Here's a little story I got to tell
About me straight from the old school
Where they were rocking the bells
Where they were rocking the drums, cool
Around 1980, I first heard hip hop
Before that it was all about roll, all about rock
Rapture, Rapper's Delight, Fat Boys
Kurtis Blow, Planet Rock, That's the Joint

Walking round school singing Proud to be black
Cuz Run DMC made it all that
Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel
Wheels of Steel, Wheels of Steel
Made the wax sound a lot like I feel
White Lines, the Breaks, made real shit real
Rappin Duke made me laugh my ass off
LL could play that shit sweet or play that shit rough

We don't need a motherfucking chorus
Open up your ears and listen to the voices
Open up your brain and learn to think
Open up your mouth and learn to speak

We don't need a motherfucking chorus
Open up your ears and listen to the voices
Open up your brain and learn to think
Open up your mouth and learn to speak

Soon it wasn't just me, it was everybody
In little T-Town, rap was the place to be
La Di Da Di, we likes to party
Party was a right for which we had to fight
Don't talk to a girl who just has a friend
It took two to make a thing go right
Before big butts, Mix-a-lot was Swass
I even like some pop shit like Kriss Kross

Shit got hard, shit got hardcore
Wasn't just about getting your ass on the floor
Straight outta Compton, Fuck Tha Police
World changing moments for me
Some were just nasty like 2 Live Crew
Amerikkka's most wanted, that homie Snoop
Original Gangsta, half-weight crooks
Dropping knowledge not found in books

We don't need a motherfucking chorus
Open up your ears and listen to the voices
Open up your brain and learn to think
Open up your mouth and learn to speak

We don't need a motherfucking chorus
Open up your ears and listen to the voices
Open up your brain and learn to think
Open up your mouth and learn to speak

All them masters took me to school
Without more, though, I'd still be a fool
Rebels with a cause, Rebel Without A Pause
PE brought the noise and I dropped the toys
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul expanding musical horizons
Beasties and Run DMC flipped the sound
Chuck D gave me the ammo to Shut Em Down

The first song I wrote was called "The Lesson"
BDP, My Philosophy, my first learning session
Black Cop, Black Cop, Black Cop
Now my rhymes hit hard, my rhymes don't stop
I want you to dance, I want you to rock
It's damn good start if I see your head bop
But I'm dropping some facts, dropping some science
I ain't for bling or sex or violence

We don't need a motherfucking chorus
Open up your ears and listen to the voices
Open up your brain and learn to think
Open up your mouth and learn to speak

We don't need a motherfucking chorus
Open up your ears and listen to the voices
Open up your brain and learn to think
Open up your mouth and learn to speak