[Intro: D'Angelo & Rapsody]
Now when the emcees came to live out the name
And to-pa-to perform
Some had to snort cocaine to act insane
To before Pete rocked it on
Now on to the mental planes to spark the brain
With the building to be born
Now RZA flip the track
Boy, boy, you sharp, boy
Look at the fades on you, boy
Ooh, boy, you liquid swords on your head, boy (Yeah), wavy
[Chorus: Rapsody & D'Angelo]
Thinkin' like, back in the days (Yeah), when niggas wore fades (Yeah)
Silk tied caps, just tryna catch a wave (Boy, you sharp)
Tryna catch a wave (Liquid swords sharp, boy)
Tryna catch a wave
Thinkin' like, back in the days (Yeah), when niggas wore fades (Yeah)
Silk tied caps, just tryna catch a wave (Boy, you sharp)
Tryna catch a wave (This boy sharp)
Tryna catch a wave (Boy, you sharp, boy)
It's been a long time coming (A long time coming)
Since we had someone swarming with the Beez (Killa)
Birds and the Killa Beez (Killa Beez)
It's been a long time coming (A long, long time)
Since we had someone swarming with the Beez (Killa Bees)
Birds and the Killa Beez (Killa, Killa)
[Verse 1: Rapsody]
When the emcees came to live out their name
Inscribed in the halls and the walls of fame
Balancing life, wrote both the yin and yang
Hands bury the man and they raised the son, Lorraine
That's a play on words, they say herb ain't all the same
Slaves in prison and they some unchained
While everybody in my gang a star, DJ Preem
Screaming through the sun roof, "Money still ain't a thing"
While I'm spending small bank, asking "Where is my change?"
Carpool with the homies, saving gas in my tank
I think like a billionaire, I spend less than I make
Strong minded, I should bench way more than my weight
Women been leading the way since Roxanne Shante
And the Unit had Flav and Jay had Marcy neighbors that waved
Lookin' confused, I'm like "Cool, maybe it's age"
When I see afro puffs, I think maybe it's Rage
Maybe it's staged, they trippin', and they say they got beef
Ain't an emcee on this Earth that make me feel afraid
Wu-Tang for the children, that's the scripture and phrase
See my goals from a bird's view like Trae Underage
[Refrain: D'Angelo & Rapsody]
Now when the MCs came to live out the name (Yeah)
And to-pa-to perform (Yeah)
Some had to snort cocaine to act insane
Boy you sharp, liquid swords sharp, boy
To before Pete rocked it on
Now on to the mental planes to spark the brain (Yeah)
With the building to be born (Yeah)
GZA on the track, ch-ch-cha, ch-ch-ch-cha
Chka-chka-chka-chka-chka-chka-cha
[Verse 2: GZA]
When I'm so off the radar, it's very hard to find me
In space, a selfie with the Earth behind me
You follow the leader, the track is off the meter
A lot of rap is weak, low frequency in the tweeters
Very inaudible, clock radio speakers
Quietly whispering is a world of WikiLeakers
Forget the gaudiness, my method is nauseant
Transferring ideas into the brains of the audience
The street poet gave this special artform a global reach
Who earned your ear and then your heart by giving a local speech
Weaving wonder with words as potent as a sorcery
Not witchcraft, but a list of terms in the glossary
Well written rap bound to have a greater impact
On a listener for the fact, it's well intact
An emcee should electrify, beautify, strive to
Empower, inspire, transform a worldview
[Chorus: Rapsody & D'Angelo]
Back in the days (Yeah), when niggas wore fades (Yeah)
Silk tied caps, just tryna catch a wave (Boy, you sharp)
Tryna catch a wave (Liquid swords sharp, boy)
Tryna catch a wave
Thinkin' like, back in the days (Yeah), when niggas wore fades (Yeah)
Silk tied caps, just tryna catch a wave
Tryna catch a wave
Tryna catch a wave
Thinkin' like
It's been a long time coming (A long time coming)
Since we had someone swarming with the Beez (Killa)
Birds and the Killa Beez (Killa Beez)
It's been a long time coming (A long, long time)
Since we had someone swarming with the Beez (Killa Bees)
Birds and the Killa Beez (Killa, Killa)
[Outro: D'Angelo]
Now when the emcees came to live out the name
And to-pa-to perform
Some had to snort cocaine to act insane
To before Pete rocked it on
Now on to the mental planes to spark the brain
With the building to be born
Now RZA flip the track
