Seasons
Cunninlynguists featuring Masta Ace Lyrics

As we spring back to the past, it was all happening fast
Going back to the past, everything was happening too quickly.

We glorified coke and smoking crack in a glass
Cocaine and crack were celebrated and even used in a fancy way.

When b-boys danced to the latest jam / You could say this man was the greatest fan
The biggest fan of the latest b-boy music was the one who danced to it the best.

When shoelaces were fat, and all the rapper's faces were black / And light-brown, a box with the right sound was all you needed / When it blast...they must move / You just proved you're hard like L in Krush Groove
Back in the day, fat shoelaces and black or light-brown rapper faces were cool. All you needed was a box with good sound, so when it played, everyone had to move. If you could move like L in Krush Groove, you were considered tough.

And songs started to drop - Ain't nobody start at the top / Before Preme (DJ Premier) learned the art of the chop / This is way before SP's...and MPC's / And long before CD's and MP3's
When hip hop started, nobody began at the top. DJ Premier hadn't even mastered chopping yet, and it was long before samples were put on SP's, MPC's, CD's or MP3's.

The game started to bloom and blossom / And masters ready for the ceremony, like a groom in costume / Growth from the rain of the previous years / I took notes from what I heard through these devious ears
Hip hop started to get bigger and better, and the masters of the game were ready to show it off, like a groom ready for his wedding ceremony. This growth was because of all the previous years' hard work. The singer listens carefully like a spy, trying to learn as much as possible.

As Summer's heatwaves ascended in it's splendid manner / Green was flooding our scene, although the skin was tanner / "Fuck The Police!!" jumpin over radio scanners / It was hot in the shade, wet paint all over the canvans
During the summer, the heat was high and the music was great. There was more green and diversity, but overcoming the police was still a problem. Despite the heat, cool shaded spots were covered in wet graffiti.

Fuck Vanilla Ice cones, we had T, Cube's Amerikka's Most / And wanted that Chronic on the Left-Coast / Talent pools were full and fresh for swimming / Backstrokin' through Dark Sides and Illmatic beginnings
Vanilla Ice was not cool; the real hip hop stars were T and Cube with his album 'Amerikka's Most Wanted,' and we wanted to hear from the Chronic on the West Coast. There was a lot of great talent, like those early days of swimming, and we were listening and enjoying albums like 'Dark Sides' and 'Illmatic.'

Them lemonade stands would make you street platinum / It was 2 Live.. Florida crews caught heat for rappin / But free speech pollination kept bee's colonizing in hives / And stung Delores Tucker right in her pride / The Tribes ocean splash was rising the tide / Strictly 4 My Niggaz that were ready to die in the ride / I wish the summer's vibe could've lasted forever / To bad we had to have a change in that weather.. that shit was beautiful
The lemonade stands were earning money like it was an achievement. 2 Live gained fame and Florida rappers faced criticism. However, free speech was an essential element, and when Delores Tucker opposed it, she got stung by the consequences. A Tribe Called Quest made a lot of waves with their music. People were ready to ride for them because it was amazing. Unfortunately, the summer vibe couldn't have lasted longer, but it was an extraordinary and beautiful time anyway.

As the East vs. West winds blew, causing two / Legends to Fall like maple leaves from escalated beef / Assumed that the worst was over / Til these cats started wearing shiny costumes like the 31st of October
When the rivalry between East and West started, it led to the downfall of two legends because of rising beef. It looked like everything was done, but then rappers started wearing rhinestone costumes like on Halloween.

The weather's colder, but the word jacket/jack it / Is what they did to people's styles, not what they covered they backs with / Tactics of the skill impaired / No Limit to what they'll do when the green is scarce
Despite colder weather, people are stealing styles from others instead of protecting themselves with jackets. People with less artistic skills use these tactics to make a name for themselves. They start going out of limits when there is less opportunity to earn money.

Some be Thanksgiving for who they know, while others get jerked for loot / Cause gettin signed ain't a turkey shoot / No respect for the pilgrims who paved the way so you could rock that / Just pop crap and Plymouth Rock-Rap
Some people enjoy Thanksgiving because of the influence of their people, while others are exploited for money. Getting signed is not regular nor easy. Others don't respect the earlier generations who have paved the way for newer artists. Instead, they make mediocre or crappy music, and that's called Plymouth rock-rap.

Beyond gimmicks and fake plastic tits / Outkast and Raekwon dropped fall classic discs / Born to Roll, so I'm taking you back to school days of autumn / Before the bottom dropped out in 2K
The game has gotten beyond gimmicks and fake body parts, and now Outkast and Raekwon have released seasonal classics. The singer is taking the listener back to school days of autumn when music was better, and before the bottom fell out in economic downturns in 2000.

By the dawn of the new millennium we saw bright chains / Winter brought along platinum causing the ice age / No more Gold, no more YO! MTV RAPS / Now we got R&B cats stealing classic rap tracks / In winter it's snowed in like the temperature's below ten / Citizens open up shows for more snowmen / Scrawny boys rock bubblegooses to pose like grown men / And you can catch freezer burn from women when they show skin
As the new millennium began, bright chains became a trend. But in winter, the trend changed to platinum, which caused the ice age of hip hop. Gold chains and shows like YO! MTV RAPS were not the norm anymore. Instead, R&B artists are stealing classic rap music. In winter, it's too cold, so people are opening shows for more snowmen. Boys without muscles dress up like adult men, and women dress too thinly causing health problems.

Jolly, fat, white men get paid when rap hits the shelves / And artists themselves get treated like Elves / Matter of fact, Santa's gotten so greedy when a rapper sells / You even need clearance to sample Jingle Bells / What the hell! You need cells and 2 ways for chicks to bone ya? / And so much ice on ya body that you can get pneumonia / Even at the beaches of Daytona it's gotten colder / But it's about time for the cycle to start over (echo)
Nowadays, fat men in Santa costumes get more money when rap music is selling. The artists themselves are treated like helpers in the workshop, not like actual musicians. Even Santa Claus is too greedy when rappers sell their music. Nowadays, you even need permission to sample Jingle Bells. It's hilarious that boys are getting smartphones and pagers to get chicks. People wear so much jewelry that they can get a disease, even at hot places like Daytona Beach. However, it's about time for the cycle to start over again.

"Seasons Change, mad things rearrange" - Lauryn Hill, "How Many Mics"
The first quote by Lauryn Hill means that change is inevitable, and that's why things are constantly shifting.

"Play me in the winter, play me in the summer, play in the autumn, any order"- Ladybug, "9th Wonder"
The second quote by Ladybug refers to how her music can be played in any season and in any order.

"Trees bright and green turn yellow brown, autumn caught em See all them leaves must fall down" - Andre 3000, "13th Floor/Growing Old"
The third quote by Andre 3000 describes how trees change their color, beginning from bright green to yellow to brown in autumn, and how the leaves must fall down.