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y RD c A Lyrics of Fury ERIC B. & RAKIM [Verse 1] I'm rated "R", this is a warnin', ya better void Poets are paranoid, DJs destroyed 'Cause I came back to attack brothers in spite Strike like lightnin', it's quite frightenin'! But don't be afraid in the dark, in a park Not a scream or a cry or a bark, more like a spark Ya tremble like an alcoholic, muscles tighten up What's that? Lighten up! You see a sight but Suddenly you feel like you're in a horror flick You grab your heart then wish for tomorrow quick! Music's the clue, when I come you're warned Apocalypse Now, when I'm done, ya gone! Haven't you ever heard of a MC murderer? This is the death penalty and I'm servin' a Death wish, so, come on, step to this Hysterical idea for a lyrical professionist! Friday the 13th, walkin' down Elm Street You come in my realm, ya get beat! This is off limits, so your visions are blurry All ya see is the meters of the volume Pumpin' lyrics of fury! It's a... a fearified freestyle!

Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

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Page 1: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

y RD c A

Lyrics of Fury ERIC B. & RAKIM

[Verse 1] I'm rated "R", this is a warnin', ya better void Poets are paranoid, DJs destroyed 'Cause I came back to attack brothers in spite Strike like lightnin', it's quite frightenin'! But don't be afraid in the dark, in a park Not a scream or a cry or a bark, more like a spark Ya tremble like an alcoholic, muscles tighten up What's that? Lighten up! You see a sight but Suddenly you feel like you're in a horror flick You grab your heart then wish for tomorrow quick! Music's the clue, when I come you're warned Apocalypse Now, when I'm done, ya gone! Haven't you ever heard of a MC murderer? This is the death penalty and I'm servin' a Death wish, so, come on, step to this Hysterical idea for a lyrical professionist! Friday the 13th, walkin' down Elm Street You come in my realm, ya get beat! This is off limits, so your visions are blurry All ya see is the meters of the volume Pumpin' lyrics of fury! It's a... a fearified freestyle!

Page 2: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

[Verse 2] Terror in the styles, never error-files Indeed, I'm known to exile! For those that oppose to be level or next to this I ain't a devil and this ain't the Exorcist! Worse than a nightmare, you don't have to sleep or wink The pain's a migraine every time ya think Flashbacks interfere, ya start to hear The R-A-K-I-M in your ear Then the beat is hysterical That makes Eric go get an axe and chops the wack Soon the lyrical format is superior Faces of death remain MCs decayin', 'cause they never stayed The scene of a crime every night at the show The fiend of a rhyme on the mic that you know It's only one capable, breaks the unbreakable Melodies-unmakable, pattern-unescapable I haunt if you want the style I possess I bless the child, the earth, the gods and bomb the rest For those that envy an MC, it can be Hazardous to your health so be friendly A matter of life and death, just like a Etch A Sketch Shake 'til you're clear, make it disappear, make the next After the ceremony, let the rhyme rest in peace If not, my soul'll release The scene is recreated, reincarnated, updated I'm glad you made it 'Cause you're about to see a disastrous sight

Page 3: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

A performance never again performed on a mic Lyrics of fury! A fearified freestyle!

[Verse 3] The "R" is in the house, too much tension! Make sure the system's loud when I mention Phrases that's fearsome, you wanna hear some Sounds that not only pounds but please your eardrums I sit back and observe the whole scenery Then nonchalantly tell you what it mean to me Strictly business, I'm quickly in this mood And I don't care if the whole crowd's a witness I'mma tear you apart but I'mma spare you a heart Program into the speed of the rhyme, prepare to start Rhythm's out of the radius, insane as the craziest Musical madness MC ever made, see it's Now an emergency, open-heart surgery Open your mind, you will find every word'll be Furier than ever, I remain the future Battle's temptin', whatever suits ya! From words to sentence, there's no resemblance You think you're rougher? Then suffer the consequences! I'm never dyin', terrifyin' results I wake ya with hundreds of thousands of volts Mic-to-mouth resuscitation, rhythm with radiation Novocain ease the pain, it might save him If not, Eric B.'s the judge, the crowd's the jury

Page 4: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

How do I plead to homicide? Lyrics of fury! They're gettin' furier! A fearified freestyle!

