Deja vu, tell you what I’m gonna do,
When they reminisce over you, my God.
CL Smooth, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.),” from Pete Rock and CL Smooth’s Mecca and the Soul Brother, 1992
My Mind on My Money…
Wear this tee while you are rolling down the street, smokin indo, and/or sippin on gin & juice. Or just to work, school, wherever.
Shop NowStop raising your voice at me,
Stop messing around with my sanity,
Got me in a bubble, I can barely breathe…
Truth Enola, “Voicetress,” 12", 1999
Spam ain’t the move it’s imitation ham.
Ham is pork, and the pork is foul.
Kinda like a pig and that ain’t my style.
Milk Dee and King Ad Rock, “Spam,” from Milk Dee’s Never Dated EP, 1995
God works in different ways and it shows…
And everybody knows, love comes and goes.
Ed O.G., “Love Comes and Goes,” from Ed O.G. and Da Bulldogs’ Roxbury 02119, 1993
I got a funny feeling like something was real wrong…
Looked at her shoes and her feets was real long!
Then it hit me, Oh please God no,
Don’t let this ho turn out to be a John Doe…
He pulled a fast one on me, yo!
Fatlip, “Oh Shit,” The Pharcyde, Bizarre Ryde II The Pharcyde, 1993
This is jazz, this is funk, this is soul, this is gospel
This is sanctified sick, this is player Pentecostal.
This is church front pew, Amen, pulpit,
What my people need and the opposite of bullshit.
Killer Mike, “R.A.P. Music,” R.A.P. Music, 2012
There oughta be laws against you yappin’ your jaws.
Guru, “Take it Personal,” from Gang Starr’s Daily Operation, 1992
When you fall for a girl named Hope
How you gonna have any when she decides to go?
Machine, “NuBeginning4∞”, from Quelle Chris’ Shotgun & Sleek Rifle, 2011
I swear these niggas from the future…
Where they got camouflage chains and invisible gats
Cause I don’t see none of the shit I hear in their raps.
Quelle Chris, “Sleek Rifle,” Shotgun & Sleek Rifle, 2011
We brag on havin’ bread, but none of us are bakers.
We all talk havin’ greens, but none of us on acres.
If none of us on acres, and none of us grow wheat,
Then who will feed our people when our people need to eat?
So it seems our people starve from lack of understandin’
Cause all we seem to give them is some ballin’ and some dancin’,
And some talkin’ about our car and imaginary mansions.
We should be indicted for bullshit we inciting,
Havin’ children deaf and pretendin’ it’s exciting.
We are advertisements for agony and pain.
We exploit the youth. We tell them to join a gang.
We tell them dope stories, introduced them to the game.
Killer Mike, “Reagan,” R.A.P. Music, 2012
I own the night…the heat’s my receipt.
Ka, “Cold Facts,” Grief Pedigree, 2012
Using numerology to count the people I sent to heaven,
Produces more digits than 22 divided by 7.
Immortal Technique, “Hidden Track,” Revolutionary Volume 2, 2003
Niggas running around fantasizing like they’re Peter Pan…
Your life’s a scam and I’mma fuck it up like Neverland.
MF Grimm, “Fame,” The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man, 2007
Your mom’s in our business…she’s in our business…
Can’t you see, girl, that your mom’s trying to end this?
K-Solo, “Your Mom’s In My Business,” Tell the World My Name, 1990
I gave birth to most of them MC’s…
So when it comes around to the month of May,
Send me your royalty check for Mother’s Day.
Roxanne Shanté, “Have a Nice Day,” Bad Sister, 1989
What’s the remedy? Suckaz better get their own identity,
And to the enemy, you better roll like there’s ten of me.
A.G., “Next Level,” from Show and A.G.’s Goodfellas, 1995
I make chicks consider themselves widows whose husbands ain’t even died yet.
Chino XL, “How It Goes,” I Told You So, 2001
Laugh now, cry later: this is the karma.
Hip-hop never died, it’s just sick of the drama.
