KRS-One - Maximum Strength 2008 (2008) by KRS-One (보컬) on maniadb.com

[KRS-One:]
Yeah, HUT HUT HUT HUT!
I know we ain't gettin soft, HUT HUT HUT HUT!
I know we ain't gettin soft, listen
FIYAH!

[Chorus: KRS-One]
When you advertise in New York
You best to beware, oh yes
When you advertise in New York, you best to beware
Cause the bling bling, and de sex t'ing
Dem no care, oh no, you best to beware
Oh no, yo you best to beware, oh no noooo

[KRS-One:]
This is how they do it kid, I thought you knew it kid
This is how they set us up listen I can prove it kid
Many don't understand, you see it's all a plan
To keep the black man a child like he's Peter Pan
You'll never see a man, a real black man
Until you see a man with control of his hands
And to control your hands means you control your mind
And to control your mind means you ain't commitin crimes
Man you smarter than that, goin to prison is whack
Even the people in prison know I'm spittin the facts
I'm gettin open, open the class up
Don't smoke crack it'll tear yo' ass up

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
Listen! We got our own problems here in the States
So you know I'm not pointin the finger BUT WAIT
This is somethin y'all got to see
Even the UN knows violence begins with poverty
When you ain't got no money, it's quicker to kill
It's human nature that's way the jails are filled
And the MILITARY? From the time you sign up
To kill your neighbor man it's a SIN already
And SIN meaning Selfish Inconsiderate Needs
Gimme what I want! I don't care who bleeds
These days people ready to steal and rob
All in the name of I'm DOING MY JOB~!
But what about doing your work, what's your purpose?
No human being is worthless
Think about this before you pull the trigger
And you call your sister a bitch and your brother a - WHOA

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
Knowledge Reigns Supreme again, ignorance is weakenin
Truth is what I'm speakin when I'm reachin and teachin my friends
Life is more than just cars and lust
Unity is a must, we need to build trust
Open up your mind to this, raisin up your consciousness
Whether you a pessimist, strategist or optimist
My synopsis is knowledge ain't where college is
Knowledge is for leaders and wisdom is for philosophers
Now I'm hearin London gettin violence like Brooklyn was
Brothers gettin shot just for lookin cause?
I thought we deaded that, we need to be headed back
Yo France, you need to be coverin your brother's back
Bring the lovin back, cause the government don't love you
They into murder, money, and stayin above you
They want you all in prison
So before you kill your sister or brother stop and listen

[Chorus]

[Chorus: KRS-One]
Get up! What we slowin down for?
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
We got a whole nation to restore
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
We gotta really love each other more
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!
When you see my CD in the store
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, pick it up!

[KRS-One:]
It's the teacher, class is open G
Let's get open on the concept of votin, we
Begin the discussion by viewin democracy
People power, a people ruled philosophy
Democracy is a system of government
Where the whole population is the sum of it
Where the goverment can't move without it's people
Where before the law everybody's equal
But take a look at the police and how they treat you
Take a look at these corporations that cheat you
Democrats and Republicans are all see-through
Now we votin for the lesser of two evils
Man, don't let 'em deceive you
This is an autocracy, not a democracy
But to call this a democracy without mock interest
In the laws of society, that's called hypocrisy!

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
Democracy only happened one time
In European history, now keep this in mind
It was practiced in Athens overseas
In 508 B.C. by Cleisthenes
Citizens would get together on a hillside
And decide how and if they was gonna ride
But in 322 B.C. here's what happened
Alexander of Macedon conquered Athens
And that was the end of democracy
Where the people had a say in their society
Today, we gotta get more knowledge
And learn about the function of the electorial college
It doesn't matter who you vote for today
The electorial college has the last say
But that's another day, here's what I came to say
RIIIIISE UP~!

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
In corporate sponsored elections, who's winning?
This the wrong direction from the beginning
Every candidate got scandal, they all sinnin
Tryin to convince you, tellin you what they been in
But the real issues, they get avoided
While our children still gettin exploited
Heh, they call me Blastmaster Kris
Edutainment, that's what my tactic is!
Some criticize Kris, some laugh at Kris
But you can't say Kris is not an activist
Social justice, I got a PASSION for this
Cause equal rights we still ASKIN for this?
So when I do my tours it's not just rappin for Kris
I'm givin you more than gun packin with this
I'm openin doors, you should be askin 'bout this
You listenin to them whores and them capitalists
They game is tight, got you trapped into this
It won't be long before the ring you like have to kiss
That's why I'm a activist
I help people not to get trapped in this
The temptation? You gettin wrapped in this
So get up, stop sittin like a PACIFIST
Pick it up, pick it up, pick it up, PICK IT UP, PICK IT UP!

[KRS-One:]
Woooooooooo!
Where my men at? Real dudes
Where you at? Look

[Chorus: KRS-One]
Me is a mon, understand, not a passin trend
Me is a mon, understand, we provide and defend
Me a mon with a plan, my love it never ends
I'm callin - all my men, ALL MY MEN~!

[KRS-One:]
All my men that be holdin down they house and they spouse
Men, y'all know what I'm talkin about
Real men, providin for the kids, no doubt
Holla out, 'gwan shout, you the man of the house
Men! In my opinion if we gonna start winnin
F'real, we gotta respect women
Every mister, hug your sister, it's the
Time to support your woman and not diss her
It's the, teacher, overstand
I'm like a preacher, reachin your upper man
Man, many don't understand
How important it is to have a plan

[Chorus x2]

[KRS-One:]
All my men that be holdin they house down, true workin
All my men that be holdin they spouse down, for certain!
You spread love when you drivin around town, not jerkin
You a healer, you take away what's hurtin
Cause if a man can't do what a man plans to do, his purpose
Then a man makes plans with empty hands, he's worthless
He can't even understand the plan
What the second or the first is
Let me verse this or reverse this statistic
We gotta think futuristic
Strategic, logistical and even mystical
We need a new ritual
I'm tired of jumpin over buildings
And havin to stop to hold adult hands like children
C'mon, you can do it, c'mon
And when they get paid then they quickly run along
This ain't just another song
This is that fruit that reveals the right from the wrong
It won't be long here, before the storm's here
And real men are gonna have to be strong

[Chorus x2]

[KRS-One:]
Be a MON, stand on principle
Just be a MON, let God live in you
Just be a MON, walk in the spiritual
Metaphysical, political, lyrical
Just be a MON! Understand you not a passing trend
And this is the end

[Intro: sped up vocal sample]
Tonight's a special night
So remember with pride, these 20 happy years

[KRS-One:]
I can't leave my b-boys alone
I can't leave my b-girls alone
Let's turn this house right into a home
C'mon y'all let's get into the zone
Vibrate or mute or cellular phone
In here they might already be on roam
Minds are blown, I'm showin
You ain't gotta go major you can do it alone
As I look back on all the years, all the tears
All my peers, in fear
I hear, insecurity, the need for clout
Low self-esteem and self doubt
KRS lays out a whole different route
And shows you what hip-hop is really all about
Then we on the route, release self doubt
And sing with the feds when the fear is out now
Clear 'em out now, from the bottom to the tip-top
Take the vow, I am hip-hop
And recreate yourself, love don't hate yourself
Do not deny or lie or fake yourself
You can make yourself, reawake yourself
You can mold remodel and reshape yourself
You gotta take yourself more seriously
Create yourself to what you really can be~!
Yo the villain is free, look at me, I do what I do
I am hip-hop and so are you
Yo we almost through, but before we go
I wanna invite y'all all, to every show
Where the b-boys and girls are kept on their toes
Like the Rocksteady Crew tribute with Fat Joe
So now you know, if you got what it takes
No doubt, show 'em what you really all about!

[KRS-One:]
Yo, now that that is out of the way
Let me continue what I came to say
Breakers, writers, emcees and DJ's
Beatboxers too we've come a long way
Come to the Temple of Hip-Hop today
Our hip-hop week is every third week of May
Hip-Hop appreciation we remember
Hip-Hop history, that's in November
Peace, love, unity, that's the agenda
When I'm on the mic that's just what I send ya
We at the end sir, so what's the answer
Hip-Hop can be more than MC's and dancers
It's time to expand your
Awareness, consciousness, enhance your
Living, tell me, what are you playing for
What are you staying for, what are you giving?
I will demand your respect, with two MC's
Two b-boys, two DJ's on set
Two hour shows you bet!
We get authentically hip-hop as hip-hop can get
Independent, free from debt
2005 you ain't seen nuttin yet
Some like it dry, some like it wet
Some like to give, some like to get
Some like a good soundset
You a b-boy and you ain't been out to the Bronx yet?
No, yes, maybe, someday
Whatever, we bring it to you Sunday to Sunday
Workin for peace love unity and fun day
Just a little somethin to balance off gunplay
So now for the break if you got what it takes
No doubt, show 'em what you all about!

[Intro: KRS-One]
Yeah, yeah, yeah
This what we live for!
Let it rock, let it
(Big up to all Brooklyn man, all Bronx man)
(Uptown massive, follow)

[Chorus: KRS-One]
We can all be hear rockin 'til the mor-ning
Boom, bap, and rap is what I bring
We love, the clubs and we rock them
Yes all over the world we shock them
Cause everybody knows this flow
It blows your mind

[KRS-One:]
We used to step inna de club with these murderers
Hustlers, thugs, pimps and burglars
You ain't gettin in the spot if they ain't heard of ya
And if you sneak in the spot they might murder ya
I used to be in them spots just servin the
Raw rhymes flows and yes earnin the
The respect from the streets in a circular
Over the years, an MC I turned into

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
Ladies and gentlemen, the most controversial
MC in hip-hop is about to raise your adrenaline
Settle in and grab a seat, they start meddlin I'm a grab the heat
I already grabbed the streets
KRS, you don't find me on your radio station
You find me chillin on them Indian reservations
I spit like cajun spice
You don't know KRS? Your momma must notta raised you right
Man I blazed your type, done raced your type
Man sit down~! You still on a training bike
I'm the crazy type, you the lazy type
Hey yo, look, I blaze these mics; cause

[Chorus]

[Outro: ad libs from KRS and possibly the producer]

[Intro:]
And you say New York City!
Duane 'Darock', KRS

[Chorus: female singers]
It's New Yorrrrrrrrrk, and we livin
The whole world, it knows, your name
It's New Yorrrrrrrrrk, and we livin
The whole world, it knows, your name

[over Chorus:]
Lenox Avenue, Park Ave
Long Island I see you baby
Jamaican Ave, Queens
KRS, let's go!

[KRS-One:]
New, York, City, get it right, get it tight, get it hype
New York City's in the house tonight
All day, off and on, Broadway
The world's Big Apple is what they all say
Wait, way back in the day
Dudes from the South migrated this way North
Lookin for the higher pay of course
Led by the forces they became big bosses
Like Rick Ross is, the city that never sleeps
Yup, New York is
If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere
What's that?

[Chorus]

[over Chorus:]
Flatbush! Brooklyn (we live this)
BX Bronx, c'mon
Gun Hill Road, Grand Concourse

[KRS-One:]
New, York, City, still part of my heart, still part of my start
As you can see it's still, part of my art
Still part of my lesson plan, listen man~!
N.Y., every year we fresh again
I be doin South Bronx everywhere I go
Everywhere I go, every nation know
I'm a New York dude that's not New York rude
All over the world I eat New York food
Ha, I'm at home anywhere, any place
Right now somebody from New York in this place
Yeah, no matter where I be
I'll always be N-Y-C

[Chorus]

[over Chorus:]
Coney Island! Brighton Beach
Wooo, Red Hook!
I see you Canal Street, Delancey Street
Hester Street, c'mon, New York let's go

[KRS-One:]
New, York, City, metropolitan life, cosmopolitan life
It put the strength inside of my life
But New York City got it's challenges also
Racism, sexism, crime, you all know!
Them guns that keep goin off bustin
And another one bites the dust when
Conflicts arise and dudes start bustin
And cussin, I gotta speak to this
New York is not unique in this
But if we keep sewing this we gonna keep reapin this
I'm teachin this, we gotta overcome our weaknesses
Remember man!

