Take A Look Around

Drop it
Ace and action
Steady pace by my side
The name of this one here is together
This is goin out to all those who some day reach that fork in the road, you know?
Cause we all have the potential to get there together
Listen up

I got a problem, the ace is bubblin
Physically i'm fit as a fiddle, but somethin's troublin
My mind, i'm in search of the find
A style that's designed just for this kind
Of a raid, it's a must to get paid
Or fade into the wack parade
And so you can't wade
Through this groove, it's as deep as a diver goes
As i proceed, the liver it grows
Then it reaches your ear, teaches you where
You are and where it should be, to each his share
Unadultared, dope, i made it to cope
With any that hope that i faded - nope
I'm still on the scene, kill all the mean
Stares, who cares, they hurtin nothin, when will you fiend
For somethin attainable, somethin more gainable
I build and i'm filled with knowledge undrainable
It's overflowin, before long you're goin
To find out, you kept your mind out of growin
The way you did it, was you didn't admit it was
Somethin that applied to you, you should bit it, cuz
But you chose to ignore, i suppose you explore
Only things with wings and a halo - sure
You're not a saint, but you try to paint
A picture that'll get you respect, don't you know it ain't
How large you're livin, or what you're drivin
But what your goals are, so keep on strivin
And gainin, maintainin
Keep your brain intact, this is mental trainin
For the minds that have given up
Other are livin up, if you want a sip, then go get a cup
And we'll take a drink from the fountain
Of success, yo, let's all climb the mountain
Together

[ chorus ]
We're gonna get there
Oh yeah, we're gonna get there
Together (3x)

We got to, got to, got to
Get there together

Who's with me now, raise your hand
Need inspiration? the capital a's your man
I'll inspire you to strive a little higher
You won't tire, and not even barbwire
Will obstruct your progress, i guess
You wanna succeed? determination is what you need
Face your fears and place your tears aside
Raise your peers to the top, here's a guide
For you to follow by, try and swallow my
Food for thought, and you're short of an alibi
There's no excuses, the rhyme just spruces
And juices up a small mind, so call mine the loosest
Cause i get looser than mice in a basement
I grab the mic, and that's when the place went
Wild, steady smiled, i didn't crack one
Not that i'm mean or that i lack fun
But the topic is serious, listeners are curious
Rappers are lerious, the ace and i'm furious
It's not the kinda rage that makes me wanna rant and rave
Across the stage like a beast in a cage, i save
All the screamin and shoutin for the next man
The look on my face is the proof that i'm vexed, and
I don't yell, i don't swell, i tell facts
And simply stated i made it, sell tracks
But i want respect from those who chose to
Flap your rat traps, cause heaven knows you
Made a mistake when you chose to oppose
You tried to step on toes, now you're dissed - case closed
Cause like it or not, action is gettin there
So keep on sittin there, riffin and splittin hair
And critizisin, i got my eyes in
An upward glance, and i see us all risin
Together

[ chorus ]

Listen up
Who says a brother can't get his with his
Eyes on the prize, realize that it is
Highly probable that someday he will
Believe and therefore achieve, but we will
Keep an eye out, cause he might try out
A quicker way to payday, but i doubt
The brother knows: the harder the wind blows
The faster the quick cash goes, and i suppose
Gettin paid everyday means improvement
Bust the movement on the floor as the groove went
(together) as the bass kicked, the ace picked
The mic up, and now i'm gonna strike up a taste licked
By a licker and bitten by a biter
Sucked by a sucker, i fought like a fighter
To get the meal rarely barely shared by
A brother of color, but i'm not scared, i
Don't wanna stop, to the top it's a rat race
Or should i say rap race, i wanna get that taste
My mouth is waterin, who's that orderin?
The ace'll slow a pace, i'm almost borderin
On breakin, cause it's there for the takin
And i'm not fakin, yo, i want the bacon
But i'm not hurryin or worryin, there's time for
Me to get mine, but i made a rhyme for
To use, so you score, it's more like food for
Empty spaces, now the ace is in the mood for
Seein the black with a tack with a feather
Cause we don't need a 2x4 just to get there together

Yeah, yeah stop

"i got ta" (repeat 4x)