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y RD c A

Mathematics MOS DEF

[Intro] Bucka-bucka-bucka-bucka-bucka-bucka, haha! You know the deal; it's just me, yo Beats by Su-Primo for all of my people, Negroes and Latinos And even the gringos

[Verse 1] Yo, check it 1 for Charlie Hustle, 2 for Steady Rock 3 for the forth-coming live future shock It's 5 dimensions, 6 senses 7 firmaments of heaven and hell 8 million stories to tell 9 planets faithfully keepin' orbit, with the probable 10th The universe expands length The body of my text possess extra strength Power-lift the powerless up out of this towering inferno My ink so hot it burn through the journal I'm blacker than midnight on Broadway and Myrtle Hip-Hop passed all your tall social hurdles Like the nationwide projects-prison-industry complex Working-class poor, better keep your alarm set Streets too loud to ever hear freedom ring Say evacuate your sleep, it's dangerous to dream

Page 6: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

For ch-ching, cats get the "cha-pow!" You dead now Killing fields need blood to graze the cash cow It's a numbers game, but shit don't add up somehow Like I got 16 to 32 bars to rock it But only 15% of profits ever see my pockets Like 69 billion in the last 20 years Spent on national defense, but folks still live in fear Like nearly half of America's largest cities is one-quarter black That's why they gave Ricky Ross all the crack 16 ounces to a pound, 20 more to a ki A 5 minute sentence hearing and you're no longer free 40% of Americans own a cell phone So they can hear everything that you say when you ain't home I guess Michael Jackson was right, you are not alone Rock your hardhat, black, 'cause you in the Terrordome Full of hard niggas, large niggas, dice-tumblers Young teens and prison greens facing life numbers Crack mothers, crack babies, and AIDS patients Young bloods can't spell but they could rock you in PlayStation This New Math is whipping motherfuckers' ass You want to know how to rhyme, you better learn how to add It's mathematics

[Hook] "The Mighty Mos Def" "It's simple mathematics" "Check it out" "I revolve around science"

Page 7: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

"What are we talking about here?" "The Mighty Mos Def" "It's simple mathematics" "Check it out" "I revolve around science" "What are we talking about here?" "Do your math, do your math" "1, 2, 3, 4" "What are we talking about here?"

[Verse 2] Yo, it's 1 universal law, but 2 sides to every story 3 strikes and you biddin' for life, mandatory 4 MCs murdered in the last 4 years I ain't trying to be the 5th when the millennium is here Yo it's 6 million ways to die, from the 7 deadly thrills 8-year-olds getting found with 9milsIt's 10 PM, where your seeds at? What's the deal?He on the hill pumping krills to keep they bellies filledLight in the ass with heavy steel, sights on the pretty shit in lifeYoung soldiers trying to earn their next stripeWhen the average minimum wage is $5.15You best believe you've got to find a new grind to get creamThe white unemployment rate is nearly more than triple for blackSome front-liners got their gun in your backBubbling crack, jewel theft and robbery to combat povertyAnd end up in the global jail economyStiffer stipulations attached to each sentenceBudget cutbacks but increased police presence

Page 8: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

And even if you get out of prison still livin' Join the other 5 million under state supervision This is business; no faces, just lines and statistics From your phone, your Zip Code, to SSI digits The system break man, child, and women into figures 2 columns for "Who is" and "Who ain't niggas" Numbers is hard and real and they never have feelings But you push too hard, even numbers got limits Why did one straw break the camel's back? Here's the secret The million other straws underneath it It's all mathematics

[Hook] "The Mighty Mos Def" "It's simple mathematics" "Check it out" "I revolve around science.." "What are we talking about here?" "The Mighty Mos Def" "It's simple mathematics" "Check it out" "I revolve around science.." "What are we talking about here?" "Do your math, do your math" "1, 2, 3, 4" "What are we talking about here?"

Page 9: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

[Outro] (Mathematics, mathematics, mathematics...)

