Going Way Back

[Intro: Just-Ice & KRS-One]

To the best of my knowledge, I guess that I'm fresh

And what I manifest, I never— (Hold it, hold it)

What's going on, Just?

Yo, KRS, what's the— what's the— what's the purpose of you stopping me?

Yo, man, kick the rhymes you was just kicking to me a while ago

Aight (Aight)

[Verse 1: Just-Ice]

I'll wax and maim rappers who proclaim

To be the epitome of this game

Fronting like you hard, rugged and rough

Soft like butter, creamy like a puff

On the mic, no sense (No sense), head very dense

Just listen to the gangster and I will convince

All (All) that doubt my power of speech

The title of the gangster they tried to impeach

But, um, it is protected by the black and the red (Red)

It's not true all gangsters are dead

Not a gangster with a gun doing crime, none of that

Kill a MC with the rhyme 'cause I'm the gangster of rap

In fact, exact, I'm the dominant Black

Coming full force on, and power that's packed

For all the party people, this is a fact

For all the pioneers I'm going way back (Way back)

[Interlude: KRS-One]

Goddamn, that is funky, funky, funky fresh (Dope, dope)

If you could just keep kicking that, we'll be alright 'til '88

Dig it? (Dope, dope)

[Verse 2: Just-Ice]

Going way, way back to the early days

Of 75 and the Black Spades

Chilling with my homeboy Muscle Man Ron

In the Boogie Down Bronx BKA Pelan (Pelan)

It was a privilege for people to see

Bambaataa (Bambaataa) rocking hard at 123

On a Friday night, the boys would come running

To hear big beats that were shocking and stunning

In the Hill (Hill), not a thing was chill

Sound Masters on the loose and acting ill

Up top (Up top), every weekend rock

Either 131 or around that block

But anywhere Uptown (Uptown), you always heard the sound

Hip-hop, funky beats, MCs getting down

The truth I swear, admit and declare

The Bronx was the first, I know, I was there

The beats were dope (Dope), the sound was on

By the way, saying Peace to my brother Melquan (Melquan)

Dedications, have a little bit more

The L Brothers, Grand Wizard Theodore (Theodore)

I can't forget where we used to ill

With the young Sound Masters in Castle Hill

I can keep going on (Keep going on), for more and more

With Breakout and Baron, and the Funky 4

On the other side of town, the mics in their hands

The lecherous, treacherous also perpetuous

MCs cold in command (Command)

And if you listen to that for an actual fact

For all the pioneers, I'm going way back (Way back)

[Interlude: KRS-One]

Word, now you know, I know

This is KRS with Just-Ice (Dope, dope)

Haha, talk about dope beats (Dope, dope)

Yo, Just, kick me one more verse, please

[Verse 3: Just-Ice]

Let's rest (Let's rest), so I can take a breath

'Cause I'm bearing the truth and nothing less

No disrespect intended, but I have to show ya

If I didn't say your name, that means I did not know ya (Know ya)

To get to the point, to make it clear

If I don't say your name, that means you was not there

It's true (It's true), I'm from the old school

I'm the professor and they are my pupils (Pupils)

I teach and never preach

Not a bloodsucker, parasite or a leech

I'm telling you how (How) it was or is

The Bronx is the home for the hip-hop kids (Hip-hop)

A long time ago, when I was raising hell

With a nappy head of hair at the age of twelve

I saw and heard crews that rocked (Rocked)

The Cold Crushers, Monsters, Breakout, Sasquatch (Sasquatch)

You're not familiar with the funky sound

That proves it right there, you wasn't down

Had to earn a position and do hard work (Work)

You can ask Kool Herc or my man Red Alert (Red Alert)

He'll tell ya, because he knows for sure

About Flash (Flash), EZ Mike, and the Furious Four

I'll run off some names with no offence

Listen up real close as I commence (Commence)

Coke La Rock, Clark Kent, my man Cool Fish

Homeboy Tre Dee (Tre Dee) and Frisky Frisk

Wonderful sincere in the atmosphere

Almighty Kay Gee at Union Square

Dr. Kik, rock on (Rock on) and my man Shelt La Rocker

B.I., KRS (KRS), C Rasta

Definitely we would rock

And I can't forget (Can't forget) my homeboy Big Knot

It's the truth and for an actual fact

For all the pioneers, I'm going way back (Way back)

[Outro: KRS-One & Just-Ice]

Well, I think that's about far back as we can go

Saying peace to my man T La Rock!

Word, saying peace to my brother Scott La Rock, he's in here

Scott La Rock, rock on! (Word)

DMX, peace

Peace

Peace!