"[1]
Muthaf**as—say that I'm foolish ‘cause I'm rapping for school
Do you fools read my reviews or do you just skim through ‘em?
I'm influenced by the ghettos I grew in
The same dude who paid dues decided to change rules
Never been stupid, and won't a**ume it of you, but if you
Don't see my picture I ain't painting for you
It's just music I meant for you to listen to. Don't confuse it
With what it's not. If you can use it, you should use it. If not
Then do what you do. It ain't for you to…condemn or condone it
I make it, then I say it and I own it
Never promoted hate speech
I'm more for break beats, but if it takes me
Using that to get from there to over here, then I'm a make these work
You see, I see the folks I teach like a mirror
And when I teach me, it's this type of approach that is clearer
So I'm a be me, and stand behind my ‘f** you' to critics
So if you get it, then you got it and you get it. It's as simple as that
[Hook]
All I do is pa** time studying for cla** rhyme writing
Last night it was a different one. Today I'm back like tomorrow's coming
Reading what I'm needing for next time. Teaching, trying to earn my keep
Time keep running, so I'm on it
And I can only say it how I see it, give it how I get it, speak it how I live it
Therefore, this thinking of mine you only get sixteen at a time
[2]
Since I'm in a position to talk to these kids and they listen
I ain't an academic, but I'll kick it with ‘em a minute
You see I teach and I rap, and some people call it a gimmick
But I never thought it was different. Just got in where I fit, it's
Not rocket science. If I am the most inspired by poems
And then I write ‘em. How can I be expected to go on
And live without it. Let alone, never do what I say
So take your Sophocles, and I'll do what you're doing with Jay
But just wait—this ain't to say that what you're doing is wrong
And I'm right. I'm sure there's no two people who are alike
There's pedagogical problems, and if I claim I can solve ‘em [and I might]
Who's to say what I do might do for the night, but then tomorrow
The same thing that we saw being done is being done
I guess that kind of brings us back to square one. Where to start
Is where you are. I say you do what you can
If you can't, then I don't think you should be teaching. I'm saying, just think about it
[Hook]
All I do is pa** time studying for cla** rhyme writing
Last night it was a different one. Today I'm back like tomorrow's coming
Reading what I'm needing for next time. Teaching, trying to earn my keep
Time keep running, so I'm on it
And I can only say it how I see it, give it how I get it, speak it how I live it
Therefore, this thinking of mine you only get sixteen at a time
[3]
See, I'm a poet to some—sometimes I have to teach Shakespeare
A teacher debating if what he's saying relates here
To the moment we're living in, in America now
Is wasting time. I say you put him up against rhymes
Of some of the best of the present. Prepare your lectures accordingly
Then you're good. It's not so boring being historically open-minded
Hope you find it a better approach. Research. He ain't the only one who said what he wrote
And ain't no story original. Every one is another
So every song that you hear is another lesson discovered
Another story uncovered to couple up with the canon
And the planning might be a pain. But give it time, understanding
That's a process. And there's a lot less
That you could do and do worse. And what's a little bit of change gonna hurt?
Not much. Besides, they say that what we do is the future
So, that's time that's well invested if it's reaching your students, right?
[Hook]
All I do is pa** time studying for cla** rhyme writing
Last night it was a different one. Today I'm back like tomorrow's coming
Reading what I'm needing for next time. Teaching, trying to earn my keep
Time keep running, so I'm on it
And I can only say it how I see it, give it how I get it, speak it how I live it
Therefore, this thinking of mine you only get sixteen at a time."