Collections

Listen up everybody the bottom line
I'm a black intellect, but unrefined
With precision like a bullet, target bound
Just living like a hooker, the harlett sounds
Now when I say the harlett, you know I mean the hott
V-A-V-A-Vader, the brothers in the spot
Jalick, Jalick ya wind up ya hit
Captain of the poets, I'm the number seven pick
Lick, lick, lick boy on your backside
Lick, lick, lick boy on your backside
Listen to the fader, Shaheed lets it glide
Tip the earthly body
Heavens on my side
Even in Santo Domingo
Can I gotta Gringo
We got mikes when do we go
Know a little nigga who can ryhme when you ask me
Short, dark, and plus his voice is raspy
Phife Dawg
1 for the treble
2 for the bass
You know the style Tip
It's time to flip this
I like my beats hard like two day old shit
Steady eating booty M.C's like cheese Grits
My man Al B. Sure, he's in effect mode
Used to have a crush on Dawn from En Vogue
It's not like honey dip would want to get with me
But just in case I own more condoms then T.L.C.
Now the formula is this Me, Tip, and Ali
For those who can't count it goes 1-2-3
The answer(scratch-Damn right I'm)Hiccup is how I be
Brothers find it's hard to do but never me
Some brothers try to dis my malik
You see'm ditching me
Now cure all the B.B. M.C.'s my shit is hitting
Training gladiator, anti-hesitater
Shaheed push the fader from here to Granada
Mr. energetic, who me sound pathetic
When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic?
(I don't know man)
(I don't know)

(Oh My God yes, Oh my god)

Complimentary it be
The thief of Poetry
I got a humdinger coming hook line and sinker
The Timbo hits with the prints underground
Timbo's on the toes, I like the way it's going down
Down like the lady of the evening
When it goes in Toots just believe the sin
Cause Queens is the county, Jamaica is the place
Take off your boots 'cause you can't run the race

(Oh My God yes, Oh my god)

[Q-Tip]
Let me flaunt the style (style), I think that the time's near
That we drop studs (studs), there will be no duds here
Rappers play the dumb (dumb), kinda on the space tip
But when they hear the jams (jams), they be on the dilsnick
Now I'm not for the rock (rock), I know the territory
Go ahead and try (try), that's a different story
Similar to Grimm (Grimm), I could write a better one
All about a kid (kid), who couldn't rap and didn't run
Stand (stand) aside (aside), when the rap is getting dumb
Resort to bagging Billy (Billy), asking can he have some
No, never ever (ever) come back and try again man
If you come back (back), I'll be the first to shake your hand
Competitions good (good), it brings out the vital parts
The Abstract Poetic ('etic), majors in recital arts
Do it for the kids (kids), the elders and the rap peers
When the job is done (done), then we hear a lot of cheers
Gotta feel the vibes (vibes), come from my creation
If the hands clap (clap) are filled with elation
Here I am ghetto, full with a lot of steam
Think I gotta, I think I gotta, I think I gotta scream (scream)
Cause that's how good it feels child
Let your hair down (down), so we can get buckwild
Do your ill dance (dance), don't think about the next man
We must have unity and think of the bigger plan
The vision, we fall (fall) we must stick together, see
I'd like to take this time (time) to say what's up to cool G
The name is Q-Tip (Tip), The Midnight Marauder
Give enough respect ('spect) to Afrika Bambaataa
As a man in the world (world), I must do my job
Take care of Mama Duke (Duke), I won't resort to rob
Bob you'll get your dough (dough), Mase is my witness
Obsessed with the rap (rap), for its the mental fitness
Like shooting cee-lo (lo), and always getting headcracks
The industry is luck (luck), winning with the fake raps
Peace to the crews (crews), who pump the real hip hop
Not selling out (out) from hardrock to disc jock,
(From disc jock to hardrock, from hardrock to disc jock)

[Phife]
I don't know what to say, but here I go freak it
If the papes come, then you know I'll seek it
I'm just a short brother, dark skin face
Weigh a buck-fifty, 36 waist
My hair is crazy curly
Front like Mr. Furley
To this day, I still believe that no MC can serve me
Brothers try to front, but everybody know (know)
I get more props than the Arsenio Hall Show
Party animal I was, but now I chill at home
All I do is write rhymes, eat, drink, shit and bone
Found my thrill in Amityville, I'm always in the Island
Fudge and Monkey know the time, they know who keeps 'em smiling
Go out on my own, something that I gotta do
Do what the hell I want and have no one to listen to
I'm prompt with my business and I do things on the double
Yo, I'm out like Buster Douglass, I say peace to MC Trouble
Rest in Peace

