[Dave]

It's like, New York without a New York yanks

Better yet, New York without the New York franks

It's like hot summers without no A.C

Or never hitting numbers when you go to A.C

It's like six years of your life, go ask Rob

I'm like "Yo how is it?" he like "It's like hard"

Trying for that queen but you nothing but a man

You wanna keep it clean but you can't

Why it gotta be, like, that

And what the life, see life is like a J shot

Shooters son, they got

One point one second, you half court

I'm feeling the adrenaline like you half court

Like pink slips and dipping these ink tips to paper

Imagine if we fuck around and lose Hip-hop

Imagine if it didn't exist

Imagine nothing shining your wrist

See, imagining to you is a risk

But think about it, like no chrome rims

And tims would be construction boots (ill)

We probably wouldn't even substitute (ill)

For words we use defining our likes

I'm coal mining these mics

To keep that gold nugget like Dave Megget

Giant like a motherfucker, like Dave said it

But ya ain't listening, ya paper gon' stack

Why it gotta be like that?



That, dadadat, dadat, dadat, dadat, dadat, dadat, dadat, dat

Dat, dadadat, dadat, dat, dadadat, dadadat, dat, dat, dadat, dadat



[Chorus: Carl Thomas]

Just running, running, fast as I can

I'm trying to be a person but I gotta be the man

If I, can't stand the life that I'm in

I gotta keep running ‘cause I'm still gon' win

Yes I got to go on (it's like that, it's like that)

Yes I got to go on (it's like that, it's like that)



[Posdonus]

It's like, Slick Rick without the eye patch

More like, saying slick shit you won't catch

It's like bed time without your PJ's

Or no fed timing in out the PJ's

It's like, one minute you got it, then you broke

Like what I do with it? I copped a few with it

Looking like a problem, but you won't get it solved

You working but you won't get the job

It's like, who would of thought (thought)

It you would of bought (bought)

Into my religion you'd be more like God

But you were steady swimming so you more like cod

See these fools is fish scale, converting to ish male

See I see it like, A alike, B alike

I was taught, if you play alike, be alike

How they don't see it for one to go pop

And this is how you treat Hip-hop?

Imagine if you didn't have that phantom chrome sitting on a curb nigga

The word nigga wouldn't be a bit disturbing nigga

See them roots are like begging for the rain

You entering my kingdom just a begging for the reign

Putting shit stain to paper

Ink pain feeling like fifty-five licks on a slave niggaz back

And not a one of y'all stopping to hate

But why it gotta be like that?



That, dadadat, dadat, dat, dat, dadat, dat, dadadat, dat, dat

Dadadat, dadat, dadadat, dat, dat, dat, dat, dat, dadat, dadat, dat



[Chorus] x2