Tag Archives: 1990

I clock G’s while you clock Z’s.
And I don’t smoke crack…I smoke MC’s.

PMD, “Rampage,” from EPMD’s Business As Usual, 1990

Lyrical lecture, word architecture,
Rap director, the best in my sector.
Microphone cool chief, releasin the smooth speech…
I get nasty with a pen and some loose leaf.

Lord Finesse, “Baby, You Nasty,” from Lord Finesse and DJ Mike Smooth’s Funky Technician, 1990

Elvis was a hero to most,
But he never meant shit to me, you see.
Straight up racist that sucker was,
Simple and plain…
Motherfuck him AND John Wayne.

Chuck D., “Fight the Power,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990. More Public Enemy quotes

A letter to you suckers,
Each and every one of you duck muthafuckas…
Your girl puckers her lips, so I stuck her.

Kool G. Rap, “Jive Talk,” from Kool G. Rap and DJ Polo’s Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1990

Perm in your hair or even a curly weave,
Wichya New Edition Bobby Brown button on your sleeve.
I tell you come here, you say, ‘Meet me half way,’
Cause brothers been popping that game all day.

LL Cool J, “Around the Way Girl,” Mama Said Knock You Out, 1990

Redman ready to rock rough rhymes,
Renegade rapper, rip when it’s rhyme time.
Punk push a pen and pencil when I’m pissed,
Pack pistol posse, flow some more pro shit.

Redman, “Hardcore,” from EPMD’s Business as Usual, 1990

Burn, Hollywood, burn, I smell a riot goin’ on,
First they’re guilty, now they’re gone!

Chuck D., “Burn, Hollywood, Burn,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

All right, stop whatcha doin, cause I’m about to ruin
The image and the style that you’re used to.

Shock G. aka Humpty Hump, “The Humpty Dance,” from Digital Underground’s Sex Packets, 1990

Long as I live large, life will be luxury,
Ladies in Lamborghinis…love is like luck to me.

Redman, “Hardcore,” from EPMD’s Business as Usual, 1990

All I want is peace and love on this planet.
Ain’t that how God planned it?

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

It’s weak to speak and blame somebody else
…When you destroy yourself.

Chuck D., “Welcome to the Terrordome,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

I want a girl with extensions in her hair,
Bamboo earrings, at least two pair,
A Fendi bag and a bad attitude,
That’s all I need to get me in a good mood.
She can walk with a switch and talk with street slang,
I love it when a woman ain’t scared to do her thing.

LL Cool J, “Around the Way Girl,” Mama Said Knock You Out, 1990

A rap villain: chillin’ and I don’t give a fuck about a killin’ cause I’m still in effect when you’re illin’.

Kool G. Rap, “Jive Talk,” from Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo’s Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1990

Me and Frosted went to get a drink.
But she ordered somethin’ bugged, and I ain’t know what to think.
She ordered potassium, calcium,
Carbohydrate, scotch with sodium.
She took me to her crib, threw me on the couch…
I woke up the next morning with a spoon in my mouth.

LL Cool J, “Milky Cereal,” Mama Said Knock You Out, 1990

Rebel, renegade, must stay paid.

KRS-One, “I’m Still #1,” from Boogie Down Productions’ By Any Means Necessary, 1990

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

A prejudiced man is of a devil mentality.
These are words of a wise man, wisdom;
Take a taste and erase the racism.

Kool G Rap, “Erase Racism,” from Kool G Rap and DJ Polo’s Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1990

I won’t say I’m the baddest, or portray that role,
But I’m in the top 2, and my father’s gettin’ old.

Big Daddy Kane, “Cause I Can Do It Right,” Taste of Chocolate, 1990

Brothers ain’t half-steppin…they’re walking backwards.

A.G., “Back to Back Rhyming,” from Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth’s Funky Technician, 1990

…And Sunday’s the one day I rest, give thanks, and bless.

Special Ed, “Ready 2 Attack,” Legal, 1990

How can polar bears swing on vines with the gorillas?

Brother J, “Grand Verbalizer,” from X-Clan’s To the East, Blackwards, 1990

You got a man? That’s somethin we will talk about.
He’s smart enough to have ya, but dumb enough to let ya out.

LL Cool J, “Mr. Goodbar,” Mama Said Knock You Out, 1990

A forty and a blunt, that’s all she really wants.

Grand Puba, “Slow Down,” from Brand Nubian’s One for All, 1990

Our freedom of speech is freedom or death,
We got to fight the powers that be!

Chuck D., “Fight the Power,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

Since I’m stereotyped to kill and destruct
Is one of the main reasons I don’t give a fuck.

MC Ren, “100 Miles and Runnin’” from N.W.A.’s 100 Miles and Runnin’ EP, 1990

In this lifetime, you got two things:
Bad and good, and ain’t nothin’ in between.

Cold 187um, “Untouchable,” from Above the Law’s Livin’ Like Hustlers, 1990

You called me on the phone, saying you were alone,
But that’s a lie because I heard your moms breathing on the phone.
And if you really like me, let your moms know
She should mind her business…before I let go.

