Give the People

Ladies and Gentlemen
And take a stand and go for yours cause I'm going for mine
'Cause the word is a luxury a black man can't afford

Ladies and Gentlemen
But hey, what can I say?
Ladies and Gentlemen
By the kids at concerts who bum rush the doors

Got to give the people

I had no idea that the record would slam
Same stuff was rough, rap does not cause violence
[Incomprehensible]
That's why I
Got to give the people
And rap about a black crack, the mayor in our residence

And it's a setback and yet the clock still ticks

Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen
To get airplay and a spot on TV
[Incomprehensible]
Got to give the people
It's blown out of proportion and immediately attacked?
That's why poverty's on the rise and we still ignored

But too much power and you might get banned
Got to give the people
Why is that when wrong is done by the black
Ladies and Gentlemen
And stop the rap about freedom, thoughts of a black president
Ladies and Gentlemen
But not in this day and age, maybe in the sequel
Then came the answer, commercial was the key
Watch what you say, but ayo
But it's a fat jam, that will never win a Grammy

Some racial circuits the frequencies can't handle
Got to give the people
[Incomprehensible]

I read it somewhere that every man's created equal
Give the people what they want
Ladies and Gentlemen
Give the people what they want

As airwaves collapse rap shows at a standstill
Our music was good and I was far from whack
Brothers and sisters, that's a price a rapper must pay
Ladies and Gentlemen
But what about the Beatles, G, and Elvis Presley

Unless we sellout and kill the black movement dead
When I came out with my first rap jam
So if you want airplay
Give the people what they want
I couldn't understand why to be exact
Ladies and Gentlemen

Maybe at night but no airplay in the day

And kill that, "No sir, yes sir, and thank you, ma'am"
Give the people what they want
Ladies and Gentlemen
Give the people what they want
Cause like P.E. said, we're too black and too strong
It did real good without radio play
And still we can't ill, 'cause to them that's wrong
A show, mainly for the black
Ladies and Gentlemen
Got to give the people
Got to give the people
One child gets hurt, the press gets pesty
So fight the power and make them understand
Which means swallow our pride and become flunkies instead
Ladies and Gentlemen
Got to give the people
Give the people what they want
[Incomprehensible]
Which means next time, so observe these rhymes
You can't be too black and hey
Ladies and Gentlemen
Like Ed Lover and Doctor Dre from Yo, MTV Raps
[Incomprehensible]

Got to give the people
Give the people what they want

Give the people what they want
And if we let it, rap would be run by politics
Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen

Give me a break brothers, it's time to take a stand

Give the people what they want
By the press and yes, conflict is caused
Give the people what they want
Ladies and Gentlemen
The funk tracks produced by EPMD