Page 10: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

y RD c A

Rapid Eye Movement PHAROAHE MONCH

[Hook] It's not latin, or white, or black music It's that cooked up coke, crack music Black Thought and Pharoahe, the rap duet It's that lucid rapid eye movement

[Verse 1: Pharoahe Monch] My think tank's like a piranha tank think, multiple bites figure Mega, reality, tera, giga Grand Theft Auto, modern day Mickey and Mallory Small But I'm sick enough to walk into an art gallery and piss on a Picasso Crack statues, rub my balls on a Banksy shit on it and throw it at you So when the beat intensifies I become emotionally desensitized Like, once I slapped a rapper with mace Then I spit acid in his face, after he rinsed his eyes, no wait I actually grew five times my size grabbed Ma$e by the thigh and slapped a rapper with him Now that's practicing sacrilegious activism Attack is for battle, and practical rap with wisdom Actually, it's pragmatic capitalism for actors that crack under pressure and collapse when I get 'em

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Monch is medicinal man made medical marijuana With a phase plasma rifle like I'm searchin' for Sarah Conner And shorty's got brains, shorty not playin' From 40 blocks I'm a killa with 40 watt range With an arrangement of bullets that I've arranged Encrypted in scriptures specific individual names That shall remain anonymous Me and the ammunition's in a relationship that's monogamous It's like I'm married to the silencer Until I file for divorce and release my ex-calibers Do art with your arteries, place that for my adversaries Push your snap back cap back, cap your capillaries like

[Hook] It's not latin, or white, or black music It's that cooked up coke, crack music Black Thought and Pharoahe, the rap duet It's that lucid rapid eye movement

[Verse 2: Pharoahe Monch] Vocally twice as magnifying as ever hearing Chewbacca scream Through a megaphone with the significance of Dr. King Philanthropic Cause I'm trying to see man united without referencing UK soccer teams My philosophy prophecy The opposite of Mephistopheles' eye inside an isosceles

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Sent to Earth to warn of environmental atrocities, and nobody can copy me Stop, it's not possible but probable that it's only philosophical mockery, strange Change copper to gold, switch properties, bang! Stay on top of the globe, flip monopolies, aim Take stock in the soul, spit properly

[Verse 3: Black Thought] Take stock in the soul, spit properly That extended clip on my hip sits awkwardly I'm diabolical, follicle triggers that I cock and squeeze Sending shots to ancient Greece to pop Socrates I bear arms like button-downs without the sleeves Manic depressive and possessive like apostrophes My psychiatrist waive the doctor fees When I wave the pistol and say listen, quit watchin' me so I can breathe National Association for the Advancement Of drugs for performance enhancement And it's tough taking so many chances But I've been a bad seed from the womb, they call me ovary cancer And I got an ugly heart, although I'm totally handsome And I take the love of your life and hold her for ransom And my tactical cam that never stood for any national anthems Whats hood, I am the actual answer And I'll prove it Black attire, rapid fire, rapid eye movement

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I'm from a species that is higher, I am not human Extraterrestrial alien, a monster killer of conscience chillin' In a barrel of lobster Ex-Slave, sadomasochist, that gave the massa my ass to kiss A dyin' breed, I'm the last of this Black is as miraculous as Jesus of Nazareth When I vocalize the crowd rise like Lazarus It's the Rhode Scholar, my coat collar piss off PETA Your hoes holla, he's on top of the bars Meet a Mr. Globe Trotter in my Adidas Pure cheetah, hoppin' out of this exotic European 4 seater Hollerin' cheeba cheeba like I'm Parkside Killin' is the dark side Villain, I'm God, I'm Godzilla Sometimes I'm Bob Dylan put blood on these tracks, for real So, God-willin' you'll feel what I'm spillin' Yeah, I never quit, I'm still syndicatin' up Me and Pharoahe Monch, did it for the benefit of us This is straight razor behavior, I never get enough Get the picture, my militia gettin' ignorant as fuck

[Scratches by DJ Revolution] Yea, it's suicide murder Straight from the underground through the fiber optics Pharoahe, Black Thought, complete the cypher The movement outlandish

[Hook]

Page 14: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

It's not latin, or white, or black music It's that cooked up coke, crack music Black Thought and Pharoahe, the rap duet It's that lucid rapid eye movement

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y RD c A

It Ain’t Hard to Tell NAS

[Verse 1] It ain't hard to tell, I excel, then prevail The mic is contacted, I attract clientele My mic check is life or death, breathin' a sniper's breath I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps Deep like The Shining, sparkle like a diamond Sneak a Uzi on the island in my army jacket linin' Hit the Earth like a comet—invasion! Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian: half-man, half-amazin' ‘Cause in my physical I can express through song Delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong I drink Moët with Medusa, give her shotguns in Hell From the spliff that I lift and inhale; it ain't hard to tell

[Verse 2] The buddha monk's in your trunk, turn the bass up Not stories by Aesop Place your loot up, parties I shoot up Nas, I analyze, drop a jew-el, inhale from the L School a fool well, you feel it like Braille It ain't hard to tell, I kick a skill, like Shaquille holds a pill Vocabulary spills, I'm Ill plus Matic I freak beats, slam it, like Iron Sheik Jam like a TEC with correct techniques