K-Solo, “Your Mom’s in My Business,” Tell the World My Name, 1990

I called every day to see how she was doin,
Every time that I called her, it seemed somethin was brewin.
I called her on my dime, picked up, and then I called again,
I said, ‘Yo, who was that?’
‘Oh, he’s just a friend.’

Biz Markie, “Just a Friend,” The Biz Never Sleeps, 1990

It was you that chose your due,
You built a maze you can’t get through.
I tried to help you all I can,
Now I can’t do nuttin’ for you, man!

Flavor Flav, “Can’t Do Nuttin’ For Ya Man,” from Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

‘Yo I’m from Africa’
Boy you’re just a faker.
Name one city: ‘Uhh, Jamaica!’
Wrong! And I think that’s a shame,
An African look with an American name…

King Sun, “Be Black,” Righteous but Ruthless, 1990

Grand Puba (Brand Nubian) • “Slow Down” • 1990

As the jewels jingle from the hot young and single little stunt,
A forty and a blunt…that’s all she really wants.
But she’ll spend your papes, and she’ll use up all your plastic.
And if you swing an ep, you’d better wear a prophylactic
Cause things are getting drastic…
Slide up in the wrong one, you’ll end up in a casket.

Grand Puba, “Slow Down,” from Brand Nubian’s One For All, 1990

Special Ed • “Ready 2 Attack” • 1990

Christmas is over and this is my resolution:
To stop the confusion.
Let the fresh get fresh, and the stale get staler
And throw em in a pail of
Trash…with the other trash, and smash down the lid,
For all the weak shit they did.

Special Ed, “Ready 2 Attack,” Legal, 1990

Kool G. Rap • “Bad to the Bone” • 1990

Rhymes are dynamic, voice is titanic,
Gigantic…suckers get frantic, and then panic.
A smooth talker, ‘cause I’m a Queens New Yorker,
My rhymes bring more Good Times than Jimmie Walker.

Kool G. Rap, “Bad to the Bone,” from Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo’s Wanted: Dead or Alive, 1990

Serve the curves, I never swerve I’m superb;
Every word you heard played tricks on your nerves.

LL Cool J, “Jinglin’ Baby (Remixed But Still Jinglin’),” Mama Said Knock You Out, 1990. More from Uncle L…

Now, yo: Juice Crew’s the family, Slick Rick’s a friend of me
And Doug E. Fresh, Stet, KRS and Public Enemy.
Blahzay-blah, you know who you are:
The red, black and green, the sun, moon and star.
Knowledge of self is being taught here on after,
Peace in the name of I, Self, Lord and Master.
I come to teach and preach and reaching each
With the speech every leech I’ll impeach.
Drop science and build with math,
And the dumb, deaf and blind’ll feel the Wrath…of Kane.

Big Daddy Kane, “Wrath of Kane (Live),” It’s a Big Daddy Thing, 1990. More from Kane…

Asparagus tips look yummy, yummy, yummy,
Candied yams inside my tummy.
A collage of good eats, some snacks or nice treats,
Apple sauce and some nice red beets.
This is what we snack on when we’re questin’.

Q-Tip and Phife, “Ham n’ Eggs,” from A Tribe Called Quest’s People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1990. More from ATCQ…

Redman ready to rock rough rhymes,
Renegade rapper, rip when it’s rhyme time.
Punk push a pen and pencil when I’m pissed,
Pack pistol posse, flow some more pro shit.

Redman, “Hardcore,” from EPMD’s Business as Usual, 1990 (via rapquote)

Before you try to fuck with Ren,
I’ll put two in your ass and you’ll be shittin’ a size 10.

MC Ren, “Real Niggaz,” from N.W.A.’s 100 Miles and Runnin’, 1990.

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

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 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 said he was dangerous, well, I’m concerned…
How could he be so dangerous with his back turned?
They said, “Freeze! Halt!” The brother stopped
Threw his hands in the air, yeah, and still he got shot.
They said he had a shiny object in his hand,
So they killed the man.
And is this justice? No way, José.
He didn’t get arrested, he was suspended with pay.
Talk about armed and dangerous, accounted…
How come I never heard nothin else about it?
I’m dead up, I’m goin head up, see, the buck stops
Here. I’m sick and tired of corrupt cops.
I gotta drop, cause I don’t think it will ever stop
My brain is a Tec-9 and it’s kept cocked.
And it’s got just a few more rounds to go,
They’re goin pound for pound, blow for blow.
You want peace? Let the unjust stuff cease:
If we don’t have justice, there’ll be no peace.

Lakim Shabazz, “No Justice No Peace,” The Lost Tribe of Shabazz, 1990

I think back to when I was robbin’ my own kind,
The police didn’t pay it no mind…
But when I start robbin the white folks?
Now I’m in the Pen with the soap-on-a-rope.
I said it before and I’ll still taught it:
Every muthafucka with a color is Most Wanted.

Ice Cube, “AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted,” AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, 1990. More from Cube…

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…

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…

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