A born terror, a rebel without a pause…
Ain’t never had a good Christmas, so who is Santa Claus?
Shyheim, “On and On,” Shyheim a.k.a. The Rugged Child, 1994
Tag: new york
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Americanomics works, and I won’t argue that is true.
But if the economy is getting better, getting better for who?
Well, if you ask me, I’m doing much worse than before,
With the welfare cuts, I don’t eat no more.
So if I did wanna go out, I couldn’t go nowhere,
Cause I ate every last one of them reindeer.
Rudolph first, I went down the list,
I got so hungry, I just couldn’t resist.
I ate Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Dixon,
Fried them up and then started to mix them.
And before you knew it, they were all gone,
I wonder what y’all gonna do about my reindeer song!Kool Moe Dee, “Santa’s Rap,” from Beat Street, 1984 -
It was December 24th on Hollis Ave. in the dark,
When I see a man chilling with his dog in the park.
I approached very slowly with my heart full of fear,
Looked at his dog, oh my God, an ill reindeer!
But then I was illin’ because the man had a beard,
And a bag full of goodies, 12 o’clock had neared.
So I turned my head a second and the man had gone,
But he left his driver’s wallet smack dead on the lawn.
I picked the wallet up, then I took a pause…
Took out the license and it cold said ‘Santa Claus!’Run, “Christmas in Hollis,” from A Very Special Christmas, 1987 -
I said ‘Whoa, little hottie,
I’m not DeLorean, Gambino or Gotti.
I don’t deal coke,
And furthermore you’re making me broke.
I’ll put you in a rehab and I won’t tell your folks.’
And what do you know,
In 18 months she came home,
And I let her back in…
And now she’s sniffing again.Smooth B., “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow,” from Nice & Smooth’s Ain’t A Damn Thing Changed, 1991. -
White Jesus in my crock pot,
I mix the shit with some soda.
Now Black Jesus turn water to wine,
…And all I had to do was turn the stove up.Jay-Z, “The Devil is a Lie,” from Rick Ross’ Mastermind, 2014. More Jay-Z quotes -
Fuck a moment of silence…I need a moment of violence.
Immortal Technique, “Toast to the Dead,” The Martyr, 2011. More Immortal Technique quotes -
God gave us music, so we play with our words.
Talib Kweli, “Manifesto,” from Lyricist Lounge, Volume 1, 1998. More Talib Kweli quotes -
Complainin’ to my lawyer how this rookie tried to frisk me…
Jealous of my jeep, I gave his badge to the chief,
And got his ass directin’ traffic in the heat for a week.RZA, “Wherever I Go,” Birth of a Prince, 2003. More Wu-Tang Clan quotes -
I get a craving like I fiend for nicotine.
But I don’t need a cigarette, know what I mean?Rakim, “Microphone Fiend,” from Eric B. and Rakim’s Follow the Leader, 1988. More Rakim quotes -
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 -
Do the math: You never settle for less than the whole if you knew the half.
Talib Kweli, “Violations,” Gravitas, 2013. More Talib Kweli quotes -
From open mics to solutions, I got a collage of answers,
And a 10-point program, just like the Black Panthers:1: First, respect yourself as an artist
If you don’t respect yourself, then your rhymes is garbage.2: Make sure your crew is as tight as you
Cause when them niggaz fallin off, they gonna bring you down too.3: Understand the meaning of MC
The power to Move the Crowd like Moses split the seas.4: Know your shit and don’t ever be blunted
If you don’t know what your words mean, then your rhymes mean nothin.5: Kick facts in the raps, and curse with clarity
What’s a curse when language is immersed in vulgarity?6: We gonna fix industrial poli-tricks
Shit, they made an art form out of ridin dicks.7: We soldiers for God needin new recruits
So if you rhymin for the loot, then you’s a prostitute.8: Acknowledge that you need food on your plate
In order to say your grace, make sure your business is straight.9: We buildin black minds with intelligence
And when you freestyle, keep the subject matter relevant.10: Every MC grab a pen
And write some conscious lyrics to tell the children.Talib Kweli, “Manifesto,” from Lyricist Lounge, Volume 1, 1998. More Talib Kweli quotes -
I’m real good at troubleshooting;
When there’s trouble…I start shooting.Necro, “Pain,” from Necro & Kool G. Rap’s The Godfathers Once Upon a Crime, 2013 -
Up against Goliath, to bring butter home.
I’m David on pavement, sling another stone.Ka, “Up Against Goliath,” Grief Pedigree, 2012 -
A wise man sees failure as progress.
