KRS-One - Get Your Self Up lyrics

Yeah (yeah)
Yeah (yeah)
Ah ha (Ah ha)
Ah ha (Ah ha)
Hardcore! Word
Hardcore!

(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
(crowd responds "live!")
Rap is something you do
Hip-hop (crowd responds "is something you live!")
You are not just doing hip-hop
(crowd responds "You are hip hop!")

Yeah let's get this started
Word up

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-IC'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, adjusting 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
All they want is your cash, ass, grass
Gas and 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 gat ler

This is "The Sneak Attack"
The "Edutainment" style returns like that
Take it off your shelf
'Cause all we deal wit is knowledge of self
Health and wealth
Not Stealth bombers, leather goose bombers
Original hip-hop armor on cd-rom - uh
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 - uh stop, uh
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


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-R-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 seekin to sell 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