivin the needies, breakin treaties
Overseas wildin while they profilin on the TV's
Some of 'em cool though.. see I like that nigga Bill
Hittin everything in town, and he got that smile down
Now let's break down the meaning of a smile
Is it happiness and blissfulness, well let's go down the list
You got the real deal for real-real smile
You got the phony they don't know me let me hide my feel smile
The dumb embarassed smile
The ooh she look delicious, yo that girl is lavish smile (uh-huh)
Then you got the shake your head nah black, that shit was whack smile
The across the bar, yeah it's cool, we can hit the sack smile
The crack smile, the caught in the act smile
The over my shoulder caught you schemin on me delayed react smile
The smile you're really glad to see when it comes round
The spot's hot, they got you boxed in, it's bout to go down
You glance back, your man who packs that once in a while
gives you the - oh I'm strapped, do your thing, baby I got your back smile
[Chorus: KRS-One]
Smilin faces, sometimes
Pretend, to be your friend
Smilin faces, show no traces
Of the evil, that lurks within
[KRS-One]
Whaddya think I joke? Whaddya think I sniff coke?
Me a wild t'ing like Tone Loc, you better be dope
When the soundclash erupt, rev up, step up to the cut
Whassup? I show up to blow up and leave the spot TO' UP
You know what? I'ma go nut, but you know what? Yeah, so what!
It's the regular, when you checkin the, one that perfected the
Smilin faced people posin as your equal
Knowin they wanna beat you defeat you and eat you, but they greet you
with peace and love, not with the piece but the dove
Not beneath but above, now the cheek give a hug
Snug, no grudge, 'til you turn your back and learn the facts
Called learnin truth, the tree is only KNOWN by its fruits
These smilin faces, in many places, sometime they racist
Sometime they sexist, sometime they want your Lexus
Sometime they be your family members remember
Oh no not my lady, oh no not my fella, with them you thought
you'd never ever sever, but they was two-faced - it happens
With a whole 'nother agenda but clever to say whatever forever
Let me make this relationship better, if you real stay real
Be real, the truth we got to treasure, not these
[Chorus]
[Shock G] And they be lurkin
[KRS] You know what's up, ha!
[KRS] KRS-One, Shock Gigga!
[Shock G] That's me baby
[KRS] HA HA.. word
[Shock G]
Yo, just let the beat breathe
Uhh.. yeah..
Cause they be lurkin
Never trust a big butt and a smile baby
Uhh.. keep it goin, ah keep it goin
Yo Kris that's peace baby (uh-huh)
They know the deal
Smile ain't nuttin but an upside down frown (word)
[KRS-One:]
Yeah, my next piece goes out to you internet bitches
Hiding behind texts and shit
First of all, y'all don't really grab mics man
You be in the studio with the mic in the mic stand
On your knees you supposed to fall
I'm just superior clearly, I'm over y'all
When you stall, really, you call in dad
Talk hefty, I'm a put you in a garbage bag
All them theatrics be wack shit for sure
You the reason people don't like rap no more
You ain't fresh guy, I bought your CD
Listened to it and took that wack shit back to Best Buy
You'll need "TLC" like Left-Eye
I'll smash him, him, you and your next guy
You'll be like "KRS why? "
When I come to your day job and hang you from your neck tie
Your whole shit's fake, your manager hyped you
Y'all like two bitches, kiss like dykes do
[Chorus: Vocalist]
Yeah, how would ya like it if I rocked just a little bit?
Oh, how would ya like it if I ripped just a little bit?
If I spit just a little bit?
Rip mics just a little bit?
Light blunts just a little bit?
Tote guns just a little bit?
[KRS-One:]
My name reigns supreme in every rap index
I'll spray your brains on the windowpane like Windex
You wearing fishnets, peep it
We not the same, I'm jeans and scully, you Victoria's Secret
You not on that street shit, you ain't getting skrilla
You rapping cause you a wack drug dealer
So what's it gonna be? Rapping or dealing?
You can't serve two gods, I'm capping and peeling
What happened? You kneeling, your legs got no feeling
Cause when the gun went under your chin, your brain hit the ceiling
We invented this shit, to them cops you be squealing
Your whole Marvin is Gay, you need Sexual Healing
Them cars I be wheeling, you dudes into stealing
From the weak, I'll leave you in the passenger seat
I'll teach a class in a week, bust yo ass in the street
We get more intelligent after I speak
[Chorus: Vocalist]
Yeah, how would ya like it if I rocked just a little bit?
Oh, how would ya like it if I ripped just a little bit?
[KRS-One:]
Yo, the Teacha KRS, I got Hip Hop on me
Before Hip Hop, a lotta y'all dudes was corny
You thug? I don't really see it B
I remember when all y'all was dressing like Run-D.M.C.
But actually it was your parents, they were fans
You a fan, it's apparent, you're all transparent
See-through, I would never be you
You rap but really, really nobody believes you
They just like the beats you do
In a real club I'm eating you, Glock greeting you
Peekaboo, I'm that Teacha who
Made an appointment for his bullets to meet with you
Are you available? They'll come around two-thirty
I'm with the clean-up crew, aren't you dirty?
You heard me, man I take your heart
When the show start, I show art like Mozart
I take you back to [?], these rappers got no heart
They not shell shocked, they show shocked, huh
I rock spots with no cop
All in your face like Botox, you like your old pops
You ain't running no blocks
Y'all dudes is corny, chasing ice and cream like Mistee Softee
Get off me, your shit is wack man, you lost me
[Chorus: Vocalist]
Yeah, how would ya like it if I rocked just a little bit?
Oh, how would ya like it if I ripped just a little bit?
If I spit just a little bit?
Rip mics just a little bit?
Light blunts just a little bit?
[KRS-One]
Well, today's topic, self destruction
It really ain't the rap audience that's buggin
It's one or two suckas, ignorant brothers
Trying to rob and steal from one another
You get caught in the mid
So to crush the stereotype here's what we did
We got ourselves together
so that you could unite and fight for what's right
Not negative 'cause the way we live is positive
We don't kill our relatives
[MC Delight (Stetsasonic)]
Pop pop pop
when it's shot who's to blame?
Headlines, front page, and rap's the name
MC Delight here to state the bottom line
That black-on-black crime was way before our time
[Kool Moe Dee]
Took a brother's life with a knife as his wife
Cried cause he died a trifling death
When he left his very last breath
Was I slept so watch your step
Back in the sixties our brothers and sisters were hanged
How could you gang-bang?
I never ever ran from the Ku Klux Klan
and I shouldn't have to run from a black man
cause that's
Chorus
[MC Lyte]
Funky Fresh dressed to impress ready to party
Money in your pocket, dying to move your body
To get inside you paid the whole ten dollars
Scotch taped with a razor blade taped to your collar
Leave the guns and the crack and the knives alone
MC Lyte's on the microphone
Bum rushin and crushin, snatchin and taxin
I cram to understand why brother's don't be maxin
There's only one disco, they'll close one more
You ain't guarding the door
so what you got a gun for?
Do you rob the rich and give to the poor?
Yo Daddy-O, school em some more
[Daddy-O, Wise (Stetsasonic)]
Straight from the mouth of Wise and Daddy-o
Do a crime end up in jail and gotta go
Cause you could do crime and get paid today
And tomorrow you're behind bars in the worst way
Far from your family, cause you're locked away
Now tell me, do you really think crime pays?
Scheming on taking what your brother has?
You little suckers.. you talkin' all that jazz.
[D-Nice]
It's time to stand together in a unity
Cause if not then we're soon to be
Self-destroyed, unemployed
The rap race will be lost without a trace
Or a clue but what to do
Is stop the violence and kick the science
Down the road that we call eternity
Where knowledge is formed and you'll learn to be
Self-sufficient, independent
To teach to each is what rap intended
But society wants to invade
So do not walk this path they laid.
It's
Chorus
[Ms. Melodie]
I'm Ms. Melodie and I'm a born again rebel
The violence in rap must cease and seckle
If we want to develop and grow to another level
We can't be guinea pigs for the devil
The enemy knows, they're no fools
Because everyone knows that hip-hop rules
So we gotta get a grip and grab what's wrong
The opposition is weak and rap is strong
[Doug E. Fresh]
This is all about, no doubt, to stop violence
But first let's have a moment of silence
*Fresh beatboxes*... swing
Things been stated re-educated, evaluated
THoughts of the past have faded
The only thing left is the memories of our belated
and I hate it, when
Someone dies and gets all hurt up
[KRS-One]
Hah! They not ready, uhh uhh
Set it off, South Bronx
Set it off, uhh, check it
The real hip-hop, is over here
The real hip-hop, is over there
The real hip-hop, is over here
The real hip-hop, is over there
It's a demo, it's a demo, it's a demo, it's a demo
Steppin out the limo, KRS-One, gettin in you
From the get-go kiddo throw em out the window
flip em like a nickel
Peep the hottest single
He'll sink them like the S.S. Minnow
That same kid that rocks the Benz rocks the Pinto
Watch my signal, I rock the rap game like Nintendo
Hey diddle, diddle, get played now like a fiddle
I watch you wiggle, in front of the audience that was fickle
Now you can't make a nickle, the sour pickle you are
KRS-One, ninety-seven superstar
I got one thing to say and let me make this clear
Everywhere, now throw your hands in the air
The real hip-hop, is over here
The real hip-hop, is over there
The real hip-hop, is over here
The real hip-hop, throw your hands in the air!
[Mic Vandalz]
Yo, been rockin rooftops, knahmsayin?
Internat', yaknahmsayin?
KRS, vandalizin, yaknahmsayin? With the Mic Vandalz
Boogie Down, Uptown, yaknahmsayin?
It's dope, check it out
[KRS-One]
When I ain't doin a show, or bringin all the money in
or at the studio, or home studyin
I'm checkin out Funkmaster Flex on cassette
as he wrecks turntable sets with many subjects
Huff now that's the Blastmaster connects, the larynx
to a high-tech mic set, you get what you get
Tech and Sway, index of singles is complex
On Technics sets, he wrecks, collects a fee next
While you rejects practice, suffix and prefix
Hip-Hop I reads it, and mark your album incompleted
I seen it, saw it, back in eighty-five
Platinum rappers yo that can't rock live
Their mental facilities, lack the ability
for lyric agility -- battle? You're killin me
The real hip-hop, is over here
The real hip-hop, is over there
The real hip-hop, is over here
The real hip-hop, throw your hands in the air!
The real hip-hop, is over there
The real hip-hop, is it over here?
The real hip-hop, yo it's over there
The real hip.. now throw your hands in the air!
[Mic Vandalz]
Throw your hands in the air (get loose now)
Throw your hands in the air (get loose now)
Throw your hands in the air (get loose now)
Aiyyo I'm breakin, in this rap thing, I've been waitin
Ready for the world, rude like awakening
Homo sapien, ? ? rock every stadium
Scholars and players, here to Las Vegas
Embrace the papers, land of money makers
Brothers hate us cause the brothers ain't us
Yo yo, from coast to coast I'ma overdose you and BDP you
and Kris-Kross your mind, wouldn't wanna be you
A Uptown thing, world premier
Throw your hands in the air baby it's on
How many MC's wanna get they rep torn?
From Joe to Cage and mics in my juvenile days, I abuse
The mic get lifted, the crowd gets amused
[Afrika Bambaataa:]
We got to understand rap been here for a long time~!
When God talked to the prophets, he was rappin
And when the prophets talked back to God, they was rappin
And then if people wanna bring it up and get all up to the modern days and ages
We can start to goin in the 60's when you had Shirley Ellis
When she did "The Name Game" and "The Clapping Song"
We can go to the poetry rappin of of sister Son... Sonia Sanchez
With uh The Watts Poets, or The Last Poets
We can get into the political or the message rap
Of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, Malcolm X
Or The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
We can get into the the the the party and fun raps
Of Pigby Markam[? ], Marks Baby[? ]
We can go back to the "Hi De Hi De Ho" with Cab Calloway
We can go back to the radio disc jockey or jocko
Eddie OJ, and all the others that did things
We can go back to the LOVE RAP of Isaac Hayes, Black Moses
To the LOVE RAP of Barry White out there
This is all part of rap
And if all you country people want to get into the country & western thing
We can take it to, Tony Joe White, when he did "Poke Salad Annie"
This is all dealin with the rap
[audience clapping, beat starts]
We've been having these gatherings for over 12 years
Uhh, my first one, was ah at Latin Quarters in 1987
with Afrika Bambaataa - he threw the first one, that I attended
We kept the tradition going through the Stop the Violence Movement
Through Human Education Against Lies, Rhythm Cultural Institute
And now the Temple of Hip-Hop
This is Hip-Hop's spiritual base
And as a spiritual base, we look to guide the youth in that discipline
Uhh, no culture is a culture, unless it has principles
unless it has morals, unless - we are unified
in some sort of principle, something we are not going to step beyond
Something that defines us
What I'd like to do, is just for a moment as we.. deal with this
Think about your role in Hip-Hop
Think about what you do everyday in Hip-Hop
This is not about right now
It's about twenty years from now
It's about ten years from now
The tapes are rolling, the notes are being taken
This is the type of thinking we have to get into
if this is going to survive and last
So again, Hip-Hop Appreciation Week, is a time of self-reflection
A time for Hip-Hoppers to ask,
[KRS-One]
Be-dee-dee-da-dee, dee-dee-dee-dee-da-de-day
KRS-One come in with the Tech & Sway
Yo, I rock upon the littlest set and up on the biggest set
As ill as it gets, I still manage to wiggle your neck with sweat
Never forget, the bigger the budget the bigger the debt
You gotta be willin to rock in the middle of dry and the middle of wet
But I'm willin to bet, on the Sway and the Tech, they stay in effect
Never been a pain in the neck, they gainin respect
Nevertheless I'll WRECK YOU, now you know what Sway and Tech do
I'll be back, but for now just SECKLE!!
[KRS-One:]
And away we go
With a crazy flow, oh!
All the ladies know
And they babies know, we pro
Deep in your mind
While I'm repeatin this rhyme, we glow
I'm teachin this time
That off-beat I speak of a rhyme, flow
They just too slow
If you keepin in time, let's go
That b-boy thang
How long you think we gonna hang, I don't know
My style is complex
I got next, indeed we close the show
Still kickin the truth
To the young black youth, we gotta grow
My message is broader
Hip-Hop's the true world order, see it!
Every son, every daughter
If you think you oughta hip-hop, be it
You can sit on the sideline
Or your mind you can free it!
I can rock for a long time
With more rhymes, cause hip-hop WE IT
Who's it, we don't use it
Or do it as music when we spit
That murder, that crime
Never furthered your mind but you, repeat it
Whatever rhyme goes against
your inner purpose you must delete it
As you can see it
I'm the average MC and hip-hop we teach it
All over the world
This goes out to all b-boys and girls
[Chorus x2: Vocalist (KRS-One)]
I know that you don't like
Things that I like
But just because I write
The things that'll take your mind to sky-high
(I write about life, I write about death
I write about strife, I write about stress
I write about the strong and the weak
I write about the hood and the street
I rhyme about my beefs)
[KRS-One:]
Okay, here I go with a flow that be thumping the show
It's the Teacha KRS-One if you didn't know
Man I speak to the streets over beats every week
Forget crime, peace of mind, that's what you seek
Man I'm back with the heat, I keep rapping
Cause when people look at Hip Hop today, they be like "What happened? "
Here's what happened, one side is chilling
The other side, they already sold out their children
They want millions, forget nation building
If this was really the mob, we would've took them out and killed them
But this the Gospel, we fulfil 'em
I'm Hip Hop, I'm good, I'm omni hood, Kris rocks every block
Rise up, the lights up when I'm up
Challengers, you know exactly where you wind up
This the hand that fed you, I don't hate y'all
Some of y'all make me sick, it's more like a "hetchoo"
I bring life to your dead crew
My real name is love, and love's gonna get you
I got the TEC too, but it ain't about the TEC
It's about whether the owner of the TEC respects you
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
What you wanna hear bout central booking for?
