Get Your Self Up

Yeah (Yeah) Yeah (Yeah) Ah-ha (Ah-ha) Ah-ha (Ah-ha) Hardcore! Word Hardcore! [ *live excerpt* ] (You really think they're ready, black?) Let's break it all the way down All the way down Huh-huh Don't be fooled Don't be fooled Rap is something you do Hip-hop is something you live Rap is something you do Hip-hop is something you Rap is something you do Hip-hop You are not just doing hip-hop Yeah Let's get this started Word up [Chorus] You gotta, get, your - self, up! You been knocked down? Get yourself up! You been shot down? Get yourself up! You been locked down? Get yourself up! Get - your - self - up! Been knocked down? Get yourself up! Been shot down? Get yourself up! You been locked down? Get yourself up! What is a real hip-hop MC? Is it MTV, is it BET? Is it five m-i-see's So the people can see I mean, how you think you're free When you act like property? Tell me, how do you judge an MC when he's rockin I mean rockin it live, not pickin his cotton I mean adjustin his clothes, I mean how do you know Before you come to the show that you're not gettin heated That you're not gettin cheated That you ain't come to the club thinkin 'I must've been weeded!' (Word) You got to be a educated consumer Spend your money on MC's cause these rappers'll do ya Ass they want is your cash, ass, grass, gas in a flick When you ask for that autograph they ass-dash quick Beware of the rapper, he talks like it don't matter He pulls his gat while we bust off the gatler [Chorus] This is the "Sneak Attack" The "Edutainment" style returns like that Take it off your shelf Cause all we deal with is knowledge of self, health and wealth Not Stealth bombers, leather goose bombers Original hip-hop armor on cd-rom - eh You got to get with a 21st century philosopher Representin the religion of hip-hop, sir Those that oppose are foes and will get rocked - eh Stopped, eh, I rise like a helicopter Like Zulu I'll Shaka, crowd With a beat that's loud Huh, I'm black and I'm proud - irrelevant I'm black and intelligent I teach my kids to watch the education they give em Cause it's really all about street wisdom [Chorus] True hip-hoppers don't bleed True hip-hoppers don't need True hip-hoppers don't speed No time for greed True hip-hoppers do read And will lead, not plead Will sow seeds that breed Ah-ha that's safer than weed, indeed True hip-hoppers don't slave True hip-hoppers don't crave Silver and gold, we're not amazed We live f-are-e-e If you not into lyrics you can't really hear it nor see me My philosophy keeps it plain and simple Here it is: the kingdom of hip-hop is within you Or is it the kingdom of hell that sends you? I'm ringin a bell within you You only seek in a cell, that's what sin do It tells you to put your craft on a menu, a chart So they can sell you and your art [Chorus] --- Get Your Self Up - KRS-One