Cormega, “Journey,” Born and Raised, 2009
Lookin’ out at the world through my window pane,
Every day has many colors ‘cause the glass is stained.
Everything has changed but remains the same,
So once again the mirror raised.
And I see myself as clear as day,
And I am goin’ to the limits of my ultimate destiny,
Feeling as though somebody somewhere is testin’ me.
He who sees the end from the beginning of time
Looking forward through all the ages:
Is, was, and always shall be.
MCA, “B-Boy Bouillabaisse (A Year And A Day),” from Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, 1989. Rest in power, Adam Yauch (1964 – 2012).
Let me spell my name out for you, it’s Ricky:
R: Ravishing, I: Impress,
C: Courageous or Careless,
K: for the Kangols which I’ve got,
That I wear everyday and Y: Why not?
Slick Rick, “Mona Lisa,” The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, 1988
This is doomsday for MCs with hollow skills,
Who talk about clothing articles and dollar bills,
And fake ass rides that they don’t even drive.
Hip-hop is war and only strong MCs will survive.
Holocaust, “Doomsday,” from Killarmy’s Dirty Weaponry, 1998
You could either ignore this advice, or take it from me:
Be too nice, and people take you for a dummy.
MF Doom, “Deep Fried Frenz,” MM.. Food, 2004
I’m a menace to society,
But girls in biker shorts are so fly to me.
After the date, I’mma want to do the wild thing…
You’re talkin’ lobster? I’m thinkin’ Burger King.
Ice Cube, “I Ain’t Tha One,” from N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton, 1988
Put this in your CD-ROM:
www dot Canibus dot com.
You can find me on the Internet, talkin’ to chicks
That was sweatin’ me off the ‘Music Makes Me High’ remix.
I be talkin’ mad trash, tryin to get ’em to laugh.
See, if I click and drag long enough I’ll get the ass…
Canibus, “Making a Name For Ourselves,” from Common’s One Day It’ll All Make Sense, 1998
Money…really wasn’t part of the rap.
Paid…was havin’ people start to clap.
Nouka, “Mix Tapes,” from The Nonce’s World Ultimate, 1995
I wake you up and as I stare in your face, you seem stunned.
Remember me? The one you got your idea from?
Rakim, “I Ain’t No Joke,” from Eric B. and Rakim’s Paid In Full, 1987
Y’all niggas ain’t ILL…you’re ILLogical.
LL Cool J, “Ill Bomb,” from Big Kap & Funkmaster Flex’s The Tunnel, 1999
When I was born, my mama’s pussy had the new car smell.
Royce Da 5’9", “New Money,” Street Hop, 2009
I’m not sayin I’m a pothead, cause I’m not.
I’m just sayin that I smoke a lot.
Keith Murray, “High as Hell,” It’s a Beautiful Thing, 1999
And how ‘bout the non-blunt rollin’ females
That always fucks it up ’cause they don’t wanna break their Lee nails?
Redman, “How to Roll a Blunt,” Whut, Thee Album?, 1992
Hits from the bong
Make me feel like Cheech,
And I’m kickin’ it wit’ Chong.
B-Real, “Stoned is the Way of the Walk,” from Cypress Hill’s Cypress Hill, 1991
Infrareds on little people standing with some big heads,
I was Captain Kirk, walkin’ with a black t-shirt.
LAPD, the nurse asked did my knee hurt?
I was in pain, little Martians tryin’ ta take my brain,
Hospitals came, detectives wrote down my name.
I was to blame, my life never been the same.
A true story; I tell ya, it’ll never bore me.
My classmate died, my other friend named Cory
Drinkin’ 40s, he jumped out the project window,
Stabbed himself with a yellow number 2 pencil.
Kool Keith, “Object Unknown,” from DJ Spooky featuring Kool Keith Object Unknown, 1998
Destiny made a mistake and gave my fate to someone else.
Joe Budden, “Going Thru the Motions,” Mood Muzik: The Box Set, 2012
Friends: how many have ‘em?
How long before they split like atoms?
