crossover
EPMD Lyrics

Whatever you want (uh, uh)
I am willing to do anything for you, whatever it may be.

Whatever you need (ayy, hey, hey)
Tell me what you need, and I'll make it happen.

I wanna do it for you, I do
I am committed to fulfilling your desires.

Erick Sermon's in the house (ooh wa-tah)
Erick Sermon is here, and we're ready to party.

Let's get up, let's get down
It's time to dance and have a good time.

Roll with the hardcore funk, the hardcore sound
Let's groove to the gritty, authentic sound of our music.

Let's get wit this, mackadocious funk material
Let's immerse ourselves in this high-quality, edgy funk music.

Who am I? (E-D the Green Eyed Bandit)
I am E-D the Green Eyed Bandit, and I'm here to rap.

Control my career so I can never get stranded
I want to be in charge of my career so that I never get left behind.

Changed up they style, from jeans to suits and
Other rappers have changed their style, going from casual wear to more formal attire.

Thinking about a pop record, somethin' made for the station
They're considering making a more mainstream, popular-style song for radio stations.

For a whole new relation (yeah)
This song is for a new, wider audience.

Ship of a new type of scene
We're part of a new movement in music.

To go platinum and clock mad green
We want to sell millions of records and make a lot of money.

AKA, a sellout, the rap definition
This is what happens when you compromise your artistic integrity in pursuit of commercial success.

Get off that boy, change your mission
Stop focusing on making popular music and start making authentic, meaningful music again.

Come back around the block
Return to your roots and the people who supported you when you were first starting out.

Pump Color Me Badd to the ah, tick tock
Listen to the popular, mainstream music and copy their style.

Let them know your logo, not a black thing
Emphasize your brand, not your racial identity.

My background sing, my background sing for the crossover
My backup singers are here to help us make the transition to more mainstream, pop music.

(So whatcha sayin'?) You wanna go pop goes the weasel
Are you saying that you want to make more commercial, mainstream music?

You know you should be rocking the fans wit' something diesel
You should be making powerful and exciting music for your fans.

But you insist to piss me off black
But you're still ignoring my advice, and it's frustrating me.

So I flex the biceps so I can push 'em back
I'm standing firm and not letting others push me around.

So real hardcore hip-hop continue wreck it
Let's keep making genuine and raw hip-hop music.

And all sucker MCs duck down and get the message
All the fake and insincere rappers should learn from our music and adapt their style.

So ban the crossover, yo, who's wit' me
Let's stop making popular, commercial music and focus on making authentic, genuine music.

(Hit Squad) yea, P, hit me
We're sticking together as a group to make the music we love.

Another megablast funky dope style from cross yonder
We're bringing a new, exciting style of music from our area.

(So help me Wanda, help, help me Wanda)
This music is so great it's causing me to get excited.

(Yo, from what) the crossover, yeah crossing you over
We're making a song to appeal to a wider audience.

Outta here, gone, peace, nice to know ya (see ya)
We're leaving this style of music behind and moving on.

What a way to go out, no clout is what the fans will shout
Our fans will think less of us for abandoning our authentic style of music.

'Cause you got gassed and took the wrong route
You became arrogant and chose the wrong path by pursuing commercial success over authenticity.

Came on the scene, chillin', freakin' a funky dope line
We started out making great, authentic music.

But when they finish wit you (beep) flatline
If you sell out and compromise your integrity, your music will flop.

Some say there's no business like show business
People often say that the music industry is cutthroat and unforgiving.

But if this the truth, please explain why is this
If this is true, then why are so many rappers struggling to make a living?

Rappers been around long, makin' mad noise you see
Rappers have been popular for a long time, making a lot of noise and money in the industry.

Still I haven't seen one rapper livin' comfortably
Despite their success, many rappers are still struggling financially.

No time to pick and wish on a four leaf clover
We can't rely on luck or chance to succeed; we have to work hard and make the right decisions.

I stick to underground, keep the crossover
I'm committed to making genuine, authentic music, even if it means we won't cross over to mainstream success.