Now it's whatever, hip-hop's forever
He gave us tickets to that Wild Style flick
Was slippin' in December, two feet of snow
The block's drugs flowin', didn't have your own work
I pray, hip-hop pray, I pray hip-hop stays
You want this paper, be a hustler
This about us, this our thing, 'knaw'sayin'?
Ain't got nothin' to do wit old school, new school
I pray, hip-hop pray, I pray hip-hop stays
Dirty South, West Coast, East Coast
Had a pre-pubescent lyric gift but **** never hear me spit
You a hustler, you ain't a rapper
Live hip-hop live, live hip-hop live
Right here man, this is our thing man, you know, so I say what I say
He knew from inside, like the eye of a storm and told my pops about it
Those were the days I remember, we used to be close
Symbolized the rap life, it was slick and smooth
Kept my radio on 98 or BLS
Get your paper man
In the freezer later, I'm starin' at the speaker
Stay hip-hop stay, stay hip-hop stay
Stay hip-hop stay, stay hip-hop stay
It's a pretty good chance your lame ****
****, this **** is real, ****
Corny ****, is the reason it died, man
I'm just tryin' to say it right
Mele Mel told it real in the music he wrote
Doin' the Pee Wee Herman, the Smurf
You know what I'm sayin', but this rap **** is real
Sunk in them 808's deeper, cleanin' my sneakers
Stay hip-hop stay, stay hip-hop stay
I pray, hip-hop pray, I pray hip-hop stays
I gotta freeze 'em 'til they ice cold
Homemade shorts cutoff, Lee's
Give hip-hop give, give hip-hop give
Live hip-hop live, live hip-hop live
You don't give a **** about, you don't know nothin' about it
Ghetto **** struttin' with nothin' but dreams and Queens broke
I let the shoe strings soak in water
(Give)
It's a pretty good chance you're the reason it died, man
Y'all take it how you wanna take it
Stay hip-hop stay, stay hip-hop stay
Double Trouble, retarded, we was the proudest
This came from the gut, from the blood, from the soul
I never had a summer job, sweepin' leaves, socks to my knees
I wish somebody would step on my Bally leather's
Big radio, tape slowin' down
Red Lobster was poppin', standin' on that line forever
Then I was nine, coldest winter I remember
I pray, hip-hop pray, I pray hip-hop stays
Give hip-hop give, give hip-hop give
Give hip-hop give, give hip-hop give
(Live, live)
I understood I had to come from the hood
Wipin' away eraser of the paper man
Yeah, that's the East Coast, that black ice
'Cause if you're askin', why is hip-hop dead?
Stay hip-hop stay, stay hip-hop stay
And I say what I say, and I mean it
I ain't work a day in my life
Live hip-hop live, live hip-hop live
Live hip-hop live, live hip-hop live
Give hip-hop give, give hip-hop give
You had to have somebody else's, a small chrome on your pelvis
Starter Jacket, Blue Georgetown or Green Celtic
(Stay)
Your girl's too expensive, she wants shellfish
Wit' the bristles of a toothbrush, soap and water
Before them phones chirped
My little brother tried to warn 'em, I was a tornado comin'
Mack-10's, you can smell the PCP smoke
Lower the lights go, battery dead