Don’t ask me, but what I do stand behind
Is someone havin’ your back seems hard to find.
Posdnous, “The Book of Life,” from De La Soul’s Plug 1 and Plug 2, First Serve, 2012
Shorty, let me tell you about my only vice:
It has to do with lots of lovin’, and it ain’t nuttin’ nice.
Q-Tip, “Electric Relaxation,” from A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, 1993
I’m on some tax-free shit by any means,
Whether bound to hit scheme or some counterfeit C.R.E.A.M.
GZA, “4th Chamber,” Liquid Swords, 1995
I’m like an eclipse on a Friday the 13th,
With black cats and Haley’s Comet,
Blazin’ blunts in my driveway…
Redman, “Cosmic Slop,” Dare Iz a Darkside, 1994
I don’t respect killers, I respect O.G. knowledge,
Codes of the streets got new rules, but no guidance.
Lessons, detrimental to a young disciple;
Folks, take care of your brothers, niggas do as I do.
Keep your enemies close, where they can see you.
It’s not your enemy who get you, it’s always your own people.
Nas, “In Between Us,” from Scarface’s The Fix, 2002
I am the manifestation of study,
NOT the manifestation of money.
Therefore, I advance through thought,
NOT what’s manufactured and bought.
KRS-One, “Original Lyrics,” from Boogie Down Productions’ Edutainment, 1990
…Cops just surrounding me with pistols everywhere.
They put me in the backseat of their car handcuffed,
Pushed out them chests like they’re big rough and tough.
A cop come and said ‘You’ll never sell your guns now.’
I said ‘It doesn’t matter, you’ll sell them anyhow.
You take the guns from me, you sell them for a fee;
Anyway you put it, they’ll get in the city!’
KRS-One, “100 Guns,” from Boogie Down Productions’ Edutainment, 1990
We can’t complain for this borrowed time;
So don’t misuse yours, cause you can’t borrow mine.
Big K.R.I.T., “Wake Up,” 4Eva N A Day, 2012
We live in an era where it ain’t about dope rhymes.
When beef is online, and how big is your co-sign…
Jon Connor, “Hova Mojo,” The Blue Album, 2012
Every night I pray to God: ‘Please, no more wack MC’s.’
J-Ro, “Likwit,” from Tha Alkaholiks’ 21 and Over, 1993
You pout like a trout in a drought…can’t get out.
You want to scream, but fish can’t shout.
MF Grimm, “King of New York,” Scars & Memories, 2005
Yo, where the teachers went, with all that pro-black shit?
Where all the conscious niggas, who used to chat like this?
See, I remember yesterday when y’all was Gods and Earths,
Egyptians and metaphysicists on the verge of giving birth
To Understanding, and planting seeds that grow.
Now everybody’s on that bullshit about killing and so.
Wise Intelligent, “Conscious Style,” The New World Order, 1996
Shakespeare’s gone, don’t even think about it.
Dr. Octagon, “Blue Flowers,” Dr. Octagonecologyst, 1996
She’s not impressed by your fancy car.
She got a body so she’s snotty and she don’t care who you are.
So don’t get mad and dis her reputation
Callin’ her a floozy, any conversation.
Mad grammar, backstabber, girls they wanna be her.
But like Stevie Wonder, none of y’all can see her!
Positive K, “A Flower Grows in Brooklyn,” The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills, 1992
Tell ya mama to stop flirtin’ boy, I’m not a good step-pop.
I interrupt your little session…and wreck shop.
Bumpy Knuckles, “GrEaTnEsS,” from DJ Premier and Bumpy Knuckles’ KoleXXXion, 2012
Look here: “Mo’ money, mo’ problems,” my ass.
You’s a naive cat if you still believe that.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard, “Pop Shots,” Osirus: The Official Mixtape, 2006
I was always taught my do’s and don’ts:
For do’s I did, and for don’ts, I said I won’t.
GZA, “I Gotcha Back,” from the Fresh soundtrack, and also on Liquid Swords, 1994