The way mothers feel for they sons, how fathers feel for they daughters;
When he date, he straight, chip off his own papa.
When she date, we wait behind the door with the sawed off,
Cause we think no one is good enough for our daughters.

Nas, “Daughters,” Life is Good, 2012. More from Nas…

My style is strong like hard lumber;
Cute chicks get the dick,
Ugly bitches get the wrong number.

Big L, “Who Shot Ya Freestyle,” from Tim Westwood’s radio show, 1997. More from Harlem’s finest…

Don’t mourn me when I’m gone, celebrate my travels;
Whenever you need me, just take a plane to the astral zones.

Joey BADA$$, “On and On,” B4.DA.$$, 2015.

You tried keeping it real, but you should try keeping it right.

Posdnuos, “The Bizness,” from De La Soul’s Stakes Is High, 1996. More from De La…

I give you life decoded,
Nicely quoted.

Ka, “Day 110,” from Ka and Preservation’s Days with Dr. Yen Lo, 2015. More from Ka…

Fuck the world, don’t ask me for shit,
Everything you get you gotta work hard for it.
Honeys shake your hips, you don’t stop,
And niggas pack the clips, keep on…

Notorious B.I.G. & Method Man, “The What,” Ready to Die, 1994. More from Biggie, more from Meth.

Now Joe wanna be like Bob,
Bob got it goin’ on with no job.
And everything Rob got he got from Robin,
And everything she got, she got ho-hoppin’.
My girl Jilly wanna be like Jackie,
Fat rope chains and I think that’s wick-wacky.
Tom and Dick wanna be like Harry,
Little do they know he’s bitin’ on Barry…

Salt, “Expression,” from Salt-N-Pepa’s Blacks’ Magic, 1990

There’s four developing stages in the art of hip-hop,
And most of them developed from the snap, crackle and pop.
The first was the usage of an actual band,
The second was a drum machine made by a man,
The third was the human beatbox and percussion,
The fourth in line was samplin’ and the book of rhyme bustin’.

Afrika Baby Bam, “Book of Rhyme Pages,” from The Jungle Brothers’ J Beez Wit The Remedy, 1993. More from the Jungle Brothers…

I mastered The Art of War before a nigga read Sun Tzu,
Third degree black-belt, master of Gun-Fu.
Pop pills, smoke weed, even get drunk too;
And you do what you can, and I do what I want to.

Sean Price, “Like You,” Jesus Price Supastar, 2007. More from P!

Been tested, ain’t fail: I’m tried and true.
When it’s all falling apart, my pride’s the glue.
I felt at times worthless…
Pulled shifts with shifty crime merchants,
Stained hearts, brainwashed by mind serpents.
The fact I’m still here, it’s clear it’s divine purpose.

Ka, “Day 912,” from Ka and Preservation’s Days with Dr. Yen Lo, 2015. More from Ka…

Attention! Follow directions real close:
Keep out of reach of children, beware of overdose.
Too many milligram, but what made a iller jam?
My rhyme is the rhythm of thoughts that kill a man.
Ideas for the ear to fear, might split ‘em;
He’ll never forget ’em…he’ll rest in peace wit ’em.
At least when he left he’ll know what hit ’em:
The last breath of the words of death was ‘The Rhythm.’

Rakim, “Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em,” from Eric B. and Rakim’s Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em, 1990. More classic lines from the greatest of all time…

I keep the ugly rhymes in the cellar of my cranium,
Where no one can see them or hear cries for freedom.
Chopped up raw thoughts the only thing I feed ‘em,
Release the beats from the cellar when I need ‘em.

MF Grimm, “What a Nigga Know? (Remix),” from K.M.D.’s Black Bastards, 1993. More from Grimm…

I do my thing like B.B. King, my microphone is named Lucille.

Sadat X (fka Derek X), “Feels So Good,” from Brand Nubian’s One for All, 1990. RIP to blues legend B.B. King

They been calling me a criminal for so damn long,
Start to believe they right…and they gon’ make me do something wrong.
You see me in the hood, you think I’m trynna rob you.
I’m just talking to you when you think I’m trynna con you?
No matter what, they gon’ call me a crook.
So you think I give a fuck if I look like a motherfuckin’ criminal?

