Lowkey - The Essence lyrics

I don't know exactly when
It started going downhill
Let's take it back to the
Days it was about skill
Before it was sweet boys
Parading as tough geeza's
Educated men naming themselves
After drug dealers
When it was a way to vent a mans pain
Before it became a tool
For presidential campaigns
Before the 50's, Lil' Wayne's and Rick Ross's
I'm about to show you the
Essence of what Hip-Hop is
Before it was about street credibility
When it was he's alright
But he's better lyrically
Think about the zombies your
Bad words influence
Before Hip-Hop became an advert for ignorance
Before it became Kamikaze
I'm half Gil Scott-Heron and
Half Talib Kwelli
You think getting shot makes you
The next best thing
For every 50 cent there's at
Least 50 MF Grimms and that's grim

I know you think that this is easier
But don't believe the flippin' media
Or what you read on Wikipedia
It used to be all for the love
Now pricks are greedier
This business is sicker than
An infant with leukaemia
I live Hip-Hop, don't disrespect my household
I'm about to kill these rappers
Sales like internet downloads
We've come a long way from the old timers
Now it's all 360
Deals and fucking ghost writers
Am I controversial cause I'm not commercial?
Or cause I don't rap like a
Rapper that wants to hurt you?
Every man's bragging
Making anthems with gang banging
I'm like a man standing
Over the Grand Canyon
Hip-Hop broke down barriers like skin tone
Hip-Hop 2008 is selling ring tones
Hip-Hop even had your son dressing
Up in pink clothes
Is Hip-Hop responsible for your kids soul?
I think so!