Beats Rhymes & Life

(girls talking on phone)

Q-tip:
It was friday afternoon in the middle of june
Heineken bottle caps and the aroma of boom
Around the time everybody had just got home from class
Shootin dice, talkin shit, hopin the cash would last
Yo, this was around the time when i didn't know no better
Juney moved around in a tinted out jetta

Phife:
Then he introduced me to that hydro smoke
Then i took one toke, yo, i almost choked
See i never smoked before and my nerves got shot
Then he told me about the party at the spot jam rock
It was guaranteed on but i said "son, chill"
There's a joint around the way that's supposed to be real
Word

Q-tip:
He said we got no js, so we gonna do it right
Hit your man's joint first, then jam rock at one night
Then i said "aight", then i jumped inside the jetty
Let me take a shower, i'm sweaty, and then i'll be ready
Tonight is the night i get my groove on steady
And get my drink on with that ford named betty
I went upstairs to get fly, broke my tie
On some liquor, to meet my high quicker
Now, i'm tight, them know, the party is the m.o.
Me and my crew, we get it started like a demo
Eleven in the evenin, i'm feelin like a heathen
This thing is goin down and i highly doubt i'm leavin
Booty cheeks start to motion and the kids is drinkin potion
Word is bond, that black moon joint got me open
(don't front)

Consequence:
A yo, the dj put this short groove on
The good shit that makes a kid lose his drink
Blendin risin to the top and got these shorties hoppin
Nuthin but coppin, ain't no stoppin me now
Yo, i'm bound to win until that thing kicked in
The alazay had me drunk, i don't know where to begin(echoed)

Phife:
Not i'm feelin kinda jaded, wildly coherent
Me and the fellas acted very irreverent
Butt grabbin, mad laughin and assin

Consequence:
When that chick caught up, the shorty lookin fed up
They say you drug one with this one, gibbin with that one

Q-tip:
A yo, i'm just doin my thing, yo i'm just havin fun
You don't see me in here wylin pullin out no gun
Yo, i see some of that thing girl and i want some
So let's step inside this corner so that we can rap on
Over this bumpin ass song and some dom perignon

Phife;
I hit ya with the good lovin plus fillet mignon
(yeah, yeah scrammy scrams, yo, that's that same old song)
(a yo, tell me why the hell your breath smells so strong)

Consequence;
Yo, put some brakes on your yappin or you won't live long
(please nigga, push on)
Alright scrams, see you later (scrams)
Can't mess with these street sharks or these alligators

Phife:
I can't take it no more, yo it's damn near four
I've been partyin and drinkin since i came out my door

Q-tip (consequence)
Look at these kids about to mix it, damn, where's the exit?
(son, jetted to the ride and got the burner out the lexus)
Yo, he cocked his joint back like he's about to let him have it
(kid, i kept it movin like the energizer rabbit)
A yo yo, it's time to skate, ain't no time to contemplate
(all: whoops, looka there, there's jake)

Q-tip:
Somethin for your earhole, so you can clean them shits out
It seems that some don't understand what i'm talkin about
How you get west coast nigga, from west coast hater?
I could never dis a whole coast, my time is too greater(true)
Yeah, we from the east, the land of originators
You also from the west, the land of innovators
The only difference of the two is the style of the rap
Plus the musical track, this beef shit is so wack
Let me let y'all brothas know i ain't no west coast disser
Another thing i'm not is a damn ass kisser
So listen to my words as i set things straight
I ain't got no beef, so don't come in my face

Keep it movin, yeah to the k.i.m.
Keep it movin, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin
Keep it movin, keep it movin, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
Keep it movin, yeah yeah to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin

Q-tip:
Hip hop...a way of life
It doesn't tell you how to raise a child or treat a wife
I verbalize over...rhyme friendly
That puts a listener in a frenzy, so pop me in your benzi
You dig it? get wit it or get your melon splitted
If you ever try to combat, sir walter moves the king
We got the illy team that doesn't even sweat the gleam
Or glamour, we'll figure 4 your ass like greg the hammer
Man, we rockin joints like the who or santana
Keep jams packed and hotter than havana
Positivity is the key in the lock
Put your hand on it, turn it to the right, ak
We doin daredevil dandies on these mics
Peace out to the whole hiero who's puffin on the hydro
Yeah dun, we movin how we like
Since the days of rockin hi-los, we keepin things on pyro, fire
As we move with zeal and desire
Now, the hip hop plan, hope you complier
Son, we havin tunnel vision but my sight is real real broad
Cuz i can't afford to miss that call
Makin moves, not movies, as get on the ball
And we keepin things covered like a female shawl
When i watch hockey, yo, i just look for the brawl
Quest, quest and you know we signin out y'all

Keep it movin, yeah yeah, to the k.i.m.
Keep it movin, yeah yeah, to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin
Keep it movin, yeah yeah
Keep it movin, yeah yeah, to the k.i.m.
Keep it movin, true dat, to the k.i.m.
I ain't got no time for schuckin and jivin

The pharcyde, you know we do it up, uh, you know we do it up, uh
The hiero, you know we do it up, yeah yeah, you know we do it up
Yeah, to the mobb deep, the infamous, we do it up, yeah yeah
You know we do it up
To my peoples know naim, yeah, you know we do it up, uh uh
You know we do it up
To my man dj quik, uh, you know we do it up, uh uh, a do, a do it up
To my man biz mark, yeah yeah, you know we do it up, uh uh
You know we do it up
To my man ike love love, you know we do it up, yeah yeah
You know we do it up
And my man extra p, p, you know we do it up, uh uh uh-uh, uh, uh up
I can't forget dr. dre, uh, you know we do it up
Mc eiht, uh, you know we do it up
Shelly mae, uh, you know we do it up
Muhammad, uh, you know we do it up (fading out)

Q-tip:
Your new lesson is to realize the mission when you hear it
Mcin, see i got this in my spirit
I got verses like mahalia singin church hymns
So strap up because you skatin on ice that's wild thin
A weak foundation doesn't make a good home
That's why mine is built on chrome microphones
We bout to do it theoretically, insteadibly, to the medley
Come on
It's the complete kamal, unique, fareed, breed
That'll keep you broke down like a horse 5 speed
So move buddy, a yo we got to get this money
In this land of dead and crummy, ain't a damn thing funny
A yo, shout out to mobb deep, the extra p
Busta rhymes, de la, the j beez, so don't sleep
We got reality for the carriage
Stayin sincere to this, so i know we gonna manage
Give me, liberty in mass amounts and swiss bank accounts
With the sustainer, it'll be real
So me and my brothas, we can sit down and build
Like rampage with that last boy scout appeal
We got that silk, satin, manhattan intelligence feel
That keeps everything on even keels
So all you slow brothas talkin yang, ya poo tang
Now, we gonna show you how the real crew bang

Consequence:
A yo, i bring it to you live kid, queens niggaz love static
Your rap's had it, braggin more numbers than mathematics
I get brains on progmatic from leavin wet dreams shattered
That's the same copy gettin in your mug shot
I stays hot like summertime on lbq and boo boo
The love shack is 192, my joint's smooth
To watch them niggaz fall like linque
I keeps it brand new like school shoppin
It's on and poppin
The club peeps this nigga's steez like rayon
You get laid off while i'll be gamin ghetto girl like 8-off
The verdict's in, i be the look of blendin
Give up your goods cuz it's the start of your endin


Q-tip:
(where ya at?) we seein life for what it is
(where ya at?) we get this money for these kids
(where ya at?) we bout to build the foundation
(where ya at?)

Phife:
Now, all that glock totin' trash you talk will not prevail
It's stale, you'll either be dead or in jail
I keeps it realer than the local one mill
Denouncin tough guy wannabes that look smoother than silk
That's the sound of the man gettin yanked off the stage
Tryin to front like he mad paid
Suckin so bad, we threw his mama off the train (insane)
Mcs are just givin it all away (ok)
Who said him know about the quest type sound?
Mess around and get your ass knocked down (clown)
I dedicate this to the posers that play hard
You wanna hear some rhymes, well come bring your bodyguard
So he can peep the worldwide willie that we display
Leavin all mcs in complete disarray
I beez a veteran mc, crushin crews for years
You frontin hard, when you softer than the berenstain bears
Yeah, chumps be like "phife, that ain't fair"
Fuck outta here, do i look like i care
Come off my stage, before i grab ya neck and handle ya
Wet ya like punani, then dry you like canada
Shaheed muhammad's on the gemini mixer
Peace to derrick coleman, mad max and the sixers
I'm cappin hard cuz i got this rap shit sold
>from linden boulevard down to cascade road
You know my steez, i treat hip hop like a sport
Holdin down fort up on martinique court like...

Q-tip:
(where ya at?) we seein life for what it is
(where ya at?) we get this money for these kids
(where ya at?) we bout to build the foundation
(where ya at?) we gonna start the zulu nation
(where ya at?) come on, come on
(where ya at?) we gonna put it all together
(where ya at?) no matter what the hell the weather
(where ya at?)

Uh, uh, mind power (5x)
Uh, uh, kickin willie is good, all throughout your whole hood
But we gotta start with the spirit first y'all
Mind power

Verse

[q-tip]

In this american metropolis filled with mc's
A tribe called quest came to drop jewels wit' ease
Plus make you party, we do this music thing for everybody
Black, white, latino and asian, we cold raisin'
The stakes of hip-hop to a new plateau
To bridge gaps in generations for future plantations
A god-fearin' folk cos we all from the yolk
Of one breed, one seed, to good goals we proceed
Nowadays i strive to be a very good influence
Even though not too long ago i was a truant
Now i'm droppin' it on this and many broad topics
From man's obsession with money to holy prophets
Like mohammed, yo, you know the scene is so freaky
Enemies they denounce me and my own try to sweep me
Now i got hip-hop acts posin' like fat cats
Lex and a rolex, moet and a top hat
But what about your contract, slick? is you proper?
It's time we turned the tables of this hip-hop fable
I be strivin yo', tryna bang these joints out my skillet
And fulfil it, think about these kids, we can't kill it

[phife]

Now every dog has his day, but eff that, it's my year
All you gat pullin' mc's could never come near
All that bogus type chatter, please put it to rest
It's the phifer from quest leavin' venues a mess
So i even start to (rap) when you know you have no (haps)
Wit' your simpleton (lyrics), your light-hearted (act)
Step back, me no have no time for dat
I'm blowin' up the spot for all you ras clot idi-ots
In a world where you have like a zillion mc's
Ninety percent of all you suckers have filthy lps
Bitch this, trick that, come on, act like you know
I be that up north mc who never chose to play the down-low
(his name is phife dawg) i label myself as the boss (true dat)
Same height as little vicious, yet i'm shorter than kriss kross
Queens representation, son, you know how we do
While light' and sha, they represent bk to the fullest
I be the sidekick to the abstract, so get ready for combat
Yo, what about about them biters? errr! me not like that
My motto is to wreck shop, i do it on the non-stop
Come on party people, you must give me my props
Cos y'all know good and damn well that the style has been mastered
So head for the border you peasy-haired bastards
Before i start to put it on ya, come on now, must i warn ya?
Queens is in the house so all mc's go hold their corner

Outro

We feelin' pressures in here
You know we feelin' pressures
Feelin' pressures in here
You know we feelin' pressures
We gotta stand clear
Jus' gotta stand clear
Gotta gotta stand clear of the pressure
The what?

Intro(fading in): drifting, drifting, drifting, drifting, drifting,
Drifting, drifting, drifting, drifting by, totally. drifting
By(just)totally. drifting by(just)totally

Q-tip:
The deadly venom, let me start from the beginning
We always hittin, so yo, there'll be no extra innings
As i send the mic out the park like reggie jackson
You be the minor leaguer who sees no action
The coming attraction(what!)
The main feature
And i'ma greet ya, like a rhymin ass creature
Lurking all up in the dark, unknown parts
The brotha well prepared is the brotha who will start
And that's me akki, as long as the ladies move they bodies
We'll have a four-on-two stand
Cuz that happens to be the nature of man
Sexuality, it is the format baby
Ain't no ifs, no buts, no ands, or maybes
But i praise lord in the worlds that's unseen
Respect me for that and let me do my thing(just)
I said, respect me for that and let me do my thing

Chorus:
(drifting by)you know we gotta get a hold
(totally) over the illest drum rolls
(totally drifting by just...)

Yo, how you doin? let me give you an intro
My name's the abstract, now let me give you some info
Got the diamond in the back, and the sunroof shit
That makes the hardcore mcs resort to being bitch
And i don't give a shit about being wild rich
Just make me comfortable and i'll deal with it
Your lust for the riches make a nigga feel sick
Down to his zealots, upchuck and then spit
Denouncin my beliefs, well then your wig get split
Lay your ego on the ground so that you'll benefit
You can take these words and relay it to your click
Take some time for your mind and get off them head trips
The tribe is the crew that makes your mics get lit
Like the fourth of july on some firework shit
My record company be on some true jerk shit
But that's i-ight. now, i'm on some true work shit
And i'ma make it happen for my whole outfit

