Lord Finesse (born Robert Hall) is a legendary MC-turned-producer who has produced tracks for Notorious B.I.G. (1997's Ready to Die) and Dr. Dre (1999's Chronic). As a young cocky MC, he would travel to any borough in New York to battle their best rapper and win. He shopped his demo to various record labels and eventually dropped the first of several records, his 1990 classic Funky Technician. The record had a few tracks produced by his good friend Diamond (formerly Diamond D), a former member of the rap group Ultimate Force. One of the oldest members in the D.I.T.C. crew, Diamond got his first whiff of hip-hop DJing for Jazzy Jay of the Zulu Nation in 1979. In the mid-'80s, he was turntable scratching at late-night park parties, often competing with area top DJs (Showbiz was once his nemesis.) In 1992, this DJ, then a producer, showcased New York City's underground talent and his rap skills on his classic debut Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop.
Bronx native Fat Joe became the first Latino rapper in New York to secure a solo deal with a major label with his 1993 debut Representin'. In 1998, his Don Cartagena release went gold (500,000 copies sold). Showbiz & A.G. were the first to adopt the do-it-yourself attitude by releasing their 1992 debut EP, Can I Get a Soul Clap, practically out of the trunk of their cars. Showbiz, a name he stolen from an old Richard Pryor record, pioneered taking an instrumental and looping voices over it. His partner A.G. was known as the Bronx's "punchline" rapper. Through the mid-'90s, he was a prolific producer, producing tracks for primarily underground rap acts. In 1999, A.G. restarted his rap career with his solo CD Dirty Version.
Meanwhile, another Bronx native named Buckwild, who once started out as Lord Finesse's apprentice in his production company, started producing tracks around 1994. He later delivered melodic beats for rap heavyweights like Fat Joe, Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Mic Geronimo, and Big Pun. But it was his first at-bat, producing tracks for O.C.'s Word Life in 1994, that established him as a vital producer in the underground rap scene. O.C., one of hip-hop's most energetic lyricists, was an up-and-coming MC before Word Life. After the album's release, he made numerous guest appearances on other D.I.T.C. members' records while maintaining a low profile.
The final member of D.I.T.C. was Big L, a lyrically ferocious MC with raps deadlier than a snakebite and mannerisms cooler than the uptown pimp he claimed to be on records. Calling himself the flamboyant (meaning "rich") MC, he dropped his classic 1994 record Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous on Columbia. He was gearing up for a comeback, with a second CD due for release on Rawkus, when he was slain on February 15, 1999. The crew came together later that year for a memorial concert at Trammps in New York (anthologized by a series of CD releases), and recorded a self-titled group record in 2000. In 2011 it was reported by Showbiz that the group will no longer release any new material due to musical differences
Day One
D.I.T.C. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like that, yeah
Like that, yeah
Like that, D.I.T.C., '97
So what you sayin'?
Now, it's the mad magician with the ill deposition
No repetition, holdin' down Bronx tradition
Step up and get beat into a submission
'Cause this musician with the street intuition
735 fuel-injected transmission
My opposition will have to recognize my steez
Exotic trees, leave a trail of scuffed up knees
So please, you couldn't touch this cat with a stick
Quick to inflict tricks, blaze up in the flick
Son, I'm sick, and you could put that on my mama
Exclamation point, quotation, comma
Lay up on the beaches when I'm down in the Bahamas
The skills go back to the days of Wonderama
So pass the scama, son, it's time to get this money
So we can relax and recline where it's sunny
I went from standin' on the corner sellin' cocaine
To rippin' shows live on stage with hoes yellin' my name
To be precise, rippin' mics is the light of my life
You frontin' like you trife but never pulled a heist in your life
The price of my ice is sky high, I'm a fly guy
That's every thugs dream
I really love C.R.E.A.M., it's in my bloodstream
You mad 'cause I got more chicks than you, more bricks than you
More nines and extra clips than you
Where I live, it ain't a nice town
You can't walk around with iced down
Some clown probably gettin' stuck right now
Peace to D.I.T.C., Show and A.G., Fat J-O-E
Diamond D, Lord Finesse, and me
I'm from the East Coast, this is how we roll in New York
A bunch of rowdy niggas holdin' the fort
Jackin' creeps, packin' heat, these Harlem streets is for keeps
Much love to all my peeps who got a covered with sheets
Yo, most these rap cats don't know where it started
Where it came from
We been reppin' this shit since day one
Diggin' In The Crates originators
Why niggas playa haters?
Knowin' damn well they can't fade us
You better take me out quick, 'cause I'm accurate when I bust mine
And make it count like Jordan at crunch time
Just in case I play Fishburn and double up on nines
You could never make it rain, or stop my sunshine
So I keep eyes on these chumps the whole time
Take note of your technique like we scheme on dimes
Disregard your crew, fuck your heart
Put a slug in me, it'll be marriage 'til death do us part
Until then, master this art and kill them
With the pen that's dramatic, automatics, I commit sins
Hold my head, but when I've had it, I test chins
If that ain't real, then feel the stainless steel
Bang 'em and hang 'em like they did our relatives
Thought he was the best on the mic that ever lived? Negative
Wu-diggity, if you with me, then say "Word"
Lets get twisted like bottlecaps (and) create like Spielberg
Check the referral, man, my whole squad's thorough
We worldwide, niggas just nice in one borough
We all gleam, plus we fiend for more C.R.E.A.M.
You got some nice players, they just on the wrong team
Nahmean? As the world turns
To who it concern, we'll set you straight like a perm
Rap apostle, lyrical type Picasso
Kinda hostile, nothing less than colossal
You dig me like fossils, be the cat with the groovy soul
Lotta rappers out here actin' with no movie roles
You know the deal, I represent skills
And niggas with bent grills that live to make a mil'
On the real, that's my motto, too hard to follow
Will die in sorrow before I'm goin' out like Gravato
Hard to hit like lotto, underworld role model
D.I.T.C., we be them cats to tomorrow
Most these rap cats don't know where it started
Where it came from
We been reppin' this shit since day one
Diggin' In The Crates originators
Why niggas playa haters?
Knowin' damn well they can't fade us
Holdin' it down for D.I.T.C, niggas stink like feces
Comin' against raw dogs, you lost
The way I stimulate rhyme in rhythmatic timin'
On beat, off beat, drunk flow, here we go
Assignments handed out, each individual stand out
Carryin' his own clout
Phenomenal Moses of rap, I pose a threat
Foes I put 'em on a block like a hole in a pen
Lyrical genocide on the witty side
Niggas give me respect due, like the Pope in a synagogue
Who waitin' my odds? O.C. far from a fraud
You waste my time, nigga, so I bagged your broad
Blow your mind, ditto, with no conscience
I decide the law, motherfucker, I'm Congress
This concludes my repertoire what I be on
MC's make way for mines or get peed on
Fuck that
The song "Day One" by D.I.T.C. is a track that emphasizes their importance as originators of rap music in the Bronx, New York. The first verse is delivered by the "mad magician" who claims to have street intuition and the ability to beat his competition into submission. He also boasts about his skills as a lyricist and the exotic trees he smokes. The second verse is delivered by a rapper who went from selling cocaine on the corner to performing on stage with women screaming his name. He talks about the price of his ice and how he loves to spit rhymes. Both verses are characterized by vivid descriptions of life in the Bronx and the struggle to make it as a rapper.
The chorus emphasizes that D.I.T.C. were originators of rap music and that other rappers should show respect. The third verse further amplifies the importance of D.I.T.C. by stating that they are worldwide and not just in one borough. The verse talks about how they all shine and want more cash rules everything around me. The final verse is performed by another member of D.I.T.C. who emphasizes their skills as lyricists who flow on beat or off beat. He asserts that he poses a threat to his enemies and is like Congress in deciding the law.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, it's the mad magician with the ill deposition
I am the mad magician with an exceptional delivery style.
No repetition, holdin' down Bronx tradition
I don't repeat myself, always uphold the tradition of the Bronx.
My composition simply squash the competition
My lyrical composition dominates and crushes the competition.
Step up and get beat into a submission
Those who come forward will get beaten into submission.
'Cause this musician with the street intuition
I have a natural, instinctive understanding of the street.
