[Hook]
So far! - I've earned my respect in the streets
So far! - The ghetto's been good to me
So far! - I'm never gonna turn my back
So far! - The true and living so I gots to kick the facts
[Verse 1]
Well I've come a long way, peeps check my past
Crowds from the urban blocks thought I wasn't gonna last
But I'm true to hip hop
So I do what I gots
And my a** wasn't raped to collect my props
I just kick the raw deal when they drop instrumentals
n***as caught up in the cypher and their rhymes sound like rentals
In other words they bit
Cause they ain't true to it
Screamin', havin' a fit, and your rhymes ain't sh**
To pick apart, they start from the beginning
Sugar Hill was flavor, but in '93 that rhyme style ain't winning
So stop, you're the reason rap won't be around
I'm strictly next sh**
For stick to strictly underground
[Hook]
[Verse 2]
Let me kick it, flip the new style
The sh** that you can get with at any moment
But remember, I own it but I loan it
To those who want to practice these
I know you want to rap kid
So come and get your rap degrees
It's the school of hard knocks
n***as rhyme on every block
Know the streets, its got hard rocks and nuff cops
Tough luck and lock up
No matter what the road you wanna be in it
The sky's the limit
And now you're finished so why your grill looked in
The streets is fair game
And hip hop, you play the same
If you got sk**s, then everybody gonna know your name
And if you s**, then you're the only one ya get blame
And if you're nice rest a**ured you're headed for fortune and fame
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
So far there's so many styles I take it for granted
Could be fatal blows to hip-hop like Christie was to Hitchco*k
Straight was the way but today seems slanted
No more wrecking balls to wreck shop
No cuts on the table, raps enormous
So I put forth the cla**ic curriculum, the burrup and the stick em
Clap ya hands and a kick 'em in the Fever where it all began
And finally back again
And now that's all behind me
So pa** me a Heine better yet make it a Becks
Let me get a mic check
Watch me kick the flim-flam
While they stay rusty like the Tin Man
Dusty was the road to gold
Now we go platinum, so take that son
You don't know how to act
So I'm out black
[Hook]
[Outro]