(i got ta) pick up the mic on a soul tip
(i got ta) run you down like a polo skip
(i got ta) rip mc's like a paper bag
(i got ta) wear a disguise to escape a nag
(i got ta) go to my shows in a limosine, but
(i got ta) stay in touch with my inner scene
(i got ta) keep my house nice and tidy
(i got ta) learn a lot about the whitey
(i got ta) buy a house with all my riches
(i got ta) invest the rest, avoid the diches
(i got ta) eat my frank with mustard only
(i got ta) call up a friend when i get lonely
(i got ta) do enough shows cause the rent's due
(i got ta) get paid, cause it makes sense to
(i got ta) uplift rap on its perspective
(i got ta) help all those that aren't connected
(i got ta) give a girl enough affection
(i got ta) turn a heart in my direction
(i got ta) grab the mic from the stage and
(i got ta) drop more spice than a cajun
(i got ta) smoke mc's like a cigarette
(i got ta) rap in a style they can't figure yet
(i got ta) teach the youth that they capable
(i got ta) show the ghetto is escapable
(i got ta) walk soft, but carry a big stick
(i got ta) wise up, and stop being pigged quick
(i got ta) manifest words til they understood
(i got ta) make more noise than thunder could
(i got ta) play an mc like a sham shirt
So step back, cause you gonna get slammed, squirt
(i got ta) get on the floor with a fly step
(i got ta) come on strong like a bicep
(i got ta) ball up my fist, that's the power sign
And mc's clean up your act cause it's shower time
(i got ta) drop my rhymes like a sandbag
(i got ta) pick up the microphone and rag
Mc's who try to be better than
(i got ta) heat up the party like a sweater can
(i got ta) learn from the mistakes that i've made
(i got ta) walk whatever path is laid
(i got ta) let things fall where they may
(i got ta) live my life by the day
(i got ta) help out a friend that's in trouble
(i got ta) tell 'em we all have to struggle
(i got ta) go to school with the other man
(i got ta) get as close as i can
(i got ta) know what he knows to know him
And then my chance to survive is less grim
(i got ta) also have knowledge of self, though
(i got ta) learn that, plus achieve wealth, yo
(i got ta) get that wealth for my family
And community and still live happily
Not ever after, cause life ain't a fairytale
(i got ta) stay on my toes and i'll never fail
(i got ta) carry the crowd like a duffle bag
You saw me score and you still wanna scuffle? dag
(i got ta) admit you got a lot of heart, kid
You better run like somebody smart did
(i got ta) remember the benz that my man drove
Now it's all smashed up in a grove
(i got ta) recall the first day he bought it, though
And as he boasted and posted i said "so?"
(i got ta) say he was the man among back
Ten workers on the ave selling smack
On saturday, he made his last mistake, so now
(i got ta) buy a suit for his wake

"i got ta" (repeat 4x)

I got to avoid surrounding myself with too many materialistic things
But i got to enjoy the life of the law-abiding black kings
I gotta motivate others to achieve and become a part of this elite group
And that's what the struggle for equality is really about, troop
I got to understand the pain and strife of the next man
So i got avoid flaunting, showing off, and high posting if i can
I got to make sure that action is understood comepletely by all followers
I got to convert the color of you shirt from blue to white collars
I got to close my eyes, ball up my fist, and thank god for the freedom of speech
Then i got to use my knowledge of the english language to write songs that teach

"i got ta" (repeat 6x)

I want to say peace to dj mister cee, steady pace, the whole action posse
The whole action posse, the whole action to the third power movement
And everybody that believed in master ace

Some rappers pick up the mic and like to dabble
But i'm gonna flow with the show and never babble
Take your hand, make your stand
To my left, jeff, your a pest and you fessed and
I think you'd better find a new profession
You think that you wanna be a rapper? well i think you're guessing
No time for fessing or faking, messing or making
Mistakes, cause it takes heavyweights to stakes
Or high, so why would you ever want to front?
And try such a stunt, now the ace is gonna hunt
Ya down, you clown, cause the sound that you're hearing is dope
You can't cope slowpoke, so pick up the soap
And catch a bad one, you wanted a chance and you had one
You lost it course you sad one
You can't get with the style you hit with
In this rhyme, so maybe next time

Uptown, downtown, crosstown, no matter where you're from
Get on the floor and get dumb
Cause the master, capital a-c-e is about to kick it wicked
Here's the title, in your face i'm gonna stick it
But yo don't resh leash the speech that you use
Needs a little more spice, ice, you're nice
The style that i heard was third nerd, you gotta be sweet, pete
You can't make money saying rhymes on the street
So yo get back, jack, a smack is what you might just get
To the grill, bill, so chill, or i might just swing, king
Crown, you're down you're like a wingless plane, wayne
Cause you ain't fly, in fact you try and i'm a rain
Right on your head so shed hats and coats
The votes are in friend, i win hands down, clown
You tried biting, but biting is a crime
So maybe next time

