The Beef Is On
Big Daddy Kane Lyrics

It's hell up in Harlem, my main man just caught a bad one
It's a tough and dangerous environment in Harlem. My friend was recently killed by a gunshot from a powerful gun.

Wetted by a magnum when he didn't have none
The gun used to kill my friend was a magnum, and he was unarmed at the time.

That goes to show you that even when you're respected
Despite my friend's reputation and status, someone still murdered him.

Brothers'll still try ya if they think you're butt-naked
Anyone will still attempt to harm you if they perceive you to be vulnerable or weak.

So I went uptown to get the low-down
I travelled to Harlem to gather information about the incident.

To see who made the whole thing go down
I wanted to find out who was responsible for my friend's death.

Word on the streets had it
According to rumors and gossip,

Some kids from the Bronx with automatics
The perpetrators were young men from the Bronx who were armed with automatic weapons.

Came to start static
They came to cause trouble and provoke conflicts.

Some new jacks at the game
They were inexperienced and new to this kind of criminal activity.

Tryin' to get a name
They wanted to establish a reputation or gain recognition.

Had a point to prove
They were motivated by a desire to prove something to themselves or others.

Wrong move
This was a mistake on their part that they will regret.

So I can't wait to get em all straight
I'm looking forward to confronting and dealing with them all.

It's a big payback when I retaliate
I will seek revenge on behalf of my friend and make them suffer the consequences.

Steam, I gotta let it off
I am under a lot of emotional stress and pressure and need to release it.

And I can't wait to set it off
I am eager to begin my plan of attack and get my revenge.

To revenge my main man that's gone
I am seeking revenge for my friend who was killed.

And as sure as my name is Kane, word is bond
I am committed to keeping my word and taking revenge.

The beef is on
I am officially declaring war or conflict with those who killed my friend.

(Once again it's on)
This kind of violence and retaliation has happened before and will happen again.

(You got beef)
If you have a problem with me, you better be ready to fight.

(You got beef you better save it for the muthafuckin meat market)
If you want to start a conflict, you better be prepared for the consequences and be willing to face me.

It's time to show them how to get hard
I am going to demonstrate how to be tough and ruthless.

Callin' a hit squad and pull all these clown's ciddard
I am hiring a team of assassins to take care of these foolish criminals.

For tryin' to friddont and fiddake the middood
They are trying to intimidate and harm innocent people for no reason.

But when I get riddude awesome dude
But when I arrive, I will show them who is truly powerful and intimidating.

So I took a little trip to Brooklyn
I went to Brooklyn to assemble my own team of dangerous individuals.

Bedstuy do or die is where I was lookin'
I was searching for tough and fearless individuals in the Bedstuy neighborhood.

For my boys from roosevelt, albany and marcy
I found trustworthy and loyal associates from different areas in Brooklyn.

Plus I got a posse over in canarsie
I also have a group of friends and supporters in Canarsie who will join me.

I'm talkin' about ill brothers that don't play
These are tough and skilled individuals who are not to be messed with.

They sit around watchin 'scarface' all day
They are constantly consuming media that glorifies violence and crime.

So here we go, headed up to they scene
Now we are heading to the location of our enemies.

Twenty deep in a van like the a-team
We are a large and formidable group, like the popular TV show 'The A-Team'.

We rolled up to see what this joint's about
We arrived to investigate and confront our enemies.

When one of my boys in the van just pointed em out
One of my associates was able to identify our targets.

So without delay we reacted
We quickly and aggressively began our attack.

And started shootin' like it was target practice
We opened fire on our enemies as if we were practicing at a shooting range.

When they saw that we wasn't messin' around
Our enemies quickly realized that we were serious and not to be underestimated.

One tried to run, so I had to chase him down
One of our enemies attempted to escape, so I pursued and apprehended him.

I caught the kid by the corner store deli
I was able to capture the young man near a local deli.

Kicked him in the belly like I was Jeff Kelley
I assaulted him by kicking him in the stomach, like the martial artist Jeff Kelley.

I did his jugular vein something violent
I performed a gruesome act of violence on him by attacking his jugular vein.

Came back to see my crew made the rest silent
When I returned to the scene, my associates had finished off the remaining enemies and silenced them permanently.

We sent fifteen bodies to trapper john
We killed a total of fifteen people and had to dispose of their bodies.

Cos the beef was on
This was our way of responding to the initial act of violence and declaring that we were not to be messed with.

(I don't happen to trust people
I am naturally suspicious of people and do not trust easily.

I sort of figured if you thought I was weak
I assume that if someone perceives me to be weak, they will try to take advantage of me.

You'd mop the street up with me
They would be able to easily defeat and dominate me if I were weak.

And I got to kill a lot more of your people
If someone wants to start a conflict with me, I will have to retaliate and harm many more of their associates.

To put you in your place)
This is my way of establishing my dominance and making it clear that I am not to be messed with.

(You send your boys in I send em back in a paper bag)
If someone sends their associates to come after me, I will make sure they do not return alive.

Many screamed about a homicide
After we attacked and killed our enemies, many people in the community were alarmed and outraged.

But when I came to shut em down all the drama died
However, when I arrived and demonstrated my power, the drama and criticism quickly dissipated.

I plead insanity when I got a jam with me
If I am ever caught and charged with a crime, I will claim to be insane to avoid responsibility.

And we roll like the Corleone family
My associates and I operate like the infamous mafia family in 'The Godfather'.

I bring the boys that'll bring the noise
I am accompanied by dangerous individuals who are not afraid to use violence to get what they want.

In the aftermath everything's destroyed
After we are finished with our retaliation, nothing will be the same and everything will be ruined.

Like a crew of barbarians
We are ruthless and violent, like a group of barbarians.

And brothers that want beef, I make em vegetarians
Anyone who wants to start a conflict with me will not survive and will be 'converted' into a vegetarian (i.e. dead).

So don't even front and try to put it as if you're ruff
Do not attempt to act tough or challenge me, because you will lose.

Cos soon as I see ya, best believe I'ma call your bluff
As soon as I encounter someone who is trying to act tough or intimidate me, I will expose their bluff by defeating them.

And everyone else that tried to press up on me tuff
Anyone else who has tried to challenge me or intimidate me in the past has failed and will continue to fail.

Have fallen and they can't get up
They have been defeated and are unable to recover.

My game is a ill one
My tactics and strategies are dangerous and effective.

Cos I'm a real one
I am a genuine and authentic person who is not afraid to be true to myself.

Lorda mercy
This situation is intense and dangerous.

Nuff controversy
There is a lot of conflict and drama surrounding this situation.

A gangster, a khan
I am a dangerous criminal and a leader or ruler.

A pimp and a don
I am involved in the illegal sex trade and am a powerful figure.

Waitin' for the beef to be on
I am always looking for an opportunity to retaliate and assert my power and dominance.