[ krs-one ]   Lord finesse and blastmaster krs-one   Lyrical styles weigh a ton   Lord finesse, we know you got skills   Come into the cypher and build   Chill out, all mc I kill   Come down      [ verse 1: lord finesse ]   Check it out, come on, here's your chance to swing   With some ill muthafuckas, we don't dance and sing   In '95 we out-jinglin   Servin 'poetic justice' without that nigga john singleton   I do my thing while the fans be jealin   Hey yo, I'm so dope, you better tap your man and tell him   I don't fake moves, I scrape crews, I make brothers break fool   Just give me a beat with a bass groove   I'm mad funky, ask the experts   Cause I make you bob your head until your muthafuckin neck hurt   So don't ask me to match, gee   Cause if you ain't real, I'm bringin it to your face like acne   Now rappers run scams and flim-flams   On how they be gettin loose when they rusty like a tin man   They rap fast, tryin to stack cash   But on the reel to reel, yo, they still soundin half-assed   Yellin and screamin like they got somethin   When they don't got nothin, so them niggas need to stop frontin   Talkin how they be raggin shit   When I don't know if them niggas are rappin or talkin muthafuckin arabic   They act so ill, they no frills   They should go chill, they all mouth with no skills   When I'm around y'all feel funny   Cause I'm young makin funds like shaquille o'neal, money   You want any drama? you better wear plenty armor   I cut that ass like the chef at benny harner's   The funky man's in it to win it   We gotta keep it real yo, no muthafuckin gimmicks      Whoever make a hit they the best (that's a gimmick)   You sell records based on how you dress (that's a gimmick)   Hey yo, that tongue-twistin shit, that's kinda fresh (that's a gimmick)   What's when you're soft but you're frontin like you're stressed? (that's a gimmick)   What's when you're only into rap to get paid? (that's a gimmick)   What's when you're yellin and screamin up on stage? (that's a gimmick)   When your career is numbered by days? (that's a gimmick)   What's when your lyrical style is just a faze? (that's a gimmick)      [ verse 2: krs-one ]   I guess yes y'all, to the beat y'all, bring in the street   Let me put my beeper on 'vibrate', so won't hear it beep   Representin the street, concrete what I speak, yeah, I live it   Let it be known, krs is not about a gimmick   I grab the mic and rip it, meanwhile they stallin   I raise the mic stand, because I'm tall and I keep the crowd callin   I'm not like those other rappers talkin about the caps they peel   Punk, I battle mc's for real   Fuck a record deal when you're still into hip-hoppin   With your country ass, sound like you're still pickin cotton   You get thrown across the room in that direction, listen   The lyrical teacher's not the one you should be checkin   This is my eara, or era or eera, whatever, I'm mad clever   I shoop, you doop, you doop like salt-n-pepa   Lyrical terror, you should never ever come for mine   When I rhyme I clean up mc's with the fresh smell of pine   I got skills, and it shows   You could slow or speed up the tempo, your style is fake like janet jackson's nose   I'm sellin that real live shit, and you could get hurt   You're sellin that fake shit like the home shopping network   You got a lotta rhymes to battle in a second   But frankly the bottom line is: where's your hit record?    You claim I'm jockin, you claim I'm on your dick, where's your witness?    If I'm on your dick, my name has got to be syphilis   I come with lyrical physical fitness   Two months from now you will have bit this   Watch me light that ass up like christmas   Don't let me come out on that ass   Start flippin the lyrics I be kickin   Be hotter than curry chicken   So whether from the east or from the west   There's no other krs   I got force   I came to your town to set it off   So when finesse goes 'hit it'   I'll never mimick   Krs-one could never use a gimmick      When you're ridin the next rapper's dick (that's a gimmick)   When you're r&b, and then you cold flip (that's a gimmick)   Start rhymin hardcore just to get a hit (that's a gimmick)   When yout get over, but your skills ain't shit (that's a gimmick)   When you rap, but you don't have soul (that's a gimmick)   When you cross over just to go gold (that's a gimmick)   When you're not a gangster, but portrayin a role (that's a gimmick)   What's when you shape in somebody else's mould? (that's a gimmick)      [ verse 3: lord finesse ]   Man your station, cause the clan you're facin   Is steppin to you trash muthafuckas like sanitatian   I shoot and throw rhymes, the whole nine when it's showtime   (what up, kid? ) brothers know I can hold mine   On the real I got rhymes skills   When the time's ill I'm blowin up spots like a minefield   Brothers front with they chest out   But words from finesse's mouth'll leave them niggas stressed out   They make me sick to my stomach   (so put it on em, kid!) them muthafuckas don't want it   They can't see me, believe me   They all phoneys, like them niggas that be wrestlin on tv   Yo, they're nowhere near pro   And niggas couldn't hang if they was muthafuckin scarecrows   Nowadays a lotta rappers sound fake   Talkin that gangster shit, when they're softer than a poundcake   So why you're frontin with the burner, kid   When you done took more ass-whippins than fuckin tina turner did   You wanna front? so be it   But fuck beatin around the bush, I just speak how I see it   Me fall off? that shit's dead   That's not happenin, kid, so get that shit through your thick head   I'll never sellout (what? ) you head right   I'll never cross over (aight!) word life   So when I said it, peep the method   If I never go gold but get credit, I won't sweat it   In '95 we all in it   We gotta keep it real, yo, no muthafuckin gimmicks      What's when you rap and don't appreciate the art? (that's a gimmick)   What's when you sell out just to get a start? (that's a gimmick)   What's when you make bullshit just for the charts? (that's a gimmick)   What's when you rap, but it's not from the heart? (that's a gimmick)   What's when you're hardcore, then you turn pop? (that's a gimmick)   When you steal ideas to get props? (that's a gimmick)   When you sell out to be on top? (that's a gimmick)   What's when you front like you're hard, but you're not? (that's a gimmick)      [ krs-one ]   Now let this be a lesson to all mc's   And dj's   Anyone that come across the line will have to pay   Real hip hop is in effect   Real hip-hop is in effect   Real hip-hop is in effect   Give it respect   We catch wreck