Page 16: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

So analyze me, surprise me, but can't magmatize me Scannin' while you're plannin' ways to sabotage me I leave 'em froze, like heroin in your nose Nas will rock well; it ain't hard to tell

[Verse 3] This rhythmatic explosion Is what your frame of mind has chosen I'll leave your brain stimulated, niggas is frozen Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin End like Leviathan, it's deep? Well, let me try again Wisdom be leakin' out my grapefruit, troop I dominate break loops, givin' mics men-e-strual cycles Street's disciple, I rock beats that's mega trifle And groove even smoother than moves by Villanova You're still a soldier, I'm like Sly Stone in Cobra Packin' like a Rasta in the weed spot Vocals will squeeze Glocks MCs eavesdrop, though they need not to sneak My poetry's deep, I never fell Nas' raps should be locked in a cell; it ain't hard to tell

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y RD c A

Zealots FUGEES

[Intro: Wyclef Jean] One two - I'm bout to set this off! Like this, hip-hoppers, check it

[Chorus: Wyclef Jean] Another MC lose his life tonight, Lord I beg that you pray to Jesus Christ, why Oh Lord, father don't let him bury me, whoa

[Verse 1: Wyclef Jean] I haunt MCs like Mephistopheles, bringing swords of Damocles Secret service keep a close watch as if my name was Kennedy Abstract raps simple with a street format Gaze into the sky and measure planets by parallax Check out the retrograde motion, kill the notion Of biting and recycling and calling it your own creation I feel like Rockwell, somebody's watching me I got no privacy whether on land or at sea And for you biting zealots, your raps are cacophonic Hypocrite, critic, but deep inside you wish you had the pop hit It hurts don't it, a refugee come to your turf And take over the earth

[Interlude: Lauryn Hill]

Page 18: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

See my rhymes, are the type of fly rhymes That can only get down with my crew And if you try, to take lines or bite rhymes We'll show you how the refugees do

[Verse 2: Lauryn Hill] Yeah, yeah behold, as my odes, manifold on your rhymes Two MCs can't occupy the same space at the same time It's against the laws of physics So weep as your sweet dreams break up like Eurythmics Rap rejects, my tape deck, ejects projectile Whether Jew or gentile, I rank top percentile Many styles, more powerful than gamma rays My grammar pays, like Carlos Santana plays "Black Magic Woman" So while you fuming, I'm consuming mango juice under Polaris You just embarrassed 'cause it's your last tango in Paris And even after all my logic and my theory I add a "Motherfucker" so you ignant niggas hear me Crew remember take notes, as I sow my rap oats And for you biting zealots, here's a quote

[Chorus: Wyclef Jean] Another MC lose his life tonight, Lord I beg that you pray to Jesus Christ, why Oh Lord, father don't let him bury me, whoa

[Verse 3: Wyclef Jean] You can try but you can't divide the tribe

Page 19: Unit 11 Reading Packet - courses.ea.asu.edu

These cats can't rap, mister author I feel no Vibe The magazine says the girl should have went solo The guys should stop rapping - vanish like Menudo Took it to the heart, but every actor plays his part As long as someone was listening, I knew it was a start For me to get my chance, grab my pen and revamp Do a cameo while everybody do the dance Quick now, cause you running out of luck-a Playing Mr. Big, I'm gonna get you sucka While you munching at your luncheon I'll be planning your assassination, then hit you like the Dutchman

[Verse 4: Pras] I compress sound sets with my rap DBX Then drop vocals on my 456 Ampex Bring terror to the shop of horror As she cry, "mi amor," the phantom dies in the opera And to the younguns who carry gadgets And kill six days a week, then rest on the Sabbath Violence ain't necessary, unless you provoke me Then get buried like the great Mussolini And for you biting zealots, your rap styles are relics No matter who you damage, you're still a false prophet

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y RD c A

How Much a Dollar Cost KENDRICK LAMAR

[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar] How much a dollar really cost? The question is detrimental, paralyzin' my thoughts Parasites in my stomach keep me with a gut feeling, y'all Gotta see how I’m chillin' once I park this luxury car Hopping out feeling big as Mutombo "20 on pump 6," dirty Marcellus called me Dumbo 20 years ago, can't forget Now I can lend him a ear or two How to stack these residuals tenfold The liberal concept of what men'll do "20 on 6," he didn't hear me Indigenous African only spoke Zulu My American tongue was leery Walked out the gas station A homeless man with a semi-tan complexion Asked me for ten rand, stressin' about dry land Deep water, powder blue skies that crack open A piece of crack that he wanted, I knew he was smokin' He begged and pleaded Asked me to feed him twice, I didn't believe it Told him, "Beat it" Contributin' money just for his pipe—I couldn't see it He said, "My son, temptation is one thing that I've defeated

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Listen to me, I want a single bill from you Nothin' less, nothin' more" I told him I ain't have it and closed my door Tell me; how much a dollar cost?

[Chorus: James Fauntleroy] It's more to feed your mind Water, sun and love, the one you love All you need, the air you breathe

[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar] He's starin' at me in disbelief My temper is buildin', he's starin' at me, I grab my key He's starin' at me, I started the car, then I tried to leave And somethin' told me to keep it in park until I could see The reason why he was mad at a stranger Like I was supposed to save him Like I'm the reason he's homeless and askin' me for a favor He's starin' at me, his eyes followed me with no laser He's starin' at me, I notice that his stare is contagious 'Cause now I'm starin' back at him, feelin' some type of disrespect If I could throw a bat at him, it'd be aimin' at his neck I never understood someone beggin' for goods Askin' for handouts, takin' it if they could And this particular person just had it down pat Starin' at me for the longest until he finally asked "Have you ever opened up Exodus 14? A humble man is all that we ever need"

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Tell me; how much a dollar cost?

[Chorus: James Fauntleroy] It's more to feed your mind Water, sun and love, the one you love All you need, the air you breathe

[Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar] Guilt trippin' and feelin' resentment I never met a transient that demanded attention They got me frustrated, indecisive and power trippin' Sour emotions got me lookin' at the universe different I should distance myself, I should keep it relentless My selfishness is what got me here, who the fuck I'm kiddin'? So I'ma tell you like I told the last bum Crumbs and pennies, I need all of mines And I recognize this type of panhandlin' all the time I got better judgment, I know when nigga's hustlin', keep in mind When I was strugglin', I did compromise, now I comprehend I smell Grandpa's old medicine, reekin' from your skin Moonshine and gin, nigga you're babblin', your words ain't flatterin' I'm imaginin' Denzel but lookin' at O'Neal Kazaam is sad thrills, your gimmick is mediocre The jig is up, I seen you from a mile away losin' focus And I'm insensitive, and I lack empathy He looked at me and said, "Your potential is bittersweet" I looked at him and said, "Every nickel is mines to keep" He looked at me and said, "Know the truth, it'll set you free

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You're lookin' at the Messiah, the son of Jehovah, the higher power The choir that spoke the word, the Holy Spirit The nerve of Nazareth, and I'll tell you just how much a dollar cost The price of having a spot in Heaven, embrace your loss—I am God"

[Outro: Ronald Isley] I washed my hands, I said my grace What more do you want from me? Tears of a clown, guess I'm not all what it's all meant to be Shades of grey will never change if I condone Turn this page, help me change to right my wrongs

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y RD c A

Project Princess TRACIE MORRIS

Teeny feet rock layered double socks Popping side piping of many colored loose lace ups

Racing toe keeps up with fancy free gear slick slide and just pressed recently weaved hair

Jeans oversized belie her hips, back, thighs that have made guys sigh for milleni year

Topped by an attractive jacket her suit's not for flacking, flunkies, junkies or punk homies on the stroll.

Her hands mobile thrones of today's urban goddess Clinking rings link dragon fingers no need to be modest.

One or two gap teeth coolin' sport gold initials Doubt you get to her name just check from the side

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please chill.

Multidimensional shrimp earrings frame her cinnamon face Crimson with a compliment if a comment hits the right place

Don't step to the plate with datelines from '88 Spare your simple, fragile feelings with the same sense that you came

Color woman variation reworks the french twist with crinkle cut platinum frosted bangs from a spray can's mist

Never dissed, she insists: "No you can't touch this." And, if pissed, bedecked fists stop boys who must persist.

She's the one. Give her some. Under fire. Smoking gun. Of which songs are sung, raps are spun, bells are rung, rocked, pistols cocked, unwanted advances blocked, well stacked she's jock. It's all about you girl. You go on. Don't you dare stop.