In the early part of the decade, several American politicians attacked rappers, including the Geto Boys (though most famously Ice-T and 2 Live Crew). A high-profile incident in which Bushwick Bill (actually a dwarf) lost an eye in a shooting incident with his girlfriend helped sales for their third album, We Can't Be Stopped, which showed Bushwick on the cover being carted through a hospital by Scarface and Willie D. They responded to being dropped by Geffen on the title track ("We Can't Be Stopped"), and "Mind Playing Tricks On Me" became a hit in the rap community.
One Time
Geto Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yo, Johny see and Box, rock it freestyle, one time
[ VERSE 1: Johny see ]
The beat is pumpin, party's jumpin, makes you shakin the ground
Suckers starin while I'm darin you to try to get down
I'm controllin and I'm rollin out on any MC
He's not happy, that's a smile full of jealousy
I could never be took, cause what's mine is mine
And I'm just realizin, I'm only hypnotizin
Girlies are in trance, breakin in cold sweat
When I snap my fingers you shall all snap out of it
I'm elevated, the greatness I've created
And I want to thank God I finally made it
My beat is Uptown, no, I won't trade it
Makin big bucks and none's drug-related
My DJ's Ready Red, and he could never be imitated
So push 'power' and you'll hear the Grand Wizard fade it
Yo Box
[ VERSE 2: Juxe Box ]
The time has come that I serve and you observe
You want to challenge competition, you lack the nerve
I'm your destruction and come prior to ya, you gotta accept
And I be makin cash money, you a demo cassette
With a killer-like motive and a four-wheel drive
Keep you punks lined up, everyone will survive
I know you steal from other rappers like a rat on the hunt
Therefore your rhyme is just ???, so yo, don't front
Juke Box the undisputed power house on the scene
Representin 5th Ward, not Hollis, Queens
But if you know we're from the country, crushin kamikazie
You ain't on my mission, break out, see I advise you
Break fool and terrorize everything in sight
And never scared to book em when you get uptight
[ VERSE 3: Johny see ]
Now I'm the prince of rhyme, and all of you cry
And I'm inspired by the beat and all you suckers who try
To defeat the undefeated Johny see has the mind
To destroy the wonderboy, and any of mankind
Cause I'm never caught slippin, performance is tipped and
Like a hoe your ride my jock, I might as well start pimpin
Lyrics of destruction, invincible song
Runnin from the prince of rap, though I'm King-Kong
Cause I'm shakin the nation, tearin down every tank
Only once I lost a battle, then I broke the sucker neck
It was an MC named (Toy) he was a dumb-ass (boy)
Disc Jockey farted as he charged to defeat the McCoy
I'm a rhyming rap wizard, rhymes are like venom
Bite em, you'll die, and I just say "to hell with him"
Why should I care for you suckers out there
Shoot you down in every battle, you still scream "unfair!"
Time for a rumble in this concrete jungle
Whiz that take a quiz, shoot you down in one bundle
My rhymes are motivating, your body responds
With the center party people gettin funky for mine
I'm a rapper, I'm through with ya, posse (tug of war)
We're confiscating (and raiding) and still the Boys are hardocre
Rrrah
[ VERSE 4: Juke Box ]
Juke Box, the rhyme performer performin a rhyme
I'm like the sun, muthafucka, now watch me shine
Spread light across the land, cause I'm the man
The original party rocker of an Uptown jam
You know my style will never fade, you punks get slayed
I'm intendin to rock, there's money to be made
The undisputed rap pro keepin you on the go
Purchase, go buy a ticket to see my show
Because I made a lot of cash, we took you fast
But now you're jockin the Box and I don't need your dumb ass
One time
[ Ready Red ]
Yo Johny see and Box, man
I want y'all to just chill out, man
Gimme the mic, man
I'ma show you how y'all rock this thing one time, man
y'all know how to rock a Uptown jam
Let's me show you what's up here, man
You know what I'm sayin?
Grand Wizard DJ Red in effect
Word, bust this
[ VERSE 5: DJ Ready Red ]
My home is where I roam, turntable's my peace
And in creation is a masterpiece
Because my music's my mind, cuttin breaks with rhymes
Snappin fingers, clappin hands, shakin behinds
Tearin up the place with the beats galore
Within my own world, we're no amateurs
Because I stayed in my room till my knowledge improved
Got busy tryin to catch the groove
You know I cut and scratched till I get it right
So now I rock a party morning, noon and night
You know I be jammin with my musical skill
My hands are deadly on the wheels of steel
One time
Yeah
It's the Geto Boys in effect
The song "One Time Freestyle" by Geto Boys features verses from Johny See, Juke Box, and DJ Ready Red. These verses boast about their skills in rapping, DJing, and producing music. The beat is described as "pumpin" and the party is "jumpin" as they challenge any MC to try and compete with them. Johny See claims to be the "prince of rhyme" who destroys any competition, while Juke Box is "the undisputed power house on the scene" who makes "cash money". Meanwhile, DJ Ready Red explains how he creates masterpieces through his turntable skills.
The song shows how confident and competitive the hip-hop scene was during the mid to late 80s. The lyrics portray a battle-like atmosphere where rappers, producers, and DJs displayed their talent and tried to outdo each other. The different verses also showcase the importance of each role in the creation and success of a hit song.
Line by Line Meaning
The beat is pumpin, party's jumpin, makes you shakin the ground
This lively music has everyone feeling energized and dancing wildly.
Suckers starin while I'm darin you to try to get down
Jealous individuals are watching from the sidelines while the confident rapper challenges them to dance and compete.
Cold crushin and I'm dustin, leavin suckers behind
The rapper is demolishing his opponents and leaving them far behind in the dust.
And I'm just realizin, I'm only hypnotizin
The rapper is in a state of self-awareness and acknowledges that he is captivating people with his music.
Girlies are in trance, breakin in cold sweat
The women in the room are entranced by the music and dancing so vigorously that they are sweating profusely.
When I snap my fingers you shall all snap out of it
The rapper has the power to awaken his audience from their entranced state with a simple snap of his fingers.
Juke Box the undisputed power house on the scene
Juke Box is the reigning powerhouse in the rap game and truly undisputed in his excellence.
You want to challenge competition, you lack the nerve
People who want to challenge Juke Box are simply too afraid to do so.
With a killer-like motive and a four-wheel drive
Juke Box is unstoppable and has a relentless drive to succeed.
Therefore your rhyme is just ???, so yo, don't front
Other rappers' rhymes are not up to par and thus they should not pretend otherwise.
Now I'm the prince of rhyme, and all of you cry
Johny see is a master at rhyming and others are simply envious.
Cause I'm shaking the nation, tearing down every tank
Johny see is taking the nation by storm and obliterating anything that stands in his way.
Only once I lost a battle, then I broke the sucker neck
Johny see has only lost one rap battle but took out his frustration on his opponent by violently attacking him.
Because my music's my mind, cuttin breaks with rhymes
DJ Ready Red channels his creativity and emotions through his music and expertly cuts and remixes it to create new sounds.
So now I rock a party morning, noon and night
DJ Ready Red's skills on the turntables allows him to effortlessly entertain at any hour of the day or night.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind