Twice the First Time

Lyrics

(sung) I will not rhyme on tracks Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh!) way back I will not rhyme over tracks Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh!) way back Don't drop the beat on me Don't drop the beat, no Ah I am not the son of sha-klak klak I am before that I am before I am before before, before death is eternity, after death is eternity There is no death, there's only eternity And I be riding on the wings of eternity like CLA CLA CLA SHA KLACK KLACK "GET ME THE FUCK OFF THIS TRACK" As if the heart beat wasn't enough They got us using drum machines now Drums live in machines Tryin' to make our drums humdrums Tryin' to mute our magic Instruments be political prisoners up inside computers As if the heart were not enough As if the heart were not enough And as heartbeats bring percussions Fallen trees bring repercussions Cities play upon our souls like broken drums Re-drum the essence of creation from city slums But city slums mute our drums and our drums become humdrums 'Cause city slums have never been where our drums are from Just the place where our daughters and sons become Offbeat heartbeats Slaves to city streets And hearts get broken and heartbeats stop Broken heartbeats become breakbeats for niggas to rhyme on top, but... I won't rhyme on top no tracks Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back I won't rhyme over tracks Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (Huh) way back Don't drop the beat, no Don't drop the beat, noooo Not until you've listened to Rakim on a rocky mountain top, have you heard Hip-Hop Extract the urban element that created it And let a open wide countryside illustrate it Riding in a freight train In the freezing rain Listening to Coltrane My reality went insane And I think I saw Jesus He was playing hopscotch with Betty Carter Who was cursing him out In a scat-like gibberish for not saying "butterfingers" And my fingers run through grains of sand Like seeds of time The pains of man The frames of mind Which built these frames Which is the structure of my urban superstructure The trains and planes can corrupt and obstruct your planes of thought So you then forget how to walk through the woods Which ain't good 'cause you ain't never walked through the trees Listenin' to "Nobody Beats The Biz" and you ain't never heard Hip-Hop And you must stop that damn track from going... Please don't drop the beat Don't drop the beat, nooo And... I will not rhyme on tracks Niggas on a chain gang used to do that (huh) way back (repeat) Don't drop the beat, noooo Don't drop the beat, no Don't drop the beat, no Don't drop the beat ...heartbeat My heartbeat Goes on And on And on... Yeah