Every little boy wanna pick up the mic,
And try to run with the big boys and live up to the real hype.
But that’s like pickin up a ball, playin with Mike,
Swingin at Ken Griffey or challengin’ Roy to a fight.

- LL Cool J, “4,3,2,1,” Phenomenon, 1997

Do some good to the ghetto, Mr. Kris Kringle.
Come and stay awhile, kick it with God’s Angels.
Take and acknowledge my wisdom and understand
That Santa Claus is a black man.

- Keith Murray, “Santa Baby,” A Very Special Christmas 3, 1997

Too many songs, weak rhymes that’s mad long.
Make it brief son: half short, twice strong!

- GZA, “As High As Wu-Tang Get,” from Wu-Tang Clan’s Wu-Tang Forever, 1997

Cause on the mic, I got more presence than attendance in a class of schizophrenics

- J-Treds, “The Fire In Which You Burn,” from Company Flow’s Funcrusher Plus, 1997

What good is a beautiful dame with a Rolls-Royce frame, and a Volkswagen brain?

- J-Ro, “Likwit Ridas,” from Tha Alkaholiks’ Likwidation, 1997

I bomb atomically, Socrates’ philosophies and hypotheses
Can’t define how I be dropping these mockeries.
Lyrically perform armed robbery,
Flee with the lottery, possibly they spotted me…

- Inspectah Deck, “Triumph,” from Wu-Tang Clan’s Wu-Tang Forever, 1997

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

…But until then, I’ma shine to the last sin,
Resurrect through the birth of my son, and live again.

- Tragedy Khadafi, “T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)”, from CNN’s The War Report, 1997

I don’t mind you talkin shit, just keep it in the first person.

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

Some wish that I was gone, cause they know I’ma win…

- O.C., “My World,” Jewelz, 1997

Even when I say nothing, it’s a beautiful use of negative space.

- El-P, “The Fire in Which You Burn,” from Company Flow’s Funcrusher Plus, 1997

Took two drags off the blunts, and started breaking down the flag:
The blue is for the Crips, the red is for the Bloods,
The whites for the cops, and the stars come from the clubs
Or the slugs that ignite, through the night,
By the dawn early light, why is sons fighting for the stripe?

- RZA, “A Better Tomorrow,” Wu-Tang Forever, 1997

I would trade my existence to give you breath,
Guess the only guarantees in this life is death.
As I look around seein’ I’m the last one left,
And the things I can’t change I just gotta accept.

- Tragedy, “Permanently Scarred,” Against All Odds, 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

Now my helmet’s on, you can’t tell me I’m not in space.

- Dr. Octagon, “Earth People,” Dr. Octagonecologyst, 1997