Hip Hop, that's exactly what you looking for
If you don't represent the name, what you took it for?
I spit rhymes so raw, you need to cook it more
I'm from the Wild Style, Beat Street breaking
Nope, you're not the king, that seat's been taken
You young'ns on some crazy shit
Me, retire? Why dude, I made this shit!
So yo, get to spitting, freestyling or written
The clock is ticking, stroke your kit and you'll get broken and bitten
Ain't no coke in my kitchen
I got that fish, wheat, bread and chicken, y'all leave limping
I put out more cartoons than the Simpsons
You got them sucker emcee symptoms, look around
You don't even know your english, your verb or noun
You just a sucker emcee, you sad-faced clown
[Chorus: KRS-One & Triune]
Have mercy Mr. Percy
4 million people out of work, right now
Can't find a cent to pay my rent
Half of the youth population out of work, right now
Give me another day
Homelessness risin' upon families
So I can try to find my way
Word up! Homelessness
[KRS-One & Triune:]
And I work
Several resumés on E-Mail
And I work
CD's I'm sellin' my beats
And I work
Part time at the retail
And I work
I'm just about to be in the street
And I work
The car that I'm drivin' around
And I work
Will I ever be on my feet again?
We tellin' 'em this now
[KRS-One:]
Frankly, I don't see how
You can't see how you really, homeless now
When the emergency hits, who really holds you down?
When the sheriff's at your door, ready to throw you down
With the state of the economy and the way that it is
Many men are at the door with their wife and their kids, saying
[Chorus: KRS-One & Triune]
Have mercy Mr. Percy
4 million people out of work, right now
Can't find a cent to pay my rent
Half of the youth population out of work, right now
Give me another day
Homelessness risin' upon families
So I can try to find my way
And I work
Tried drive taxi cab
And I work
Enrolled in a technical school
And I work
My friends, my family for a loan
And I work
Dollar caps and car pools
And I work
Just another day now
And I work
I'm gettin' paid now
We tellin' 'em this now
[KRS-One:]
Everywhere across the nation
More people are joining the homeless population
From the south, to the north, to the west, to the east
People can't pay their mortgage or their lease
And last but not least
You better hear what I'm saying
So many men are at the door with their kids saying
Have mercy Mr. Percy
Can't find a cent to pay my rent
Give me another day
4 million people out of work right now, you gotta do something!
So I can try to find my way
[KRS-One:]
We're on the brink of revolution
You let it get to hot
So many people tryin' to hang on, and just cannot
They must have forgot
Last night's news spot
Read like a news murder plot
Starring who got shot
And very little upliftin'
Just who got knocked?
Very little givin'
Everybody's heart is locked
And they call this a civilization?
Where I can't even find work, with proper employment qualifications
Hip-Hop is the name of my nation
Where everyday is Saturday and 12 months is vacation
Peace, love, unity, havin' fun
You can tell by now, I'm not the average one
[Triune:]
Get choked for the dope here
Get stabbed for the stash
My X is brash
I rap for grabbin' the cash
They search for the blackless faces
So no need checkin' your [?] or applications
How the fuck I make thirty grand a year
With dudes holding a masters degree
It makes no sense, so I make no sense
Using my mind
There's a war going on outside, no man is safe from
I'm Tri-Uno, some call me the great one
Until Bush meet people in my community
I'm hustling for [?...] till I get an opportunity
Have mercy Mr. Percy
Can't find a cent to pay my rent
Give me another day
[MM Lyte:]
Money - M-o-n-e-y
(Money!)
Money - M-o-n-e-y
(Money!)
[KRS-One:]
M-o-n-e-y, what you need to just get by
Money, honey, ain't it funny?
Money, people wanna die
It seems without money, people cry, people will lie
You cannot deny, without money you can't apply
For anything that catches your eye, I wonder why
The root of all evil, let me teach you, now who am I?
The MC, teachin' my people "Don't live that lie"
You got to get money, but don't let money get you, guy
I can break it down like whatever you want
Whatever you spend your money on strong, yo that's what you flaunt
Spend your money on these honeys, yo if that's what you want
Spend your money on attorneys if you're goin' to court
If I look around your neck I can see what you bought
What, you think you get respect? No, you takin' a short
Yo, you need the money, of course, you need it to live
(Yo, what you put your money on, Kris?) Yo, right on my kids
[MC LYte:]
M-o-n-e-y, don't ask why. It IS the root of all evil
Though very necessary to your livelihood
It's all good when you got enough
Til enough ain't enough and you hit upon rough times
You make your money and I'll make mine
(Yo, we need the...) (Money!)
[KRS-One:]
Don't get me wrong, mistakin' this song
Like money is not important - yes, it is, just be strong
It's the reason for the thievin' and that war goin'on
It's the reason that you seein' all these girls in their thong
It's the reason that the radio's on
It's the reason that you believe if you gotta work from sun-up 'til dawn
It's the cravings that connect you to that money you makin'
Your desire is the fire got you feelin' you slavin'
(Free yourself!) Money doesn't make you the man
(Be yourself!) A man gets his money in credit(?)
Ok, I'm a get this money, really, all day
But not to the point where I'm goin' the wrong way
I'm a put my money down on rides and all that
Hook up the house so me and my spouse can fall back
Investing my knowledge way beyond college
Write books and fly hooks in my cottage
Cheese - Kris bling-blingin'? Yo, please!
Money is an energy that gets what I need
I can understand them cats that rap flossin' and frontin'
It's all good, they from the hood, never had nothin'
They just got they money and everything's sunny
Hear what I'm saying, they preyin', boy, and lookin for bunnies
[MC Lyte:]
Did we floss what we bought
Forgetting that sharing is what we've been taught?
'Cause this here gettin' money is an individual sport
Money can get me in to the same place where years ago
My bros and sisters with black skin
Were confined to the back door and the kitchen
[KRS-One:]
Last verse, where your cash purse
Reach into your wallet, nothin' alloted, that hurts
Breath stinkin' you're thinkin', but can't afford Certs
Need the dollar and baby hollerin' - no work
I don't know how you gonna get the dough
You could become educated, you could become a ho
You could do both, that's like puttin' butter on toast
The bread is the knowledge, butter is what gets you that close
[MC Lyte:]
Money is funny - how a piece of paper can make or break your very existence
Quick as it come, quick as it go - you better know about the ebb and the flow
You get money in droves, trick it on cars and blow
Throw dollars at black queens 'cause, for the dough they'll strip their clothes
And for the right amount of money
A king will pimp his queen into being a ho on a stroll
[KRS-One]
In the begining, it was WHBI
[G.Simone: singing]
Just let it flow...do what you know..
To get you in tha mooooood..
[DJ scratching]
Just let it flow...do what you know..
To get you in tha mooooood..
[DJ scratching]
[KRS-One]
Check it Now!Back up on the set KRS is on the mic' kid
I rock the black and white kid, smash that ass and you fly, kid
No need to hype it but KRS-One's the one who pipe's it
These lyrical freestyles meanwhile you're gettin excited
Quickery, inginiery, over my delivery I'm glittery
I'm rhyming against biggetry while youre giving me...
...ignorance, incompetence, inexperience!Im not hearing it!
I battle with expedience and obedience, you macking the ingredients
Hiphop youre not being it!!Youre trying it
My whole style right now youre I and it
I'll take ya dark demo and put the sky in it
You say youre dope but like an Elvis Presly CD I ain buying it
[Beat Stops and KRS-One speaks with G.Simone adding additional vocals]
Tell me the relevance of Money without intelligence?!?!
There is none!EXPERIENCE= Wisdom!MC's I flick Dem
Lyric lick them, trick them, Kick Them, HAA HA-HA!!
Stick Them!
[Live audience laughs and sound fades.KRS continues rapping]
Yeah! Yo!
Now ev'ry time I kick this style that get you open
I remind I rhymes yeah I know you opened
For sum'thing more gifted uplifted!
Topical, rocking you, if its possible
let me give it to you logical
Give it up is what you got to do! Like a bad habit!
To battle KRS you need battle skills and magic
See this talus mineral around my neck can try to grab it
But remember: I don't write rhymes I write classics
You can get your ass kicked, get back up in ya strolla
KRS-One is seven dope albums older, the holder of a boulder
You want a fresh style? Let me show ya...
we will be here forever I told ya!!!
[G.Simone - singing]
Just let it flow...do what you know..
To get you in tha mooooood... [x2]
[KRS-One]
Watch me now, wa-watch me now, wa-watch me now glock me now
You be looking sloppy now, drop me how?rock me how?
You can't even stop me now!
Watcha really thinking bout when you wanna think it out!?
When I'm bout to bring it out the terror that I sing a bout?
If you do the crime then you must do the time and
if you kick a rhyme and its wack thats your behind and...
dont be blinded looking this way 'cause you'll be fine dead
My career going up-hill while yours declining
I'm the bomb on foot K-1 land mind
bumping to this you will shatter same time!!
These rappers be blind - they simply forget
that I'm the god of rap and my pride.. study the rhyme
[G.Simone: singing]
Yeaaaaah!!If youre feelin what we're feeelinnng!
Let it floww.Yeaaahh!!
[KRS talking - G keeps singing]
KRS-One keeps it toasty!Ha Ha.Whut!!
Bigging up the supreme team
All college radio DJ's, all underground MixTape DJ's
Rock on!!Yea Yea!! Mad shoutout from New York City to the world!
WORD UP to the World KID!
[KRS-One:]
What, yeah
Shoutout Minister Server
Word up Super J
My man Byron is goin off
Marlowe, Inebriated Beats, word
Uhh, you know what this is, word up
[Chorus:]
Who be rockin it constantly? (KRS)
Who be droppin philosophy? (KRS)
For the real it got to be (KRS)
Them niggaz ain't stoppin me (KRS)
Whack rappers they got to go (let 'em have it)
So they front on that microphone (let 'em have it)
[KRS-One:]
I be comin in all wild with raw styles
Goin that long mile, makin 'em all smile
Make it happen, MC'n no rappin, believe me I'm strappin
YOu see me I'm slappin, believe me you deceive me
It can greasy, I'm cappin, bring the action, ADD the clips
Start subtractin, multiply them shots, you a fraction
Raise up, blaze up, get made up
You wanna bug out you'll get, sprayed up - NOW~!
(Bo bo bo bo... yeah!)
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
It's the Temple, expandin your mental
Inebriated instrumentals believe me nothin defends you
When I spit, rappers be runnin out really quick
They come with that silly shit, but them not really it
Kris is it, them an idiot, if it wasn't for radio programmin
you wouldn't be feelin it, or willin it
Original, metaphysical, meta-lyrical
Forever spiritual, really man, I ain't feelin you
(Yeah! Yeah! Whattup?)
[Chorus]
[KRS-One:]
I'm somethin like a phe-nom-enon, fast like ramadan
You can never tell what style I'm on
Wise like Solomon, unlike any udda mon
If you lookin for that bling bling, go check dat udda mon
What I utter mon be butter mon, straight from the gutter mon
Boxcutter in one hand, buck in the other one
Lyric I got a ton of 'em, gunnin 'em, not frontin 'em
Back again, it's KRS-One and them, OHH~!
(Woooo! ... So)
[Chorus]
[Outro: KRS-One]
Feel it (let 'em have it)
So they front on the microphone (let 'em have it)
Y'all better catch up! Ha ha
[Intro: KRS-One]
Yo, yo, you know what's up!
Turn this up right now
Ha ha, HA! Like that y'all, YOU DON'T STOP!
It's the D.I.G.I.T.A.L.
It's the KRS-One with the D.I.G.I.T.A.L.
Yo you know what's up with that
We bout to set it on you, ha ha, HA HA, HA HA!
[Verse: KRS-One]
Follow me de massive, follow me de massive
Follow me de crew, follow me crew
KRS-One, BDP, comin through
Money B, Shock G, Humpty, Truck Turner
KRS-One the teacher, you the learner!
Big Pun havin fun, with Biz Markie
Down with DJ, J.C. you see
In New York City all the way to Compton
We rockin like dis cause you know we stompin
Mystic, you know you got the lyric
When everybody come out, you got to hear it
Digital Underground, with the metaphysical thundersound
KRS from the Boogie Down like that y'all
You don't quit, KEEP ON!
[KRS-One]
Wadda-by-by-bye, wada-by-by, ba-by-by, ba-by-by, ba-bye
[Intro:]
When you least expect it
(This is just one style)
[Verse 1:]
We back up in this piece like yeast to bread
Underground you gotta find me like an Easter egg
No need to beg, I hit the club hard on the red
While you check for CDs I'm sellin' books instead
I travel the country by car, by foot and leg
What's worse than being behind is being ahead
Prophetic visions of President Jeb
Five storms hit Florida on his head and nobody said
"What's the meaning of this? It's like God is dead"
In the minds of the people hanging onto a thread
You gotta go where your heart is led
I spit truth but some cats, they just got the hardest head
As you can see, I'm artist-led
I take it to the black, to the green, and to the darkest red
I write, recite and of course go off the head-top
Knowledge Reigns Supreme, man - don't forget that
[Chorus:]
KRS and I'm on the mic
(Class is in session, so you can stop guessin')
KRS and I'm on the mic
This is just one style
KRS and I'm on the mic
Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody
KRS and I'm on the mic
Listen
[Verse 2:]
Here's the mission, plain and straight
We gotta nurture and develop what we create
Hip-hop is our activity on the planet
Today it's just an album; tomorrow they examine it
In the future, someone's crammin' fast
'Cause they want at least a B in their hip-hop class
I ain't even askin' you how
If our ancestors built nations, why you ain't buildin' one now?
Technology is not civilization
Civilization is not about the tools that you're making
You have an opportunity, at a new stop
Truly living hip-hop is a chance at a new park
You can play a new part: Develop new DVDs, new books, new art
Open new food marts with hip-hop food charts and food carts
Playing 2Pac while you shop (Do it)
What's the sense of being a recording artist
At a recording company for a year or two
If after the third or fourth year they can't even hire you?
In fact there is really nothing there for you
If your life is not a can of goo
Hip-hop is not a product; hip-hop is me and you
What I spit will see you through
I'm freein' you with knowledge of G-O-D in you
[Chorus]
[Verse 3:]
Foot soldiers, let's go - we got this
The freedom to be really you that's what hip-hop is
What can we really do? Reach for the top, kid
Those that seek the bottom they shot stop and lock, kid
We the inevitable, most credible
And most are leaning back with the terrible squad
Here to beat knock hard, this is the real truth
Everything I spit be backed up with real proof
Welcome to the underground
Don't look for me in the mainstream, this is a whole 'nother sound
Sound set we rock music in the streets
In the schools and over the Internet
Feel it yet? You ain't hear me yet
You ain't really ready to get near me yet
Y'all fear and fret
[scratched: "hit you with the real"]
[L Da Headtoucha]
Geah, it's Headtoucha and KRS combined and
Yes, through the new millenium era we grindin
Yes, this combination right here's one of a kind and
It's Soul Supreme's dream team, we shinin
Clap, I'm tryin to tell 'em there's more to it than rhymin
It's now or never, all and together we climbin
Clap, let's rewind to the beginnin of time and
Back again, words merge over tracks like um, Shaq goes in
I, crack yo' cabbage in, we ain't no average men
My pen takes people to places they haven't been
Like the streets or the gutter, when I speak over beats
You discover I drop heat, don't compete with this brother
No, just compete with each other, I'm deep in the gutter
This underground sound, and I'm keepin it gutter
Music is - the reason I'm livin, the reason I'm driven
and givin my all to all y'all
[scratched:][Busta Rhymes: "Everybody rise!"]
[KRS: "Learn the techniques of"] [Das EFX: "real hip-hop"]
["no doubt"] ["so you don't have to worry and doubt"]
["KRS-One"] ["savagely attack"]
[KRS-One]
Forgive me, I always been an indie-pendant
Hip-Hop started on my block, I remember it
It's in me, others wanna spit what's trendy
But I take it back to Mork & Mindy
Tellin these young cats, Nanu Nanu
Keep my name out your mouth, it's too much to swallow
Big up to my people, Peedo and Gato
Victory over the streets, that's our motto
I ain't forget you Choco-latte
Chocolatte, you the original not the co-py
But enough of that, run it back, we lovin that
Break from them other cats, KRS-One is back
Just look where the sun is at, where the moon is at
If you in tune to that, you can never lose in rap
Astronomy, all in inside of me
For that conscious lyric, you know who you got to see!
["KRS-One"] ["KRS-One"]
["KRS-One"] ["rap graphic"]
["collaborate with"] ["L Da Headtoucha"]
[KRS-One:]
Off beat, what you know about it?
All heat, all street, my dough I be about it
I eat all week, I don't need to shout it
I'm legendary, in many books you can read about it
Well I'm back to let you cats know that
I'm not asleep, I heard your mixtape raps
What, you think I'm weak like one of these old school cats?
You better hear me speak before you get holes in your back
Ain't nothing here sweet except your whole damn pack
Why I gotta return? Cause y'all's so damn wack wack
You never will learn. That's why the teacha's back
Now you gon' feel that real golden age rap
Unfolding the gat
This ain't no place for no amateur block rap
Rappin' about your hammer is cocked back
That means you fuckin' with a six-shooter
And we got big guns that can stop that
All you hear is klug-clack-klug, klug-clack-klug
And you and your man y'all fall backward
Y'all ain't nothin' but actors, bitin' like Dracula
Kris spit spitacular
[Chorus: x2]
To my block - I got you
From the bottom to the top - I got you
When you need that raw HipHop - I got you
I mean that '94 HipHop - I got you
If you ain't got nowhere to go - I got you
VIP passes to my show - I got you
Come to my crib, let's take it slow - I got you
Never forget, you gotta know that - I got you
[KRS-One:]
You listenin' to the depth of the heat
I'm omni-hood, that means I rep' every street
When I come around cats get up and eat
On the mic I won't let up 'til the end of the beat
I stay tight when I recite and sendin' you heat
Let's compare, what's your agenda this week?
Me? I be chillin' out in sacred buildings with my children
Free as a fly on the ceiling
[Chorus: x2]
I talk how I talk when I talk cause I been there
I walk how I walk when I walk cause I been there
On your own sleepin in the park yeah I been there
How we really gonna survive? Let us begin there
[KRS-One]
I'm talkin to the little you but, there is a bigger you
The bigger you is spiritual, little you that is physical
KRS is givin you, somethin more than I get with you
I'm hittin you, splittin you, rippin you down with me
You busted that metaphysical rap, at the pinnacle I'm at
I'm down here just to deal witchu cats
I never bleep you, I just remind you that they don't need you
They gonna keep you for as long as they can eat you
But that mic you speak through goes from here to Mogadishu
And how you represent US is the issue
I'm not here to diss you, or dismiss you
But at any moment we can be hit with missiles
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
How many MC's must get dissed
How many young men must get frisked
How much ice can really go on one wrist
How many shots get fired at a target and just miss
We gonna live like this?
I walk the same path that Ma$e do
But he went in the church, I stayed out to face you
The difference between us is not just man to man
But in fact it's fan to fan
People that buy KRS-One goin places
People that buy your shit, they catchin cases
My people eat, your people cheat
Such is the words you speak and you reap
You can pop that shit if you like
But people that buy KRS-One, they lookin for the light
Like NYCE, Jada, Lizzard, B.C.
Harold, Symone, Server yo man see me
[KRS]
Yo, my man, how bad do you want it?
You know how many cats I threw the pitch, and they never caught it?
I told them to bring they lyric, but they never brought it
Scared to get ripped off, cheated, deleted, rejected and shorted?
Yo, how bad do you want it?
Fear—I ain't got no time for it
If you want it, yo there's the track—put your rhyme on it!
[Peedo]
This hunger inside of me's unexplainable, Kris
The struggle we put in this box will be put into disc
Birth and ever, these family problems is hurtin'
Both of my sisters is pregnant, fuckin' feel like murkin'
All I have is my word and my balls
And my fam and my music speaks for them all
It's the Dominican animal ready to damage, you puttin'
Pressure to rappers that think they can challenge you, Kris (uh huh)
We been through it all, the grimiest days, this earth ain't
Ready for my brain, comin' to face (word)
Everyone plus everyone
Do you hear me, KRS-One?
[KRS]
Well listen
You grimy and hungry?
But how long you gonn' trust me?
You really down for this cause or just chasin' the money?
I be up in them spots to be hot, so dusty and ugly
Nothin' be funny, it's all dark, nothin' sunny
Can you walk with me? Talk with me? Pop the cork with me?
When we in other cities, will you rep New York with me? (yeah!)
I need respect and honor
Discipline and no drama
How bad you want it, poppa? (with all my…)
[Peedo]
Loyalty is the key to it all (remember)
Get used to my face, we the winners of all
By mi gente, yo I go low to say-ah
Real like them Washington Heights
Niggaz there (say yeah!)
[KRS]
After you rap, will you stab my back? (never)
You gimme a track, will you take that back? (never)
I give the word, yo you bustin' your Gatt? (whatever)
Respect from your crew? They livin' like that? (they better)
This is no game! Why should I make you popular?
You know I'm the philosopha
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you need it?
If you see it, you can believe it, perceive it, retrieve it and flaunt it
How bad do you want, doggone it, there's the track, if you want it
You got to put your rhyme on it!
[Peedo]
How bad do I want it? I'm ready to die like Big
A serious man with blood in my eyes for this
Success doesn't come overnight
It's gonna be dark a while until I see light (that's right!)
What is it?
[KRS]
This is no game, why should I do it?
KRS-One, me and Peedo runnin' through it
I saw you down the street in FedEx
You said you had the beats was comin', like "I Got Next"
So we went upstairs, my man Choco hooked it up
This is KRS-One—turn my voice up! Wha— (wha-,wha-)
How bad do you want it?
How bad do you see it?
How bad do you hear it?
How bad do you BELIEVE you can be it?
If you doubt, then you're out
If you believe, you can achieve
I got the city on lock, but I'm gonna hand you the Keys like Alicia
You know my style, you know I'm the teacha
Philosopha, minister, emcee, Hiphop's spiritual leader
With the heater
You comin' with me? You runnin' with me?
In the spirit Scott LaRock, JMJ and Pun is with me
Yo, cats be steppin' to me ALL the time
With the rawest rhyme
But two weeks later, they fall to crime
If you listenin' to this song, and you want to be put on
You must be loyal to the cats that made you strong
It could be your friend, your father, you sister, your mother, your brother
or some other
Just remember the days when YOU was under!
Before the Hummer, before the Benz
Before the hundreds, before the fifties, the twenties and tens
When you was thirsty, remember the living water, and who poured it
Of course, we have just accepted all applications and tuition will be paid on
Friday....
You you can't can't be be ripping the mic the mic
like do re me me measels are contagious like my lyrical pages
ripping and flipping the mic
from back in the back in the days the days its kinda hectic hectic
when these suckas don't respect it, check it. Flame on.
I know the light is bright but keep on watching me
I'm stolen property, kicking the flavor to society.
Police be clocking me, but logically they got to be
cause they were taught that serious poetry would come from Socrates.
But that ain't it, in 94 I'll kick the hit
and if I was in front of Shakespear, battle a punk and take his shit.
I'm not having it,
bust a narrative and come to get with it.
Rap is something you do, hip hop is something you live.
The difference is kids nowadays, they got the videos.
Rappers don't need skills to build so they don't really know.
Hear me yo, I'm four times on Arsenio,
got ten videos, but does that help me flow? No.
That's why when I come to the show MC's act like they don't know
cause they were too young to rock up in the disco
Frisco disco the disc is like a Nabisco
chocolate chip cookie, don't fuck with me rookie.
I'm rocking beats and
with death defying feats and
I'm never sneaking
always peeping when I'm speaking
inside I'm keeping a statement for police and
I'm down for peace and but not turn the other cheek and
so this DJ, he gets down
mixing records while they go
round and round round we go
two years ago a friend of mine
and Flash is gonna rock your mind
welcome to the Terrordome, the Terrordome
I wonder if I take you home
E-F-F-E-C-T a cool operator operating correctly
but back in the day I knew rap would never die
too late baby bwai
bai in a body boy head head
head insane in the membrane
take the train, take the train
M-E-T-H-O-D Man
'Hattan keeps on making it
Brooklyn keeps on taking it
We keep coming back with more and more hits
party people, I came through the door, I said it before
Two years ago, super hoe
If my train goes off the track,
pick it up, pick it up, pick it up back back
back to the grill again, the grill again
friends
how many MC's must get dissed?
Before somebody says don't fuck with Chris
Hey! Ho! Keep on moving don't stop no
body beats the Biz
Let's do the dance called the Pee Wee Herman
Hey, Erick Sermon, Hey
you you get off my cloud,
go down baby, go down baby, the gods must be crazy
you ain't fresh, you ain't fresh
[Verse 1]
Yeah... KRS-One bout to wreck the joint
I was seen openin up at the edge of Detroit
where the cops go beyond the laws
where enemies work together by putting they shit on pause
So what does it mean, Assault on Precinct 13?
You are bout to see just what the dirt bring
It's working, that force, I have been searching
Like Lawrence Fishburne when it's time to hurt things
Ethan Hawke, man he face all that
I hold the mic like Ja held the baseball bat
I stay ahead, like a baseball cap
The ways of the world, Kris don't chase all that
[Chorus]
We gettin up outta here, that's what's up. That's what's up
Watch me back up the truck
You livin wit a lot of fear. That's what's up, my gats stay up
So crooked cops you backin me up?
We gettin up outta here, that's what's up. That's what's up
Watch me back up the truck
You livin wit a lot of fear. That's what's up, my gats stay up
So crooked cops you backin me up?
[Verse 2]
Well as I walk through the street, my spirit will speak
to those I meet and great from week to week
I am not my handsome beat. I command the speak
As the observer inside the physique
Many rappers try to compete, of course
But they got smashed and trashed in the streets and tossed
Sometimes I think we all just lost
We just flashin and flossin the disasterous cause
We don't even know the one-ness of the only force
Instead of a golden calf, we got a platinum horse
But what did Moses do with the golden calf?
Threw the log at it and it ended in a blast
Master, get on them quick, get on them faster
In the background you frontin, cuz there's nothing but laughter
I tag church like the shirt king
Turn up the track for Assault on Precinct 13
[Chorus]
We gettin up outta here, that's what's up. That's what's up
Watch me back up the truck
You livin wit a lot of fear. That's what's up, my gats stay up
So crooked cops you backin me up?
We gettin up outta here, that's what's up. That's what's up
Watch me back up the truck
You livin wit a lot of fear. That's what's up, my gats stay up
So crooked cops you backin me up?
[Verse 3]
Wow, what an ending. What a conclusion
They thought they was winning, but they really was losin
He though he was sinnin, but he really was provin
that leadership keeps it moving, steady cruising
Guns up, funds up, from sun up to sun up to sun up
Buck buck buck! Yo, duck duck
We run up, two down, one up
Dope MCs see me and get butterflies in they stomach
Others can't speak, they just shut up
KRS on the come up, liftin Big Pun up. Let me sum up
Dope MCs, wack MCs, thin MCs, fat MCs, commercial MCs, they can't all
get done up
Raise the drum up, breath for breath, I'll rip your lung up
On my trophy wall, I'm nailing your tongue up
KRS-One, you know what it means
Turn up the track for Assault on Precinct 13
[Chorus]
We gettin up outta here, that's what's up. That's what's up
Watch me back up the truck
You livin wit a lot of fear. That's what's up, my gats stay up
So crooked cops you backin me up?
We gettin up outta here, that's what's up. That's what's up
Watch me back up the truck
You livin wit a lot of fear. That's what's up, my gats stay up
So crooked cops you backin me up?
[Verse 4]
We gotta start trusting each other right now if we gonna make it
through this night
From Criminal Minded to Spiritual Minded, and even beyond and behind
it, never be afraid to fight
or be the lazy type. Me, I'm the crazy type
I get them clubs so crazy hype
I throw them glasses on that them ladies like
And years later, rock what they babies like
I blaze the light, there me be 8,000,000 ways to die
but there's 16,000,000 ways to fight
So wherever you are... in the crib or your car, in your tank too
KRS-One would like to thank you, right
That's why KRS on the mic
Wishin you peace for the rest of the night
Cuz at the end of the film, you'll see what it mean
Turn up the track for Assault on Precinct 13!
"It was quite evident that something new had to be introduced
in order for the music to flourish as it had in the past."
[KRS-One:]
Ha, hah, huh
You know the time here
[Jadakiss:] {"You will never be as nice as I am"} [Nas:] {"Nuttin to play wit"}
[Guru:] {"Troublesome, to anyone who stands in the way"} [Nas:] {"Be my guest"}
[KRS-One:]
Aiyyo, Minister Server, test your mic yo
[Minister Server (KRS):]
Yo this ain't complex, I keep it mad simple (whaaat)
Minister Server transmittin from the temple (that's right)
The Lord is my light and my salvation (that's right)
I'm here to heal the, hip-hop nation (C'MON~!)
And make sure that our next, destination (C'MON~!)
Is exactly where no procrastination (that's right)
We got things to do, I mean me and you (uhh uhh)
We got to do what we came here to be true (C'MON~!)
Through the Most High guide you got to find purpose (UHH)
I'm on the mic now (WOOOO) I didn't rehearse this (what)
It's from the spirit (that's right) to those ears that hear it (c'mon)
Ahhh...
[KRS-One:]
C'mon, yeah, yo
You ain't never heard no flow like this one
We teach on the streets, ruminations go get one
If you never heard of "My Philosophy"
Check my catalogue, check the glossary
Ministry archives, school society
Temple of Hip-Hop exhibit you got to see
Obviously I flow different from most of them
They radioactive, I don't get too close to them
Hip-Hop in the cypher, commence to roastin them
Or commence to "Edutainment," minds I open them
Up on the rooftop, scopin them
KRS this album is dope AGAIN!
[Ministry Server (KRS):]
It's up to you and me to walk in our authority (WOOOO)
To understand we got the inner divinity (that's right)
To change the things of this closed society (that's right)
Ain't that the way we said we wanted to be? (WORD~!)
Oh what'chu gonna do, you got to get off yo' ass (C'MON~!)
You can't move slow, you got to move real fast (c'mon, yeah, yeah)
If you, wanna keep up with the Temple your mental got to be ready
And you got to keep these flows steady (yeah)
And keep it goin, I don't really be knowin (yeah)
how the Most High's gonna be flowin (ohhh)
But I got faith and it's 2004 (yeah)
So the H-Law, yeah more
We gon' bring you up, you know it's all the way real
And I'ma keep it like this, don't pack no steel (word)
But I got a gat, that's got a lot of truth (yeah, yeah)
And I do it like this, my children be the proof
So teacher, come let these cats know (that's real)
The way you do it like this, you got to let 'em know (whoa)
That's always true, the way you come through (yeah)
So come and do what'chu gwan do
[KRS-One:]
Biddy-bye-bye, biddy-bye-bye, biddy-bye-bye biddy-bo
[Chorus: sample from a live performance of "The Bridge is Over"]
Here's another example of the KRS-One (BO!)
Here's another example of the KRS-One (BO!)
They wish to battle BDP but they cannot
They must be on the jock of WHO? (DJ Scott LaRock!)
[KRS-One]
Yeah, one-two, what? What?
Grab any tape that you think is hard
Put it in your tape deck and press record
Get this - what's a real hip-hop emcee?
Is it MTV? Is it BET?
Is it five M-I-C's so the people can see?
I mean, how you think you free when you act like property?
Tell me, how can you judge an MC when he's rockin
I mean, rockin it live, not pickin his cotton
I mean, adjustin his clothes I mean, how do you know
before you come to the show, and you're not gettin cheated
That you're not gettin heated, that you ain't come to the club
thinkin, "Uh-uh - I must have been weeded!"
You got to be a educated consumer
Spend your money on MC's cause these rappers'll do ya
All they want is your cash, ass, glass, gas and a flick
When you ask for that autograph, they ass dash quick
Beware of the rapper, he talks like it don't matter
He pulls his gat while we BUST OFF the gatler
He's more of an actor, someone, into theater
Not an upright MC with styles who speaks clearer!
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
MC's have no time for the bar
Unless we politickin a tape to some drunk A&R;
We grab the mic and say who we are, KRS
And start takin it to the chest of the best
This is not a test or a demo
This is when you let go of the limo, like many can't do
They may wanna amp you and chant new, record sellin
But movin the crowd is somethin that they can't do!
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
C'mon!
You got to be mistaken, I am not your boy
You fake what you creatin, playin wit'cha toys
G'wan with all that bullshit bout you bringin noise
Time for somethin more than PO-PO-POI-POI
All of hip-hop ain't seventeen
Some of us still go back to "Microphone Fiend"
Back when it was just MC's and DJ's
No video that come on and just replay
[Chorus]
[KRS-One]
Uhhh... uh-huh, uh-huh uh-huh
We can never stop, forever we rock, take a listen
The t'cha is back, cause rap's whack when I'm missin
Me, I would never want the future to believe
that when they trust to look back on us there was no dope MC's
There was, all these rappers grabbin more and more money
And now that I'm A&R; they look more and more funny
They rap for platinum plaques without buildin
[KRS-One]
Turn it up now, it's yo' time (ha!)
Thanks for yo' nickel and yo' dime (ha!)
The Kris-Style will blow yo' mind (ha!)
Let's get it started, RIGHT ON TIME (ha!)
The elements, I represent all nine (ha!)
I do the written or the freeflow rhyme (ha!)
These rappers nowadays they be so blind (ha!)
You lookin for the skill but you won't find (ha!)
Real live skills I show mine (ha!)
Whack rappers I'll pay them no mind (ha!)
Improvement, they showin no sign (ha!)
DJ's, I hang with the dope kind (ha!)
All you cats, know meeeee (ha!)
I'm not ashamed of who I beeee (ha!)
I teach about G.O.Deeeee (ha!)
It's YOU that's frontin, not meeee (ha!)
I keeps it bumpin in the C-L-U-B
Eleven albums, what are you tellin me?
I am B-L-E-S-S-E-D
You are C-U-R-S-E-D
I don't need radio +OR+ TV
All I wanna do is recite my poetry
You hear somebody preachin, YEAH you know it's me
You hear the t'cha speakin and yo, you gotta see
"Criminal Minded," do you got it?
[switching to a live performance]
(Throw your hands up!) "Criminal Minded," do you got it?
"By All Means Necessary" (uh)
"By All Means Necessary" (uh)
"Ghetto Music," do you got it? (uh)
"Ghetto Music," do you got it? (uh)
"Edutainment," do you got it? (uh)
"Edutainment," do you got it? (uh)
"Sex and Violence," do you got it? (uh)
"Sex and Violence" - ooh they got it!
("I Got Next" - do you got it?)
("I Got Next" - do you got it?)
("The Sneak Attack" - do you got it?)
("The Sneak Attack" - do you got it?)
"Spiritual Minded," do you got it? (huh?)
"Spiritual Minded," do YOU got it?!
[DJ Premier:]
Dedicated to the great Scott La Rock
R.I.P., this one for you, my G
Let's get it
[Intro: sung by KRS-One to the tune of the Beatles "Let It Be"]
Boogie Down Productions... ('ductions)
With Premier, we gettin paid... (paid)
Y'all write the wackest songs... (songs!)
Our shit be beeeetta ('etta)
Remember, you act up, you will not win (win)
'Cause then I'll be-giiiin... ('giiiin)
To smash you with rhyyymin, rhymin, RHYMIN...
[Verse 1: KRS-One]
Criminal minded, this the jumpoff
My first one blast like you poppin that pumpoff
Yo Premier, why these rappers so soft?
They corny ass raps be makin me doze off
You know I get the whole house open
Got the whole East, West, North, South open
I ain't jokin, you know how many times
I spit rhymes and left rappers with they mouth open?
Y'all need to fall back
The 'hip-hop' you got in you NOW, I installed that
I spit a raw rap, peace and war rap
Ten more raps, where the tours at?
'Cause the world is soooooo hood, you must always be ready
... TO LET IT BLOOOOOOOW! (BUCK! BUCK! BUCK! BUCK! BUCK!)
I'd rather talk about peeeeeeeace, but these rappers won't let me
SO HERE WE GOOOOOOOO!
I'd rather mind my business, but these rappers think
They Superbad, that's when they get smothered, chocked, and gagged
I just bought another Jag
'cause when I spit lyrics, I step-father like your other dad
("One-two, one-two") I stay true
I'm a "GangStarr" and I'm "Guru"
Hah! I train like CHOO-CHOO!
Y'all rappers rap crap, BULLSHIT DOO-DOO!
Who knew? ! I don't compare to you
Look at my nose, I even take in more air than you
I'm more aware than you and I spit it
I built this hip-hop matrix then programmed you IN IT!
I would tell you what's gon' happen this summer
But I'm a general, I don't talk to runners
Y'all just rappin and rappin shitty
So when you talk abotu battle, I get giddy
[scratches by DJ Premier]
"Wh-wh-wh-when I'm on a mic"
"KRS writes poetry"
"'Cause I'm KRS and I'm on the mic
And Premier is on the BREAKS~! "
"Boogie Down Productions" (That's right, Primo!)
"UH! " (Let 'em know)
(KRS, Criminal Minded)
(Yea) "So here we goooooo... "
[Verse 2: KRS-One]
Criminal minded, you been blinded
By the ice and the way rappers shinin
K-R-S, that's how I sign it
God knows I try to live non-violent!
But rappers be too defiant, no doubt
They make me wanna try this new Magnum out
They be draggin 'em out
Cause of death: Magnum goin off in the mouth
What y'all talkin 'bout? ! You better "Walk it Out"
Y'all start mumblin when that Hawk is out
New York ain't out! WHAT CHA'LL TALKIN 'BOUT? !
Y'all POP like when the cork is out!
Stoppin the violence is what I'm all about
STOPPIN THE VIOLENCE IS WHAT I'm ALL ABOUT!
But you raise ya fist to Kris, I'll maim ya wrist
And blow you out like a birthday wish!
I'm much sharper
Including New York State, the whole East Coast is Kris Parker's
But real talk, Digny
The true kings of New York left when it change hands to Disney
I got no time for the kid rap
The gun talk, drug talk, we already did that
These days I'm tryin to give back
Knowledge, wisdom, overstanding - now spit that!
[scratches by DJ Premier]
"Wh-wh-wh-when I'm on a mic"
"KRS writes poetry"
"'Cause I'm KRS and I'm on the mic"
"I, I-I-I'll see you folks around the way"
"Wh-wh-wh-when I'm on a mic"
"K-K-KR-S writes poetry"
"Criminal minded"
[KRS-One:]
Listen, I don't know where them other cats be at
But we be in the clubs
We be all over the country, KILLIN IT~! (Yeah)
They can talk that club rock, this that and the other
But when it comes to really gettin down
We gets down, y'all know what time it is
Big up to my people at the 9:30 Club, Washington D.C.
Big up Cat's Cradle in North Carolina
House of Blues in New Orleans
S.O.B.'s in New York
King Club in, in in L.A.
Aww man it's sick, Aggie P and them in in Denver
(Word up we be smashin 'em Blast, they can't get enough of it!)
(But big up to my peoples at the Electric Factory in Philly)
(Joe guard your grill up in Chicago!)
(Big up to The Destiny in San Fran)
(Big up to the Apache Club, in A-T-L)
(The Hundred Club in Las Vegas)
(And The Spot up in San Jose)
(You know how we do, "Keep Right" word up)
Smashin, SMASHIN~!
[KRS-One] Uh! Domingo
[Tone Def] Domingo y'all
[KRS-One] Uh! Tone Def
[Tone Def] It's Tone Def y'all
[KRS-One] Whoo!
[Tone Def] Yeah (WITH K-R-S)
[KRS-One] Word Up
[Tone Def] And it goes like this
[KRS-One] Here We Go
[Chorus]
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
[KRS-One]
I am the incarnation of what you do
When you try to forget KRS, I try to forget you
You tired of me saying what's real hip hop
Well I'm tired of you biting my shit to go pop
This is why we need hip hop history
'Cause if we had it, you knew you shouldn't get with me
I'm free, I don't need MTV
I could smash your click like 1-2-3
You think I care if you plat-in-um
Where I come from, we be slappin' em' uh
Sales dont make you the authority
It only means you sold out to the white majority
What you know about seniority you ain't major
Ya whole album appeals to little second graders
Grow up already, before I slap that hiny
And put you out of work like Tavis Smiley
I got that razor tounge, you be on the ground with paramedics saying "We
can't save this one"
I stay alert like red, you keep sucking me uh 'cause you think I'm ahead
But you ain't street soldier, I'll take one of ya members
Cut off his head and send it to Lisa Evers
We will be here for ever and ever and ever
While you'll be over by next September
[Chorus]
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
[Tone Def]
We got a million DMX's, a thousand Jay-Z's
A hundred Eminem's and two million Master P's
But I think for drastically, 'cause Tone Def always flow with originality,
that's the way it has to be
And if you patchin' me for the first or the third time
And even if you search wide for new styles
You still ain't never heard mine
With the thrust of a turbine, I blur by
Most of y'all niggas can't really get with me
But I know your girl sure try
But that's alright, 'cause you probably prefer guys to fur pie
That's why your shorty turned bi, she like that silky stir fry
With her skirt hiked to an absurd height
She by the curb like, "Don't swerve alright"
If you got the wood she got the termites
It's Tone Def, the vocalism more tread than a dirt bike
Cats be like ram ya tounge is rough, "Yo that hurts right?"
I blurt my explanation on my worst night, last heard that twelve mics
thought I was siamese 'cause you got served twice
I don't want to hear about your perp life
Forced to record CBS just to remember what it's like to survive
You hypocritical types a pitiful willin' to serve lies
To reserve ice, but need to work for Adidas to earn stripes
My first strike, leave you with burned eyes all for the turn-pike
And man be looking for you surfside armored the search light
Most cats that use the term nice never been in a word fight
Don't think you just observe for return price
Well your church might
[Chorus]
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
[KRS-One]
See I could care less if you carry a gat
You a liar brothers getting locked for that
All that olympic size pool you could drown in that
I'm a true school cat and I'm proud of that
You could see me decked out in a gown and cap
While you killin' our people with a pound of crack
What you think player, you ain't going down for that
Your lyrics prove you ain't looking out in fact
You a traitor and the worst kind at that
In the future your kids gonna account for that
We will never stop spittin' the facts no trouble
He forgot about the struggle, I'm bringing it back
I ain't mad or angry or any of that
All I know is my people died so I could rap
And what we do when we spit nigga, bitch, ho, dick
We need to switch that to my brother, my sister quick
[Chorus]
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
Don't nobody like what they shout, Clear 'Em Out
Let's take these rappers out, No doubt
On the streets they ain't got no pout, No doubt
Haven't they figured it out, No doubt
[KRS-One]
Yea yea yea yea yea!
KRS-One comin through, Big Zack, Last Emperor
WOOP WOOP! Ha hah, that's the sound of EMS
Ha hah, Last Emperor, KRS
Ha hah, Big Zack you know the rest
Now we gonna come down like this now, hold tight all crew
LISTEN!!
[Zack de la Rocha]
This voice shatters the calm of the day, like an alarm
To wake up badder youth, and take up arms
Cause more is necessary than vocabulary war
Cause the toxic rock imports, gettin on your door
C.I.A. I see ya later, cause your time is comin soon
I flip the shit like, Pacino and it's your Dog Day Afternoon
Attica Attica, drug agents your bring your static-a
My alphabet will slash that neck and flip you, automatica
Dramatic, like Ali Shaheed Muhammed brought the vibe
I bring the sun at Red Dawn to pull the thoughts of Franz Fanon
So stand at attention, devil dirge
You never survive choosin sides against the wretched of the earth
The infiltrator, tribe intoxicator, people incarcerator
Liberation movement annihilator
We got you clocked pushin rocks and it fail
We got brothers troopin subways like the Ho Chi Manh trail
We got the truth data, Last Emperor, KRS and
history manifested, tomorrow next lesson
[Chorus: all together, with samples]
YOU CLAIM I'M SELLIN CRACK, BUT YOU BE DOIN THAT
"You, claim, you claim, you, you claim, claim
You, claim I'm sellin crack, but you be doin that" --> KRS
[Zach] You know the cops they got a network for the toxic rock
YOU CLAIM I'M SELLIN CRACK, BUT YOU BE DOIN THAT
"So get that flashlight out of my face" -> Big L
"You, you, you claim I'm sellin crack, but you be doin that" --> KRS
[KRS] The Last Emperor, KRS-One, and Big Zack
[The Last Emperor]
As free market capitalism and technology expands
The third world's fertile soil becomes a desert wasteland
So it takes bands to, demand the, government provide answers
when Lady Liberty has me Bewitched like Samantha
And poverty is one of the most malignant forms of cancer
to all my Black Magic romancers and acid rain dancers
Develop close ties like Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza
We fear no man and throw jams that attack counterintelligence programs
Exciting like the epic adventures of Conan (hah!)
I colonize minds like Zaire by the Belgians
Now what the hell is the problem with this system and what it sells us
I bring ancient relics like Wyclef did to Zealots
I saw an Iron Curtain called hip-hop and got it open like Boris Yeltsin
Whirlwind, tornadoes, in the rain forest if you say so (whosssshhh)
KRS and The Last Emperor like the Green Hornet and Kato
Zach de la Rocha brings the enraged flow, but all three drop science
and become the most powerful alliance since NATO
[Chorus: all together, with samples]
YOU CLAIM I'M SELLIN CRACK, BUT YOU BE DOIN THAT
"You, claim I'm sellin crack, but you be doin that" --> KRS
YOU CLAIM I'M SELLIN CRACK, BUT YOU BE DOIN THAT
[Zach] You know the cops they got a network for the toxic rock
YOU CLAIM I'M SELLIN CRACK, BUT YOU BE DOIN THAT
"So get that flashlight out of my face" -> Big L
YOU CLAIM I'M SELLIN CRACK, BUT YOU BE DOIN THAT
[KRS] The Last Emperor, KRS-One, and Big Zack
[KRS-One]
Need I say the C.I.A. be Criminals In Action
Cocaine crack unpackin, high surveillance trackin
Prominant blacks and whites givin orders for mass slaughters
I want all my daughters to be like Maxine Waters
When they flooded the streets with crack cocaine
I was like Noah, now they lower cause the whole cold war is over
Communism fell to the dollars you were grabbin it
All the assault and batterin in the name of intelligence gatherin?
Now it's karma you battlin, a losin fight
I chose the mic to recite ignite light in the night, aight?
We should beat em, President Clinton should delete em
it's not hard, the C.I.A. simply has no more job
Oh my Goddess, mother, you can fix this
We rock over mixes not six six sixes
Yo this is, the message, to all that can hear it
If you got secret information now's the time to share it
Call your Congresswoman, your senator, your mayor
It's time for all the scholars to unite with all the players
Rearrangin, see times are definitely changin G
They used to tap the phone, now they tappin while you pagin me
It's crazy B, yet it's plain to see, who the enemy
Who's left the NRA? The ATF, the AMA?
Okay okay, it's all irrelevant, cause in the new millenium
there'll be no Central Intelligence
Uh, yea, uh, yea
Throw your hands up
You know whassup kid, throw your hands up
[Buckshot:]
Yeah - this is also
A message for all y'all heads out there
Who just heard, whatever you hear
This is the Boot Camp Clik, and we everywhere
Right now y'all 'bout to get into the real mindstate
Of where this is all goin, the Temple of Hip Hop y'all
Keep your mind thoroughly placed where it's at
So you can know where it's goin
[KRS-One]
Every once in a while
You got to put aside childish things
And get with the teachers and the kings
K-R-S... Truck Turner...
Bring It To The Cypher
Like this, like this y'all
[Verse One: Truck Turner]
I'm at the end of my rope, I'm bout to snap
Cut a nigga throat, put a bullet through his hat
With his head attached
What's the deal new jack? Who dat? Got his chest blew back
Clak! Clak! Bullet through his teeth, nigga true that
You in my way, move that, Truck coming through that
Run up in your spot, come out, raising two gats
Move back, give a nigga room, let me hit this
Way back, since up in the womb, I was with this
Every sentence, we doom with consistence
Be the witness, let me spit this, Kris hit this
[KRS-One]
Yo... if it's all about the hundreds, let's try to get two 50s
Don't stop and switch a temple, let's work and build a city
You see the equation, to this whole situation?
If I'm the God of rap and you battling me, you Satan
And that's why you hating, creating debates
When you know damn well that your title will be taken
[Hook: x2]
You think you all that son?
BRING IT TO THE CYPHER!
You only got platinum?
BRING IT TO THE CYPHER!
You think you got props son?
BRING IT TO THE CYPHER!
You living Hip Hop son?
BRING IT TO THE CYPHER!
[Verse Two: KRS-One]
Yo... daytime, nighttime, anytime, I got plenty time
To kick many rhymes, big time, all time
Taking it to you over time, so when I'm flowing rhymes
Bright I shine, simply cuz I'm
Lyrically be kicking out the tighter rhyme, till I climb
Bring in the chime, in your mind, you fall behind
Picking up your rhyming skill, I am fulfilled, when I kill at will
Still number one for fun, kill another one
Battle your bugging son
Look I cut your tongue, KRS-One is never done
I am the proper one, this ass-whipping will make you better son
Go and tell your mum I took a bite out of your bum
Anytime you want it, doggone it, yo put me on it
Never running up on it, you never disappointed, get on it
I simply jam, not that I give a damn
Let me tell you who I am, just ask your buddy
Put your cash on Kris, I bet you double up your money
You can call me Chris Rock, ain't nothing funny
[Truck Turner]
Nigga what, let me change my style up, in a rough
Nigga duck, dropped your face, pick it up, shook 'em up
Automatic fire – Brrrrrrrruh! Brrrrrrrruh!
All up in the party, clip it out, give it up
[KRS-One]
Where's the money for this single, get it out, give it up
Blastmaster's coming through Truck, what
[Hook: x2]
[Verse Three: Truck Turner]
That night I let the fo'-fo' bark, spark right off the dark
Body parts chalked, where we live, how we get down
Come up on my block making noise, keep the shit down
I cripple you, pull up a wheelchair, permanent sit-down
Perfect fit now, now clown, who the shit now?
Fo'-fo' aimed at your dome, bout to spit rounds
Me and you, getting it on? Don't even go there
Once I bring it to you, you won't be save nowhere
Oh yeah, your mom's funeral don't even show there
It'll be a double burial dukes, when the smoke clears
Love you like a brother, but I'll kill you if you rally
Stay on my good side, my bad side, I annihilate
Don't hold me back, get off me, told these kats never cross me
But they crossed the line, I gotta show 'em
My fo'-fo' snub is what I owe 'em, Kris you know him? (Nah)
Ice pick, adequate style, I'm bout to blow him
Dudes get trifle, catch the barrel of the rifle
Fuck you, until more niggaz looking just like you
Don't toot, when you hear me squeeze off the cycles
I squeeze you load (I squeeze you reload)
I squeeze you reload till this whole shit can roll
Where I'm from, that's the code, BDP got your shit sold
Like bad heads that fold at war, anything goes
Made us, broke the mold, another Bronx episode nigga what
[Hook: x2]
Truck... Turner... express, ya don't stop
K... R... S......
Truck... Turner... express, c'mon y'all
Word!!! [echoes]
Uhhh! Uhh, uhh! Unh! (Awww yeah!)
Uhh, unh, uhh! Unh, uh, uhh, uh, uhh, uhh
(Yeah bring somethin in a little like that yo!)
Break the Chain, Break the Chain! [clink]
[x4]
Yo, get with your culture it'll catapult ya
Ignorance is like a vulture and it will insult ya
My name is Krash, Joe Krash, Big Joe Krash
Built to last, education for mass
Never take a dive yo, strive for the livin
Today is a beginning, for you to start winning
You cannot walk around town like you a idiot
Livin it with some Boyz N Tha Hood is your affiliate
That's simply ignorant, really that's the enemy
Train your brain to attain your identity
Self construction not Self Destruction
if you're tryin to be a gangster, you're buggin
If you're not movin ahead yo, you're buggin
You gotta look at yourself, and try to change somethin, huh
So check the animation for the nation of the - money
My name is Krash, I'm way live and I'm also funny
This is the underground way to put knowledge in your brain
But first we gotta break the chain, c'mon
Break the Chain, Break the Chain! [clink]
[x2]
Word! [echoes]
Break the Chain, Break the Chain! [clink]
[x2]
Yo, I don't wanna be a dummy walkin round smellin funny
lookin bummy or crummy with no money (Go!!!)
But when I go to school the teacher ain't teachin
And when I go to church the preacher ain't preachin
Who they think they reachin, the old style is dead
Instead wake up the knowledge in your own head
With new ideas you got fewer fears
and with fewer fears, you can get paid in it for years
Yo, take a look around where you at
If you think it's wack, educate yourself and change that (wack!)
I'm fallin down and I can't get up I ain't buyin it
Change the way you think, you'll change your environment
We weren't always slaves or livin in caves
This is what we learned, so this is how we now behave
You can get new ideas by lookin ALL around
Read lips, and ask questions on what is goin down (yeah)
Break the chain that used to be on your foot
Now it's on your mind, behind your eyes
You can't vote, you can't see it, you can't believe it
I'm breakin the chain of ignorance, anything you can achieve it (yeah)
Open your eyes, realize I'm bein God
Enough of the lies, let's rise and
Break the Chain, Break the Chain! [clink]
[x2]
Word!! [echoes]
Break the Chain, Break the Chain! [clink]
[Chorus]
I've got the illest live show (Now what you sayin?)
I drop the illest rhyme flow (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to act like you don't know
Well, that's alright with me
People sample me like James Brown (Now what you sayin?)
When they want to hear that sound (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to put me down
Well, that's alright with me
[Verse One]
The Kristyles is officially on blast
Don't worry about what he say, cuz he wont last
If you want to learn the way take a seat in this class
I write albums like singles and release them so fast
I get around the whole country on foot like Flash
I don't fly across country I be there with the mass
Drivin, drivin, pulling up to your hood spot
You sayin to your son, "now this how radio should rock."
I pray for these radio cats cuz they don't know
how fast I be movin when they be movin slow
This ain't no fast food rap dude, get it and go
This that home cooked type meal, lyrical flow
Spiritual grow, ya know cuz ya was there, fo sho
Like Joey Greck I'm not the average Joe
(Yo, welcome cats to the BDP show
with KRS, Kenny Barker, G Simone, and Chalk-o)
[Chorus]
I've got the illest live show (Now what you sayin?)
I drop the illest rhyme flow (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to act like you don't know
Well, that's alright with me
People sample me like James Brown (Now what you sayin?)
When they want to hear that sound (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to put me down
Well, that's alright with me
[Verse Two]
I spit when I speak, when I speak I spit
When I spit what I spat it splits ya clique
Spit, spat, speak, spoke, either way
I spat that your rap's not dope any way
When you spoke I spit that splattered your scope
I split that and spit that unanimous quote
No hope when I battle I'm staggering folk
They slip-sliding away there rappers ain't dope
Get my coat, I make sure you can see shells
For sure you gon' see them cuz all you see is sales
Forget it you ain't wit it, admit it
Every thing you did I already did it
[Chorus]
I've got the illest live show (Now what you sayin?)
I drop the illest rhyme flow (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to act like you don't know
Well, that's alright with me
People sample me like James Brown (Now what you sayin?)
When they want to hear that sound (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to put me down
Well, that's alright with me
[Verse Three]
Too many emcees not enough time
nine out of ten niggaz say they wanna rhyme
Four out of nine talk about drugs and crime
Three out of four say they wit it but they not
Two out of five spit fire plus the underground
One out of three spit righteous but they never shine
One out of two claim they ballin all the time
And only one make it to prime
Do that math, only one Biggie, one Pac, one Jay-Z
one Nas, one Fifty, one X, one Slim Shady
One KRS-One, one L, one K, one Busta, one Pun, one Love, only one me
Take that TNT, that spit is my property
You copy me, fuck you, pay me (nigga)
[Chorus]
I've got the illest live show (Now what you sayin?)
I drop the illest rhyme flow (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to act like you don't know
Well, that's alright with me
People sample me like James Brown (Now what you sayin?)
When they want to hear that sound (Now what you sayin?)
But you still want to put me down
[KRS-One:]
Woooooooooo!
Where my men at? Real dudes
Where you at? Look
[Chorus: KRS-One]
Me is a mon, understand, not a passin trend
Me is a mon, understand, we provide and defend
Me a mon with a plan, my love it never ends
I'm callin - all my men, ALL MY MEN~!
[KRS-One:]
All my men that be holdin down they house and they spouse
Men, y'all know what I'm talkin about
Real men, providin for the kids, no doubt
Holla out, 'gwan shout, you the man of the house
Men! In my opinion if we gonna start winnin
F'real, we gotta respect women
Every mister, hug your sister, it's the
Time to support your woman and not diss her
It's the, teacher, overstand
I'm like a preacher, reachin your upper man
Man, many don't understand
How important it is to have a plan
[Chorus x2]
[KRS-One:]
All my men that be holdin they house down, true workin
All my men that be holdin they spouse down, for certain!
You spread love when you drivin around town, not jerkin
You a healer, you take away what's hurtin
Cause if a man can't do what a man plans to do, his purpose
Then a man makes plans with empty hands, he's worthless
He can't even understand the plan
What the second or the first is
Let me verse this or reverse this statistic
We gotta think futuristic
Strategic, logistical and even mystical
We need a new ritual
I'm tired of jumpin over buildings
And havin to stop to hold adult hands like children
C'mon, you can do it, c'mon
And when they get paid then they quickly run along
This ain't just another song
This is that fruit that reveals the right from the wrong
It won't be long here, before the storm's here
And real men are gonna have to be strong
[Chorus x2]
[KRS-One:]
Be a MON, stand on principle
Just be a MON, let God live in you
Just be a MON, walk in the spiritual
Metaphysical, political, lyrical
Just be a MON! Understand you not a passing trend
In school they never taught 'bout hamburgers or steak,
Elijah Muhammad or the welfare state.
But I know.
And I know because of KRS-ONE.
Yeah and I know
And I know because of KRS-ONE.
Because he's droppin', droppin', droppin' science, droppin history
With a whole leap of style and intelligency
Yes, I know.
and I know because of KRS-ONE
Yeah, and I know
I know
Because we don't want to pay money to hear the same old sounds.
Watch him, we'll take hip-hop to a higher ground.
cause I know
(How do I know?)
And I know because of KRS-ONE.
Yeah, and I know
And I know because
And I know
And I know because of KRS-ONE.
And I know
And I know
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Sound of da police
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:08
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
KRS-one sound of da police
http://wn.com/Sound_of_da_police
KRS-One - AZTECHNICAL (Official Video) Prd. By MAD LION
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:06
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
KRS-One's 2nd Official Release, AZTECHNICAL off of KRS-Ones 20th Studio Album Entitled JUST LIKE THAT Produced By MAD LION Dropping 1st 1/4 2012 ,on Killahpride Records. PEEP KRS-One's OPEN LETTER BELOW!! Follow Us www.twitter.com www.twitter.com "AZTECHNICAL" Peace. This is KRS-One! I'd like to personally thank everyone for their show of support toward the release of the "Just Like That" video. I'm not really a big Internet guy myself, but I had to respond to the enormous amount of love we've experienced since the release of the "Just Like That" video. MAD LION ROCKED IT! However, the best is still yet to come. As you may know, I often use my talents to edutain my listeners and inspire the international Hip Hop community. 2012 will be no different. I feel sorry for those who already think that I preach too much in rhyme, or that I need to retire. On the contrary, I'm just getting started. Turning the flame up a little more, my next video presentation "Aztecnical" will deal with the myths of 2012, particularly the December 21st 2012 Mayan Calendar "end date". Too many of our people are being led astray by movies, lectures and hype mostly regarding the celestial calculations of the Mayan Calendar. And while other cultures also predict the same "end date" calculations, it is important to point out that all cosmic alignments, shifts and even changes are occurring RIGHT NOW! The question is, how might this affect Hip Hop worldwide? I believe we are about to finally have our ...
http://wn.com/KRS-One_AZTECHNICAL_Official_Video_Prd_By_MAD_LION
KRS-One's 2nd Official Release, AZTECHNICAL off of KRS-Ones 20th Studio Album Entitled JUST LIKE THAT Produced By MAD LION Dropping 1st 1/4 2012 ,on Killahpride Records. PEEP KRS-One's OPEN LETTER BELOW!! Follow Us www.twitter.com www.twitter.com "AZTECHNICAL" Peace. This is KRS-One! I'd like to personally thank everyone for their show of support toward the release of the "Just Like That" video. I'm not really a big Internet guy myself, but I had to respond to the enormous amount of love we've experienced since the release of the "Just Like That" video. MAD LION ROCKED IT! However, the best is still yet to come. As you may know, I often use my talents to edutain my listeners and inspire the international Hip Hop community. 2012 will be no different. I feel sorry for those who already think that I preach too much in rhyme, or that I need to retire. On the contrary, I'm just getting started. Turning the flame up a little more, my next video presentation "Aztecnical" will deal with the myths of 2012, particularly the December 21st 2012 Mayan Calendar "end date". Too many of our people are being led astray by movies, lectures and hype mostly regarding the celestial calculations of the Mayan Calendar. And while other cultures also predict the same "end date" calculations, it is important to point out that all cosmic alignments, shifts and even changes are occurring RIGHT NOW! The question is, how might this affect Hip Hop worldwide? I believe we are about to finally have our ...