I like to cruise around the city, find me a witty
Seditty, sexy young lady that is pretty
(meow meow meow) says the kitty
The hotel room i got's a buck fifty
Booties in miniskirts, cuties and plenty certs
To make sure my breath is up to par and
I introduce myself as the capital a the c the e
And say "hello" and "bonjour" if foreign
And if she's a little bit older i'll put her head on my shoulder
And hold, cause nobody told her
That the master ace, could move so many hips
Just by the sounds from my lips
Well um dinner was a winner, the movie was groovy
The park was dark as we walked and talked
Stayed and played, chased and raced
Sat and chat, shared and stared, into each other's eyes and lies
Spilled from your mouth right then
Cause as we kissed you insisted, you had no boyfriend
But i know you cousin and your cousin dropped dime
Oh well, maybe next time

Mc's acting wild better get calm
Or you'll get laughed at like like a sitcom
I spell my name a with the c-e
Not an "lf" folks, and i'm displaying "different strokes"
Huh, i'm "head of the class" fast and furious
Rhymes as you get "m*a*s*h-ed" as i have "good times"
And "happy days" i'm slick like a hummer
And smooth and kick my rhymes like a punter
"one day at a time" is how i live life
So no i'm not "married with children" and no i do not have a wife
Instead i would prefer to have a girl and
Experience "growing pains" cause it's a "different world" and
Rappers try to play me, just like a sport
Try to bite my rhymes at "night" but get "court"
"give me a break" catch a "taxi" and leave town
You might be a "star" but i'll "trek" you down
Rapping, it's a living and it's been one for years
"jeffersons" in my wallet, champagne in my glass, i say "cheers"
You wish you could be slick with the rhymes, don't you?
But maybe next time

I got something i want y'all to do
Take a look around

Take a look around, take a look around and ask yourself: why?
See all those people on the other side of town, livin large and postin high?
Take a look around, see that bumrush to this liquor store?
He sold out of thunderbird, but i got to say more
Take a look around as the wealthy and rich
Go to plush parties and do-si-do together, ain't that a bitch?
Cause they're movin on while most of us sit back complainin
Bout, "ain't nuff opportunities for our people", like it's always rainin
But take a look around, cause i see plenty of sunshine in the sky
Maybe next time, instead of complainin, you go out and get a piece of the pie

Take a look around
Take a look around

Take a look around as more young people take their eyes off the prize
See my man simon talkin bout he's gonna put a kit
And a rag-top on that 560 s-e-c he buys?
Take a look around at the music man on the corner playin his sax
Fillin the air with jazz
He's a one-man symphony, see that 2 dollars in change in his hat?
Yo, that's all that brother has
This is just a little letter about the situations we live in
Take a look around and realize: to succeed we just can't give in

Now take a look around
Hey brother, take a look around
Hey sister, take a look around

Now money made is not necesserally money earned
But those who earn money seem to have a lot less
And not very often are those tables ever turned
But then again, money's not a measure of success
The power of 3, you see, is ever present
Slide and ride this groove, to get the meanin
Only a true king can call someone a peasant
You hold a microphone, but for a throne i find you fiendin
Pursuit of happiness and money are not the same
There is some overlap, but they're still separate goals
Because it's possible to have one without the other, a shame
Some don't realize it, so they sell away their souls

Take a look around
Take a look around

As i walk through grand central i see so very many
Brothers and sisters that are down on their luck
Is there really pie, and they just aren't gettin any?
Or is it cause they're lazy and they just don't give a fuck?
Walkin through the park i see bam-bam playin celo
4-5-6, bam just lost 3 g's and a kilo
Who says they only play for kicks?

Take a look around
Take a look around

I remember jackie, when jackie was a hottie
Jeans used to fit her like the skin upon a grape
Me and every other brother fiened for her body
But she's smokin, so now look at her shape
Now mrs green goes to church like every single sunday
And she had three sons, ron, mike and dale
Maybe if she'd done a little bit more than just pray
Ron wouldn't be dead, and the other two, they wouldn't be in jail
I remember mr. tee, he used to walk with a limp
He had a wooden leg, y'know, cause he lost it in the war
Maybe if this country had made some attempt
To take care of their veterans, mr. tee, he wouldn'ta have to die poor

Take a look around
Hey - brothers, sisters
Take a look around

Let's get wild
Yeah, master ace in the house
The whole action posse's in the house
Ice-u-rock's in the house, dj marley marl's in the house
Steady pace is in the house, and we gonna do it like this

So many new jacks and jills on the hill
But only one bucket, so fuck it, they get the dills
Cause you no frills, that means your name ain't household
Now watch that little mouse fold
You can't take the pressure from the cooker
Stood there looking soft, so i started hooking off
And took her, i know she used to be yours
Now she's riding on the bus with us and doing tours
Along with some other little runts
We call her a fall girl, she does so many stunts
And then she got liver, she did it with the guy that drives the bus
Now she's a screw driver
Master ace is flipping
Your grip is slipping, it's time i start stripping
Young ladies and the titles that hold 'em
I treat 'em like a pretzel: bend, stretch, and fold 'em
And i can do the same damage on stage
Black, white, or beige, you're gonna feel the rage
The same way the sluts with the big butts felt it
I'm not a dealer but i dealt it
So if you plan on riffing when i spank ya
Be prepared to grab your ankles because

(ace is wild!) no, not really
(ace is wild!) come on, you're acting silly
(ace is wild!) you know i'm just chilling
(ace is wild!) come on, stop illing

For whom the bell tolls, it tolls for all of those
Who lost out, cause i was at the polls
And i saw the results as they came in
So many wild-ass ones that need taming
But i hold a whip and a chair
And i don't play fair, so you'd better stay there
Until i say "jump through the fire"
But i won't get burned, i learned to admire
>from way across the room first
And after i study, buddy, that's when i kick a verse
That's high powered, you got devoured
By the jaws of death, you little coward
Scared to step in this arena
Where the grass is greener, you're looking meaner and meaner
But your look ain't scaring me away
So i just stay and say words to make your head sway
Capital a-c-e, boy
Serving the masses, you'd better take some classes
If you want to hang with this here
And if you get near, i'll eat you like a pear (crunch)
But i don't really eat a lot of fruit
So say "ahh" (mmmmmmph!) now don't you look cute?

(ace is wild!) nah, no i'm not
(ace is wild!) i just like to bug a lot
(ace is wild!) leave me alone
(ace is wild!) turn up the microphone
(ace is wild!) yeah...

Mr. gangster, who you trying to kid?
Fake, flam, and fess and dress the way you did
This is a microphone war
You say you're well-known, but what are you known for?
A porno flick and a hard dick
And always bragging about the girls you stick
Title for king? yo i don't compete for that
Paid your dues? let me see a reciept for that
Somebody put you on yesterday
And you fess today, and that's just the way
A sucker is supposed to operate
Just turn on my mic and i'm straight
Now you fronting like you got a million g's
Just because you sold a couple of lp's
Now you walking around thinking you're the man
Cause you bought a little suit from dapper dan
But so what? you still ain't dapper
Holding the mic makes you look like a rapper
But you're just a sloppy copy cat
Front on me and i'm a hit you with a bat
Bottom of the nineth, two out, and i'm at the plate
And smack! over the left field gate
That's where your head goes, you're rudolph the red nosed
And you can't join in, you shouldn't have said those
Rhymes that sound so merrily merrily
Since you're soft like poundcake from sarah lee
I might cut a slice, then say "what a nice
Sucker to gobble up with beans and rice"
You fat little rat from the sewer
I eat you like a meal, pass you like maneuer
Put you in the garden where my flower grows
Then where's your power? tell me where your power goes
Somebody does your dirty work for you
Throw up your hands like a man so i can floor you
And oh, if you pull a jammie
You can run from brooklyn to miami
>from miami to nevada
You'd better have a lotta, i mean a whole knot of
Payola, cause i'm about to roll a
Mic like a cess joint, so brother here's a bowl of
Pride, now eat it up
Cause i get kind of wild when i heat it up

(ace is wild!) nah, not really
(ace is wild!) come on, you're acting silly
(ace is wild!) you know i'm just chilling
(ace is wild!) yo yo yo, stop illing
(ace is wild!) no, i'm not
(ace is wild!) i feel kinda hot
(ace is wild!) but i'm not acting wild
(ace is wild!) you know that ain't my style
(ace is wild!) you know i'm just cooling
(ace is wild!) and also i'm ruling
(ace is wild!) i ain't messing with nobody
(ace is wild!) i just wanna have a party
(ace is wild!) no, no
(ace is wild!) come on, yo
(ace is wild!) it's me and marley marl
(ace is wild!) and i'm the music man, y'all

