[Mos Def]

Yeah

What's up

This is for all of you so-called ruff motherfuckers

(Who's the hardest?)

For all of you "ruff-ruff-ruff"

He

You ruff motherfuckers



This is what ruff really is

Ruff for ya

Right about now

Like this



[VERSE 1: DCQ]

Now everybody wanna be a ruff MC

They can tell [?], don't tell it to me

When I started rhymin in the Brakalak

If your shit was wack, then you just got smacked

(And that was that)

This was the real MC's life

And if you was too nice, sometimes you had to fight

(Some heads were gettin mad

Well then you had to bust his ass, tell him) 'Look, too bad'

I sharpened my skills with the tools of the street

Schoolyard battles and lunchtable beats

So don't play the role of an MC pro

Cause you the first to eat a hamhock on the low

(Your rhymes is garbage) plus your beats ain't boomin

You couldn't pay your dues if you was in a fuckin union

Your presence in hip-hop cannot be tolerated

So all your bullshit gets eliminated

Your shit is outdated

You wack and I hate it

Well if you take it, then give it

And if you love it, then live it



La-la-la-la-la (love it)

La-la-la-la-la (live it)

La-la-la-la-la (love it)

La-la-la-la-la (live it)



[VERSE 2: Ces]

Now as a female I must represent

Cause nowadays hoes ain't makin no sense

Gettin on the mic with they jeans all tight

Talkin about "Gimme my props" and I be like "Yeah aight..."

You can't be real in this day and time

When you're fuckin your producer and he's writin your rhymes

So bitch please, you spend all your time on your back

Gettin fucked and fat, and on top of all that you're wack

So if you think of steppin to the dread

I knock the fuckin No-Lye relaxer out your head

This industry crap don't mean shit to me

Cause I could just be rippin pockets on a back of a g

I didn't need hip-hop to get me paid

I coulda been a hustler and still have it made

You're a skeezer, I can't believe you maintain

You ain't hard, punk, I yank the weeds out your brain

The 199 for no time for slack

So if you're crossin over, don't come back

And if you're takin, then I know you must be givin

Cause if you love it, you better live it



La-la-la-la-la (love it)

La-la-la-la-la (live it)

La-la-la-la-la (love it)

La-la-la-la-la (live it)



[VERSE 3: Mos Def]

Well this is the way the big U goes down

Rollin over dumb bucks with a pick-up truck

[?] with the raw mixture

A hard melody and lyric, get the picture

A slow tempo with the pounding bass

You make a move, they're on their way and it's all in their face

There's no escape from the punishing plate

[?] free headaches with the 808

I brought a hex on the necks of those who make me vexed

Commence to catch wreck up on my mic complex

They gets no respect cause they simply don't deserve it

[?] parachute when I heard it

In my estimation the U rocks the hardest

Yet regardless, we still stay modest

Even if you're swingin off on us like a trapeze artist

Heads don't swell, we only wanna rock the mic well

I can't believe how low some of my heroes fell

DMC got baldies know - the hell?

Nowaday every crew wanna go gold

Brandishin they tools, actin all bold

But on the mad real, let the truth be told

Give em a open hand smack - they fold

Sometimes I watch these videos, I really start to lose it

I'm like "Yo, what the fuck is you doin to my music?"

When I started rhymin back in the day

I wasn't even thinkin 'bout gettin no pay

As long as the rhymes that I used to say

Got me love around the way, hey, shit was okay

'But now you got a deal' That ain't no cause to celebrate

I'm sick of niggas layin down, it's time to elevate

Beyond the herringbone and the fat ride

And I got too much pride to drink some fuckin St. Ides

I rather that I die - with my eyes open wide

Rather that my moms cries cause I got my cap peeled

On the battlefield - bein real

So murmur what you wish, whatever

I didn't come here to make you bitches feel better

In fact, it feel type sweet

To get on the mic piece and watch you punks squirm in your seat

Cause next year, when your ass need a new career

The big U will still be here

With the Brakalak bounce, no doubt

And if the truth hurts, stupid, say ouch

We out



(Live it)

La-la-la-la-la (love it)

La-la-la-la-la (live it)

[repeated]



[Mos Def]

Word up

Urban Thermo representin for the real, raw, rugged and true

This is for you and yours to bump in your jeep, your walkman, your stereo system

(...)

I wanna give a shout-out to ah pa duke and ma duke

and ah my sister Ces and my sister DCQ

and ah all the heads ah that came along the way

that was encouragin, my nigga Fish, my man Al, Obi Wan

The whole entire Roosevelt Mass

Pease to y'all brothers

Strive and maintan, you know what I'm sayin

To all the positive Muslims

and ah God Body to the Earth

To my man Ali [Name] and Bookworm

My man Jay Disco with the fly funky lingo, you know what I'm sayin

To all of the new breed

The ruling class of the last voice

You know what I'm sayin

This is Mos Def and I'm out, peace