- published: 08 Dec 2011
- views: 333484
- author: MaD LiON
KRS-One - MC's Act Like They Don't Know
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:12
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
Music video by KRS-One performing MC's Act Like They Don't Know. (C) 1995 Zomba Recording LLC
http://wn.com/KRS-One_MC's_Act_Like_They_Don't_Know
Music video by KRS-One performing MC's Act Like They Don't Know. (C) 1995 Zomba Recording LLC
- published: 25 Oct 2009
- views: 1538707
- author: KRSOneVEVO
KRS-One Disaster Kit (Official Video) Prod. By MAD LION
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 2:59
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
"This is an opportunity to show the world what Hip Hop is capable of. Obviously this project isn't about raising money or making money. This is purely about knowledge and survival; I truly hope the world benefits from these words. By memorizing the lyrics of this song, you at least prepare yourself with a mental checklist against natural and man-made disasters." KRS-ONE.... KRS-One's Disaster Kit Directed By MAD LION off of KRS-Ones MIx Tape Just Passin Through Dropping Thanksgiving 2012 KEEP ON THE LOOK OUT for KRS One's 20th Studio Album Entitled JUST LIKE THAT Produced By MAD LION Dropping 1st Quarter of 2013 ,on Killahpride Records Special Effects by Paradox Films. Support REAL HIPHOP !! Follow Us www.twitter.com www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/KRS-One_Disaster_Kit_Official_Video_Prod_By_MAD_LION
"This is an opportunity to show the world what Hip Hop is capable of. Obviously this project isn't about raising money or making money. This is purely about knowledge and survival; I truly hope the world benefits from these words. By memorizing the lyrics of this song, you at least prepare yourself with a mental checklist against natural and man-made disasters." KRS-ONE.... KRS-One's Disaster Kit Directed By MAD LION off of KRS-Ones MIx Tape Just Passin Through Dropping Thanksgiving 2012 KEEP ON THE LOOK OUT for KRS One's 20th Studio Album Entitled JUST LIKE THAT Produced By MAD LION Dropping 1st Quarter of 2013 ,on Killahpride Records Special Effects by Paradox Films. Support REAL HIPHOP !! Follow Us www.twitter.com www.twitter.com
- published: 12 Nov 2012
- views: 80623
- author: MaD LiON
The Archivest Exclusively Interviews The Teacha KRS ONE
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 95:18
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
The Archivest Exclusively Interviews The Teacha KRS ONE
http://wn.com/The_Archivest_Exclusively_Interviews_The_Teacha_KRS_ONE
The Archivest Exclusively Interviews The Teacha KRS ONE
- published: 28 Dec 2011
- views: 44523
- author: thaarchivest
KRS-ONE: Hip Hop Beyond Entertainment (Part 1 of 2)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 38:18
- Updated: 10 Jan 2013
KRS-ONE: Hip Hop Beyond Entertainment Recorded Live at Hip Hop 101 Temple University April 2004 A Video by Alex Goldblum Special Thanks to the Philosopher of Hip Hop, Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody www.templeofhiphop.org http Video Production by: Alex Goldblum the Philosopher: KRS-ONE
http://wn.com/KRS-ONE_Hip_Hop_Beyond_Entertainment_Part_1_of_2
KRS-ONE: Hip Hop Beyond Entertainment Recorded Live at Hip Hop 101 Temple University April 2004 A Video by Alex Goldblum Special Thanks to the Philosopher of Hip Hop, Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everybody www.templeofhiphop.org http Video Production by: Alex Goldblum the Philosopher: KRS-ONE
- published: 24 Apr 2011
- views: 40739
- author: Alex Goldblum
KRS-One on 9/11 & WeAreChange: Don't Give Up
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:20
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
KRS-One, American Rapper & Hip-Hop legend, gives us his take on 9/11 & WeAreChange. Follow Luke on twitter @ www.twitter.com Become a member of The Sponsor Lounge and get exclusive behind the scenes content while helping us grow! Join us today! http:///www.wearechange.org/donate
http://wn.com/KRS-One_on_9_11_WeAreChange_Don't_Give_Up
KRS-One, American Rapper & Hip-Hop legend, gives us his take on 9/11 & WeAreChange. Follow Luke on twitter @ www.twitter.com Become a member of The Sponsor Lounge and get exclusive behind the scenes content while helping us grow! Join us today! http:///www.wearechange.org/donate
- published: 11 Sep 2012
- views: 20914
- author: wearechange
KRS -ONE - STEP IN TO A WORLD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 5:00
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
This Video was ripped from the original enhanced cd I Got Next, this song and video represent THE REAL HIP HOP CULTURE!!
http://wn.com/KRS_-ONE_STEP_IN_TO_A_WORLD
This Video was ripped from the original enhanced cd I Got Next, this song and video represent THE REAL HIP HOP CULTURE!!
- published: 23 May 2007
- views: 291146
- author: titoelcarnicero
50 Cent talks about Fat Joe, Krs-One, Beef ,Ciara,Oprah, Jam Master Jay's Death & More [Video]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 25:33
- Updated: 10 Jan 2013
Part 2, 50 Cent Interview about Fat Joe, Ja rule, Chris Lighty, Krs-One, Squashing beef ,Speaks On Ciara,Oprah's Career, Jam Master Jay's Death & More [Video]
http://wn.com/50_Cent_talks_about_Fat_Joe,_Krs-One,_Beef_,Ciara,Oprah,_Jam_Master_Jay's_Death_More_Video_
Part 2, 50 Cent Interview about Fat Joe, Ja rule, Chris Lighty, Krs-One, Squashing beef ,Speaks On Ciara,Oprah's Career, Jam Master Jay's Death & More [Video]
- published: 14 Sep 2012
- views: 66161
- author: PraiseLV
KRS-One - Step into a World (Rapture's Delight)
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:33
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
classic shit
http://wn.com/KRS-One_Step_into_a_World_Rapture's_Delight
KRS-One JUST LIKE THAT OFFICIAL VIDEO Prd.By MAD LION
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:51
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
KRS-One's First Official Single Release, JUST LIKE THAT Directed By MAD LION off of KRS-Ones 20th Studio Album Entitled JUST LIKE THAT Produced By MAD LION Dropping 1st Quarter 2013 ,on Killahpride Records Video Edit and Special Effects by Charles Armstrong of Paradox Films. Support REAL HIPHOP PURCHASE HERE!! shop.killahpride.com Follow Us www.twitter.com www.twitter.com
http://wn.com/KRS-One_JUST_LIKE_THAT_OFFICIAL_VIDEO_PrdBy_MAD_LION
KRS-One's First Official Single Release, JUST LIKE THAT Directed By MAD LION off of KRS-Ones 20th Studio Album Entitled JUST LIKE THAT Produced By MAD LION Dropping 1st Quarter 2013 ,on Killahpride Records Video Edit and Special Effects by Charles Armstrong of Paradox Films. Support REAL HIPHOP PURCHASE HERE!! shop.killahpride.com Follow Us www.twitter.com www.twitter.com
- published: 16 Nov 2011
- views: 422068
- author: MaD LiON
The UNTOLD story of KRS One Battling Melle Mel at the Latin Quarter NYC
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 9:41
- Updated: 10 Jan 2013
The UNTOLD story of KRS One Battling Melle Mel at the Latin Quarter NYC. Circa 1987!!! Straight from the source
http://wn.com/The_UNTOLD_story_of_KRS_One_Battling_Melle_Mel_at_the_Latin_Quarter_NYC
The UNTOLD story of KRS One Battling Melle Mel at the Latin Quarter NYC. Circa 1987!!! Straight from the source
- published: 02 Jan 2013
- views: 354
- author: TOHH NYC
KRS One speaks about philosophy and the origins of Hip-Hop
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 84:55
- Updated: 10 Jan 2013
An absolute must-see. long, but worth it. This may change how you think. Sorry about it being cut out at some parts. there was nothing i could do about that! :(
http://wn.com/KRS_One_speaks_about_philosophy_and_the_origins_of_Hip-Hop
An absolute must-see. long, but worth it. This may change how you think. Sorry about it being cut out at some parts. there was nothing i could do about that! :(
- published: 18 Sep 2011
- views: 29291
- author: tipman2000
KRS-ONE - 9mm Goes Bang
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:23
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
BDP Boogie Down Productions Krs 1 Enjoy
http://wn.com/KRS-ONE_9mm_Goes_Bang
KRS ONE @ TRU HOLLYWOOD
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 15:55
- Updated: 29 Dec 2012
WOW... KRS ONE taught a lot of people last night what HIP HOP is all about !!!
http://wn.com/KRS_ONE_@_TRU_HOLLYWOOD
WOW... KRS ONE taught a lot of people last night what HIP HOP is all about !!!
- published: 17 Dec 2012
- views: 81
- author: Stephen Bohn
KRS-ONE on Hannity's Hot Seat.
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 8:52
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
KRS schooling Hannity. Props to Caddy One for the video editing.
http://wn.com/KRS-ONE_on_Hannity's_Hot_Seat
KRS schooling Hannity. Props to Caddy One for the video editing.
- published: 06 May 2007
- views: 681130
- author: b000ya
KRS-One - Heal Yourself ft. Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J, Run-DMC, Queen Latifah & more.
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:30
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
Track 1 off the album "HEAL - Civilization Vs. Technology". KRS-One ft. Big Daddy Kane, Freddie Foxxx, Harmony, Kid Capri, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Ms. Melodie, Run-DMC & Queen Latifah. © 1991 Warner Music Group.
http://wn.com/KRS-One_Heal_Yourself_ft_Big_Daddy_Kane,_LL_Cool_J,_Run-DMC,_Queen_Latifah_more
Track 1 off the album "HEAL - Civilization Vs. Technology". KRS-One ft. Big Daddy Kane, Freddie Foxxx, Harmony, Kid Capri, LL Cool J, MC Lyte, Ms. Melodie, Run-DMC & Queen Latifah. © 1991 Warner Music Group.
- published: 08 Feb 2012
- views: 45817
- author: markisillmatic
KRS-One - Exclusive Interview at STiKS Gaming Arcade Gala
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 6:04
- Updated: 04 Jan 2013
With several celeberity appearences throughout the jam-packed night, legendary rapper, KRS-One, stopped by STiKS Gaming's Inaugural ARCADE Gaming Gala to not only deliver a magnificent performance, but to also raise awarness about the coniiuning need for Hurrican Sandy support. Further to the point, the highly respected hip hop artist shares that with the material loss associated with natural disasters, such as Hurrican Sandy, comes an opportunity for positive reflection and rebuilding. Wise words from music icon that continues to draw a massive, attentive crowd. See the exclusive video interview below!
http://wn.com/KRS-One_Exclusive_Interview_at_STiKS_Gaming_Arcade_Gala
With several celeberity appearences throughout the jam-packed night, legendary rapper, KRS-One, stopped by STiKS Gaming's Inaugural ARCADE Gaming Gala to not only deliver a magnificent performance, but to also raise awarness about the coniiuning need for Hurrican Sandy support. Further to the point, the highly respected hip hop artist shares that with the material loss associated with natural disasters, such as Hurrican Sandy, comes an opportunity for positive reflection and rebuilding. Wise words from music icon that continues to draw a massive, attentive crowd. See the exclusive video interview below!
- published: 08 Dec 2012
- views: 788
- author: CraveOnlineVideo
Versus Hip Hop on Trial Debate
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 118:17
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
Jesse Jackson, KRS-One, Q-Tip, Estelle, ?uestlove, PJ O'Rourke, Jaron Lanier, and 14 other rappers, poets, academics and pundits came together in London on 26 June to debate the motion, 'Hip-Hop on Trial: Hip-Hop Doesn't Enhance Society, It Degrades it', chaired by the BBC's Emily Maitlis, and moderated online by Jemima Khan. Presented by Intelligence Squared and Google+, it was the third in their new joint debate series, Versus. The first ever global debate on hip-hop saw fierce arguments put forward by speakers who were live on stage, and also beamed into the event via Google+ Hangouts, a live multi-person platform.
http://wn.com/Versus_Hip_Hop_on_Trial_Debate
Jesse Jackson, KRS-One, Q-Tip, Estelle, ?uestlove, PJ O'Rourke, Jaron Lanier, and 14 other rappers, poets, academics and pundits came together in London on 26 June to debate the motion, 'Hip-Hop on Trial: Hip-Hop Doesn't Enhance Society, It Degrades it', chaired by the BBC's Emily Maitlis, and moderated online by Jemima Khan. Presented by Intelligence Squared and Google+, it was the third in their new joint debate series, Versus. The first ever global debate on hip-hop saw fierce arguments put forward by speakers who were live on stage, and also beamed into the event via Google+ Hangouts, a live multi-person platform.
- published: 27 Jun 2012
- views: 54170
- author: versusdebates
KRS-One: Wake-Up!!! 1/3
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 10:22
- Updated: 08 Jan 2013
www.krsone.org prisonplanet.tv
http://wn.com/KRS-One_Wake-Up!!!_1_3
KRS-One - HOT
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:14
- Updated: 10 Jan 2013
tha teacha
http://wn.com/KRS-One_HOT
![KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives [Official Video HD]](http://web.archive.org./web/20130112054336im_/http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FadzGGJiLTg/default.jpg "KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives [Official Video HD]")
KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives [Official Video HD]
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 3:50
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives (I Come Back) Link for the official Old School Hip Hop page on facebook: www.facebook.com Hip Hop Lives is the collaborative album from MC KRS-One and producer Marley Marl. This is a historical album in the sense that 20 years prior, KRS and Marley were bitter rivals involved in the legendary Bridge Wars. In an interview with Unkut.com, KRS-One spoke on how the album came together and as it was released 20 years after his debut album Criminal Minded, him and Koch Records wanted something special in celebration of that and decided to get Marley Marl to produce the whole LP. The album is a quasi-sequel to Nas' 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead, not a criticism as its title suggests, as KRS-One is known to have agreed with Nas' declaration of rap music's "death". In fact the duo recorded a tribute to Nas for the album which, however, was cut from the final tracklist. It also comes with a 22 minute behind-the-scenes video on the making of the album if bought on iTunes. "It all happened with one phone call," Marley Marl told AllHipHop.com during a March 2006 interview.[7] "They called me and he jumped on the phone and told me it would be spectacular for Hip Hop...My reason for doing this is to show these kids that [Hip Hop beefs] are not that serious." The first single is "Hip Hop Lives (I Come Back). Album tracks: It's Alive (Intro) Hip Hop Lives Nothing New I Was There Musika (feat. Magic Juan) Rising to the Top Over 30 MARLEY (Skit) Kill a ...
http://wn.com/KRS-One_Marley_Marl_Hip_Hop_Lives_Official_Video_HD_
KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives (I Come Back) Link for the official Old School Hip Hop page on facebook: www.facebook.com Hip Hop Lives is the collaborative album from MC KRS-One and producer Marley Marl. This is a historical album in the sense that 20 years prior, KRS and Marley were bitter rivals involved in the legendary Bridge Wars. In an interview with Unkut.com, KRS-One spoke on how the album came together and as it was released 20 years after his debut album Criminal Minded, him and Koch Records wanted something special in celebration of that and decided to get Marley Marl to produce the whole LP. The album is a quasi-sequel to Nas' 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead, not a criticism as its title suggests, as KRS-One is known to have agreed with Nas' declaration of rap music's "death". In fact the duo recorded a tribute to Nas for the album which, however, was cut from the final tracklist. It also comes with a 22 minute behind-the-scenes video on the making of the album if bought on iTunes. "It all happened with one phone call," Marley Marl told AllHipHop.com during a March 2006 interview.[7] "They called me and he jumped on the phone and told me it would be spectacular for Hip Hop...My reason for doing this is to show these kids that [Hip Hop beefs] are not that serious." The first single is "Hip Hop Lives (I Come Back). Album tracks: It's Alive (Intro) Hip Hop Lives Nothing New I Was There Musika (feat. Magic Juan) Rising to the Top Over 30 MARLEY (Skit) Kill a ...
- published: 18 May 2012
- views: 28512
- author: OldSchoolHipHopHD
KRS-One "Love's Gonna Get'cha (Material Love)"
- Order: Reorder
- Duration: 4:53
- Updated: 11 Jan 2013
8th track from Boogie Down Productions' 4th album "Edutainment". Released in 1990. Rate, Comment & Subscribe!
http://wn.com/KRS-One_Love's_Gonna_Get'cha_Material_Love
8th track from Boogie Down Productions' 4th album "Edutainment". Released in 1990. Rate, Comment & Subscribe!