[Q-Tip]
Word Up, rest in Peace, and you know what else?
We got, we got, we got the vibe (vibe)
All the people in Long Island, we got the vibe (vibe)
Brooklyn and Queens, we got the vibe (vibe)
Uptown and New York, we got the vibe (vibe)
People upstate, we got the vibe (vibe)
If you're in DC, you got the vibe (vibe)
Maryland, Virginia, Carolina vibe (vibe)
Out West, we got the vibe (vibe)
In the Bahamas, we got the vibe (vibe)
Over in Europe, you know what? We got the vibe
And we gotta keep it alive, it goes on

Of rap I'm a fan, I've seen a whole lot of subs
Goods with the girls, I got a whole lot of 'em
From fat to skinny, Freeda to Winnie (Winnie)
Emma to Cindy, Constance to Wendy (Wendy)
'cause I be more friendly (friendly), never on the snotty side
I don't brag to brothers about the little papes I got (got)
My vocal styles can vary, the sight is never scary (scary)
It's only legendary ('dary), my father well prepared me ('pared me)
My job ain't temporary, I'm here for the long shot
Better yet, the long term, I don't have a perm (perm)
In a way I do, call 'em the perma-naps
I'm crazy slap-happy and I'm scrappy when I'm nappy
When I get the mic in my hand and the crowd in stands (stands)
It's as good as grand like that (that)

I want to say peace and dedicate this joint to MC Trouble and to
Trouble T-Roy
And to um, Scott La Rock and to um...Cowboy, you know what I'm sayin?
This is for the slain rappers and the fallen rappers
You know what I'm sayin (sayin)?
This is a special, special, special, special, special dedication
And also to my pops and also to Vinny, his moms (moms)
You know what I'm sayin?
You just gotta keep it happy and keep the vibes going
And this is Vibes and Stuff
And we out

Here we go yo, here we go yo
So what so what so what's the scenario
Here we go yo, here we go yo
So what so what so what's the scenario

A-yo Bo knows this (what?) and Bo knows that (what?)
But Bo don't know jack, cause Bo can't rap
Well what do you know, the Di-Dawg, is first up to bat
No batteries included, and no strings attached
No holds barred, no time for move faking
Gots to get the loot so I can bring home the bacon
Brothers front, they say the Tribe can't flow
But we've been known to do the impossible like Broadway Joe so
Sleep if you want NyQuil will help you get your Z's, troop
But here's the real scoop
I'm all that and then some, short dark and handsome
Bust a nut inside your eye, to show you where I come from
I'm vexed, fuming, I've had it up to here
My days of paying dues are over, acknowledge me as in there (yeah!)
Head for the border, go get a taco
Watch me wreck it from the jump street, meaning from the get-go
Sit back relax and let yourself go
Don't sweat what you heard, but act like you know

Yes yes y'all (yes y'all!)
Who got the vibe it's the Tribe y'all (Tribe y'all!)
Real live y'all (live y'all!)
Inside outside come around
(Who's that?) Brown!
Some may, I say, call me Charlie
The word is the herb and I'm deep like Bob Marley
Lay back on the payback, evolve rotate the gates
(Contact!) Can I get a hit? (Hit!)
Boom bip with a brother named Tip and we're ready to flip
East coast stomping, ripping and romping
New York, North Cak-a-laka, and Compton
Checka-checka-check it out
The loops for the troops, more bounce to the ounce
And wow how now wow how now Brown cow
We're ill till the skill gets down
For the flex, next, it's the textbook old to the new
But the rest are doo-doo
From radio, to the video, to Arsenio
Tell me! Yo, what's the scenario

(True blue!) Scooby Doo, whoopie doo
Scenarios, radios, rates more than four
Scores for the smores that smother dance floors
Now I go for mine, shades of sea shore
Ship-shape plush Grape Apes to play tapes
[Papes make drapes] great for the wakes
Of an L-AH, an E-ADER, simply just a leader
Bass innerspace means peace see ya later
Later (later!), later alligator
Pop blows the weasel and the herb's the inflater
So yo the D what the O, incorporate I-N-C into a flow
Funk flipped flat back first this foul fight fight fight
Laugh yo, how'd that sound? (oh!)

It's a Leader Quest mission and we got the goods here (here!)
Never on the left cause my right's my good ear (ear!)
I could give a damn about a ill subliminal
Stay away from crime so I ain't no criminal
I love my young nation, groovy sensation
No time for hibernation, only elation
Don't ever try to test, the water little kid
Yo Mr. Busta Rhymes, tell him what I did

I heard you rushed and rushed, and attacked
Then they rebuked then you had to smack
Causing rambunction throughout the sphere
Raise the levels of the boom inside the ear

You know I did it
So don't violate or you'll get violated
The Hip Hop sound is well agitated
Won't ever waste no time on the played out ego
So here's Busta Rhymes with the scenario

Watch, as I combine all the juice from the mind
Heel up, wheel up, bring it back, come rewind
Powerful impact - boom! - from the cannon
Not bragging, try to read my mind just imagine
Vo-cab-u-lary's necessary
When digging into my library
Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!
Eating Ital Stew like the one Peter Tosh
Uh! Uh! Uh! All over the track man
Uh! Pardon me, uh! As I come back
As I did it yo I heard you beg your pardon
When I travel through the town I roll with the squadron
RRRRRROAW RRRRRRROAW like a dungeon dragon
Change your little drawers cause your pants are sagging
Try to step to this, I will twist you in a turban
And have you smelling ripe like some old stale urine
Chickity-choco, the chocolate chicken
The rear cock diesel, buttcheeks they were kicking
Yo, bust it out before the Busta bust another rhyme
The rhythm is in sync (Uh!) the rhymes are on time (time!)
Ripping up this dance just like a radio
Observe the vibe and check out the scenario

Here we go yo, here we go yo
So what so what so what's the scenario
Here we go yo, here we go yo
So what so what so what's the scenario

"Hey sucka nigga, whoever you are" [Repeat: x2]
"Hey sucka nigga, hey sucka nigga
Whoever you are, whoever you are"

[Q-Tip]
Hey yo, turn it up Muhammad
Turn everything up in the headphones
So I don't lose my vocals
Yeah that's good, turn my vocals a little bit
With the upper bass line

I be hating sucka MC's, and the sucka niggas
Posing like they hard when we know they damn card
What you figure, rhyme-wise, I do the figure eight
So concisely, musically we are the herb so sit back
And light me, inhale *inhalation noise*
My style is kinda fat reminiscent of a whale
Young girls desires for the females dreams
I be the Abstract Poetic representing from Queens
Socially I'm not a name, black and white got game
If you came to the jam, well I'm glad you came
See, nigga first was used back in the Deep South
Falling out between the dome of the white man's mouth
It means that we will never grow, you know the word dummy
Other niggas in the community think it's crummy
But I don't, neither does the youth cause we
Em-brace adversity it goes right with the race
And being that we use it as a term of endearment
Niggas start to bug to the dome is where the fear went
Now the little shorties say it all of the time
And a whole bunch of niggas throw the word in they rhyme
Yo I start to flinch, as I try not to say it
But my lips is like the oowop as I start to spray it
My lips is like a oowop as I start to spray it
My lips is like a oowop as I start to spray the

Sucka nigga, nigga nigga
I throw the sucka in the front for the ones that front
The sucka niggas, nigga nigga
I throw the sucka in the front for the ones that front
The sucka niggas, nigga nigga
I throw the sucka in the front for the ones that front
It's the neo-nigga of the nineties, c'mon

I be hatin sucka MC's, and the sucka niggas
Posin like they hard when we know they damn card
What you figure, rhyme-wise, I do the figure eight
So concisely, musically we are the herb so sit back
And light me inhale
My style is kinda fat reminiscent of a whale
Young girls desires for the females dreams
I be the Abstract Poetic representin from Queens
Socially I'm not a name, black and white got game
If you came to the jam well I'm glad you came
See, nigga first was used down in the Deep South
Falling out between the dome of the white man's mouth
It means that we will never grow, you know the word dummy
Other niggas in the community think it's crummy
But I don't, neither does the youth cause we
Em-brace adversity it goes right with the race
Yo I start to flinch, as I try not to say it
But my lips is like the oowop as I start to spray it
My lips is like a oowop as I start to spray it
My lips is like a oowop, yo you know the rest

The sucka niggas, niggas niggas
I throw the sucka in the front for the ones that front
The sucka niggas, nigga nigga
I throw the suckas in the front for the ones that front
The sucka niggas, nigga nigga
I throw the sucka in the front for the ones that front
Sucka niggas, nigga nigga
Hey yo Shaheed, take us the fuck outta here

Yo, microphone check one two what is this
The five foot assassin with the ruffneck business
I float like gravity, never had a cavity
Got more rhymes than the Winans got family

No need to sweat Arsenio to gain some type of fame
No shame in my game cause I'll always be the same
Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have
You want to diss the Phifer but you still don't know the half

I sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path
Messing round with this you catch "the sizing of em?
I never half step cause I'm not a half stepper
Drink a lot of soda so they call me Dr. Pepper

Refuse to compete with BS competition
Your name ain't Special Ed so won't you Seckle With the Mission
I never walk the streets, think it's all about me
Even though deep in my heart, it really could be

I just try my best to like go all out
Some might even say yo shorty black you're buggin' out

Zulu Nation, brothers that's creation
Minds get flooded, ejaculation
Right on the two inch tape

The Abstract poet incognito, runs the cape
Not the best not the worst and occasionally I curse to get my
Point across, so bust, the floss
As I go in between, the grit and the dirt

Listen to the mission listen Miss as I do work,
As I crack the, monotone
Children of the jazz so, get your own
Smoking R&B cause they try to do me

Or the best of the pack but they can't do rap
For it's Abstract, original
You can't get your own and that's, pitiful
I know I'd be the man if I cold yanked the plug

On R&B, but I can't and that's bugged
Buggin' out, buggin' out, buggin' out you're buggin' out

Yo when you bug out, you usually have a reason for the action
Sometimes you don't it's just for mere satisfaction
People be hounding, always surrounding
Pulsing, just like a migraine pounding

You don't really fret, you stay in your sense
'Comafied' your feeling, of absolute tense
You soar off to another world, deep in your mind
But people seem to take that, as being unkind

"Oh yo he's acting stank," really on a regal?
A man of the fame not a man of the people
Believe that if you want to but I tell you this much
Riding on the train with no dough, sucks

Once again a case of your feet in my Nike's
If a crowd is in my realm I'm saying, mic please
Hip-hop is living, can't yank the plug
If you do the result, will end up kind of bugged

Yo, I am not an invalid although I used to smoke the weed out
Ali Shaheed Muhammad used to say I had to be out
Scheming on the cookies with the crazy booming back buns
Pushing on the real hardest so we can have the big fun

When I left for Rosie I was Boulevard status
Battling a MC was when Tip was at his baddest
It was one MC after one MC
What the world could they be wanting see from little old me

Do I have the formula to save the world?
Or was it just because I used to swipe the women and all the girls
I'm the type of brother with the crazy extended hand kid
Dissed by all my brothers I was all up what my man did

Supposed to be my man but now I wonder cause you're feeble
I go out with the strongest and I separate the evils
It's your brain against my mind, for those about to boot out
All you nasty critters even though you see I bug out

Buggin' out, buggin' out, buggin' out you're buggin' out

[Q-Tip]
Fool, defined in Webster's
Open up the book, read it read it
Turn the page, see what it says
Read it to me will you please

(One who acts dope,
So what does it mean to me?)
That's you (how's that?) cause of the way you act (Huh?)
Standing on the corner selling Girbauds (what you talking bout?)
Scaling your friends and also your foes
What's the matter with you boy? (Ain't nothing wrong with me, mother...)
You big galoot (huh?), you nincompoop (what?)
What's wrong wit you? You can't compute (Yes sure I can compute)
Don't fix your lips to tell me you can
Standing on the poley playing pusher man
What you got to do with yourself? (Oh what?)
Can't you be somebody else? (No)
Look at you described to a tee (huh)
You're a fool of many in society
I know some more, I shall go on
And continue in the song, fooled the fool

'Fool', scratched by Ali Shaheed
(Man I don't know what you're talking bout calling me a fool
I've been out here for twenty some odd years
Doin my thing, I ain't no fool man
You crazy or something?
I'm gonna stick this, right up your)

[Q-Tip]
The girl I talked to she's sort of neurotic (yeah)
Her crazy ex-boyfriend is really psychotic (uh-huh)
Scares the girl by threatening her life (word)
Says 'Girl, you're dead if you're not my wife' (oh man)
Beats in her public, beats her in private (yes)
Tried it 'round me, 'almost' won't buy it (what you mean?)
Said 'Forget him, don't you know he's a loser'

