[Rakim] I ain't no joke, I use to let the mic smoke Now I slam it when I'm done and make sure it's broke When I'm gone, no on gets on, cause I won't let nobody press up, and mess up, the scene I set I like to stand in the crowd, and watch the people wonder "Damn!" But think about it, then you'll understand I'm just an addict, addicted to music Maybe it's a habit, I gotta use it Even if it's jazz or the quiet storm I hook a beat up, convert it into hip-hop form Write a rhyme in grafitti and, every show you see me in Deep concentration, cause I'm no comedian Jokers are wild, if you wanna be tamed I treat you like a child, then you're gonna be named Another enemy, not even a friend of me Cause you'll get fried in the end, when you pretend to be competing, cause I just put your mind on pause And I complete when, you compare my rhyme with yours I wake you up and as I stare in your face you seem stunned Remember me? The one you got your idea from But soon you start to suffer, the tune'll get rougher When you start to stutter, that's when you had enough of biting it'll make you choke, you can't provoke You can't cope, you shoulda broke, because I ain't no joke {*echoes*}
[Eric B. scratches]
[Rakim] I got a question -- it's serious as cancer Who can keep the average dancer hyper as a heart attack, nobody smilin Cause you're expressin, the rhyme that I'm stylin This is what we all sit down to write You can't make it so you take it home, break it and bite Use pieces and bits of all my hip-hop hits Get the style down pat, then it's time to switch Put my tape on pause, and add some more to yours Then you figured, you're ready for the neighborhood chores A E-M-C-E-E don't even try to be When you come up to speak, don't even lie to me You like to exaggerate, dream and imaginate Then change the rhyme around, that can aggravate me So when you see me come up, freeze Or you'll be one of those seven MC's They think that I'm a new jack, but only if they knew that they who think wrong are they who can't do that style that I'm doin, they might ruin Patterns of paragraphs, based on you and your offbeat DJ, if anything he play sound familiar, I'll wait 'til E. say "Play 'em," so I'ma have to diss and bro you can get a smack for this, I ain't no joke {*echoes*}
[Eric B. scratches]
[Rakim] I hold the microphone like a grudge B'll hold the record so the needle don't budge I hold a conversation cause when I invent I nominated, my DJ, "The Presdient" When I see you I'll, kick a freestyle, goin steadily So pucker up, and whistle "My Melody" But whatever you do, don't miss one There'll be another rough rhyme after this one Before you know it, you're followin and fiendin Waiting for the punchline, to get the meanin Like before, the middle of my story I'm tellin Nobody beats the R, so stop yellin Save it, put it in your pocket for later Cause I'm "Moving the Crowd," and B'll wreck the fader No interruptions 'til the mic is broke When I'm gone... then you can joke! Cause everything is real on a serious tip Keep playin, and I get furious quick And I'll take you for a walk through hell Feed your dome -- then watch your eyeballs swell Guide you out of triple stage darkness When it get dark again... then I'ma spark this microphone, cause the heat is on, you see smoke And I'm finished when the beat is gone, I'm no joke {*echoes*}
Eric B & Rakim - I Aint No Joke
I ain't no joke, I use to let the mic smoke
Now I slam it when I'm done and make sure it's broke
When I'm gone, no on gets on, cause I won't let
nobody press up, and mess up, the scene I set
I like to stand in the crowd, and watch the people wonder "Damn!"
But think about it, then you'll understand
I'm just an addict, addicted to music
Maybe it's a habit, I gotta use it
Even if it's jazz or the quiet storm
I hook a beat up, convert it into hip-hop form
Write a rhyme in grafitti and, every show you see me in
Deep concentration, cause I'm no comedian
Jokers are wild, if you wanna be tamed
I treat you like a child, then you're gonna be named
Another enemy, not even a friend of me
Cause you'll get fried in the end, when you pretend to be
competing, cause I just put your mind on pause
And I complete when, you compare my rhyme with yours
I wake you up and as I stare in your face you seem stunned
Remember me? The one you got your idea from
But soon you start to suffer, the tune'll get rougher
When you start to stutter, that's when you had enough of
biting it'll make you choke, you can't provoke
You can't cope, you shoulda broke, because I ain't no joke {*echoes*}
[Eric B. scratches]
[Rakim]
I got a question -- it's serious as cancer
Who can keep the average dancer
hyper as a heart attack, nobody smilin
Cause you're expressin, the rhyme that I'm stylin
This is what we all sit down to write
You can't make it so you take it home, break it and bite
Use pieces and bits of all my hip-hop hits
Get the style down pat, then it's time to switch
Put my tape on pause, and add some more to yours
Then you figured, you're ready for the neighborhood chores
A E-M-C-E-E don't even try to be
When you come up to speak, don't even lie to me
You like to exaggerate, dream and imaginate
Then change the rhyme around, that can aggravate me
So when you see me come up, freeze
Or you'll be one of those seven MC's
They think that I'm a new jack, but only if they knew that
they who think wrong are they who can't do that
style that I'm doin, they might ruin
Patterns of paragraphs, based on you and
your offbeat DJ, if anything he play
sound familiar, I'll wait 'til E. say
"Play 'em," so I'ma have to diss and bro
you can get a smack for this, I ain't no joke {*echoes*}
[Eric B. scratches]
[Rakim]
I hold the microphone like a grudge
B'll hold the record so the needle don't budge
I hold a conversation cause when I invent
I nominated, my DJ, "The Presdient"
When I see you I'll, kick a freestyle, goin steadily
So pucker up, and whistle "My Melody"
But whatever you do, don't miss one
There'll be another rough rhyme after this one
Before you know it, you're followin and fiendin
Waiting for the punchline, to get the meanin
Like before, the middle of my story I'm tellin
Nobody beats the R, so stop yellin
Save it, put it in your pocket for later
Cause I'm "Moving the Crowd," and B'll wreck the fader
No interruptions 'til the mic is broke
When I'm gone... then you can joke!
Cause everything is real on a serious tip
Keep playin, and I get furious quick
And I'll take you for a walk through hell
Feed your dome -- then watch your eyeballs swell
Guide you out of triple stage darkness
When it get dark again... then I'ma spark this
microphone, cause the heat is on, you see smoke
And I'm finished when the beat is gone, I'm no joke {*echoes*}
[Eric B. scratches to the end]