735 fuel-injected transmission
My flow is as powerful as a 735 fuel-injected transmission.
My opposition will have to recognize my steez
My opponents will have to acknowledge my style.
Exotic trees, leave a trail of scuffed up knees
I smoke excellent stuff and leave a trail of people who couldn't handle it.
So please, you couldn't touch this cat with a stick
There's no way anybody can touch me.
Quick to inflict tricks, blaze up in the flick
I am fast in executing tricks and famous for smoking up.
Son, I'm sick, and you could put that on my mama
I am really good at what I do, even my mother can vouch for it.
Lay up on the beaches when I'm down in the Bahamas
I enjoy relaxing on the beaches of the Bahamas.
The skills go back to the days of Wonderama
I have been skilled at this for a long, long time, since the days of Wonderama.
So pass the scama, son, it's time to get this money
Pass the illicit money, it's time to make some money.
So we can relax and recline where it's sunny
So we can lay back and enjoy the sun.
I went from standin' on the corner sellin' cocaine
I started from the bottom, selling cocaine on the streets.
To rippin' shows live on stage with hoes yellin' my name
Now, I am performing live on stage, with women screaming my name.
To be precise, rippin' mics is the light of my life
Rapping on microphones is my passion.
You frontin' like you trife but never pulled a heist in your life
You're acting like a thug, but you've never committed any major crime.
The price of my ice is sky high, I'm a fly guy
The value of my jewelry is very high, I'm a fashionable guy.
That's every thugs dream
Owning expensive jewelry is an aspiration of every thug.
I really love C.R.E.A.M., it's in my bloodstream
I love money, it's in my DNA.
You mad 'cause I got more chicks than you, more bricks than you
You're jealous because I have more girls and wealth than you.
More nines and extra clips than you
I have greater firepower than you.
Where I live, it ain't a nice town
The place where I reside isn't particularly pleasant.
You can't walk around with iced down
You can't display expensive jewelry in my area.
Some clown probably gettin' stuck right now
Someone is probably being robbed at this moment.
We've been reppin' this shit since day one
We've been representing rap music since its origin.
Diggin' In The Crates originators
We are the originators of the Diggin' In The Crates crew.
Knowin' damn well they can't fade us
They know they can't compete with us.
You better take me out quick, 'cause I'm accurate when I bust mine
You better take me out quickly because I'm a sharpshooter.
And make it count like Jordan at crunch time
I make every shot count, just like Michael Jordan.
Just in case I play Fishburn and double up on nines
I'll carry two guns, just like Laurence Fishburne in the movie.
You could never make it rain, or stop my sunshine
You can't match my prosperity or make me unhappy.
Take note of your technique like we scheme on dimes
I pay close attention to my opponents' style, like I carefully plan to steal dimes.
Disregard your crew, fuck your heart
I don't care about your friends, nor your emotions.
Put a slug in me, it'll be marriage 'til death do us part
If you shoot me, I'm committed to engaging in battle until one of us loses our life.
Until then, master this art and kill them
Until then, I will strive to perfect my craft and dominate my opponents.
With the pen that's dramatic, automatics, I commit sins
My pen is very powerful, and I use it to express emotions and commit sins.
Hold my head, but when I've had it, I test chins
I remain patient until provoked and then test the jaw of my opponents.
If that ain't real, then feel the stainless steel
If you question my authenticity, then face the bullet.
Bang 'em and hang 'em like they did our relatives
Execute them and leave them as an example for the future.
Thought he was the best on the mic that ever lived? Negative
People have overestimated someone as the best rapper ever.
Wu-diggity, if you with me, then say 'Word'
If you're on my side, let's go and show them.
Lets get twisted like bottlecaps and create like Spielberg
Let's have fun and be creative, like Steven Spielberg.
Check the referral, man, my whole squad's thorough
Check my references, my whole team is extraordinary.
We worldwide, niggas just nice in one borough
We have a global reach, other rappers are only popular locally.
We all gleam, plus we fiend for more C.R.E.A.M.
We all shine, and we're all addicted to making more money.
You got some nice players, they just on the wrong team
You have skilled players, but they're wasting their potential.
