The Roots, Raphael Saadiq - What They Do lyrics

Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do

Yo, yo lost generation, fast paced nation
World population confront they frustration
The principles of true Hip-Hop
Have been forsaken
It's all contractual and about money makin'
Pretend-to-be cats don't seem to
Know they limitation
Exact replication and false representation
You wanna be a man? Then stand your own
To emcee require skills, I demand some shown
I let the frauds keep frontin'
And roam like a cellular phone
Far from home
Givin' crowds what they wantin'
Official Hip-Hop consumption
The Fifth thumpin'
Keepin' your party jumpin' with
An original somethin'
Yo, I dedicate this to the one-dimensional
No imagination, excuse for perpetration
My man came over and said, "Yo
We thought we heard you"
Joke's on you you heard
A bitin'-ass crew, but, um

Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do

Thin is the line that run
Between love and hatred
The game is ill natured, it's nothin' sacred
A yo, it's funny what I see some rap
Niggas do to make it a few'll blow up
Or go as far as they can take it
My nine-to-five is just to hit ya
Get the party live
I'm Black Thought, used to rap for sport
Now the rhyme-sayin'
Rent payin' life support
I take it very seriously within this industry
It's various crews that try to touch me
But, I come with the beautiful things
And I bless the track plushly
Around the world
Crowds love me from doin' tours
Recipient of applause from all
Of you and yours
Creator of original sounds that's
In the stores you take home to absorb
And sweat it out your pores
Now, who can stop the music
Runnin' through these veins?
Infinitely go against the grain
That's why my motto's to

Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do

Livin' the life of limos and lights
Airplanes and trains
Short days and long nights
Keyboards and mics
Bass chords and drum kicks
And my mental thick
They hit my head like brick
As I embark on a mission
Welcomin' to the dark
When I first spark the art's
When the listenin' start
Open your head wide
And let the Thought inside
My style fortified by all of Philadelph-i
My delph more stealth than
All the wicked wealth-y
Mentality undetectable by the naked eye
Then I get paid when the record is played
To put it short "I want It Made" like Ed
'nuff said! Then after that
I'm puttin' on my cousin Hamed
We let the ladies blend
With the dark-skinned thoroughbred
And discover my level is that of no other
And Roots crew reign official and
True while I'm continuin' to

Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do
Never do what they do, what they do
What they do