Sticky Fingaz, “Look Like a Criminal,” from Onyx’s Against All Authority, 2015. More from Sticky…

Now it’s my turn, and I am concerned
About idiots posing as kings.
What are we here to rule?
I thought we were supposed to sing.
And if we oughta sing, then let us begin to teach.
Many of you are educated…open your mouth and speak!

KRS-One, “I’m Still #1,” from Boogie Down Productions’ By All Means Necessary, 1988

They say it’s lonely at the top, in whatever you do,
You always gotta watch motherfuckers around you.
Nobody’s invincible, no plan is foolproof,
We all must meet our Moment of Truth.

Guru, “Moment of Truth,” from Gang Starr’s Moment of Truth, 1998

Stop walking through life as if you were blind,
You should reach for your goal cause I’m reaching for mine.

MC Shan, “The Bridge,” Down by Law, 1987

More rhymes are funny now, happy and silly now.
Happy-go-lucky on the mic, and meanwhile,
You standin’ still, lookin out for a good rhyme,
Makin the wack junk, wastin’ my good time.

Kool Keith, “I Ain’t Takin’ No Shorts,” from the Ultramagnetic MC’s New York What Is Funky, 1996. More from Kool Keith…

I’m just a bastard with a bad habit,
Bad back, in a black Volkswagen Rabbit
…Shit, I gotta have it.
Black magic woman put a spell on me;
Fuck around and win a spelling bee.
I could walk under ladders, still win the lotto.
Ten minutes flat: built a boat in a bottle.

Action Bronson, “Galactic Love,” Mr. Wonderful, 2015. More from Bronsolini…

The scene of a crime every night at the show,
The fiend of a rhyme on the mic that you know.
It’s only one capable; breaks, the unbreakable.
Melodies, unmakable; pattern, unescapable.

Rakim, “Lyrics of Fury,” from Eric B. and Rakim’s Follow the Leader, 1988. More from Rakim Allah…

This ain’t the world we thought it was when we as in pre-school.
Sometimes it’s hard to be cool, sometimes I feel like I’m see-through.
Sometimes I really wish…I wish that I could be you.

Joey BADA$$, “Black Beetles,” B4.DA.$$, 2015.

I used to want a Beemer, I used to want a Benz.
One thing that I never wanted was fake friends in the end.

Buckshot, “Duress,” from Black Moon’s War Zone, 1999. More from Buckshot Shorty…

Brothers on the butters can’t flip the Parkay.

Large Professor, “Large Professor,” from Main Source’s Breaking Atoms, 1991. More from Extra P…

Make peace not war, make babies some more, Keep a smile when you travel from shore to shore.

Ghostface Killah, “Nuggets of Wisdom,” from BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah’s Sour Soul, 2015. More nuggets of wisdom from Ghost…

I’m a true master, you can check my credentials
Cause I choose to use my infinite potential.

Jeru tha Damaja, “Come Clean,” The Sun Rises in the East, 1994

I’ll never understand why a wack rapper tries and
Convinces himself that his image is so fly and
That’s the type of crap you know I’m not buying…
Chumps lack the beats and their rhymes don’t apply.

Guru, “Much Too Much (Mack a Mil),” from Gang Starr’s Daily Operation, 1992. More from Guru…

30 rack on a neck of a artist (Say what?)
About another 20K on his arm (Say what?)
This nigga flashin’ 50 grand,
Walk around here, lookin like food for the wolves.
Listen! Illuminati rap: we don’t ride to that,
Everybody poppin’ molly…look at how they act.
(Y’all sweatin’) The whole place emotional,
Wake up to find out some dude’s Frank Ocean’ed you.

Lil’ Fame, “187,” from M.O.P.’s Street Certified, 2014.

Who gives a fuck about a goddamn Grammy?

Flavor Flav, “Terminator X to the Edge of Panic,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988. More P.E. quotes…

It’s like every step bring me close to destiny,
And every breath I get closer to the death of me.
I’m just tryna carry out my own legacy,
But the place I call home ain’t lettin’ me.

Joey Bada$$, “Like Me,” B4.DA.$$, 2015

Fear is weakness, learn from what experience teaches.
Beware of leeches, the vampires, my secrets…
Never follow, cause most niggas is straight up cowards.
Take care of my body’s the temple, my mind is the power.

Nas, “Self Conscience,” from Nas & Ill Will Records Presents QB’s Finest, 2000. More from Nas >

I’ll ignore you sellin crack, killin people, and keepin it real,
But disrespect me and my adopted fam and die young like veal.

El-P, “89.9 Detrimental,” from Company Flow’s Funcrusher Plus, 1997

Now if I worry too much about all my have nots,
I might not recognize just what I’ve got…

Mike G., “Jungle Brother,” from Jungle Brothers’ Raw Deluxe, 1997

You got a lot of money; OK, sure…
You can’t buy class, you’re a bum with a manicure.

MF Grimm, “The Bear,” from MF Grimm and Drasar Monumental’s Good Morning Vietnam 2: The Golden Triangle, 2013. More jewels from MF Grimm…

Happiness is temporary, always has been.
I just lost one…but sometimes I win,
I always spread love…but sometimes I sin.

Joey Bada$$, “On & On," B4.DA.$$, 2015

Wrote this lyric from in the bed wit’ a chick
She had the tightest grip around the head of my…
…Bic. Now, can I get my pen back?

MF Doom, “Batty-Boys,” Born Like This, 2009. More quotes from MF Doom…

You were put here to protect us.
But who protects us from you?

KRS-One, “Who Protects Us From You?” from Boogie Down Productions’ Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop, 1989

Full moons, skunk weed all up in the room;
You got the munchies, baby? Ice cold milk and Lorna Doones.

Ghostface Killah, “Freek’n You (Mr. Dalvin’s Freak Mix,” from Jodeci’s The Show, the After Party, the Hotel, 1995. More from GFK >

The rich act poor, and the poor claim rich,
Whatever sounds cool’ll make the weaker mind switch.
If you on a major label or an indie 12-inch:
When you fronting on the mic, you still the industry’s bitch.

J-Live, “Sub Level,” from Rob Swift’s Sound Event, 2002

I’mma tell you a little somethin about this chick around my way,
She was a dime with a brown skin complexion…
She looked so good you’d think you wouldn’t need protection,
Girlfriend was top choice selection, around in every section.
They got twisted, she said “No condom,” so he risked it,
Caught in the mix and now you sick kid.
Word is bond, I thought by now you learned your lesson:
Fucking around with no protection.

Pete Rock, “The Yearn,” from Lost Boyz’ Legal Drug Money, 1995. More from The Chocolate Boy Wonder >

A thin line between the haters and the ones who love us.
A thinner line from the freedom and the foul judges,
In the streets where the snake niggas hold grudges.

Tragedy Khadafi, “Calm Down,” Thug Matrix II, 2006. More from The Intelligent Hoodlum…

It’s for real though, let’s connect, politic…ditto!
We could trade places, get lifted in the staircases,
Word up, peace, incarcerated scarfaces.

Raekwon, “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…, 1994. More from Rae and The Wu…

Believers of Jesus be denouncing Satan on every level,
But every Halloween they’re dressin’ like devils.

KRS-One, “Higher Level,” Return of the Boom Bap, 1993. More from KRS…

I knew this girl named Tropicana,
She’s always juicin’.
Producing cash for a sexual task.
She loves men that trick like Halloween and treat…
You ain’t paid? Then your grade is incomplete.

Lord Jamar, “Slow Down,” from Brand Nubian’s One For All, 1990. More from the Brand Nubian Gods…

Now when freaks get dressed to go out at night,
They like to wear leather jackets, chains and spikes.
They wear rips and zippers all in their shirts,
Real tight pants and fresh mini skirts.
All kinds of colors runnin’ through their hair,
And you could just about find a freak anywhere.
But then again, you could know someone all their life,
But might not know they’re a freak unless you see them at night.

Whodini, “Freaks Come out at Night,” Escape, 1984

My vocab is powerful, spit shit subliminal,
Slang therapist, my whole style is criminal.
Bugged like Bob Digital, fly visual,
Mind, body and soul, I’m a strong individual…
Come through in the final hour, with gun showers
Stand the fuck up like Flav to fight the power.
I’m an activist, socialist, deadly ass poetist
Supreme Clientele, I’m a goddamn vocalist!

Ghostface Killah, “Gunshowers,” from BADBADNOTGOOD and Ghostface’s upcoming collabo Sour Soul, to be released in 2015. More quotes from GFK >

Rap is like a set-up…a lot of games,
A lot of suckers with colorful names.
‘I’m so-and-so,’ ‘I’m this, I’m that.’
But they all just wick-wick-wack.

KRS-One, “My Philosophy,” from BDP’s By All Means Necessary, 1988. More from KRS…

They’d rather see me fail than succeed,
That’s why I’m alone on my own with no team.
Don’t need no green, though I got some to spend;
In the end…all I really need is a friend.

Bishop Nehru, “So Alone,” from Bishop Nehru + MF DOOM’s NehurvianDOOM, 2014

My mic is a Magnum.
See me and this chick, we go back like Cro-Magnon.
Man…we did it in the back of your Magnum;
I said, ‘Put them Lifestyles back, give me the Magnums.’

Pharoahe Monch, “Rap Life,” from Diamond D’s The Diam Piece, 2014. More lyrics from Pharoahe Monch…

Excuse us for the news,
You might not be amused;
But did you know White comes from Black?
No need to be confused.

Chuck D, “Fear of a Black Planet,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990. More quotes from PE…

Black boy, black boy, turn that shit down.
You know that America don’t wanna hear the sound
Of the bass drum jungle music, go back to Africa,
Nigga I’ll arrest ya if you’re holding up traffic.

I’ll be damned if I listen, so cops save your breath
And write another ticket if you have any left.
And I’m breaking eardrums while I’m breaking the law,
I’m disturbing all the peace cause Sister Soldier said ‘War!’

So catch me if you can, if you can, here’s a donut,
Cause once you drive away, yo, you know I’m gonna go nuts.
And turn it up to where it was before, nice try!
But you can’t stop the power of the bass in your eye.

Masta Ace, “Jeep Ass Niguh,” SlaughtaHouse, 1993. More from Ace…

Chop suey don’t do me no good,
I gotta have corn beef and cabbage if I wanna manage.
I never eat pig, but I’ll fuck up a potato,
I’m not a dago, but pasta’s all that.

Everlast, “Danny Boy,” from House of Pain’s self-titled debut, 1992

Sometimes I look up at the stars and analyze the sky,
And ask myself: was I meant to be here…why?

Ghostface Killah, “All That I Got Is You,” Ironman, 1996. More quotes from GFK…

And just so Conservatives don’t take it to heart,
I don’t think Bush did it, ‘cause he isn’t that smart.
He’s just a stupid puppet taking orders on his cell phone,
From the same people that sabotaged Senator Wellstone.
The military industry got it poppin’ and lockin’,
Looking for a way to justify the Wolfowitz Doctrine.
And as a matter of fact, Rumsfeld, now that I think back:
Without 9/11, you couldn’t have a war in Iraq,
Or a Defense budget of world conquest proportions.
Kill freedom of speech and revoke the right to abortions,
Tax cut extortion, a blessing to the wealthy and wicked,
But you still have to answer to the Armageddon you scripted.
And Dick Cheney? You fuckin leech, tell them your plans:
About building your pipelines through Afghanistan,
And how Israeli troops trained the Taliban in Pakistan.
You might have some house niggaz fooled, but I understand.
Colonialism is sponsored by corporations,
That’s why Halliburton gets paid to rebuild nations.
Tell me the truth, I don’t scare into paralysis,
I know the CIA saw Bin Laden on dialysis
In ’98 when he was Top Ten for the FBI.
Government ties is really why the government lies,
Read it yourself instead of asking the government why
‘Cause then the Cause of Death will cause the propaganda to die.

Immortal Technique, “Cause of Death,” Revolutionary Volume 2, 2003. More from Immortal Technique…

The government pimped 9/11 to go to Iraq,
And history repeats itself right on track. (How?)
First as a tragedy, and then the comedy begins. (Why?)
Cause it’s funny, motherfuckers don’t see it come around again.