As the world turns
The world keeps spinning.
To who it concern, we'll set you straight like a perm
To those who it may concern, we'll straighten out your confusion.
Rap apostle, lyrical type Picasso
I'm a rap prophet, with exceptional lyrical abilities.
Kinda hostile, nothing less than colossal
I'm a little aggressive, but incredibly impressive.
You dig me like fossils, be the cat with the groovy soul
You'll always remember me, like fossils, and admire my cool personality.
Lotta rappers out here actin' with no movie roles
Many rappers are pretending, without any real-world experience.
I represent skills, and niggas with bent grills, that live to make a mil'
I represent skilled rappers with messed up teeth, who are trying to make a lot of money.
On the real, that's my motto, too hard to follow
We're really about making money, but it's not an easy task to follow.
Will die in sorrow before I'm goin' out like Gravato
I'd rather die unhappy than die the way Frank Gravato did.
Hard to hit like lotto, underworld role model
I'm undoubtedly a hard target, like hitting the lotto, a role model for the criminal underworld.
D.I.T.C., we be them cats to tomorrow
D.I.T.C. will forever be popular.
Holdin' it down for D.I.T.C, niggas stink like feces
We represent D.I.T.C, and opponents are so bad that they stink like feces.
Comin' against raw dogs, you lost
Don't try to go against our team, you have already lost.
The way I stimulate rhyme in rhythmatic timin'
The way I create rhymes, with rhythmic timing, is stimulating.
On beat, off beat, drunk flow, here we go
I can rap on any beat, drunk or sober, with exceptional skills.
Assignments handed out, each individual stand out
Tasks are assigned, and everyone performs extraordinarily.
Carryin' his own clout
Every member's skilled and respected.
Phenomenal Moses of rap, I pose a threat
I am like the remarkable Moses of rap and pose a significant threat.
Foes I put 'em on a block like a hole in a pen
I defeat my foes, and silence them like prisoners in solitary confinement.
Lyrical genocide on the witty side
I am an assassin of lyrics, with a good sense of humor.
Niggas give me respect due, like the Pope in a synagogue
People respect me everywhere, just like the Pope in a synagogue.
Who waitin' my odds? O.C. far from a fraud
Who's waiting to bet against me? I'll never be a fraud.
You waste my time, nigga, so I bagged your broad
You are wasting my time, so I slept with your girl.
Blow your mind, ditto, with no conscience
I'll surprise you with my talent, without any concern.
I decide the law, motherfucker, I'm Congress
I make the rules, so don't mess with me.
This concludes my repertoire what I be on
I'm done rapping about what I am capable of.
MC's make way for mines or get peed on
Other rappers better get out of my way, or they will become irrelevant.
Fuck that
I don't care about any of that.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Diamond D, Joseph Anthony Cartagena, Lamont Coleman, Omar Credle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BubblewrapHighway
1. Big Pun
2. Lord Finesse
3. Prodigy
4. KRS-One
5. Reggie Capers
Honorable mentions: Big L, Heather B, East Flatbush Project, Craig Mack,
Pete Rock, Bumpy Knuckles
MOP not for lyricism but for that BOOM BAP 💥💥💥
@EyaoPantah
[Intro]
Yeah
Like that, yeah
Like that, yeah
Like that, D.I.T.C., '97
So what you sayin'?