[master ace]
Awww yeah! uh, uh huh
One two, microphone check one two
Microphone check one two, mircophone check one two
Tell you what i'm gonna do

On and on and on is how the beat goes
So sell the british walkers and cut the afros
And dance till the feeling is gone in your toes
I wear shorts in the summer, timberlands when it snows
Sometimes i like to chill, sometimes i like to mingle
Sometimes i get the fever for the flavor of a single
Sexy young slimmy, but not too young, though
That's because jimmy might end up on death row
Now this here jam is like a special kind of song
It's not too short, but then again it's not too long
I brought someone with me, someone you might know
He's bound to wreck your body from the tip of your toe
All the way up to your last hair folicle

[biz markie]
Hey hey hey, it's me the diabolical
Yes, y'all and, it's time for me to fall in
To a funky beat to make you have a ball and
Jump, make you move your rump on the floor and like pump
C'mon don't be a chump, i see four and maybe five
Live party people but the rest did not survive
(why?) they had a cardiac arrest
Now rocking microphones is something i do daily and
Making people dance like if i was alvin ailey, and
People just love it when the biz starts to play
With my (beatboxing), and by the way
Skeezing with a girl is something i get tricky
And i'm the sneaky type to like slip a girl a mickey
And i live the type of life that's far from affordable
Standing on the corner calling cuties on the portable
Me and master ace is fonky (word to miz)
Yo, who is it ace? (it's me and the biz)

It's me and the biz (repeat 4x)

[biz markie]
Yo ace, i got an, um, question
Excuse me brother, but can you spare a dime?

[master ace]
Naw, but if you want, i can kick a funky rhyme
All i need is a groove that's as smooth as a harp and
I'm ready to talk nuff shit like al sharpton
I take the stage and engage in a page and
My name is master ace and 22 is the age

[biz markie]
Yo, i'm the b-i-z m and, like a lot of women
Bought a new car because the first one was a lemon
Oochie louie findy, me and sexy cindy
Riding around the block as if i was in the indy
Everybody pointing cause i am the joint and
They know it's me, because i'm the b-i-z
Sometimes i lie in bed all day and think about my life
Should i just kick rap and settle down with kids and a wife?
And get a regular job where i'm working 9 to 5
Shit, i'm the biz and it's great to be alive

[master ace]
I'm making crazy hits, a winner never quits
So those that used to diss me in the past are having fits
But i just sit back and kick my feet up on the table
Cause i'm able to rock a crowd without a cable
Or a cuban link and (yo, lincoln wasn't cuban!)
So i still produce def jams like my name was ricky rubin
M-a-s-t-e-r and this ain't store bought hip-hop from a jar and
It sure ain't stephanie mills playing dorothy in the wiz
It's me and the biz

It's me and the biz (repeat 4x)

[master ace]
I'm a 100% proof and rag on the roof and
Pulling crazy cuties without a gold tooth
Wilding, styling, this land is my land
(you're a) prisoner to my music like you was on riker's island
A slim, soft-spoken brother from the ghetto
My name is master ace and i thought that you should know
You run your rhymes like a horse and force
Extra booty lyrics on the crowd like you're the boss
I think you'd better keep them to yourself
Do it for yourself, put your lyrics back up on the shelf
Now i'm going to pass it to the b-i-z m-a-r-k-i-e
Cause i know you want to see him

[biz markie]
Ah one two, one two, this is what i'm gonna do
Keep the place jumping, get it wild like a zoo
If anyone can do it, the b-i-z can
Peace to marley marl, tagedy, and mc shan
And my cousin cool v and, tj swan e and
The jungle brothers swinging from a tree and
Epmd and, nice and smooth b and
Mc craig g and, just i-c-e and
The list goes on and on and on and on
I go to dapper dan or bennaton

Hey hey, i got some shoutouts, i know you all bought my new album
I know everybody in brooklyn bought it
Everybody in jersey bought it
Everybody in uptown bought it
Eveerybody in philidelphia and california and florida bought my new album
I'm biz markie, i'm down with my cousin cool v, tj swan, marley marl...