KRS-One - Underground lyrics

What does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own
Key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground

It's time that I open with a thunder sound
Now look around your own
Town for the underground
Yo, you rhymin for the TV, or a million CD's?
You ain't a MC, you ain't underground
You could be platinum or gold, hot or cold
But it's the respect you
Hold that's underground
When the critics don't get
That for the streets you spit it
When your lyric they fear, that's underground

Yo, white kids, black kids, skinny kids
Fat kids them Asian cats be underground
Chicanos, Palestinians, Milanos
Fuck the Lone Ranger
Where's Tonto? That's underground
Freddie Foxxx, Blackalicious, Kweli
MOP, GangStarr that's underground
Mad Lion, Smif-N Wessun, Buckshot
Armageddeon TS that's underground, UHH!

Yo, the t'cha returns
I told y'all I went to Cali to learn
And that shit was underground
If the cops be eyein you
Cause survive is what you try to do
Yo I'm wit you, you underground
If it's justice you want
And you protest the ice they flaunt
You want skills that's UNDERGROUND
Yo it's not about a rugged rapper
Or an actor it's about your subject matter
That's underground lOOK!

Chevonne Dean from Ruff Ryders
All the Outsidaz
Young Zee, that's underground
When all your money's spent
And you're still hangin on
To 50 Cent (get it) you underground
When you rep the collective
Consciousness of hip-hop
Not hip-pop, you underground
Yo it ain't about jewels, bitches and cars
It's about Nas, that's underground, yo!

To be underground simply means
That you're down
For the struggle, get 'em up
That's underground
You could be a classy lady or a whore
But if you protest the war, for sure
You UNDERGROUND
If the government can't see you
Or deceive you
You love your people, believe you underground
If you refuse to play the game
You go against the grain
You ridin the train
You underground - get it!

Yo, yo, that blast from the past
Like Grandmaster Caz
Bam and Flash, that's underground
Doug E fresh, Lord Finesse, KRS
If you listenin to this you underground
Turn it up now KRS about to show you how
They go wow, BLAOW for the underground
Mr walt, Evil Dee, KRS, BDP
Kenny P, that's underground - do it!

(Alright) Turn it up ah, turn it up ah
Turn it up ah, turn it up ah
Turn it up ah, turn it up ah
Turn it up if you underground - Listen!