[Verse 1: Diamond D]
Now, it's the mad magician with the ill deposition
No repetition, holdin' down Bronx traditions
My composition simply squash the competition
Step up and get beat into a submission
'Cause this musician with the street intuition
735 fuel-injected transmission
My opposition will have to recognize my steez
Exotic trees, leave a trail of scuffed up knees
So please, you couldn't touch this cat with a stick
Quick to inflict tricks, blaze up in the flicks
Son, I'm sick, and you could put that on my mama
Exclamation point, quotation, comma
Lay up on the beaches when I'm down in The Bahamas
The skills go back to the days of Wonderama
So pass the scama, son, it's time to get this money
So we can relax and recline where it's sunny
[Verse 2: Big L]
I went from standin' on the corner sellin' cocaine
To rippin' shows live on stage with hoes yellin' my name
To be precise, rippin' mics is the light of my life
You frontin' like you trife, but never pulled a heist in ya life
The price of my ice is sky high, I'm a fly guy
That's every thug's dream
I really love C.R.E.A.M., it's in my bloodstream
You mad 'cause I got more chicks than you, more bricks than you
More nines and extra clips than you
Where I live, it ain't a nice town, you can't walk around iced-down
Some clown probably gettin' stuck right now
Peace to D.I.T.C., Show and A.G., Fat J-O-E
Diamond D, Lord Finesse and me
I'm from the East Coast, this is how we roll in New York
A bunch of rowdy niggas holdin' the fort
Jackin' creeps, packin' heat, these Harlem streets is for keeps
Much love to all my peeps who got covered with sheets
[Chorus: Fat Joe]
Yo, most these rap cats don't know where it started
Where it came from
We been reppin' this shit since day one
Diggin' In The Crates originators
Why niggas playa haters?
Knowin' damn well they can't fade us
[Verse 3: A.G.]
You better take me out quick, 'cause I'm accurate when I bust mine
And make it count like Jordan at crunch time
Just in case I play Fishburne and double up on nines
You could never make it rain, or stop my sunshine
So I keep eyes on these chumps the whole time
Take note of your technique like we scheme on dimes
Disregard your truth, fuck your heart
Put a slug in me, it'll be marriage 'til death do us part
Until then, master this art and kill them
With the pen it's dramatic, automatics, I commit sins
Hold my head, but when I've had it, I test chins
If that ain't real, then feel the stainless steel
Bang 'em and hang 'em like they did our relatives
Thought he was the best on the mic that ever lived? Negative
Wu-diggity, if you with me, then say "Word!"
Lets get twisted like bottlecaps (and) create like Spielberg
[Verse 4: Lord Finesse]
Check the referral, man, my whole squad's thorough
We worldwide, niggas just nice in one borough
We all gleam, plus we fiend for more C.R.E.A.M
You got some nice players, they just on the wrong team
Naaah'mean? As the world turns
To who it concern, we'll set you straight like a perm
Rap apostle, lyrical-type Picasso
Kinda hostile, nothin' less than colossal
You dig me like fossils, be the cat with the groovy soul
A lot of rappers out here actin' with no movie roles
You know the deal, I represent skills
And niggas with bent grills that live to make a mill
On the real, that's my motto, too hard to follow
Will die in sorrow before I'm goin' out like Gravato
Hard to hit like Lotto, underworld role models
D.I.T.C., we be them cats of tomorrow
[Chorus: Fat Joe]
Most these rap cats don't know where it started
Where it came from
We been reppin' this shit since day one
Diggin' In The Crates originators
Why niggas playa haters?
Knowin' damn well they can't fade us
[Verse 5: O.C.]
Holdin' it down for D.I.T.C, niggas stink like feces
Comin' against raw dogs, you lost
The way I stimulate rhyme in rhythmatic timin'
On beat, off-beat, drunk flow, here we go
Assignments handed out, each individual stand out
Carryin' his own clout
Phenomenal Moses of rap, I pose a threat
Foes I put 'em on a block like a hole in the pen
Lyrical genocide on the witty side
Niggas give me respect due, like the pope in a synagogue
Who weighin' my odds? O.C. far from a fraud
You waste my time, nigga, so I bagged your broad
Blow your mind, ditto, with no conscience
I decide the law, motherfucker, I'm Congress
This concludes my repertoire of what I be on
MC's make way for mines and get peed on
Fuck that!
@allofthat_ow6635
Big L comes in so hard on this. its like he has no patience for his next line RIP Big L
@statenis33
Perfectly put.
@chefjusticenyc
It's like big l is singing when he raps!! Think about it..that shit is dope!
@rahsaanthomas7030
In my bloodstream..
@iverson51492
🐐
@bostonsfinest9134
One of my first cds. This is the most slept on super crew of all time. RIP BIG L!!!!!
@Halfbittenjalapeno
Best NYC rapper no argument.
@aniexukp6540
You didn't come here by mistake.. Ya a hip hop head
@eart6616
mad love
@Heaterz
Yup