Run For Cover
Eric B / Rakim Lyrics

Here I go again ready to flow again
I am about to start rapping once more.

Better hold my mic don't blow again
Make sure my microphone is secure, so it doesn't malfunction.

Warned by alarms when the mic gets warm
My microphone is going to get hot, and I need to be careful.

Crowd'll get critical can't keep calm
The audience will be upset if anything goes wrong.

Jet for the exit why hang around
If something goes wrong, I am leaving right away.

Words that I found make the mic melt down
My rhymes are so hot that they are melting my microphone.

If you stay better cooperate 'cause I amputate
Cooperate with me, or I'll cut you out of the performance.

And whoever don't break I'm a suffocate
If you don't stop rapping, I'll keep going until you can't breathe.

Leave 'em with asthma, you better pass the
I'll leave you gasping for breath, and then pass the microphone to the next rapper.

Mic to the massacre master who has the
I am the master of rap, and I am in control of the microphone.

Power to build and destroy at the same time
My rhymes have the power to create and destroy.

So track the wack at the right, and exact could shine
Focus on the poor performers to make the good ones stand out.

Meant to beat overheat, but I won't stop
I know that I am rapping at a high intensity, but I won't let that slow me down.

So evacuate the spot when the mic's hot
Everybody should leave when my performance gets too intense.

Switch it from one hand to another
I am dexterous with the microphone, and I can switch hands easily.

And that's a hint, my brother, run for cover
If I give you a hint to evacuate, you better run for cover.

'Cause I'm armed, my brain contains a bomb
My mind is a weapon, and I have powerful rhymes to unleash.

As if I escaped from Vietnam
My rhymes are like the effects of war.

Some people label me lethal, lyrics I made then put beats to
Other people view me as dangerous because of the lyrics I have turned into music.

Format, collapse, your lungs twist your tongues
My words have physical effects on people when I perform.

You can't bump your gums off of none of the drums
You are not capable of keeping up with the rhythm of my music.

Words that I made'll create an iller scene
My rhymes will make the performance even better.

Eric B. is the fly human being on the guillotine
I am the skilled performer who is killing it on stage.

Hook 'em up to a respirator, 'cause it's the mista suffocator
I have a suffocating grip on the microphone, and other rappers may need help breathing.

What I write is like shovin' a mic down your windpipe
My writing is so intense that it feels like I am pushing the microphone into your body.

Don't let him bit rhymes Rakim write
Don't try to copy my style of writing.

No mic to mouth resuscitation is necessary
I don't need any help to keep performing and inspiring the audience.

No obituary, and if they're left, they're buried
I don't want to see anyone get hurt or killed while performing.

As it strikes on the same mic twice and then
I am so intense that I'll perform again with the same intensity as the first time.

Cut it on, and I'm a strike again
When I perform, you never know when I'll come back, but I'll be just as intense.

I meditate off the breaks, till the place shakes
I take breaks between songs to focus and re-energize myself, and the crowd reacts accordingly.

Then I make rain, hail, snow and earthquakes
The performance is so intense that the crowd reacts in various ways, as if experiencing different weather conditions.

Speak the truth, tear the roof off the mother
I am speaking the truth, and my performance is tearing the roof off the building.

The stage is stompin' grounds
The stage is where I make my impact, and the crowd reacts accordingly.

Run for cover
Get out of the way when I perform, because I am intense and my rhymes are powerful.

Evacuate the building, danger, 'cause I came to explain the
I am here to perform, but it may not be safe for everyone, so people need to evacuate the building.

Strategy that'll be tragic automatically
The strategy I am using to perform will have a tragic outcome.

Havin' me to cause another catastrophe
My performance may accidentally cause a catastrophe.

All you gotta do is give Rakim the microphone
Hand me the microphone, and I'll take care of the rest.

And the crowd'll yell "Timber"
The audience will react excitedly when I perform.

Buildings collapsin', rappers gettin' trapped in
My performance is having a physical impact on the surroundings, and other rappers are struggling to keep up.

Areas closed off, no one gets back in
My performance is creating areas that are off-limits to people.

So set up roadblocks, barricade the doors
Security needs to prevent people from entering the area where I am performing.

Fade, put a detour sign on the stage
The performance needs to end quietly and safely, without causing any more disruptions.

Hold my microphone as evidence, the weapon I use and been usin' ever since
My microphone is the tool that I use to create intense performances, and I've been using it for a long time.

The days in the park when, rap was an art then
I have been performing for a long time, and I remember when rap performances were a true art form.

Plus I was dominant, determined and dark-skinned
I was talented, ambitious and proud of my heritage and skin color when I first started performing.

Makin' it hard to walk the streets at night
My talents made me stand out, and not everyone appreciated that, so I had to be careful.

For those who talk the weak beats on the mic
I was outperforming others who did not have the same skill as me.

Whoever's livin' large better wear camouflage
People who are successful in this industry need to be careful and not draw too much attention to themselves.

Prepare to be bumrushed when I yell charge
I will come at you with intensity, so be prepared to respond accordingly.

Surround by sound of the beat-down another brother
My intense performance may put others in the audience in uncomfortable positions.

This is stompin' grounds, run for cover
I own the stage when I perform, which may make others uncomfortable.

Wheels or foot, better not stay put
Get out of the area as quickly as possible to avoid any negative consequences.

Whole place shook till the mic's unhooked
My order of business is to leave the stage, which will signal the end of an intense performance.

Then you've got seven minutes to vacate the premises
After I finish performing, the audience has a short amount of time to leave the area.

Lyrics'll echo soon as the break finishes
My words will be remembered and repeated long after the performance is over.

Don't act wild, single file to the door
Leave the area in an orderly and calm manner to avoid any problems.

No need for an encore, just clear the floor
The performance was intense enough on its own, and I don't need to come back for an encore.

'Cause my mic's about to self destruct
My performance has reached an intense level where the microphone may be destroyed.

The stage'll blow up when my rhymes erupt
My performance may end in a dramatic, explosive manner.

So make sure the place is cleared out and abandoned
Everyone needs to leave the area so they are not at risk of getting hurt.

'Cause minutes from now it won't be standin'
The area where I am performing may be destroyed after my performance is over.

Then send out and A.P.B.: All Poets Beware of a brother like me
Other poets and performers should be aware of how intense and powerful my performances can be.

Now how many rhymes could your man manufacture
I am asking if other performers have the same level of intensity as I do.

How many bitin' MCs can I capture
I am challenging other performers to come up to my level of intensity.

Trap rappers who try to run off at the mouth
I am calling out performers who lack skills and try to compensate by talking too much.

Take over their route, play 'em out like a Cub Scout
I want to outperform others and assert my dominance on the stage.

So leave troopin' for MCs at war
I am the only one who should be performing at this intense level.

And if it's a battle let the crowd keep score
If there is a performance competition, let the audience decide who performed best.

'Cause me and the drummer make drama, and that's word to mother
My intense performance is a collaboration between me and my drummer, and it is not to be taken lightly.

Run for cover
I am going to perform at such an intense level that people need to get out of the way to avoid any negative consequences.