One hand on the fader... One ear in the past... Yeah. Bring it back. Let it hiss, let it crack. I met rap on a cracked cassette In a beat-up room, all sweat and jet One boom, one bap, and I was gone Head in the smoke, but the hook stayed on Late night, red pen, bent page Spit truth, make the whole crowd rage I loved how a line could swing and sting How a broke-down drum still felt like kings Backspin turn my whole chest like, "wait, there it is" That first break got me hooked, now I live for the risk A backpack full of pen marks, blackbook stains I learned real love from the crate-dig lanes Hear that march in my chest, feel that hunger come back I don't chase no fad, I been married to the rap So I lean into the bruise, let the snare hit truth If the world says "fold", I let the record roll! I love Hip Hop, I love rap! Say it back, say it back! Iron drums, gold clap Put my soul in the snap! It pulled me out, it pulled me through From the first cold hit to the final snap I love Hip Hop, I do! (Needle drop, heart attack!) Tag on the wall, ink on the cuff Mom said "cool down", I said "not enough" Cops on the corner, doubt on the curb Still I keep my teeth in every word Boom bap baby, I bleed that pulse Dirty kicks, clean lines, mad impulse Saw the whole world change in the hands of a DJ Made a whole new road out of two spinning plates Boots on stone when the kicks roll in Crowd move like a wave in the wind Not for the polish, not for the pose This for the kids with the ripped-up clothes! Hear that march in my chest, feel that hunger come back I don't chase no fad, I been married to the rap So I lean into the bruise, let the snare hit truth If the world says "fold", I let the record roll! I love Hip Hop, I love rap! Say it back, say it back! Iron drums, gold clap Put my soul in the snap! It pulled me out, it pulled me through From the first cold hit to the final snap I love Hip Hop, I do! (Needle drop, heart attack!) I came in with a ledger and a scar on my grin Whole room said, "Shh," I said, "Let the tale begin" I learned the code from a speaker cone Turned pain to a home of my own If they slam the gate, I climb the frame Every cracked-out bar still says my name I don't chase glitter, I chase that truth A hard-earned phrase in a steel-capped booth When the horns come down, I swear my heart lean back Hold that line, let it crack, let it tap I came with scars, I came with bars And I still bow down to the art! No throne, just grit. No chain, just pride. I wear every bruise like a passport ride. If the world goes quiet, I still won’t fold I know that fire, I know that gold... Then the choir cuts in like a blade in flight And my name hits the rafters, black and bright! I love Hip Hop, I love rap! Say it back, say it back! Heavy on the heart and sharp on the map Put my soul in the snap! Brick on brick, we don't stop Say it like a vow when the dark room claps I love Hip Hop, I do! (Cut it up, cut it up, let it slap!)