A fool divorces his knowledge and misses the logic,
And loses his soul in the process.Canibus, “Poet Laureate II,” Rip the Jacker, 2003 -
Shawn Carter was born December 4th,
Weighing in at 10 pounds, 8 ounces.
He was the last of my 4 children,
The only one who didn’t give me any pain when I gave birth to him.
…And that’s how I knew that he was a special child.Jay-Z’s mom, Gloria Carter, “December 4th,” The Black Album, 2003. Happy Bornday, Shawn Carter, born December 4, 1969. -
Never we sleep, a thug doesn’t rest,
Cause a wise man said: it was a cousin of death.Big Pun, “Who Is a Thug,” from Whiteboys soundtrack, 1999 -
I never sleep, ‘cause sleep is the cousin of death.
Nas, “N.Y. State of Mind,” Illmatic, 1994 -
Brain cells are lit, ideas start to hit,
Next the formation of words that fit.
At the table I sit, making it legit,
And when my pen hits the paper…ahhhh shit!Big Daddy Kane, “Ain’t No Half Steppin’,” Long Live The Kane, 1988 -
Let’s pretend we’re both guns, and make this shit erratic:
I’ll be the revolver, you can play the automatic.
Automatic flip scripts, revolver show loyalty.
Each gun is die-able, but only one’s reliable.
You shoot fast, but in the end you jam,
Then I click back, and turn your brains into spam.MF Grimm, “Crumb Snatchers,” Scars & Memories, 2005 -
You gotta understand: I’m a man with needs that needs fulfilling.
And if you ain’t with it, somebody else is willing.Lord Jamar, “Love Me or Leave Me Alone,” from Brand Nubian’s In God We Trust, 1993 -
Cats be talkin’, “Bobby I ain’t feelin’ ya.”
But I bet if I was peelin’ your cap back with a two-shot Dillinger
Hot lead released from my cylinder,
You’d be talkin’ ‘bout, “Bobby I’m feelin’ ya!”RZA, “W.W.T. (Worldwide Thugs),” 2001 -
The world is kinda cold and the rhythm is my blanket.
Q-Tip, “Verses from the Abstract,” from A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, 1991 -
You thought your shit was fly, but the flight was delayed.
J-Live, “Braggin’ Writes,” The Best Part, 2001 -
Dutch in my ear, Olde E in my palm,
I Freddy Krueger your face, Michael Myers your moms.
You botherin mine? That’s when I’m sparkin the nine.Sean Price, “King Kong,” Jesus Price Superstar, 2007 -
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 -
Feeling mad hostile, wearing Aéropostale,
Flowing like Christ when I speaks the gospel.RZA, “Protect Ya Neck,” Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, 1993 -
War’s extremely serious and it saddens me.
Masta Killa, “Assassination Day,” from Ghostface Killah’s Ironman, 1995 -
It’s all love, but love’s got a thin line
And Pun’s got a big nine,
Respect crime…but not when it reflect mine.Big Pun, “Off the Books,” from The Beatnuts’ Stone Crazy, 1997 -
Commentating, illustrating, description-giving
Adjective expert. Analyzing, surmising,
Musical, myth-seeking people of the universe…
This is yours!T La Rock & Jazzy Jay, “It’s Yours,” 1987 -
We ain’t speak, clicking heat is our Morse code.
Ka, “Jungle,” Night’s Gambit, 2013 -
I never fronted, you can get it if you want it…
Won’t say I’m the best, but I’m not that far from it.Lord Finesse, “Gameplan,” The Awakening, 1996 -
Listenin to nothin, takin no suggestions,
All destructive criticisms that can’t improve on perfection.MF Doom is Viktor Vaughn, “The Drop,” Vaudeville Villain, 2003 -
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 -
Bitch is in the back looking righteous
In a tight dress…I think I might just
Hit her with a little Biggie 101:
How to tote a gun,
And have fun with Jamaican rum.The Notorious B.I.G., “Party and Bullshit,” from Who’s The Man? soundtrack, 1993 -
This game is lame, the music comes second
So you can save that stupidness for all them artists you checkin.
