(VERSE 1)
When I was a kid, when rap was first going gold,
there were debates about the cat who most deserved to hold
the crown of the illest, Cool J was coming bold
but when you broke the lyrics down no one was going toe-to-toe
with Moe Dee, he was cold, only Mel and he was falling back
at this point in the past I didn't know about Cas
then 87 hit and left the effin' script scrambled
'cause KRS, Kane and Rakim were ripping samples
plus Rick was the slickest, Cube was bearing witness
PE was tremendous, EPMD was with the business
it was plain to see we were seeing a sea change
the Beastie's beats banged, listening to Ice T we peeped game
the music gave a whole new view, as the new school blew up we soon knew there was a new who's who
shit, the Juice Crew alone had a few dudes who had legitimate claims to having the most screws loose
that means the craziest manie scripts blazing language spit they way they did made me flip, we couldn't wait to get
the latest disc, and biting someone's style was a blatant dis,
whoever caught you doing it might would introduce your face to fists

(HOOK)
before whip was a synonym for cars, we were awed
listening, lifting rhythms from the mall, we recall
how many niggas had ridiculous bars before we thought
"who's the best emcees, biggie, Jay-Z or Nas?"

(VERSE 2)
I'm not trying to be offensive
but I been in this a minute, if my influences are your influences' influences
what I consider influenza is a bit ridiculous by the standards of niggas who never witnessed it
when I say I live this shit, I mean I been getting so intimate with my penmanship that we been hitched since I was a little kid
that's literal, it's like literature explodes from dreams into my skull and the ways I can flip it seem unlimited
it's pitiful how the artists were co-opted but when the whole media is controlled by conglomerates
it's almost no options unless you're down to dumb it down
and if you try to elevate the media will shut you down
if people see you tell it straight, evil seems to hunt you down
so we going under from fronting, I wonder 'bout the money
that directs the industry and ultimately leaves us hungry
and where it's coming from, when you follow the funding
you might realize why hardly nothing positive
is really getting that push, you try to leaven some minds
you either gotta compromise or make the message disguise
nobody nowadays is trying to hear a lecture, they're fine
rappers who don't put in effort or time