The Ultimate

*Black Thought speaks and makes crowd respond for a minute and 15 sec.*

[Black Thought]

Yo, my definition is a lyricist for hire

My vocal's a passport that never expire

The crowd loud like fifty rounds of gun fire

Screamin' out "The Roots" while I balance wit' the wire

Yo, expert in this profession, the session

In 1987, I linked up with the ?uestion

Eleven years later, we share-cropped for Geffen

In musical Hell, but Hip-Hop forever Heaven

My thoughts, interwoven and deep like Beethoven

This foul world's so full of shit it like a clogged up colon

Swollen with minds that got stolen

Fake-ass cops, uncontrollable patrolmen

Torture, blood flow like bodies of water

Fathers sexually assaultin' they own daughter

Out of sync, outta order like a puzzle

In the land of the unseen hand, that whole juggle

In a game of Life, yo, it's hard to roll a double

Tryin' times, take lives and separate couples

Kids thinkin' they grown, tellin' they moms "Fuck you"

Under they breath, livin' in the last times left

Peep the imagery, stretch across the sky like a canvas

And we're the artists, beneath vigorous rough strokes of darkness

Time to set it off, let's spark this

Switzerland, LET'S SPARK THIS!!

We are the ULTIMATE (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE, rock-rockin' it, rock-rockin' it, rock-rockin' it

We are the ULTIMATE (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE – LOUDER! (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE (Rock-rockin' it)

C'mon! (Rock-rockin' it)

C'mon! (Rock-rockin' it)

Yo, my definition is a lyricist for hire

You couldn't have a clue what's about to transpire

The books I buy, like arms I acquire

The Fifth, similar to ghetto gospel choir

We ex-plore the whole States, plus supportin'

Flight, bus – dreamt I was a prisoner of war

Four-four the corridor – ceiling, no floor

But I could see the drop was a mile aboard

To the bottom, electrical shock for rhymes

I said "I don't got 'em"

Guess it kinda presented a problem

When I understood, they said, "Let him go"

I woke, during descent into London-Heathrow

And now wit a pass, fuckin' wit' border patrol

I finally get out, I'm linkin' wit' my people

Hit the studio, spread this information

In daze of frustration, fogged the education

From Illa-Fifth to Switzerland destination

The Roots the jawn – go check the translation

The dictionary of Hip-Hop topics, far from ebonics

The Fifth Dynas', they can't stop it

Yo, Zurich, y'all keepin' time, heed

While The Roots Crew smoke weed!

Yo! We are the ULTIMATE (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE – say what?! (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE, rock-rockin' it, rock-rockin' it, rock-rockin' it

We are the ULTIMATE (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE – LOUDER! (Rock-rockin' it)

We are the ULTIMATE – LOUDER!! (Rock-rockin' it)

C'mon! Rock-rockin' it

C'mon! Rock-rockin' it

[Outro: Black Thought ad-libbing, Scratch vocal-scratching]

{*crowd cheering*}