Popularity don’t last long, I’m in it for classics,
Cause the other side of the biz is fake and it’s plastic.Craig G., “Classic Personified,” Ramblings of an Angry Old Man, 2012 -
I’ve been layin’, waiting for your next mistake,
I put in work, and watch my status escalate.Guru, “Work,” from Gang Starr’s Moment of Truth, 1998 -
A lot of rappers be like one time wonders,
Couldn’t say a fly rhyme if there was one right under their noses…
I hate those motherfuckin posers.Guru, “Mass Appeal,” from Gang Starr’s Hard to Earn, 1994 (via ninetynow) -
MCs get a little bit of love and think they hot,
Talkin bout how much money they got…all y’all records sound the same.
I’m sick of that fake thug, R&B-rap scenario, all day on the radio,
Same scenes in the video, monotonous material.
…Y’all don’t hear me though:
These record labels slang our tapes like dope.
You can be next in line and signed, and still be writing rhymes and broke.stic.man, “Hip-Hop,” from Dead Prez’s Let’s Get Free, 2000 -
Some rappers stink, like Engelbert Humperdinck,
Better yet Dick Cavett, I got a bad habit
Similar to the girl on She’s Gotta Have It.Grand Puba, “All For One,” from Brand Nubian’s One For All, 1990 -
I know the feelin, when you feelin like a villain,
You be havin good thoughts but the evils be revealin’.
And the stresses of life can take you off the right path,
Jealousy and envy tends to infiltrate your staff…
We gotta hold it down so we can move on past
All adversities, so we can get through fast.Q-Tip, “Stressed Out,” from A Tribe Called Quest’s Beats, Rhymes & Life, 1996 -
Why do I need ID to get ID?
If I had ID, I wouldn’t need ID.Mos Def, “The Questions,” from Common’s Like Water for Chocolate, 2000 -
Girls stick like Crazy Glue, they think they’re gettin’ dough;
But I treat hoes like drugs: I just say ‘No.’Showbiz, “Diggin’ In The Crates,” from Showbiz & A.G.’s Soul Clap EP, 1991 -
Rhymes so def, rhymes rhymes galore,
Rhymes that you’ve never even heard before.
Now if you say you heard my rhyme, we gonna have to fight,
‘Cause I just made the muthafuckas up last night!Run, “Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse),” from Run-DMC’s Run-DMC, 1984 -
A day to God is a thousand years,
Men walk around with a thousand fears.
The true joy of love brings a thousand tears,
In the world of desire, there’s a thousand snares.RZA, “A Day to God is 1000 Years,” Birth of a Prince, 2003 -
If you go platinum, it’s got nothing to do with luck,
It just means that a million people are stupid as fuck.Immortal Technique, “Industrial Revolution,” Revolutionary Vol. 2, 2003 -
The snake, the rat, the cat, the dog…
How you gonna see ‘em if you livin’ in the fog?DMX, “Damien,” It’s Dark and Hell is Hot, 1998 -
And as for the critics, tell me I don’t get it.
Everybody can tell you how to do it, they never did it.Jay-Z, “Already Home,” The Blueprint 3, 2009 -
When I get involved, I give it my heart,
I mean my mind, my soul, my body: I mean every part.
But if it doesn’t work out, yo, it just doesn’t.
It wasn’t meant to be, you know, it just wasn’t.MC Lyte, “Paper Thin,” Lyte as a Rock, 1988 -
I’m a street genius with a unique penis,
Got fly chicks on my dick that don’t even speak English.Big L, “Da Graveyard,” Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, 1995 -
If I wasn’t in the rap game,
I’d probably have a key knee-deep in the crack game.
Because the streets is a short stop:
Either you’re slinging crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot.The Notorious B.I.G., “Things Done Changed,” Ready to Die, 1994 -
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 -
My new shorty got a gymnastic back,
‘87 emerald green on a classic Jag.
She had the cleft palate, I ordered chef’s salad;
She had the club foot, with that little arm,
I couldn’t help but laugh…she ordered Chicken Parm.Action Bronson, “NaNa,” from Chance The Rapper’s Acid Rap, 2013 -
Mark you for death, won’t even talk that East or West crap.
From Watts to Lefrak, it ain’t where ya from, it’s where’s your gat.Big Pun, “You Ain’t a Killer,” Capital Punishment, 1998 -
Anything worth having is hard to keep,
I love you like my coffee, so hot and so sweet.
So, let’s stick it out so we never regret it,
I could forgive the past–but I never forget it.Ghostface Killah, “You Know I’m No Good (Remix),” More Fish, 2006 -
I don’t understand the difficulty, people;
Love your brother, treat him as an equal.Heavy D., “Self Destruction,” Stop The Violence All-Stars, 1989 -
Your whole appearance is a lie and it could never be true.
And if you really loved yourself, then you would try and be you.Phife, “Butter,” from A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, 1991 -
What you base your happiness around?
Material, women, and large paper?
That means you inferior, not major.Nas, “No Idea’s Original,” The Lost Tapes, 2002 -
About those other Jennys I reckoned with,
Lost them all like a homework excuse.
This time, the Magic Number is two,
Cause it takes two, not three, to seduce.
My destiny of love is brought to an apex,
Sex is a mere molecule.
In this world of love that I have for you
It’s true…Eye know I love you better.Dove/Trugoy, “Eye Know,” from De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, 1989. This landmark album was released 25 years ago today. More De La Soul quotes… -
Food for thought, so get a buffet plate.
The lyrics are so fat you might gain weight.Doodlebug, “Where I’m From,” from Digable Planets’ Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space, 1993 -
Though the meek shall inherit the earth, but don’t forget:
The poor are the ones who inherit the debt.Posdnuos, “The Grind Date,” from De La Soul’s The Grind Date, 2004 -
Trapped on a planet of pain and perpetrators
That you call ‘Earth,’ but I call ‘Hell’s Equator.’MF Grimm, “Emotions,” Scars & Memories, 2005 -
The mind is a terrible thing to waste.
I show love cause it’s a terrible thing to hate.Guru, “Peace of Mine,” from Gang Starr’s The Ownerz, 2003 -
The first lady in my life, but now you’re gone,
I learned through the years to keep carrying on.
Your picture brings me tears and memories,
The way things could be…and they should be, but they’re not.Afrika Baby Bam, “All I Think About Is You,” from Jungle Brothers’ J. Beez Wit The Remedy, 1993 -
I’m surrounded by psychopathic little fellas,
Ghetto dwellas, with ammunition in their cellas,
And no remorse in their hearts
When the shit starts it don’t end…
Until somebody’s gone with the wind.Masta Ace, “Maintain,” Sittin on Chrome EP, 1995 -
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 -
Know the shit I don’t write be the illest shit that’s ever been recited in the game,
Word to the hyphen in my name!Jay Z, “The Watcher 2,” The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, 2002. Jay Z dropped the hyphen today. -
I got mouths to feed,
Unnecessary beef is more cows to breed.GZA, “4th Chamber,” Liquid Swords, 1995 -
Rappers act so wild, and love to profile,
Frontin’ hard, but ain’t got no style.Big Daddy Kane, “Smooth Operator,” It’s a Big Daddy Thing, 1989 -
Consider me the entity within the industry without a history of spitting the epitome of stupidity.
Talib Kweli, “Definition,” from Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, 1998 -
In time, you’ll see a thin line between friend and rival.
Between you and me: stupidity and men’s bravado.Ka, “Iron Age,” Grief Pedigree, 2012 -
No matter what the name, we’re all the same pieces in one big chess game.
Chuck D., “Rebel Without a Pause,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988 -
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 -
Nowadays, the game is all bugged out,
Phony, like back when Hammer tried to come thugged out.MF Doom, “Foolish,“ from MF Grimm’s Downfall of Ibliys: A Ghetto Opera, 2002 -
If you love someone, you should say it often,
You never know when they’ll be layin’ in a coffin.
Wake up, it’s important that you know that
No one on Earth is promised tomorrow.MC Lyte, “Poor Georgie,” Act Like You Know, 1991 -
Lyrically, I’m supposed to represent;
I’m not only the client, I’m the player president.The Notorious B.I.G., “One More Chance (Remix),” 12", 1995 -
I’m only trying to show you how black niggas live,
But you don’t want your little ones acting like this.
Lil Amy told Becky, Becky told Jenny,
And now they all know the skinny.
Lil Joey got his durag on,
Driving down the street blasting Tupac’s song.Jay-Z, “Hell Yeah (Pimp the System) (Remix)”, from Revolutionary But Gangsta, 2004 -
Feds still lurking,
They see I’m still putting work in.
Cause somewhere in America…
Miley Cyrus is still twerkin’.Jay-Z, “Somewhere In America,” Magna Carta Holy Grail, 2013 -
It’s the principle of it, I get a rush when I bust
Some dope lines oral, that maybe somebody’ll quote.
That’s what I consider real in this field of music,
Instead of puttin’ brain cells to work, they abuse it.
Non-conceptual, non-exceptional,
Everybody’s either crime-related or sexual.
For those who pose lyrical, but really ain’t true, I feel:
Their time’s limited, hard rocks too.O.C., “Time’s Up,” Word…Life, 1994 -
I drop styles on ears…the public bite ‘em.