Chorus:
(drifting by)you know we got to get control
(totally)over the illest drum rolls
(totally drifting by just...)third verse

A-yo, we just gettin started
Got to redirect this vision
Got the beauty of a flower
Plus dimensions like a prism
Your minds are locked down like prison
Y'all really need to go lay down
Cuz positivity has risen
We hittin
Yo bust how we too strong to be broken
Occasional malfunction pressure time
We ain't jokin
For security we on this run like logan
Kamaal's doin the hustle
And you backstage voguin
We all got flaws
Don't ever try to think that you perfect
We all are human beings
There's bullshit at the surface
Sometimes, i mean we rhyme
Damn, we ain't prophets
And if you think so, you need to stop it
So jump back inside your shell
Let your million dollar thoughts propel
But next man don't get jel
Playa hate that all carries weight
That we don't need
We slim with disabilities and
Thick with possibilities
Cuz then you can't move with fertility
Navigatin with good visibility
We put these tunes out in record shop facilities
Let's strive to get this constant money activity
We try to stay on the scene like fidel
So if you get enraged with these names it still rebels
There ain't no plan b's
Yo watch, we movin through with plan a
Money market doin things the right way

Chorus:
(totally)you know we got to get control
(drifting by, just)over the illest drum roll
(totally drifting by just...)(x3)
(totally just(x2), drifting by(x2) in background)
Yo bust it out section, section.
Section linden boulevard
Section on merrick
Section the whole jamaica
Section on flushing
Section in bed-stiduy

Phife:
The mad man malik makes mcs run for milk of magnesia
Maybe that'll ease ya
Master of this microphone mackin, master as in great
I'll have your brain goin in circles as my style tends to ovulate
I'm makin moves, never movies, that's why y'all mcs lose me
Retrace, won't, so your stubborn like groupies
Kid, you know my flava, tear this whole jam apart
Fuck around and have your heart, like jordan had starks
While you playin hokey pokey, there's no time to be dokey
Cuz i come out to play every night like charles oakley
Dissin around with wack rhymin
You lose your grip from chalk climbin
Let me take this time to say r.i.p. to phyllis hyman
Who never got the props that she damn well deserved
But see me, you don't wanna see me, cuz all mcs are gettin served
The nerve, for you to even step to the phifer
I'll bumrush your set and crush your whole cypher
Reserve, a spot for me in hip hop's hall of fame
Cuz rappin ain't no game, big up your head and maintain
Yeah, queens forever in this piece crushin any beef
Ain't nuthin sweet, the bakery's across the fuckin street
Phife dawg, swingin it back and forth just like aaliyah
Makin moves on your heart like that trick tamia
No doubt about it, i love hip hop to death
But yo tip, bring in the chorus cuz i'm losin my breath

Consequence:
A, yo, you know the deal when the diggy dawg is on the scene
We got the fiend bumpin straight from the borough queens
You know the deal when the diggy dawg is on the scene
We got the fiend bumpin straight from the borough queens
You know the deal when the diggy dawg is on the scene
You know the deal, ha, you know the deal

Phife:
Big up pop duke, that's where i caught my athleticism
My mama, no doubt, that's where i got my lyricism
My nana, that's where i got my spiritualism
As for tip and shah, they made me stop from smokin izm
Now, when i'm with some cheese, i be lettin off gism
Writin rhymes since daddy kane and biz mark was on prism
I gotta brave heart like the one named shirley chisholm
As for my late twin, boy, i wish i was with him
Got the lightro in the back talkin bout (come on, get him)
And when it comes to rhymes, no doubt, i flip em
Sucka mc in my path, hey main, i say we ship him
Money please, your rhymes are wack, say word, this geek is trippin
Just because my name is phife, my man, i'm never slippin
I got the type of flave to have your ass straight bitchin
For those who act cute, see i got them on mute
Have you walkin through your projects in your birthday suit
Cuz your style is off loot, so i played him like a flute
If youse a sucka mc, then it's you i rebuke
My style is, everday all day, similar to water
Crushin mcs as if my name was sargent slaughter
Keep shit hotter...than a sauna
Or better yet, the hormones on your christian daughter
Hey, i tried to warn her
My sounds the type to kill, like the grill on lauryn hill
So all ya sucka mcs, y'all best go chill
Bout to go to union square so i can see my care bear
Singin good stuff in my ear, runnin fingers through my hair
Represent the zulu nation with illy rap creations
Just keep shit hotter than death row-bad boy confrontations
Chillin with fudge love because he represents the haitians
Ya naw'mean

Word up
I just wanna big up everybody for supportin a tribe called quest
Through the years
This be the fourth lp, you know what i'm sayin?
Tip, shaheed and phife, beats, rhymes and life
Featuring my man, you know what i'm sayin, consequence
192 is the area where we represent, for the ladies and gents, ha ha
You know what i'm sayin? big up shaheed muhammad, that's my man
Christine, you know what i'm sayin, word life (fading out)
The abstract poetic, rockin this track
Bouncin it all over the place, in your face
You know what i'm sayin? my man lightro...

Verse

Sometimes men and women look at themselves and see bliss
Through experience we tend to exist
That's through our past or our caretakers
The instance is in particular, so you need to recognize that
If you take all this away
And look at us at the end of the day
We stand great among creation
So baby take these words as a little inspiration
While i kick this shit get your ass motivation
Mcs, you're walking a thin line
Get in your ranks and tighten up as we walk through mines
And plus vipers, phony rhymers and biters
Money-grubbers, beat-dubbers
Amongst a whole host of others
Who be fakin', fraudulatin'
Waitin' for your bacon
They be takin' and skatin' while you sit contemplatin'
Who's your peoples
Well let me tell you somethin' now paw
We're livin' a world that's r-a-double-raw
It's crazy but it's true, go for delly is the law
And if you cross the path then you dangerin' your jaw
And if you glass joe, don't go toe-for-toe
Yo all we wanna do is our thing and lay low
So brothers hold your heads high when you get down
Don't violate these women cuz we need them around
It's all of us together, not the one without the other
The abstract is ill, word to mother.

Chorus

We got to do our do, not separate, together
Got to move on through, not separate, together
Got to do our do, not separate, together
Got to move on through, not separate, together

Yo, we got some problems baby
People stressed out, check it
But we can make it sugar
Keep it light and i say
Move on through separate
Not together but together
Not separate, that's how
We got to do it, check it on out
Bust it, yo...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Chorus:
We got the bump-da-bump-da-bump bump(6x)
We got the bump-da-bump-da-bump bump-da-bump-da-bump
Bump-da-bump-da-bump

Q-tip:
Yo, we preparin ourselves for this ultimate war
The mcs are really lost and it's at a big cost
We be rhymin at our show thinkin we gettin dough
Movin throught every town off the fumes of...
And accolades of the crowd with our chests out proud
Yo, we bout to pack these joints so that these...sound loud
Some kids be actin stank like a baby pant
It's the rapper abstract that make the joint get amped
Yo, use your body maker and use your minds, to break true
Yo, we gotta do the do
Son, we livin in a time where mad folks talk (shit)
Representin they crews or they east-west clicks
Let me tell everybody from coast to coast
About the lands we boast, but we don't own jack
How the (fuck) we movin through makin moves like that?
How the (hell) we movin through makin moves like that?
Can you explain that? i doubt that, very highly
We got jewels and mo and the life is tight rowdy
Everybody lookin (shitty) like a to' down committee
Let's make these institutions, body slam for the smitties
I got girls with plenty tails, smarts and big (titties)
And they all stressin me, yo, really?
What really goes on? (james brown: i don't know)

Chorus:

Q-tip:
One is for the beat and the two is for the rhyme
Three is for the life, now we on this incline
Never catch this kid stickin forks in swine
Never ran my gibs in nuthin less than a dime
A few of my brothas did that asshole one time
Strivin miss sunrise, sometimes is known as crime
The three twenty-five got that windex shine
And when i shot skelly, i had my boxes in lines
All i wanna do is live life and be fair
I used to stress girls with long legs and long hair
Now, i want a woman with a spiritual flair
God will never make it too hard for me to bare
I'm hungry like a derelict whose stays in the diluse
Some can count me out, but yo, i doubt that i lose
The westernized world got our minds confused
You frontin on me, ak, then you don't get bruised
The funny style cats, they be playin games like chucky
Government officials shoot their same old...
Made of devil agents a.k.a. the devil flunky
Stiff (ass) squares gettin mad cuz we funky
This the crap game, then we got the top rolls
The positive jumps the negative like frogs
Resentin evil vibes, yo, that (shit) is at the morgue
We celebrate laughin down in at the smorgas borg
You still lookin (shitty) like a to' down committee
Let's make this institution, buy the land for the smitties
I got girls with tails, plenty smarts and big (titties)
And they all stressin me...really

Chorus: