Square One
DJ Jazzy Jeff Lyrics

I got some time to explain the true grading of a rhymewriter
Ras G has a certain amount of time to describe how to properly evaluate a wordsmith

So take the stance of a gunfighter
He advises the listener to approach the evaluation process similar to a gunfighter

Others inject intellect for selfrespect
Some rappers try to come across as intelligent to gain self-respect

Or simply kickin' verses for a tight paycheck
Others simply write songs for money without much thought or creativity

But they neglect is creative aspects in control
These rappers often overlook the creative aspects of songwriting and lose control of their message

The sounds and words originate up in the soul
The best lyrics and beats come from a place of authenticity within an artist

My thoughts cross wack emcees and wickedness
Ras G's thoughts often cross with emcees who lack skill and let negativity guide their music

They seem to go hand in hand in the mess
This creates a cycle of bad music and negative energy

That's formed the dawn of the fake emcee
This has resulted in the rise of fake rappers who only care about fame and money

It's really funny to me how brothers front like they deadly, see
Ras G finds it amusing how rappers pretend to be dangerous or intimidating

Jah be's with me so Ras G is no fool
Ras G feels confident in his abilities because he has faith in Jah (God)

Respectin' the original school that wrote the rules
He has respect for the early days of hip-hop and the artists who set the standard

I'm layin' all these real ass facts upon the wax
Ras G is sharing truthful, important information in his music

Mass communication minus fakin' the jax
He believes in honest communication without any deception or lies

So relax all the gods will make you crumble and fall
He warns that those who do wrong will eventually face consequences or punishment

Keepin' you on the run as we start from Square One
This motivates people to keep improving and evolving from the beginning

I have to get what I want, cause now it's no time to front
Marco Polo is determined to succeed and won't waste time pretending or being fake

It's InI on the hunt just to smoke up the funk
The group InI is searching for new music inspiration

With no fear in this industry we in here
They are confident and unafraid to pursue a career in the music industry

So surprised I appear I play the back or the rear
Despite being surprised at his own success, Marco Polo stays humble and out of the spotlight

I pushed and shoved to get in, and I've seen every sin
He had to work hard to break into the industry and has witnessed a lot of wrongdoing along the way

And it's been a long time considerin'
He's been in the industry for a while now and has seen a lot of changes

But no bitter man, african, rastafarian, non-american
He doesn't want to be bitter and identifies as African, Rastafarian and not strictly American

Checkin' every man (yeah)
He's wary of people's intentions and always keeps his guard up

In my zone because the eye is all alone in this universe
He's focused on his own work because he feels alone in the music industry

I see the worst now I'm comin' in first
After experiencing hardships, he's now striving to be the best

A brother's thirst got him eager to merc
His drive to succeed makes him eager to take out his competition

In full effect cause I'm stayin' alert
He stays vigilant and attentive to any opportunities or threats in the industry

Bless the hurt at each and every concert
He wants his music to bring healing and positivity to his fans

Taught well to be the very next expert
He's confident in his abilities and believes he can become an expert in his field

Never the spare one, I'm steppin' up to shoot a fair one
He won't back down from a challenge and wants to engage in a fair competition

Settin' it off from Square One
He's starting fresh and ready to make his mark in the industry

In '95 nuff kids can catch the vapors
In 1995, many young people were into hip-hop culture and the slang it produced

Rob O spends his time puttin' words to paper
Rob O is a writer and spends a lot of time creating music

Still so I maintains a fly flow
He continues to come up with fresh, impressive rhymes

But everytime I plant a seed they won't let it grow
Unfortunately, some people don't appreciate his creativity and prevent him from flourishing

Guess it's the fact that I seen through ya team of major fake outs
He sees through people who try to fake their way to the top in the music industry

Your feeble attempts of gettin' caked out
He thinks it's laughable when people try too hard to make money from music

But in the face of temptation, sex, guns and paperchasin'
Despite being tempted by money, fame and power, Rob O remains true to himself

Playin' yaself and say ya neithans
He thinks it's foolish to pretend to be someone you're not

Is it the recognition, quick cash or chart positions
Rob O wonders what motivates people in the music industry

Or big figures that have you shittin' on niggaz
He finds it sad when successful musicians start to disrespect others who are less famous

It must be, thinkin' like the whole rap industry son
He believes these negative attitudes are common in the rap industry

Yeah no doubt you bugged out
He thinks it's crazy for people to act this way

It's not as stable or firm as you thought
The music industry can be unpredictable and unstable

In the scrimmage and the tables is turned, this shit is finished
Rob O thinks that eventually people will become tired of these negative attitudes, and the industry will change

Yo Grap Luva (no question) cause this is how it should be done
He gives a shout out to Grap Luva and believes in the right way to approach music

We takin' it back to Square One
They want to start fresh and create music that is positive, creative and authentic

"The InI's in the house" "you don't stop"
A repeated line that emphasizes the group's presence in the music industry

"Rap motherfuckers on the rise" "you don't stop"
Another repeated line that emphasizes the growing popularity of rap music

Square one
A phrase that emphasizes returning to the beginning and starting over