| Showin your skill upon the mic, originality was key
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| And the law was not to bite in the highest degree (I hear that)
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| Plus you had to battle cats for respect
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| (Like Moe Dee, Busy Bee, MC Shan and KRS?)
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| Yeah kid, it goes deeper but you get the picture
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| You had to have lyrics and plus hot beats to get the mixture
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| As always you had to have the ill DJ
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| Technician with precision, switch the fader all day
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| A must to have these additives to smash and battle kids
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| (Well yo, that’s like today’s cats?) Nah, that’s a negative
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| Today’s MC’s don’t possess these qualities
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| So I put you to the test on this musical quest
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| What’s the question?
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| What made the music change through the time?
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| What’s the answer?
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| They started gettin paid to rhyme
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| What’s the question?
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| What happened to the culture as a whole?
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| What’s the answer?
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| Too many MC’s sold their soul
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| What’s the question?
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| What happened to the MC’s from the past?
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| What’s the answer?
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| Not enough fans and no cash
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| What’s the question?
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| How do we get it back like before?
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| What’s the answer?
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| More skills and niggas gotta be raw
|
| What’s the question?
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| How so many groups fall apart?
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| What’s the answer?
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| They in it but it’s not from the heart
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| Look at the records in this store, know the faces and the names
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| All the places that they come from and staked it as their claim
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| Acclaimed writers like Kane, G Rap, Doug and the Biz
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| DJ’s like Cool V, Mister Cee in the mix
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| (Yo, I heard this one kid who made beats and rhymed correct)
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| You must be talkin 'bout this man here, his name is Lord Finesse
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| (It was another cat too, yo this nigga beats was hot
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| He was down with CL Smooth) The Soul Brother Pete Rock
|
| Plenty others I could name but the most by far
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| These pioneers most revered, group named Gang Starr
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| Put it down through the years, most respected by the peers
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| For Primo’s hot beats, Guru’s voice so clear
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| (Yeah, I know about them, «Hard to Earn» one of the best
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| What about the Cella Dwellas, Special Ed, and Das EFX?)
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| Ah shit, you got some history, you’re buildin on your lessons
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| When you see me next time be refined for your confession
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| Yo, I’mma cop this, word up
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| Yeah, yo do that, you do that
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| I heard this on «Future Flavas» the other night
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| Okay, okay
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| I’mma get two of them
|
| What’s the question?
|
| How long can it last like this?
|
| What’s the answer?
|
| When all MC’s are gone and they’re missed
|
| What’s the question?
|
| What happened to the sound of the East?
|
| What’s the answer?
|
| Niggas went south to tryin to eat
|
| What’s the question?
|
| When the niggas gonna dig back in the crates?
|
| What’s the answer?
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| When certain niggas stop tryin to hate
|
| What’s the question?
|
| When will all the bullshit stop?
|
| What’s the answer?
|
| When your top MC’s stop gettin dropped
|
| What’s the question?
|
| What you say your name was again, kid?
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| Yo, El Da Sensei, man, Artifacts, man
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| Aight peace
|
| Yeah, we comin from the Bricks
|
| Hold up
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| «Wrong Side of da Tracks».
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| Yeah man
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| Yo, that’s you on this cover!
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| …that's me
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| You didn’t tell me you had joints out
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| I know, I’m doin work, I’m workin, yo
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| I knew you’d get that like that, yo
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| Always workin
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| Peace yo
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| No doubt
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| I check you on the re
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| One |