Immortal Technique, “Reverse Pimpology,” The 3rd World, 2008. More from Immortal Technique >

The military ain’t there for the people’s protection,
They’re just there to protect an investment.
That’s why people get arrested, electrocuted, molested,
Connected streets are infested with those tired of protesting.
Traumatized children grown in guerrilla garrisons,
9/11 generations pale in comparison.
And you will learn a lesson repeated through history:
That no matter what you think, occupation is not victory.

Immortal Technique, “Angels & Demons,” The Martyr, 2011. More from Immortal Technique >

You can’t tell a motherfucker what to do with his life,
Niggaz tend to live trife…so I react with the mic.

Lil Dap, “Speak Ya Clout” from Gang Starr’s Hard to Earn, 1994. More Gang Starr quotes…

Many have forgotten what we came here for,
Never knew or had a clue, so you’re on the floor.
Just growin’ not known’ about your past…
Now you’re lookin’ pretty stupid while you’re shakin’ your ass.

Chuck D., “Righstarter (Message To A Black Man),” from Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show, 1987. More knowledge from Chuck D…

Spottin’ fools frontin’ fly, girls act material.
…You live at home with your mom.

Dr. Dooom aka Kool Keith, “You Live at Home with Your Mom,” First Come, First Served, 1999. More Kool Keith lyrics…

No-frill rappers: you will evaporate, disintegrate, deflate to your fate,
as the great will dominate straight to the state
Of reignin’, gainin’…So put Kane in
That category. Period. End of story.

Big Daddy Kane, “The Symphony,” from Marley Marl’s In Control, Volume 1, 1988. More from King Asiatic Nobody’s Equal >

Took a vow to protect and serve,
All you do is disrespect and murder.
I ask that you not hurt my kids;
This is where you work…this is where I live.

Ka, “Mr. Officer,” Iron Works, 2011. More quotes from Ka…

And through our travels we get separated, never forget:
In order to survive, got to learn to live with regrets.

Jay Z, “Regrets,” Reasonable Doubt, 1996

Tell ‘em the truth and they call you a traitor,
Talk to ’em honestly and they call you a hater.

Immortal Technique, “Eye in the Sky,” from The Martyr, 2011

We could fight the fuss till we get like friends,
Or somebody bite the dust and we split like ends.
Even in our wildest moments, girl, I’m on it cause you’re worth it.
Practice makes perfect, so we fightin’ for a purpose.

A$AP Rocky, “Wildest Moments (Remix),” from Jessie Ware’s Devotion, 2013

Fuck the Febreze, I’m stinkin’ like that Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
That’s that Wu and Mobb shit; don’t turn it up…blast it.

Ghostface Killah, “Dirt (Remix),” from Mobb Deep’s The Infamous Mobb Deep, 2014. More from Ghost >

This is business: they don’t care about your lyrics;
The better you sell, the better future for their children.
Controversy sells, so they support conflict,
Makes more progress, means more profit.
An artist gets killed, they say they’re ‘so sorry,’
Meanwhile, they tell you the date of his next project.
What a life…death made them more profit:
Record companies get paid for your drama.

Cormega, “Industry,” Mega Philosophy, 2014. More wisdom from ‘Mega…

Rappers hate each other, not the labels that got rich,
Don’t care about culture, they only want profit.
If your album sell slow, bet you’ll get dropped quick;
Q-Tip warned us: the industry’s toxic.
For reference, check out BDP’s Sex and Violence.

Cormega, “Industry,” Mega Philosophy, 2014

Different day, same shit, ain’t nothing good in the hood,
I’d run away from this bitch and never come back, if I could.

50 Cent, “Hate It or Love It,” from The Game’s The Documentary, 2005. More lyrics from 50…

Damn it’s a shame you’re the mighty queen of vials,
With a wide-eyed look and a rotten-toothed smile.
Used to walk with a swagger, now you simply stagger
From one spot on, to the next spot on, to the next spot on, to the next…

Derek X (now known as Sadat X), “Slow Down,” from Brand Nubian’s One For All, 1990

Squeeze 7cc’s so I could see the seven seas,
And CC all my friends so they could see what I was seeing…
But what they saw was a despicable human being;
So, I guess they just wasn’t seeing what I was seeing.

Pharoahe Monch, “Broken Again,” PTSD, 2014. More quotes from Pharoahe Monch…

The Nets’ a stone throw from where I used to throw bricks
…So it’s only right I’m still tossing ‘round Knicks.

Jay Z, “Seen It All,” from Jeezy’s Seen It All, 2014

You named them: hustlers, killers, fiends, ex-cons.
I called them: cousins, aunts, pops, moms.
To you? Hoodlums, crackheads, gunmens.
To me? Just neighbors, classmates, young friends.

Ka, “To Hull and Back,” 1200 B.C. EP, 2014. More bars from Ka…

Girls, don’t run that shit that beauty’s only skin deep,
Cause I don’t want no girl with a Brillo face,
Or the type that’ll leave Jheri Curl juice on my pillow case.

Lord Finesse, “I Like My Girls With a Boom,” Return of the Funky Man, 1992. More Lord Finesse quotes…

My life is a blunt to the head, a prayer for the dead,
Run around hustlin…scared of the feds.
They said death is eternal sleep,
But the only thing is you ain’t really sure if you prepared for the bed.

Styles P, “My Life,” A Gangster and a Gentleman, 2002

I got a smile that’ll make the mirror crack,
And I seem to stay under clouds that’s pitch black.
So when it rains, it pours, and when it pours, I’m soaked.
I contracted lung cancer from third hand smoke,
And I’m like the frog that’s dying to be a prince,
The boy who cried wolf and no one was convinced.
The man who hit lotto and lost his ticket,
In a rainstorm…and struck by lightning trying to get it.

GZA, “Life Is a Movie,” Pro Tools, 2008. More brilliant lyrics from The GZA…

Life is real, reality is not a dream.
Those who chose to sleep…I wake em up,
Cause you’re sleepin with your mouth open hummin deez nuts.

King Sun, “Humm Deez Nuts,” Strictly Ghetto EP, 1994. More King Sun quotes…

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. More from the Tribe…

Truth brings light, light refracts off the mirror,
Visions of yourself and error could never be clearer.
The truth is that you ugly…
Not on the outside, but in the inside;
On the outside, you frontin’ you lovely.

Pharoahe Monch, “The Truth,” Internal Affairs, 1999. More Pharoahe Monch quotes >

Don’t clock anybody, let them all clock you,
Don’t be down with anybody, let them all be down with you.
Stay self-managed, self-kept, self-taught,
Be your own man; don’t be borrowed, don’t be bought.

Heavy D, “We Got Our Own Thang,” Heavy D & The Boyz’ Big Tyme, 1989

What the fuck happened to reality-spitting rhyme sayers?
These days, everybody trying to be a thug or a player.
Where did all the real motherfuckers go in the game?
Bring back the breakdancers and graffiti writers with fame.

Immortal Technique, “Revolutionary,” Revolutionary Vol. 1, 2001. More from Immortal Technique >

I switched my motto:
Instead of sayin’ ‘Fuck tomorrow,’
That buck that bought a bottle
Coulda struck the Lotto.

Nas, “Life’s a Bitch,” Illmatic, 1994. Plenty more Nas quotes >

It was the beauty that caught me and held my soul hostage…
Remember those days? Had you smellin’ my boxers.

Ghostface Killah, “Never Be the Same Again,” Bulletproof Wallets, 2001. More quotes from GFK…

Why did one straw break the camel’s back?
Here’s the secret:
The million other straws underneath it.

Mos Def, “Mathematics,” Black on Both Sides, 1999. More Mos Def quotables…

This is for my bitches in the shelters that don’t need shelter, you just doin’ that shit for a crib.
And all my bad little bitches, when your baby father hits you, stick a ice cold knife in his ribs.
And all my bitches pimp the system, get your WIC, tell your workers, “Fuck that,” you gon’ have more kids.
And you ain’t have ‘em cause you need ’em, but now you gotta feed em, so you figure that your ass gon’ strip.

Panchi, “Stretch Marks and Cigarette Burns,” from Blaq Poet’s The Blaqprint, 2009

I’d rather make one righteous dollar on my level
Than make a million dollars spittin’ rhymes for the devil.

KRS-One, “True School,” from DJ Jean Maron’s True School, 2014