- published: 21 Aug 2008
- views: 397205
- author: theInfamous3
photo: AP / Channi Anand
09 Jan 2013
JAMMU, India (Reuters) - India slammed arch-rival Pakistan on Wednesday over a fire fight in the disputed territory of Kashmir in which two of its soldiers were killed, and said the mutilation of one of the bodies was "inhuman" ... The body of one of the soldiers was found "badly mutilated" in a forested area on the side controlled by India, Rajesh K....(size: 2.6Kb)
photo: AP / Alexandre Meneghini
10 Jan 2013
Mexican has enacted a law that will ensure that the victims and relatives of crime are compensated with payments and social services from the state ... The ratification of the law was one of the main demands of civil groups urging the government to do more to help the victims of drug-related violence ... 357 Source.. Agencies ... Frost Over The World 101 East One on One Counting The Cost Talk to Al Jazeera Empire The Cafe Al Jazeera World ... ....(size: 18.3Kb)
photo: AP / Arshad Butt
11 Jan 2013
The blasts punctuated one of the deadliest days in recent years in Pakistan, where the government faces a bloody insurgency by militants in the northwest and Baluch militants in the southwest ... One of the group's spokesmen, Bakar Saddiq, said the first blast was carried out by a suicide bomber and the second was a bomb planted in a car and detonated by remote control ... No group claimed responsibility for the attack.. . ... 0. Click to rate ... ....(size: 7.7Kb)
photo: AP / Jacques Brinon
10 Jan 2013
PARIS. Three Kurdish women, including one of the founders of a militant group battling Turkish troops since 1984, were "executed" at a Kurdish center in Paris, the interior minister said on Thursday. Turkey's Anadolu news agency identified one of the victims as Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK ... He called it a "totally intolerable act." ... ....(size: 1.7Kb)
photo: White House / Pete Souza
10 Jan 2013
Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling ... -Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man" ... "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one ... While Air Force One costs $187 thousand per hour, boasting a crew of 31 which includes 5 chefs, two hired individuals making over an annual salary of $100 thousand are on call day and night to show movies and entertain the First Family ... (1) Paine, Thomas....(size: 4.8Kb)
Music News
10 Jan 2013
Pioneer, graffiti artist, drum 'n' bass icon, DJ, actor and producer. Goldie is a total original, a multi-talented complex shape shifter, who's sold more than 2.5 million records worldwide. In 2013 Goldie completes a remarkable 20 years as a recording artist ... The Best Of Goldie 1992-2012' ... "Having SO many great tracks on this album reminds me of the great times this music has brought me' ... DISC1. 1 ... KRS-One Digital (Armand Van Helden Remix)....(size: 4.1Kb)
The Source
09 Jan 2013
(Pause) ... for moral, religious, or health reasons. Everyone from Redman and Method Man, to Mos Def, Dead Prez, Sage Francis, staHHr, Andre 3000, KRS-One, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Gza, Rza, Nelly, Q-Tip and even Ja-Rule have given up meat for a healthier lifestyle. . ....(size: 1.4Kb)
The Times of India
09 Jan 2013
The internationally well known dancer and teacher of street dance styles like B-boying, house, hip hop, old school hip hop, locking, popping, et al. He is also responsible for teaching most of the youngsters the knowledge of these dance styles. Being of an Indian and French origin Kundu is a half Indian ... I consider myself a dance nomad." ... Kundu has worked with hip hop legend KRS-One, artists like Faith Evans, Anastascia, A. R ... R ... ....(size: 2.3Kb)
CNN
08 Jan 2013
January 8, 2013 -- Updated 1757 GMT (0157 HKT). Our story which touched on rapper Nas being possibly hip-hop's finest MC brought a lot of responses from readers, quite a few who disagreed. Here are a few of the comments. "2Pac is the greatest rapper in history ... - Turdferguson ... - sporty1 ... "If the conversation doesn't start with KRS1 as one of the greatest lyricist ever, this article isn't even worth reading!" - William Thornton ... Nas ... KRS One....(size: 4.7Kb)
The Examiner
31 Dec 2012
2 Chainz released one of the most disappointing Hip-Hop albums of 2012 ... Game went for dolo on only one song on Jesus Piece and the majority of the time he morphed into a southern rapper ... Eminem’s fingerprints being are all over Welcome to Our House is what made it one of the most disappointing albums of 2012 ... KRS-One - The BDP Album ... When KRS-One reunited with his brother Kenny Parker to drop The BDP Album my interest was piqued....(size: 6.6Kb)
The Jazz Mann
31 Dec 2012
Her quartet, with one of the hardest swinging rhythm sections in the business, features like-minded musicians with a wealth of experience and a shared love of great tunes ... In a few short years theyve carved out a place as one of jazzs most exciting young bands ... Recognised as a great jazz player and equally at home with the likes of KRS ONE, Dwele and TY, and championed by Mos Def, Rodney P and BBC 1-Xtras Twin B....(size: 14.8Kb)
IMC
28 Dec 2012
That’s one of the implications of a debt based monetary system, after all ... But in the scenario under discussion, the Fed is just doing what one expects from a normally operating national bank ... Whether you have a black democrat coke snorting, mass murdering sodomite banker stooge in the White House, or a white republican one does not matter ... Oh-oh, here comes KRS ONE with some words of wisdom for us and the goatsuckers in DC!!....(size: 32.7Kb)
The Examiner
21 Dec 2012
Over the last few years while people were digging bunkers and stockpiling food the legendary emcees KRS-One and MAD LION were busy truth telling ... End of the world "Aztechnical" KRS-ONE and MAD LIONEnd of the world "Aztechnical" KRS-ONE and MAD LION....(size: 1.4Kb)
The Examiner
20 Dec 2012
A Sandy Hook rapper video is going viral, nearly one week after the tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut ... According to a report on Dec ... Basically, Lilman is looking for individuals to "Put da guns down. Stop the killing." ... Lilman's efforts join a similar effort made by an assembled group of rap stars back in back in 1989 when KRS-One gathered up other rappers including Heavy D, Public Enemy, Kool Moe D, MC Lyte, and Doug E ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)
BBC News
17 Dec 2012
The intimate basement of Juno bar in Shoreditch is dimly lit. Poison Pen is visibly tired and distracted by the camera flashes. Immortal Technique lightens the mood by playing a trumpet fanfare on his smartphone, while pouring Swave Sevah a cup of tea. As far as press conferences go, it is a highly unusual affair ... Tour. Tour ... Hip-hop has come along way since its inception by artists such as KRS One, Cool Herc, Run DMC and Afrika Bambaataa....(size: 5.6Kb)
The Examiner
17 Dec 2012
Ones like Frank Ocean, Carly Rae Jepsen and Kendrick Lamar come to mind in terms of how truly big they made it in such a short period of time. For the 2013 calendar year coming up, the one artist that should be like those three and then some is BNW Global recording artist Shyan Selah ... Early rap pioneers like Beastie Boys, KRS-One and Run DMC also fall into my category of influences....(size: 7.5Kb)
Yahoo Daily News
14 Dec 2012
Keyboard Money Mike is one of Hip Hop’s Pioneers who has worked with artists like LL Cool J, KRS One, Doug E ... Brooklyn West Records has been one of the first US labels to offer her a distribution contract ... Vhandiva is one of them! We at Mornay Music are delighted to welcome this rising star on our Afrotitude Label!" Luke feels his label is well fitted for VhanDiva’s music style because of her genre ... Michael Williams. KBM Media ... ....(size: 2.9Kb)
IMDb
12 Dec 2012
The star continued. "Us going in is a win for our peers like Kurtis Blow or Krs-One, Queen Latifah and [the already-inducted] Run Dmc, the Beastie Boys, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5 ... ....(size: 0.9Kb)
| KRS-One | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lawrence Krisna Parker |
| Also known as | KRS, Teacha, The Blastmaster, Big Joe Krash |
| Born | (1965-08-20) August 20, 1965 (age 46) Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York |
| Origin | South Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations | Rapper, record producer, actor, author, activist |
| Instruments | Vocals, turntables |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | Jive, RCA, Duck Down |
| Associated acts | Boogie Down Productions, Fat Joe, Geologic of the Blue Scholars Scott La Rock, Marley Marl, Diamond D, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Buckshot, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, EPMD, Buckshot (rapper) |
| Website | krs-one.com |
Lawrence Krisna Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (an acronym for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone), and Teacha, is an American rapper. At the 2008 BET Awards, KRS-One was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for all his work and effort towards the Stop the Violence Movement as well as the overall pioneering of hip hop music and culture.
Contents |
Biography[link]
Lawrence Parker was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York during the summer of 1965. Parker left home at 16 to become an MC, coming to live at a homeless shelter in the South Bronx where he was dubbed Krishna by residents because of his interest in the Hare Krishna spirituality of some of the antipoverty workers. By the time he met youth counselor Scott Sterling, he was also writing graffiti as KRS-One (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone). Together he and Sterling, a.k.a. DJ Scott La Rock eventually created Boogie Down Productions, releasing their debut album, Criminal Minded, in 1987. KRS-One has been a vegetarian since his youth.[1]
Boogie Down Productions[link]
Main article: Boogie Down Productions
KRS-One began his recording career as one third of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, or BDP, alongside DJ Scott La Rock and Derrick "D-Nice" Jones. They met during a stay KRS-One had at the Bronx Franklin Avenue Armory Shelter. La Rock (real name Scott Sterling) worked as a social worker there. The duo would begin to create music. After being rejected by radio DJs Mr. Magic and Marley Marl, KRS-One would go on to diss the two and those associated with them, sparking what would later be known as The Bridge Wars. Additionally, KRS had taken offense to "The Bridge", a song by Marley Marl's protege, MC Shan (later on, KRS One produced an album with Marley Marl in 2007); the song could be interpreted as a claim that Queensbridge was the monument of Hiphop, though MC Shan has repeatedly denied this claim. Still, KRS "dissed" the song with the BDP record "South Bronx"; next, a second round of volleys would ensue with Shan's "Kill That Noise" and BDP's "The Bridge Is Over". KRS-One, demonstrating his nickname "The Blastmaster", gave a live performance that devastated MC Shan, and many conceded he had won the battle. Many believe this live performance to be the first MC battle where rappers attack each other, instead of a battle between who can get the crowd more hyped.[2]
Parker and Sterling decided to form a rap group together, initially calling themselves "Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three". That was short-lived, however, as the two peripheral members quit, leaving Parker (now calling himself KRS-One) and Sterling. They then decided to call themselves "Boogie Down Productions", "Success is the Word", a 12-inch single produced by David Kenneth Eng and Kenny Beck was released on indie Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records (under the group name "12:41") but did not enjoy commercial success. Boogie Down Productions released their debut album Criminal Minded in 1987. The album, whose cover pictured BDP draped in ammunition and brandishing guns, is often credited with setting the template for the burgeoning genres of hardcore and gangsta rap. Scott La Rock was killed in a shooting later that year, after attempting to mediate a dispute between teenager and BDP member Derrick "D-Nice" Jones and local hoodlums.
During this time KRS-One also gained acclaim as one of the first MCs to incorporate Jamaican style into hip-hop. Using the Zung gu zung melody, originally made famous by Yellowman in Jamaican dance halls earlier in the decade.[3] While KRS-One used Zunguzung styles in a more powerful and controversial manner, especially in his song titled "Remix for P is Free", he can still be credited as one of the more influential figures to bridge the gap between Jamaican music and American hip-hop.
Following the fatal shooting of Scott La Rock in 1987, KRS was determined to continue Boogie Down Productions through the tragedy, releasing the album By All Means Necessary in 1988. He was joined by beatboxer D-Nice, rapper Ramona "Ms. Melodie" Parker (whose marriage to Kris would last from 1988 to 1992), and Kris's younger brother DJ Kenny Parker, among others. However Boogie Down Productions would remain Kris's show, and their content would become increasingly political through their subsequent releases Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop, Edutainment, Live Hardcore Worldwide and Sex and Violence.
KRS-One was the primary initiator behind the H.E.A.L. compilation and the Stop the Violence Movement; for the latter he would attract many prominent MCs to appear on the 12-inch single "Self Destruction". As Parker adopted this "humanist", less defensive approach, he turned away from his "Blastmaster" persona and towards that of "The Teacha", although he has constantly used "Blastmaster" throughout his career.
Solo career[link]
After five largely solo albums under the name "Boogie Down Productions," KRS-One decided to set out on his own. On his first solo album, 1993's Return of the Boom Bap, Parker worked together with producers DJ Premier, Kid Capri and Showbiz, the latter providing the catchy-yet-hardcore track "Sound of da Police". His second album, 1995's KRS-One, featured Channel Live on "Free Mumia", a song in which they criticize Black Civil Rights Activist C. Delores Tucker among others. Other prominent guest stars on KRS One included Mad Lion,Rimo, Busta Rhymes, Das EFX and Fat Joe.
In 1991, KRS-One appeared on the alternative rock group R.E.M.'s single "Radio Song", which appeared on the band's album Out of Time, released the same year.
In 1992, Bradley Nowell from Sublime featured an acoustic song named "KRS-One" with his voice and DJ's samplers.
In 1995, KRS organized a group called Channel Live, whose album Station Identification he produced most of, along with Rheji Burrell and Salaam Remi.
In 1997, Parker surprised many with his release of the album I Got Next. The album's lead single "Step into a World (Rapture's Delight)", containing a sample of punk and New Wave group Blondie, was accompanied by a remix featuring commercial rap icon Puff Daddy; another track was essentially a rock song. While the record would be his best-selling solo album (reaching #3 on the Billboard 200), such collaborations with notably mainstream artists and prominent, easily recognizable samples took many fans and observers of the vehemently anti-mainstream KRS-One by surprise. However, in August 1997, Parker appeared on Tim Westwood's BBC Radio 1 show and vociferously denounced the DJ and the radio station more generally, accusing them of ignoring his style of hip hop in favor of commercial artists such as Puff Daddy. Although having not been in the UK since 1991, due to the fact he does not fly, he claimed "to be in touch with the people", and said that "they weren't feeling Westwood, he's a sell out and has sold his soul to the dark side." This sparked controversy in the UK since Radio One was one of the main supporters of the single "Step Into My World" and caused the album to be his best selling. Parker has since visited the UK, most notably in May 2007, in a performance at the Royal Albert Hall where he once again dissed Tim Westwood in a freestyle.
In 1999, there were tentative plans to release Maximum Strength; a lead single, "5 Boroughs", was released on The Corruptor movie soundtrack. However, Parker apparently decided to abort the album's planned release, just as he had secured a position as a Vice-President of A&R at Reprise Records. The shelved album was again scheduled to be released in 2008, but ultimately an unrelated album entitled "Maximum Strength 2008" was released in its place. He moved to southern California, and stayed there for two years, ending his relationship with Jive Records with A Retrospective in 2000.
Parker resigned from his A&R position at Reprise in 2001, and returned to recording with a string of albums, beginning with 2001's The Sneak Attack on Koch Records. In 2002, he released a gospel-rap album, Spiritual Minded, surprising many longtime fans; Parker had once denounced Christianity as a "slavemaster religion" which African-Americans should not follow. During this period, KRS founded the Temple of Hiphop, an organization to preserve and promote "Hiphop Kulture". Other releases have since included 2003's Kristyles and D.I.G.I.T.A.L., 2004's Keep Right, and 2006's Life.
The only latter-day KRS-One album to gain any significant attention has been Hip-Hop Lives, his 2007 collaboration with fellow hip hop veteran Marley Marl, due in large part to the pair's legendary beef, but also the title's apparent response to Nas' 2006 release Hip-Hop Is Dead. While many critics have commented they would have been a lot more excited had this collaboration occurred twenty years earlier, the album has been met with positive reviews. KRS One has appeared on several songs with other artists, due to this he has received 9 Gold and 7 Platinum plaques.