Not many went to school, so the dummies wouldn’t write ’em.
They say, “Yo Keith! You’re Kool, you usin’ big words!”
I went to college, I’m even more stupid, herb.Kool Keith, “Raise It Up,” from Ultramagnetic M.C.’s The Four Horsemen, 1993 -
They claim we’re products from the bottom of Hell,
But the black is back, and it’s bound to sell.
Picture us coolin’ out on the Fourth of July…
And if you heard we were celebratin’, that’s a worldwide lie.Flavor Flav, “Louder than a Bomb,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988 -
My heart is ‘We Are the World,’ my penis is P.E.
But my balls are Avatar, you could see ’em in 3D.Pharoahe Monch, “Let U Live,” from Consequence’s Movies on Demand, 2010 -
Everything will eventually come to an end,
So try to savor the moment, cause time flies, don’t it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better,
Cause nothin’ lasts forever.Nas, “Nothing Lasts Forever,” The Lost Tapes, 2002 -
I know you think my life is good ‘cause my diamond piece,
But my life been good since I started finding peace.Nas, “Loco-Motive,” Life Is Good, 2012 -
Raise your right palm: We do solemnly swear
To stack more dough more calmly this year.MF Doom, “Get ‘Er Done,” from Jake One’s White Van Music, 2008 -
…About those other Jennys I reckoned with
Lost them all like a homework excuse.
This time the Magic Number is Two,
‘Cause it takes two, not three, to seduce.Dove, “Eye Know,” from De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising, 1989 -
Comin’ from the school of hard knocks,
Some perpetrate…they drink Clorox.
Attack the black, cause I know they lack exact
The cold facts, and still they try to Xerox.Chuck D., “Don’t Believe the Hype,” from Public Enemy’s It Takes a Nation of Million’s To Hold Us Back, 1988 -
I’ll have you weak in the knees that you could hardly speak,
Or we could do like Uncle L and swing an ep in my Jeep.Q-Tip, “Electric Relaxation,” from A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, 1993 -
We fight every night, now that’s not kosher.
I reminisce with bliss of when we was closer,
And wake up to be greeted by an argument again,
…You act like you’re ten.
So immature, I try to concentrate on a cure,
And keep lookin’ at the front door.Large Professor, “Looking at the Front Door,” from Main Source’s Breaking Atoms, 1991 -
You dudes is noodles, I got more ziti to bake.
You dudes is cake, I keep two biscuits on the waist.
Razor blades under the tongue, I will eat your face,
Appetite for destruction, I am starvin’ today.
Got a money hungry lawyer that’ll eat the case,
And that’s just food for thought, don’t let it go to waste.Jay-Z, “U Don’t Know (Remix),” The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse, 2002 -
You and your friends…always together,
No time for the B-I-G, so I’m O-U-T.
The sex was great, but the headaches I can’t take.
I think I made a very big mistake.Notorious B.I.G., “Buddy X (Remix),” from Neneh Cherry’s Homebrew, 1992 -
It’s been a long time…I shouldn’t have left you
Without a strong rhyme to step to.Rakim, “I Know You Got Soul,” from Eric B. and Rakim’s Paid In Full, 1987 -
It’s a beautiful day, and everybody’s feelin’ wonderful,
The ladies is out, lookin’ fly, dressed comfortable.
I love to wake up, and feel the breeze through my window,
Slip on fatigues, grab a dutch, and roll some indo.Dead Prez, “Happiness,” Let’s Get Free, 2000 -
I go to Queens for queens to get the crew from Brooklyn,
Make money in Manhattan and never been tooken.
Go Uptown and the Bronx to boogie down,
Get strong on the Island, recoup, and lay around.Rakim, “Juice (Know the Ledge),” from Eric B. & Rakim’s Don’t Sweat the Technique, 1992 -
The last batter to hit, blast shattered your hip,
Smash any splitter or fastball—that’ll be it.Pharoahe Monch, “The Next Shit,” Internal Affairs, 1999 -
The rap era’s outta control,
Brothers’ sellin their soul to go gold…
Going, going, gone, another rapper sold!Parrish Smith, “Crossover,” EPMD’s Business Never Personal, 1993 -
I’m goin’ out first class, ain’t goin’ out coach.
MCA, “The Sounds of Science,” from Beastie Boys’ Paul’s Boutique, 1989. Remembering Adam Yauch, who passed away a year ago today. Rest in Peace, MCA.