…Had dreams of fancy cars and limos,
And all I wanted was somebody to listen to my demo.

- Erick Sermon, “Please Listen to My Demo,” from EPMD’s Unfinished Business, 1989

I never ever ran from the Ku Klux Klan, and I shouldn’t have to run from a black man.

- Kool Moe Dee, “Self-Destruction,” from Stop the Violence All-Stars’ Self Destruction, 1989

Lookin down the barrel of a gun, son of gun, son of a bitch, gettin paid, gettin rich!

- Beastie Boys, “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun,” Paul’s Boutique, 1989

Yeah, I cut class…I got a D.
Cause History meant nothing to me
Except a definite nap.
That’s why I always sat in the back.

- Mike G., “Acknowledge Your Own History,” from Jungle Brothers’ Done by the Forces of Nature, 1989

Teach the student what needs to be taught.
‘Cause black and white kids both take shorts
When one doesn’t know about the other one’s culture,
Ignorance swoops down like a vulture.

- KRS-One, “You Must Learn,” from Boogie Down Production’s Ghetto Music – The Blueprint of Hip-Hop, 1989

My father always told me to wisen up, son.
Cause if you hung with nine broke friends, you’re bound to be the tenth one.

- Parrish Smith, “It Wasn’t Me, It Was the Fame,” from EPMD’s Unfinished Business, 1989

You don’t want your kids to hear songs of this nature…
But you take em to the movies to watch Schwarzenegger!

- Bushwick Bill, “Talkin’ Loud Ain’t Saying Nothin’,” Grip It – On That Other Level, 1989

You wanna know my occupation?
I get paid to rock the nation.
I go to work.

- Kool Moe Dee, “I Go To Work,” Knowledge is King, 1989

Think, just blink and I made…a million rhymes.
Just imagine if you blinked…a million times.
Damn, I’d be paid…I got it made.

- Special Ed, “I Got It Made,” Youngest In Charge, 1989

Fuck the car, I do a muthafuckin walk-by.

- Eazy-E, “The Grande Finale”, from The D.O.C.’s No One Can Do It Better, 1989