You can laugh and criticize Michael Jackson if you wanna
Woody Allen, molested and married his step-daughter
Same press kickin dirt on Michael's name
Show Woody and Soon-Yi at the playoff game, holdin hands
Sit back and just bug, think about that
Would he get that type of dap if his name was Woody Black?
O.J. found innocent by a jury of his peers
And they been fuckin with that nigga for last five years
Is it fair, is it equal, is it just, is it right?
Do you do the same shit when the defendent face is white?
If white boys doin it, well, it's success
When I start doin, well, it's suspect
"Mr. Nigga" Mos Def -- Black on Both Sides
I woke up early on my born day, I'm twenty years of blessing
The essence of adolescence leaves my body now I'm fresh in
My physical frame is celebrated cause I made it
One quarter through life some God-ly like thing created
Got rhymes 365 days annual plus some
Load up the mic and bust one, cuss while I puffs from
my skull cause it's pain in my brain vein money maintain
Don't go against the grain simple and plain
When I was young at this I used to do my thing hard
Robbin foreigners take they wallets they jewels and rip they green cards
Dipped to the projects flashin my quick cash
and got my first piece of ass smokin blunts with hash
Now it's all about cash in abundance, niggaz I used to run with
is rich or doin years in the hundreds
I switched my motto -- instead of sayin fuck tomorrow
That buck that bought a bottle could've struck the lotto
Once I stood on the block, loose cracks produce stacks
I cooked up and cut small pieces to get my loot back
Time is Illmatic keep static like wool fabric
Pack a four-matic that crack your whole cabbage
"Life's A Bitch" Nas -- Illmatic
I'm the young city bandit, hold myself down singlehanded
For murder raps, I kick my thoughts alone, get remanded
Born alone, die alone, no crew to keep my crown or throne
I'm deep by sound alone, caved inside in a thousand miles from home
I need a new nigga, for this black cloud to follow
Cause while it's over me it's too dark to see tomorrow
Trying to maintain, I flip, fill the clip to the tip
Picturin my peeps, now the income make my heartbeat skip
And I'm amped up, they locked the champ up, even my brain's in handcuffs
"Who's World is This" Nas -- Illmatic
Bootleggers, bombin', Bin Laden, I'm still crackin'
I will not lose, I simply refuse
I drop the same date as the twin towers, I show power
Still I show compassion for others sent money and flowers, Devote hours
I live in the struggle, I'm addicted to the hustle
I'm conflicted because, du'(de), America this land of mine
Is filled with prisoners with the same plans as mine
So I'm a walking contradiction, On one hand I love my position
But easily I could have been in that prison
And no I am not a Christian, though I believe in God
But I don't believe in the devil, my beliefs are odd
If we the people was given freewill from God
How could He give the people freewill without giving you E-vil
We will hold it together believe in the Roc
Long after you leave the spot
Long after my breathing stops
My spirit remains vibrant I will lead the flock
And that's the tip of the iceberg
You might hear Christ's words in my scriptures
But I only write it for my niggers
For Jay-Z and all of us, the evolution continues...
Jay-Z Freestyle, DJ Clue Stadium Series Part 3
Battles I lose none, I make crews run,
I get fools done, got ten fingers but only use one
My run is like Machine Gun Kelly, with a black skully
Put one in your belly, leave you smelly, then take your Pelle Pelle
I'm the neighborhood lampor, punani vamper,
Mess around, you'll find my silk boxers in your mommy's hamper
And nowadays girls want you for your money
I'm like Hev, I got nothing but love for you honey
And yes I'm living slick and my pockets are thick
I need surgery to get chicks removed from my (chill)
I'm coming straight out the N.Y.C.,
Raps my J.O.B., and I'm M.V.P.
"MVP," Big L, Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
Peace to the Gods, peace to the Earths
Peace to the positive people of the universe
Brand Nubian came to work it like this
Ya see, each, and every day
Each, and ev-ery wa-ay
We're gonna show and prove
Teach you the righteous way
[Lord Jamar]
The knowledge, is, the foundation
The wisdom is the wa-ay
The understanding shows you
That you are on your way
...
[Lord Sincere]
The culture, is our God
The power is the truth
Equally only shows you
That you have planted your roots
...
[Sadat X]
God, came to teach us
Of, the righteous way
How, to build and be born
On, this glorious day
...
[all three]
The knowledge, of, the cipher
Is, to enlighten you
True that true that true that you know
That God is right beside you
...
“Allah and Justice,” Brand Nubian, In God We Trust
If your woman steps out with another man
(That's the breaks, that's the breaks)
And she runs off with him to Japan
And the IRS says they want to chat
And you can't explain why you claimed your cat
And Ma Bell sends you a whopping bill
With eighteen phone calls to Brzil
And you borrowed money from the mob
And yesterday you lost your job
Well, these are the breaks
Break it up, break it up, break it up
Throw your hands up in the sky
And wave 'em 'round from side to side
And if youdeserve a break tonight
Somebody say alright!
(All right) Say ho-oo!
(Ho-oo!) And you don't stop
Keep on, somebody scream!
(Owwwww!) Break down!
Breaks on a stage, breaks on a screen
Breaks to make your wallet lean
Breaks run cold and breaks run hot
Some folks got 'em and some have not
But these are the breaks
Break it up, break it up, break it up!
Break down!
"The Breaks," Kurtis Blow, The Breaks 12"
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
Self Destruction, ya headed for Self Destruction
Self Destruction, ya headed for Self Destruction
"Self-Destruction", Stop the Violence All-Stars KRS-One, Stetsasonic,
Kool Moe Dee, MC Lyte, Just-Ice, Doug E. Fresh Heavy D, Public Enemy, Self
Destruction 12" (1989)
Planet, Earth, was my place of birth
Born to be the soul controller of the universe
Besides the part of the map I hit first
Any environment I can adapt when it gets worst
The rough gets goin, the goin gets rough
When I start flowin, the mic might bust
The next state I shake from the power I generate
People in Cali used to think it was earthquakes
Cause times was hard on the Boulevard
So I vote God and never get scarred and gauled
But it seems like I'm locked in hell
Lookin over the edge but the R never fell
A trip to slip cause my Nikes got grip
Stand on my own two feet and come equipped
Any stage I'm seen on, or mic I fiend on
I stand alone and need nothin to lean on
Going for self with a long way to go
So much to say but I still flow slow
I come correct and I won't look back
Cause it ain't where you're from, it's where you're at
Even the (ghetto)
"In the Ghetto", Rakim, Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em
Changed up they style, from jeans to suits and
Thinkin about a pop record, somethin made for the station
For a whole new relation-
ship of a new type of scene
To go platinum and clock mad green
AKA, a sellout, the rap definition
Get off that boy, change your mission
Come back around the block
Pump Color Me Badd to the ah, tick tock
Let them know your logo, not a black thing
My background sing, my background sing for the crossover
PMD:
The rap era's outta control, brother's sellin their soul
To go gold, going, going, gone, another rapper sold
(To who) To pop and R&B, not the MD
I'm strictly hip-hop, I'll stick to Kid Capri
Funk mode, yea, kid, that's how the Squad rolls
I know your head is bobbin cuz the neck knows
(Not like other rappers) frontin on they fans, the ill
Trying to chill, saying "damn, it be great to sell a mill"
Thats when the mind switch to the pop tip
(Kid, you're gonna be large)
Yea right, that's what the company kicks
Forget the black crowds, you're wack now
In a zoot suit, frontin black lookin mad foul
"Crossover", EPMD, Business - Never Personal (1992)
Know why, cuz I'm a
Master of Ceremony Making a Comeback and
Moving the Crowd with Mad Charisma
Most of y'all Cornballs
Mingle at Concerts
Making a Claim but you know who is the ["MC"]
More Concentration on My Cadence Might Cloud your mind
Controlling your Movement Capaciously
My Capacity to Massacre Crumbs
And Motive Change Most Certainly Makes you Consider me
Champion, Microphone is Consistently
Modelling Candor of Magnificence
See My Conduct is Mute to Cajolery
I Maintain with Clamency and Manificence
Cunning and Marvelous
Crafty yet Malevolent
To all Cultivators of Mindless Crap
I Really Recognize the Rude Ramblings of those Random Riff Raffs
Cuz they just Rap and I
"M.....C"
"E-M-C-E-E" [Rakim]
"Emcee" All of the Above, J-Live
