Illogic - What it Takes lyrics

I don't know what you thought you
Had or what you got
But yo, to be an MC it takes a lot
Are you willin to take the
Responsibility of this quest
Cause if you do it right you
Might not have nothin left

Yo, it takes artistic ability
And knowhow lyrically
To express in forms of poetical wizardry
It takes rhythmic structures
And phenomenal thoughts
It takes creation of hooks on which
The wack can get caught
It takes knowledge of self and creator
It takes payin attention to that music
In the elevator and elevatin
If you call yourself a lyrical
Surgeon it takes patients patience
It takes takin a trip with God
On that ship of relation
It takes self-denial AND realization
It takes keepin it realistic
Not real just to become a statistic
It takes evolution and edification
It takes a person, it takes
A family, takes a city, it takes a nation
It takes surroundin sound
Not lettin sound surround you
It takes surroundin yourself with fam
And a dope crew it takes hot tracks and it
Takes hot use of words
I don't know about you but for
Me it took a third

Yo, it takes a sense of
Focus and clear mindstate
It takes shape and destiny and acceptin fate
It takes you takin a stand and not conceit
It takes you bein and actin like
A man and not a beast it takes squashin beef
It takes, treating our women like queens
And men like kings
It takes replacement of material
With spiritual things
It takes a one for education
And lack of stupidity
It takes discovering your faults
And seeking a remedy
It takes some illogical thinking
In this rational world
It takes passiveness and confontation
Rebellion and confirmation
It takes, an open and a closed mind
It takes a lack of compromise and
Findin some truth in lies it takes healin
It takes booze and it takes tryin
It takes winnin, it takes
Losin, it takes livin, it takes dyin
It takes them, it takes us
It takes you what takes me
These are the essentials I think it
Takes to be an MC

I'm an MC cause I got what it takes
Are you an MC, do you have what it takes?
If you don't know, I've defined it
So go ahead kid, and just rewind it
I'm an MC cause I got what it takes
Are you an MC, do you have what it takes?
If you don't know, I've defined it
So go ahead kid, and just rewind it
"Clap your hands everybody
If you got what it takes"