Old School

[Intro: 2Pac]

Here we go, we gon' send this one out to the old school

All these motherfuckers in the Bronx, and Brooklyn, and Staten Island

Queens, and all the motherfuckers that laid it down, the foundation

Ya know what I'm sayin'? Nothin' but love for the old school

That's who we're gonna do this one for, you feel me?

[Chorus: Grand Puba sample]

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

[Verse 1: 2Pac]

I remember Mr. Magic, Flash, Grandmaster Caz

LL, Raising Hell, but, that didn't last

Eric B. & Rakim was the shit to me

I flip to see a Doug E. Fresh show, with Ricky D

And Red Alert was puttin' in work, with Chuck Chill

Had my homies on the Hill gettin' ill, when shit was real

Went out to steal

Remember "Raw" with Daddy Kane?

When De La Soul was puttin' "Potholes "in the game

I can't explain how it was, Whodini

Had me puffin' on that buddha gettin' buzzed, 'cause there I was

Them block parties in the projects and on my block

You diggy don't stop sippin' on that Private Stock

Through my speaker Queen Latifah and MC Lyte

Listen to Treach, KRS to get me through the night

With T La Rock and Mantronix, to Stetsasonic

Remember "Push It" was the bomb shit, nuttin' like the old school

[Chorus: Grand Puba sample]

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

[Verse 2: 2Pac]

I had, Shell Toes, and BVD's

A killer crease inside my Lee's when I hit the streets

I'm playin' Skelly, Ringolevio, or Catch A Kiss

Before the homies in my hood learned to smack a bitch

I remember way back, the weak weed they had

Too many seeds in the trey bag

I'm on the train headin' Uptown, freestyling

With some wild kids from Bucktown, profilin'

'Cause the hoochies was starin', thinkin' "What them niggas wearin'?"

I'm wonderin' if that's her hair, I remember

Stickball, humpin' hoochies on the wall

Or takin' leaks on the steps, stinkin' up the hall

Through my childhood, wild as a juvenile

A young nigga tryna stay away from Rikers Isle

Me and my homies breakin' nights, tryna keep it true

Out on the roof sippin' 90 proof, ain't nuttin' like the old school

[Chorus: Grand Puba sample]

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

[Verse 3: 2Pac]

Remember poppin' and lockin' to Kurtis Blow, the name belts

And Scott La Rock the "Super Hoe" back in Latin Quarter

When Slick Rick was spittin' "La Di Da Di"

Gamin' the hoochies at the neighborhood block parties

I remember, breakdancin' to Melle Mel

Jeckyll and Hyde, LL when he "Rocks the Bells"

Forget the TV, I'd rather hit the streets and do graffiti

Be careful don't let the transit cops see me

It ain't nuttin' like the old school

[Chorus: Grand Puba sample]

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

"What more could I say? I wouldn't be here today

If the old school didn't pave the way"

[Outro: 2Pac]

Haha, on the real though

Remember seein' Brooklyn go crazy up in the motherfuckin' party?

Remember motherfuckers used to go, "Is Brooklyn in the house?"

And motherfuckers would lose they goddamn mind

That's the old school to me, that's what I'm sayin' ("Super Rhyme")

I remember goin' places that motherfuckers was scared to say

They was from anywhere but Brooklyn; that shit was the bomb

Back in the motherfuckin' old school, nigga

Remember Skelly, nigga?

Knockin' niggas out the box, poppin' boxes? ("My Adidas")

Remember stickball? 'Member niggas used to run that shit like that?

Remember the block—

'Member screamin' up at your moms from the window?

("LL Cool J is hard as Hell")

The ice cream truck, remember all the mother—

'Member the Italian Ices, yo? Yo, remember the Italian Ices?

The Spanish Niggas comin' down with the coconut ices and shit?

"I came through the door, said it before"

That was the shit