Hope (Acappella Version)

(Hip Hop) it will never die
(Hip Hop) Hip Hop will never, never die, uh

Ghetto nigga strutting, with nothing but dreams in Queens broke
Mac-10s, you can smell the PCP smoke
Melle Mel told it real, in the music he wrote
Those were the days I remember, we used to be close
Then I was nine, coldest winter I remember
Was slipping in December, two feet of snow
Yeah, that's the East Coast, that black ice

Symbolize the rap life, it was slick and smooth
I understood I had to come from the hood
Doing the Pee Wee Herman, the Smurf
Before them phones chirped
The block's drugs flowing, didn't have your own work
You had to have somebody else's, a small chrome on your pelvis
Starter jacket, Blue Georgetown or Green Celtic

Your girl's too expensive, she want shellfish
Red Lobster was popping, standing on that line forever
I wish somebody would step on my Bally leathers
Now it's whatever, Hip Hop's forever
Kept my radio on 98 or BLS

Had a pre-pubescent lyric gift, but niggas never hear me spit
My little brother tried to warn them, I was a tornado coming
He knew from inside like the eye of a storm, and told my pops about it
He gave us tickets to that Wild Style flick
Double trouble retarded, we was the proudest
I never had a summer job

Sweeping leaves, socks to my knees
Home-made shorts, cut off Lee's
I ain't work a day in my life
Wiping away eraser off the paper, man
I'm just trying to say it right
Big radio, tape's slowing down

Lower the lights go, battery dead
I got to freeze them 'til they're ice-cold
In the freezer later, I'm staring at the speaker
Sunk in them 808s deeper, cleaning my sneakers
With the bristles of a toothbrush, soap and water
I let the shoestrings soak in water

(Live Hip Hop, live) ain't got nothing to do with old school
(Live Hip Hop, live) new school, dirty South
(Give Hip Hop, give) West Coast, East Coast, this about us
(Give Hip Hop, give) this our thing, you know what I'm saying
(Stay Hip Hop, stay) this came from the gut, from the blood
(Stay Hip Hop, stay) from the soul, right here, man
(I Pray Hip Hop, pray) this is our thing, man
(I Pray Hip Hop, stays) you know? So I say what I say

(Live Hip Hop, live) and I say what I say, and I mean it
(Live Hip Hop, live) y'all take it how you want to take it
(Give Hip Hop, give) because if you asking, "Why is Hip Hop dead?"
(Give Hip Hop, give) it's a pretty good chance, you the reason it died, man
(Stay Hip Hop, stay) it's a pretty good, chance your lame ass, corny ass
(Stay Hip Hop, stay) is the reason it died, man

(I Pray Hip Hop, pray) you don't give a fuck about it, you don't know nothing about it
(I Pray Hip Hop, stays) you want this paper, be a hustler
(Live Hip Hop, live) you a hustler, you ain't a rapper, get your paper man
(Live Hip Hop, live) you know what I'm saying, but this rap shit is real
(Give Hip Hop, give) bitch, this shit is real, bitch
(Give Hip Hop, give)

(Stay Hip Hop, stay) live
(Stay Hip Hop, stay) live
(I pray Hip Hop, pray) give
(I pray Hip Hop, stays) oh
(Live Hip Hop live) stay

(Live Hip Hop, live)
(Give Hip Hop, give)
(Give Hip Hop, give)
(Stay Hip Hop, stay)
(Stay Hip Hop, stay)
(I pray Hip Hop, pray)
(I pray Hip Hop, stays)