[Chorus]

[over Chorus:]
Big up to the firefighters, rest in peace
World Trades y'know
Brooklyn! The Bronx, Queens
Manhattan! Staten Island! New York love it baby

[Chorus]

[over Chorus:]
South Bronx
South Bronx, big 'em up!
Rest in peace Jam Master Jay, Big Pun
Big L, Randy Parker
You with us for life rest in peace my brother

[KRS-One:]
We need unity in the community
KRS, hip-hop is one
Conscious, gangsters, hustlers
Man

[Chorus:]
Hiiiip-Hop; I'm livin for that
Hiiiip-Hop; I'm livin for that
Hiiiip-Hop; I'm doin it for
Hiiiip-Hop

[KRS-One:]
Yo - we went from nuttin to somethin, bein real and not frontin
No one was givin us nuttin so we resorted to gunnin
Growin up and we comin, up the ladder not bummin
Dodgin warrants and summons, from the cops we were runnin
Goin to school not for nuttin they teachin lies and assumptions
And they tell us keep comin, comin to school now for what? When
Comin back to a system that's whack and really not runnin
Oh I'm sorry it's runnin, it's not PROPERLY runnin
It's a conspiracy hear me man it's got to be somethin
I can get guns faster than I can get an english muffin
And the black church ain't sayin nuttin
We on our own cousin, I'm stickin to this

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
I'm livin for this hip-hop, I'm spittin for this hip-hop
I'm givin to this hip-hop, my life is hip-hop
Culture, and y'all know that
Hip-Hop in the media, y'all know it's whack
But just like them dopefiends who keep comin back
Like the mayor of D.C., buyin Joey's crack
No disrespect to either one of them but look at that
Study the metaphors in this rap
We bigger than crack, but we keep buyin it
We bigger than rap, but we keep denyin it
Justice, equality, keep cryin it
But the only way to get it is to start applyin it
Fat Joe that's my bro shows 'nuff respect
Talib, that's my bro, shows 'nuff respect
50 Cent that's my bro he shows 'nuff respect
Common! That's my bro he shows 'nuff respect
Snoop Dogg is my bro showed 'nuff respect
Dead Prez that's my peeps yo 'nuff respect
Cassidy's an MC who shows 'nuff respect
Hip-Hop is one, don't forget
I'm stickin with this

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
I'm livin for that hip-hop culture, shape it like a sculpture
Touch it why don'tcha, touch it why don'tcha
Hip-Hop is yours and mine and that's fine
But hip-hop's culture ain't about just crime
You caught up in the image and, don't know they rhymes
You caught up in they bodies and don't know they minds
So I'm, here to bring the truth in the place
Like don't think Common won't punch you in your face~!
And don't think Talib won't hold the heat
To stop the violence you gotta know your street
You gotta know who Tanga Reed is
Fat Joe's a leader, Busta Rhymes a preacher
KRS-One's a teacher
But through Cassidy my lessons are quicker to reach ya
We one community
I'm talkin about unity, in other words you and me
I'm with this

[Chorus x2]

[Intro:]
FRESH~! For 2008, you suckers
Yeah! James Desmond, yeah, ha ha ha ha
KRS, keep bringin that

[Chorus: KRS-One]
Heat, the heat, the heat, the heat
The heat, the heat, the heeeeeat!

[KRS-One:]
I'm called when all falls and yes y'all stalls
And cornballs wanna get smoked like Pall Malls
I'm on all fours, all year on tours
Place your bets I'm takin all yours
All wars, topplin all scores
Teachin street laws, the teacher because I bring the

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
I'm called when no one is talkin
The truth about what's goin on and on and
When you wanna put that New York talk in
You cause the KRS-One to start barkin
Toward the mic, grab the mic, start barkin
Outside the club spot cars start parkin for the

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
Yeah, get it bumpin now, get it bumpin now
Turn up that da-dumb-dumb-dumb-BLAOW
I know you know how, we doin it right now
People in the club like WOW~! For that

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
OHH! It's gettin hot, don't stop
We just about to reach the top of hip-hop
That's why I'm called, with that yes yes y'all
At this very moment you feel no stress at all
No, I'm not testin y'all, this a real lyric
If you can hear it I'm blessin y'all, with the

[Chorus]

[KRS-One:]
So we can continue to go down the menu
I send you my poetry that critiques the evil that men do
You better attend to, the AC
When I MC I'm bringin heat lately, now fade me
No ifs ands buts or maybes
I'm not crazy, God made me speak with the

[Chorus]

[Outro:]
That's what I'm talkin about!