Twice the First Time

I will not rhyme on tracks

Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh!) way back

I will not rhyme over tracks

Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh!) way back

Don't drop the beat on me

Don't drop the beat, no

Ah

I am not the son of sha-klak-klak

I am before that

I am before

I am before before, before death is eternity, after death is eternity

There is no death, there's only eternity

And I be riding on the wings of eternity, like

CLA-CLA-CLA-SHA-KLACK-KLACK

"GET ME THE FUCK OFF THIS TRACK"

As if the heart beat wasn't enough

They got us using drum machines now

Drums live in machines

Tryin' to make our drums humdrums

Tryin' to mute our magic

Instruments be political prisoners up inside computers

As if the heart were not enough

As if the heart were not enough

And as heartbeats bring percussions

Fallen trees bring repercussions

Cities play upon our souls like broken drums

Re-drum the essence of creation from city slums

But city slums mute our drums and our drums become humdrums

'Cause city slums have never been where our drums are from

Just the place where our daughters and sons become

Off-beat heartbeats, slaves to city streets

And hearts get broken and heartbeats stop

Broken heartbeats become breakbeats for niggas to rhyme on top

But...

I won't rhyme on top no tracks

Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back

I won't rhyme over tracks

Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back

Don't drop the beat, no

Don't drop the beat, noooo

Not until you've listened to Rakim on a rocky mountain top

Have you heard Hip-Hop

Extract the urban element that created it

And let a open wide countryside illustrate it

Riding in a freight train

In the freezing rain

Listening to Coltrane

My reality went insane

And I think I saw Jesus

He was playing hopscotch with Betty Carter

Who was cursing him out

In a scat-like gibberish for not saying "butterfingers"

And my fingers run through grains of sand

Like seeds of time

The pains of man

The frames of mind

Which built these frames

Which is the structure of my urban superstructure

The trains and planes can corrupt and obstruct your planes of thought

So you then forget how to walk through the woods

Which ain't good, 'cause you ain't never walked through the trees

Listenin' to "Nobody Beats The Biz" and you ain't never heard Hip-Hop

And you must stop that damn track from going...

Please don't drop the beat

Don't drop the beat, nooo

And...

I will not rhyme on tracks

Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back

I will not rhyme on tracks

Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back

Don't drop the beat, noooo

Don't drop the beat, no

Don't drop the beat, no

Don't drop the beat

...Heart beat

My heartbeat

Goes on

And on

And on...

Yeah