KRS One has collaborated with several artists including Canadian Rap group Hellafactz, Jay-Roc N' Jakebeatz and New York producer Domingo among other. He and Domingo publicly squashed their beef that started over financial issues and released a digital single to iTunes on November 25. The single titled "Radio" will also feature Utah up and comer Eneeone and is dedicated to underground MC's that don't get the radio airplay they deserve.[4] In 2009 KRS One guest starred on several albums including Arts & Entertainmen on the song "Pass the Mic" by fellow Hip Hop veterans Masta Ace & Ed O.G and featured on the posse cut "Mega Fresh X" by Cormega (alongside with DJ Red Alert, Parrish Smith, Grand Puba, & Big Daddy Kane) on his album Born and Raised.
KRS One and Buckshot announced that they would be collaborating on an album set to be released in 2009. The first single, ROBOT, was released on May 5, 2009. The music video was directed by Todd Angkasuwan and debuted as the New Joint of the Day on 106 & Park on September 4, 2009. The album leaked on the Internet on September 9, 2009 and released album was released on September 15, 2009. It debuted at #62, making it on The Billboard 200 selling around 8,500 copies its first week and was met with generally positive reviews. Steve Juon of RapReviews.com gave the album a flawless 10 out of 10, claiming "Buckshot and KRS have achieved something rather remarkable here – an album I can't find a single fault with. There's not a bad beat, there's not a whack rhyme, there's not a collaborator on a track that missed the mark, and the disc itself is neither too short nor too long." [5]
In 2010 KRS One was honored along with Buckshot by artists Ruste Juxx, Torae & Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, Promise, J.A.M.E.S. Watts and Team Facelift to name a few on their mixtape 'Survival Kit' which is an ode to the 2009 album Survival Skills by KRS One and Buckshot. The mixtape was released for free download on DuckDown.com. The album features new version of KRS classics 'South Bronx', 'Sound Of Da Police' and 'MC's Act Like They Don't Know' as well as new versions of well known Buckshot songs and 'Past Present Future' from the Survival Skills album. The MC Fashawn stated in his verse on MC's Act Like They Don't Know that 'I did it to make Kris smile I figured he'd appreciate it' [6]
Most recently, KRS One was featured as the voice of Chris Cringle in the new Nike Most Valuable Puppets commercials. KRS One performed in May 2010 at SUNY New Paltz for their annual "Rock Against Racism" concert. KRS One also narrated the 2011 film Rhyme and Punishment, a documentary about Hip-Hop artists who have done jail time.
Stop the Violence Movement[link]
Main article: Stop the Violence Movement
The Stop the Violence Movement was formed by KRS-One in 1988/1989 in response to violence in the hip hop and black communities.
During a concert by Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy a young fan was killed in a fight. Coming soon after the shooting death of his friend and fellow BDP member Scott La Rock, KRS-One was galvanized into action and formed the Stop the Violence Movement. Composed of some of the biggest stars in contemporary East Coast hip hop, the movement released a single, "Self Destruction", in 1989, with all proceeds going to the National Urban League.[7] A music video was created, and a VHS cassette entitled Overcoming Self-Destruction – The Making of the Self-Destruction Video was also released.
"Self-Destruction" was produced by KRS-One and D-Nice of Boogie Down Productions (Hank Shocklee of The Bomb Squad is credited as an associate producer).
Temple of Hip Hop[link]
The Temple of Hip Hop is a ministry, archive, School, and Society (M.A.S.S.) founded by KRS-One. Its goal is to maintain and promote Hiphop Culture. The Temple of Hip Hop maintains that Hip Hop is a genuine political movement and culture, as it has been accepted by the United Nations as a culture. The Temple of Hiphop calls on all Hip Hop fans to celebrate Hip Hop Appreciation Week, occurring in the third week of May. It encourages DJs and MCs to teach people about the culture of Hiphop, to write more socially conscious songs, and radio stations to play more socially conscious hip hop. Hip Hop Appreciation Week is celebrated on the third week of May each year. Hip Hop History Month (November), founded by the Universal Zulu Nation, is also recognized.
September 11 comments[link]
In 2004, KRS engendered a controversy when he was quoted in a panel discussion hosted by The New Yorker magazine as saying that "we cheered when 9/11 happened". The comment drew criticism from many sources, including a pointed barb by the New York Daily News that called Parker an "anarchist" and said that "If Osama bin Laden ever buys a rap album, he'll probably start with a CD by KRS-One."[8]
Parker responded to the commotion surrounding his comments with an editorial written for AllHipHop.com, stating:
I was asked about why hiphop has not engaged the current situation more (meaning 9/11), my response was "because it does not affect us, or at least we don’t perceive that it affects us, 9/11 happened to them". I went on to say that "I am speaking for the culture now; I am not speaking my personal opinion." I continued to say; "9/11 affected them down the block; the rich, the powerful those that are oppressing us as a culture. Sony, RCA or BMG, Universal, the radio stations, Clear Channel, Viacom with BET and MTV, those are our oppressors, those are the people that we're trying to overcome in hiphop everyday, this is a daily thing. We cheered when 9/11 happened in New York and say that proudly here. Because when we were down at the trade center we were getting hit over the head by cops, told that we can’t come in this building, hustled down to the train station because of the way we dressed and talked, and so on, we were racially profiled. So, when the planes hit the building we were like, "mmmm, justice." And just as I began to say "now of course a lot of our friends and family were lost there as well" I was interrupted...
In late 2005, KRS was featured alongside Public Enemy's Chuck D on the remix of the song "Bin Laden" by Immortal Technique and DJ Green Lantern, which blames American neo-conservatives, the Reagan Doctrine and U.S. President George W. Bush for the World Trade Center attacks, and indicates a parallel to the devaluation, destruction, and violence of urban housing project communities.
On April 29, 2007, KRS-One again defended his statements on the September 11 attacks when asked about them during an appearance on Hannity's America on the Fox News network stating that he meant that people cheered that the establishment had taken a hit, not that people were dying or had died.[9] He also discussed amongst other things, the Don Imus scandal and the use of profanity in Hip-Hop.
Gospel of Hip Hop comments[link]
In an interview with AllHipHop about his book "The Gospel of Hip Hop", KRS-One said:
"I’m suggesting that in 100 years, this book will be a new religion on the earth... I think I have the authority to approach God directly, I don’t have to go through any religion [or] train of thought. I can approach God directly myself and so I wrote a book called The Gospel of Hip Hop to free from all this nonsense garbage right now. I respect the Christianity, the Islam, the Judaism but their time is up. ...In a hundred years, everything that I’m saying to you will be common knowledge and people will be like, 'Why did he have to explain this? Wasn’t it obvious?'"[10]
These comments have been referred to by numerous media outlets[11][12][13] such as the AV Club who comment that "KRS-One writes 600-page hip-hop bible; blueprint for rap religion"[14] and "KRS-One has never been afraid to court controversy and provoke strong reactions. Now the Boogie Down Productions legend has topped himself by writing The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, a mammoth treatise on the spirituality of hip-hop he hopes will some day become a sacred text of a new hip-hop religion".[14]
Stepson's death[link]
Randy Hubbard Parker, stepson of KRS-One, was found dead in his Atlanta, Georgia apartment on July 6, 2007 in an apparent suicide; he was 23. Simone Parker, KRS-One's wife and Randy's mother, released a statement on July 10 that stated her son's death was related to his continuous battle with "severe depression". The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office stated that Parker died of a gunshot wound to the head, and listed the cause of death as suicide.[15] Parker was a graphic designer and fashion entrepreneur. A private memorial service was held on July 18, which would have been his 24th birthday.[16]
Benefit for First Responders[link]
KRS-One spoke at a hip hop benefit concert on September 12, 2009 to benefit the first responders of 9/11 he spoke of non violence to take back the country. The event was presented by the 9/11 group We Are Change based in New York City and SMT Studios.
Politics[link]
He has endorsed Congressman Ron Paul for President in 2012.[17]
Awards[link]
- 2004, VH1 Hip Hop Honors
- 2007, I am Hip Hop
- 2007, Lifetime Achievement
- 2009, Living Legend Award
Discography[link]
Main article: KRS-One discography
| Boogie Down Productions | Year |
|---|---|
| Criminal Minded | 1987 |
| By All Means Necessary | 1988 |
| Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop | 1989 |
| Edutainment | 1990 |
| Live Hardcore Worldwide | 1991 |
| Sex and Violence | 1992 |
| The BDP Album | 2012 |
| Solo Albums | Year |
| Return of the Boom Bap | 1993 |
| KRS-One | 1995 |
| I Got Next | 1997 |
| The Sneak Attack | 2001 |
| Spiritual Minded | 2002 |
| Prophets Vs. Profits | 2002 |
| Kristyles | 2003 |
| Keep Right | 2004 |
| Life | 2006 |
| Adventures in Emceein | 2008 |
| Maximum Strength | 2008 |
| Back to the L.A.B. | 2010 |
| Just Like That | 2012 |
| Collaborative Albums | With | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Hip Hop Lives | Marley Marl | 2007 |
| Survival Skills | Buckshot | 2009 |
| The Just-Ice and KRS-ONE EP Volume #1[18] | Just-Ice | 2010 |
| Meta-Historical | True Master | 2010 |
| Godsville | Showbiz | 2011 |
| Royalty Check | Bumpy Knuckles | 2011 |
| Return of the Boom Bip[19] | DJ Premier | 2012 |
| KRS-One Presents | ||
|---|---|---|
| Artist | Title | Year |
| Peedo | Krs-One Presents Peedo & the Luna Empire | 2004 |
| Greenie | It's All Good | 2010 |
Filmography[link]
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | I'm Gonna Git You Sucka | himself |
| 1993 | Who's the Man? | Rashid |
| 1997 | Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground | Vendor |
| 1997 | Rhyme & Reason | himself |
| 2000 | Boricua's Bond | |
| 2000 | Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme | himself |
| 2002 | The Freshest Kids | himself |
| 2003 | 2Pac 4 Ever | narrator |
| 2003 | Beef | himself |
| 2003 | Hip-Hop Babylon 2 | himself |
| 2003 | Soundz of Spirit | himself |
| 2003 | 5 Sides of a Coin | himself |
| 2003 | MuskaBeatz | himself |
| 2004 | War on Wax: Rivalries In Hip-Hop | himself |
| 2004 | The MC: Why We Do It | himself |
| 2004 | Beef II | himself |
| 2004 | And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop | himself |
| 2004 | Hip-Hop Honors | himself |
| 2004 | Keep Right | himself |
| 2005 | Zoom Prout Prout | himself |
| 2006 | A Letter to the President | himself |
| 2007 | Bomb It | himself |
| 2008 | The Obama Deception | himself |
| 2009 | Good Hair | himself |
| 2011 | Rhyme and Punishment | narrator |
| 2011 | Ghetto Physics | himself |
Books[link]
| Book | Year |
|---|---|
| Break the Chain KRS-ONE | 1994 |
| The Science of Rap (self published, 1996, out of print[20]) | 1996 |
| Ruminations (Welcome Rain Publishers, July 25, 2003, out of print[21]) | 2003 |
| The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument[22] | 2009 |
See also[link]
References[link]
- ^ "KRS-One is a vegetarian – Famous Vegetarians – Vegan Celebrities – by HappyCow". Happycow.net. http://www.happycow.net/famous/krsone/. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361354/
- ^ Marshall, Wayne: Follow Me Now: The Zigzagging Zunguzung Meme, April 2007. http://wayneandwax.com/?p=137.
- ^ "Syma rc helicopter – Best prices syma rc helicopter and buy cheap syma rc helicopter mini chinook". Krsone.org. http://www.krsone.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=201&Itemid=1. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "KRS-One & Buckshot :: Survival Skills :: Duck Down Music". Rapreviews.com. 2009-09-15. http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_09_survivalskills.html. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "Mick Boogie + Nvme + Duck Down Presents: Survival Kit – Free Download!!!". Duckdown.com. http://www.duckdown.com/survivalkit/. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ The Stop The Violence Movement – "Self Destruction", discogs.com.
- ^ Widdicombe, Ben, et al.. "KRS-One, decency zero". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2006-12-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20061211170831/http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/241988p-207504c.html. Retrieved 2005-09-06.
- ^ "KRS-ONE on Hannity's Hot Seat". YouTube. 2009-05-18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cv0NCaKB7A. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "KRS Plans New Hip-Hop Religion With 'Gospel of Hip Hop'". Allhiphop.com. http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2009/08/20/21903171.aspx. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "KRS-One Creates New Religion". Sputnikmusic. 2009-08-20. http://www.sputnikmusic.com/news.php?newsid=10404. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "de beste bron van informatie over angryape. Deze website is te koop!". angryape.com. http://angryape.com/news/krs-one-forms-his-own-religion. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
- ^ Friday, August 28, 2009, 03:14 BST (2009-08-28). "Music – News – Rapper KRS-One 'starts own religion'". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a174237/rapper-krs-one-starts-own-religion.html. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ a b Rabin, Nathan. "KRS-One writes 600-page hip-hop bible; blueprint for rap religion | Music | Newswire". The A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/krsone-writes-600page-hiphop-bible-blueprint-for-r,32127/. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ Williams, Houston. KRS-One’s Stepson Commits Suicide. AllHipHop.com: July 10, 2007.
- ^ "KRS-One's son found dead in apparent suicide | News". Nme.Com. 2007-07-11. http://www.nme.com/news/krs-one/29642. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "Celebrity Deathmatch | TPM Media". Media.talkingpointsmemo.com. http://media.talkingpointsmemo.com/slideshow/celebrity-endorsements?ref=fpb. Retrieved 2012-04-04.
- ^ "The Just-Ice and KRS-ONE EP, Vol. 1 by Just-Ice & KRS-One – Download The Just-Ice and KRS-ONE EP, Vol. 1 on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. 2010-08-03. http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-just-ice-and-krs-one-ep-vol-1/id371229280. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "Daily News – : Exclusive: DJ Premier Breaks Down Year Round Records', New Compliation". Allhiphop.com. http://www.allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2010/11/11/22479348.aspx. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "The Science of Rap: Lawrence KRS-ONE Parker: Books". Amazon.com. 2009-09-09. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J015S2. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument (9781576874974): KRS-One: Books". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1576874974. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
- ^ "The long awaited book from the legendary KRS ONE THE GOSPEL OF HIP HOP: FIRST INSTRUMENT". powerHouse Books. http://powerhousebooks.com/thegospelofhiphop/. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
External links[link]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: KRS-One |
- KRS-One on Myspace
- KRS-One at RollingStone
- KRS-One talks to North Minneapolis citizens about tornado recovery
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Parker, Lawrence |
| Alternative names | KRS-One, Kris Parker |
| Short description | American musician |
| Date of birth | August 20, 1962 |
| Place of birth | Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Date of death | |
| Place of death | |
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Lawrence Krisna Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (an acronym for Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone), and Teacha, is an American rapper. At the 2008 BET Awards, KRS-One was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for all his work and effort towards the Stop the Violence Movement as well as the overall pioneering of hip hop music and culture.
Lawrence Parker was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York during the summer of 1965. Parker left home at 16 to become an MC, coming to live at a homeless shelter in the South Bronx where he was dubbed Krishna by residents because of his interest in the Hare Krishna spirituality of some of the antipoverty workers. By the time he met youth counselor Scott Sterling, he was also writing graffiti as KRS-One (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone). Together he and Sterling, a.k.a. DJ Scott La Rock eventually created Boogie Down Productions, releasing their debut album, Criminal Minded, in 1987. KRS-One has been a vegetarian since his youth.
