[Verse One: Nas]
Yea, yea
It started with rhythms I heard listenin' to the wall
The bouncin' of basketballs on playgrounds and all
The empty bottles that's hollow, wind blowin' inside 'em
The flow and the rhymin' got my alignment to a Science
Mixin' with my moms in the kitchen, them spoons rattlin'
Pots and pans, faucet water pourin', tunes managin'
To come from all the fussin' and ramblin'
What I noticed was -- pure music, untampered with
By things show biz does; older thugs showed us stuff
Like how to hold a plug, juice from the street light
It almost could have blowed us up
Crates of records, great sessions had the whole hood jammin'
Large speakers, fresh made, smell the wood sandin'
Father did his blues smooth, legendary jazz man
Saw his wife secondary to his true passion
Started with my crew rappin', new jacks in '82
Never looked back, now look what it changed me to.. music
[Chorus #1: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry]
We gotta believe the future
We gotta believe the past
We gotta believe in more
Didn't know that we had it
We gotta believe each other
We gotta open up our minds
'Cause music is for life.. for life
[NEXT MESSAGE]
[Verse Two: Hi-Tek]
Uh, what's the difference between me and you?
It's that I'm real kind show, this rap s***, I'd really do it
My whole life man is really music
Through my bass line, I'm livin' through it
Another expression of life, I couldn't live without it
I like my music pure, not watered down
d***!, it felt good to fulfill the dreams of gettin' out the hood
Kept me busy, gave me a chance to stop sellin' drugs
Spinnin' time in the basement kept me from actin' up
Zonin' out, wishin' Dre. could check it out
I'm here now, I can't believe it, Proof in the puddin'
Everything happened for a reason
Through this music I'm able to feed the family
When I'm stressed out, it's my insanity
It's a life style, all in the streets and in Hollywood
Music in my DNA, it's my livelihood.. music
[Chorus #2: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry]
We gotta believe the children
We gotta believe in hope
We gotta believe in more
Didn't know that we'd know
See we gotta believe each other
We gotta open up our minds
'Cause music is for life.. for life
[NEXT MESSAGE]
[Verse Three: Common]
Keep the music alive
The good and the strong survive
I closed my eyes and imagined I was 'Jackson Five'
Randy and Michael goin' through life cycle
Music alive leader, let life go
So vital to a youngster, comin' up amongst street hustlers
The big be the toucher's, since such a special place
Givin' the ghetto a taste of what freedom is like
I reached a point in my life where I was needin' the mic
No second guessin', self-expression in lessons learned
Aggression, became sessions where sessions burned
Put my soul into it, 'naw my feet is firm
And the game, where name is hard to earn
And hot cat's career gets scared and burn
Through the years, mine took a Godly turn
This is the story of my life here trapped in a verse
No matter the money or the movies, music is first, yea..
[Chorus #1: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry]
[Chorus #2: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry
Yea, yea
It started with rhythms I heard listenin' to the wall
The bouncin' of basketballs on playgrounds and all
The empty bottles that's hollow, wind blowin' inside 'em
The flow and the rhymin' got my alignment to a Science
Mixin' with my moms in the kitchen, them spoons rattlin'
Pots and pans, faucet water pourin', tunes managin'
To come from all the fussin' and ramblin'
What I noticed was -- pure music, untampered with
By things show biz does; older thugs showed us stuff
Like how to hold a plug, juice from the street light
It almost could have blowed us up
Crates of records, great sessions had the whole hood jammin'
Large speakers, fresh made, smell the wood sandin'
Father did his blues smooth, legendary jazz man
Saw his wife secondary to his true passion
Started with my crew rappin', new jacks in '82
Never looked back, now look what it changed me to.. music
[Chorus #1: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry]
We gotta believe the future
We gotta believe the past
We gotta believe in more
Didn't know that we had it
We gotta believe each other
We gotta open up our minds
'Cause music is for life.. for life
[NEXT MESSAGE]
[Verse Two: Hi-Tek]
Uh, what's the difference between me and you?
It's that I'm real kind show, this rap s***, I'd really do it
My whole life man is really music
Through my bass line, I'm livin' through it
Another expression of life, I couldn't live without it
I like my music pure, not watered down
d***!, it felt good to fulfill the dreams of gettin' out the hood
Kept me busy, gave me a chance to stop sellin' drugs
Spinnin' time in the basement kept me from actin' up
Zonin' out, wishin' Dre. could check it out
I'm here now, I can't believe it, Proof in the puddin'
Everything happened for a reason
Through this music I'm able to feed the family
When I'm stressed out, it's my insanity
It's a life style, all in the streets and in Hollywood
Music in my DNA, it's my livelihood.. music
[Chorus #2: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry]
We gotta believe the children
We gotta believe in hope
We gotta believe in more
Didn't know that we'd know
See we gotta believe each other
We gotta open up our minds
'Cause music is for life.. for life
[NEXT MESSAGE]
[Verse Three: Common]
Keep the music alive
The good and the strong survive
I closed my eyes and imagined I was 'Jackson Five'
Randy and Michael goin' through life cycle
Music alive leader, let life go
So vital to a youngster, comin' up amongst street hustlers
The big be the toucher's, since such a special place
Givin' the ghetto a taste of what freedom is like
I reached a point in my life where I was needin' the mic
No second guessin', self-expression in lessons learned
Aggression, became sessions where sessions burned
Put my soul into it, 'naw my feet is firm
And the game, where name is hard to earn
And hot cat's career gets scared and burn
Through the years, mine took a Godly turn
This is the story of my life here trapped in a verse
No matter the money or the movies, music is first, yea..
[Chorus #1: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry]
[Chorus #2: Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry