(voice sample:)
andquot;ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself. it is easy for
me to put on a show, and be cocky so i can show you some really fancy
movement. but to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to
express myself honestly enough; that my friend is very hard to do.andquot;
(verse 1)
like sand through the hourglass
so are the days of our lives
and for that lie, only we thrive
awakenings, as we make the dead come alive
rise and walk my son, come into the light
inside the dark, we illuminate mics
give knowledge to mediocre, the will to neanderthal
filter to the smog, digital to analog
we steady advancing, rhyme enhancing
simple minds canand't keep up with this
(verse 2)
iand'm a put it on the table
i ainand't a thug nigga and playa
i ainand't playful, iand'm jusand' a non-sinner
a man without label, standinand' on my own two
tryinand' to stay stable
speakinand' what i know, to only what i label
i ainand't the kinda guy who carry out for dough
the material cat who walk around for show
iand'm jusand' everyday, merry-way joe-in-the-go
while otherand's go witand' the flow
i ainand't never been the one to follow trend
i do my own bit, canand't keep up with the joneses
iand'm on my own shit, i donand't care what you drink
what you stress, how you dress, or where you got the link
i ainand't impressed
these lames walk around like mice in the maze
tryinand' to get up on cheese, its just a rap race
one escapes time seems to make
man worships things over the supreme thing
a stop for lots, should i join the hypocrites
or side with the suckers, by choice
it makes no difference, that youand're a product of environment
is just coincidence, the worldand's a violent place baby
there ainand't no more innocence, or civil men of penitence
just ignorance, casting the right from wrong
they mimic shit they see on tv or hear in a song
what they tell you they on, a sucker act up every minute
the righteous live on, but them niggas is invented
(verse 3)
yo, i ainand't hardcore, i donand't pack a nine millimeter
most a yand'all gangsta rappers ainand't hardcore neither
whoever get mad, then iand'm talkinand' and'bout you
claim you fear no man, but never walk witand' our crew
where iand'm from, your reputation donand't mean jack
so what, you pack gats and you sell fiends crack
you ainand't big time, my man
you ainand't no different from the next cat in my neighborhood who did time
rhyme after rhymes itand's the same topic
what make you think you hardcore and'cause you was raised in the projects
broke-ass finally got a hundred in your pocket
now you on the mic, spittinand' moneyand's no object
what you say is bullcrap, if you wasnand't witand' your crew
or wasnand't drunk off the brew, would you still pull gats?
you need to stop fronting or you headed for self-destruction
yeah, todayand's topic, is self-destruction
i ainand't talkinand' and'bout the krs-one discussion
iand'm talkinand' and'bout the one-too-many ignorant suckers
lyinand' on the mic to my sisters and brothers
every time you listen to the radio
all you hear is nonsense, they never play the bomb shit
everything that glitters ainand't gold
and every gold record donand't glitter, thatand's for damn sure
(scratching voices:)
andquot;yand'all need to be cool as shitandquot;
andquot;tryinand' to teach you from the heartandquot;
andquot;yand'all rambling on, and ainand't sayinand' nothingandquot;
andquot;iand'm busy in the mindandquot;
andquot;iand'm a go invent, i think iand'll elevate my mentalandquot;
(interlude)
yo, see cats got confused somewhere man (confused)
about what hip-hop was, you know what iand'm sayinand'
or what hip-hop is, (itand's business yo) you know it
itand's all business
(its big money, know what iand'm sayinand' thatand's all these cats about)
you know thatand's bullshit, right? thatand's nigga talk, nigga talk
but if you want to make money yo, i got it broke down though
i got it broke down, (break it down yo)
you got hip-hop, then you got hip-pop
hip-pop? (hip-pop)
alright, (but a lot of cats want pop)
yes, (know what iand'm sayinand')
it used to be real hip
you got the top forty version of hip-hop
i still got something else, something else that i wanna get off my chest
what? (know what iand'm sayinand'?)
(verse 4)
how many cats you know
speak the ill-legit rhyme after rhyme diligent
eighty-five percent represent ignorant
either you innocent or guilty
some of my favorite emcees fell of
it damn near killed me
lookinand' at the kids that was true hip-pop
nowadays them cats donand't even do hip-hop
rap got and'em brainwashed, with cats that donand't last
and five minutes of fame, thatand's when itand's a shame
seeinand' real emcees tryinand' to imitate rappers
if you ask me, they goinand' out ass-backwards
trading in respect to push a fat lexand'
puff rhyminand' on the remix, whatand's next?
it hurts so bad, i wanna smack and'em
my favorite crew members break up
turn around and join whack ones
this is dedicated to you hip-hop hypocrites
droppinand' whack songs, like you donand't give a shit
i ainand't got nothinand' against nobody trying to make a decent living
it ainand't the money thatand's the issue
only if thatand's the reason why these cats ainand't makinand' decent music
thatand's when i got beef witand' you
and iand'm a bring it to you like never
go ahead, call me player-hater if it make you feel better
try to jump my crew if you cats feel boggy
you need to wake up, and smell the damn coffee
know what iand'm sayinand', these whack emcees...