Who would love a woman turn around and abuse her (oh)
Only a fool as described by the Tribe
Here's another one who's on the fool vibe (okay)
Gonna make it short, gonna make it quick (why?)
For this situation makes me sick (oh)
See your brother man, with the female (yeah)
He's crazy ego tryed to show he'll prevail (aha)
In any situation lady luck's on his side (word)
Emotions run free, nothing he will hide
Why I remember one sunny day (yeah)
Took my cousin to the park so we can play (yeah, park)
On the way, a couple resembled
The one I just described, everything assembled
Another young man walked in their direction (yeah)
Bumped him a bit, excused his imperfection
But the man with the lady grabbed the other by the neck
Demanded an apology and also respect (uh-huh uh-huh)
The young man aggravated grabbed him back and smacked him
The girl just laughed and laughed and laughed at him (oh man!)
He felt ashamed for what he had done
It looked like a fool to everyone (OH!)
These are three stories from the naked city (yeah)
Reality, is sometimes a ditty (yeah uh huh)
Like Grodzilla from The Twilight Zone
Earth to your brain, is anyone home? (What you talking bout?)
I see ya there, trying to make amends
Try to make some friends, but now my story ends (Oh man!)
On the note, that I just wrote
Stay afloat on the reality boat (oh)
Slow down and think and take it cool
And try to avoid the description of a

We got the jazz

Stern firm and young with a laid-back tongue
The aim is to succeed and achieve at 21
Just like Ringling Brothers, I'll daze and astound
Captivate the mass, cause the prose is profound

Do it for the strong, we do it for the meek
Boom it in your boom it in your boom it in your Jeep
Or your Honda or your Beemer or your Legend or your Benz
The rave of the town to your foes and your friends

So push it, along, trails, we blaze
Don't deserve the gong, don't deserve the praise
The tranquility will make ya unball your fist
For we put hip-hop on a brand new twist

A brand new twist with the homie-alistic
So low-key that ya probably missed it
And yet it's so loud that it stands in the crowd
When the guy takes the beat, they bowed

So raise up squire, address your attire
We have no time to wallow in the mire
If you're on a foreign path, then let me do the lead
Join in the essence of the cool-out breed

Then cool out to the music cause it makes ya feel serene
Like the birds and the bees and all those groovy things
Like getting stomach aches when ya gotta go to work
Or staring into space when you're feeling berserk

I don't really mind if it's over your head
Cause the job of resurrectors is to wake up the dead
So pay attention, it's not hard to decipher
And after the horns, you can check out the Phifer

We got the jazz

Competition, them Phifer come sideway
But competition, they mus' me come straightway
Competition, them Phifer come sideway
But competition, they mus' come straightway

Hows about that, it seems like it's my turn again
All through the years my mike has been my best friend
I know some brothers wonder, can Phifer really kick it?
Some even wanna dis me, but why sweat it?

I'm all into my music cause it's how I make papes
Tryin' to make hits, like Kid Capri makes tapes
Me sweat another? I do my own thing
Strictly hardcore tracks, not a new jack swing

I grew up as a Christian so to Jah I give thanks
Collect my banks, listen to Shabba Ranks
I sing, and chat, I do all of that
It's 1991 and I refuse to come wack

I take off my hat to other crews that intend to rock
But the Low End Theory's here, it's time to wreck shop
I got Tip and Shah, so whom shall I fear
Stop look and listen, but please don't stare

So jet to the store, and buy the LP
On Jive/RCA, cassettes and CD's
Produced and arranged by the four-man crew
And oh shit, Skiff Anselm, he gets props too

Make sure you have a system with some phat house speakers
So the new shit can rock, from Mars to Massapequa
Cause where I come from quality is job one
And everybody up on Linden know we get the job done

So peace to that crew, and peace to this crew
Bring on the tour, we'll see you at a theater nearest you

We got the jazz

Hey yo but wait, back it up, hup, easy back it up
Please let the Abstract embellish on the cut

Back and forth just like a Cameo song
If you dig this joint then please come dance along
To the music cause it's done just for the rhyme
Now I gotta scat and get mine, underline

The jazz, the what? The jazz can move that ass
Cause the Tribe originates that feelin' of pizzazz
It's the universal sound, best to brothers underground
In the one-six below, ya didn't have to go

Some say that I'm a sinner cause I once had an orgy
And sometimes for breakfast I eat grits and porgies
If this is a stinker, then call me a stink, I ask
"What? What? What?" now check it out

All my peoples in Queens ya don't stop
Now all my peoples in Brooklyn ya don't stop
And all my peoples uptown ya don't stop
That includes the Bronx a' Harlem ya don't stop

Now to that girl Ramelle ya don't stop
I say because Ladies First ya don't stop
And to the JB's, ya don't stop
And De La Soul, ya don't stop

To my Brand Nubians ya don't stop
And to my Leaders of the New ya don't stop
To my man Large Professor ya don't stop
Pete Rock for the beat ya don't stop

Everybody in the place ya don't stop
Ya keep it on, to the rhythm, ya don't stop
And last but not least on the sure shot
It's the Zulu nation