Step Off
Grandmaster Flash The Furious Five Lyrics


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[Chorus]
Step, step, step, step, step off
Because you got to get lost because you know you're soft, uh-huh.
Step, step, step, step, step off
Because you got to get lost because you know you're soft, uh-huh-huh.
Step, step, step, step, step off
Because you got to get lost because you know you're soft.
I was sittin' on the corner just a-wastin' my time
When I realised I was the king of the rhyme.
I got on the microphone and what do you see?
Huh, the rest was my legacy.

I was born to be the king of the be-bop swing,
To have stallions and medallions, big diamond rings.
I own a castle and a yacht, two million in gold
Because rap is the game that I control.

I'm like Shakespeare, I'm a pioneer
Because I made rap somethin' people wanted to hear.
See, before my reign, it was the same old same,
"To the ba with the ba", that street-talk game,

So if you ever, let me make this clear,
If you ever think that we're steppin' out of here,
You ever think you're gettin' up, down, around or in,
Huh huh, you better think again, my friend

Because the door is closed and we're in town
And the only place you can go is down!

Step, step, step, step, step off.)

Well, I'm Kieth Cowboy and you're my cow,
So what you MC's gonna do now?
It's gonna be a slaughter and here's my plan.
You won't even get bread and butter, my man.

Gonna put you on the racks like a pair of slacks
With another wack rapper tied to your back,
And if you want to hang yourself out to dry,
It's the beautiful round-up in the sky.

I'm the carry-out kid when my trigger's in cock.
I'll be carryin' out bodies stiff as a rock.
Carryin' out a million dollars in my pockets and hand,
But I carry out orders from no man,

'Cause anything you want to do, I already did.
You used to see me rock the house when you was a kid,
But in my MC school, my class is packed
And tricks are for kids so I left your ass back.

The bow-legged brother, there'll never be another.
I buy a mansion for my mother.
The 24/7, the cool-Aid smile,
Say, "Hey, crack a lemon and look at my pile."

[Chorus]

Come on.
Now you know just who I am
And what I do because I'm in demand,
Because I look good.

Do you hear, my man?
And if you can't take that, you chump your old hand.
One girl at a time get an MC
So how could you think that you rank with me?

If you only did your homework, you would surely find
When Scorp' get girls, they all be fine
And the only girl that you could take of mine
Is the one that I left way behind

And plus you're cheap, you're petty, your music is trash.
You need to go to the bank and get some cash
Because talkin' don't pay, you're driftin' away.
When I see you on the stage, I'm-a blow you away.

You're right.
There is no diff between me and you
Except I look good and you look through.
Take that.

Step, step, step, step, step off
Because you got to get lost because you know you're soft.

Little pieces of a dream is all you mean
Since the day you stepped into the MC scene.
Bitin' your moves, takin' fake awards,
Sayin' everyone else is perpetratin' the frauds,

But you're nothin' but a clone of a flesh and bone.
Now you're tryin' to play gone on the microphone,
But I tell you 'bout a night and you know I'm right
When you listen to us rockin' to the broad daylight,

And then you looked in the sky and you started to cuss,
But then you prayed to God that you could be like us.
Then God was great and God was true
And he tried to show you how to be like you,

But you still didn't get where you wanted to go
When you gathered in a group and got your own show
'Cause without the source, the force won't survive.
For eternity, the source is alive.

You forgot the words of your creator
And now he's made you a perpetrator,
Forever in a world of you and a girl,
A few grams in a pipe to make your head swirl.

You must spread the words of the master teacher.
You die by the rhymes and the streets'll eat you.
The words are a gift we will never flaunt.
That's why we're gonna get everything we want.

Just like a shadow in the night on a sight unseen
And I'm the bonafide vocal master supreme,
And I'm here to run it down for the ladies and gents
For my rhymes make dollars plus they make sense,

See, you're down with Cowboy, you'll be rockin' the show.
With King Lu, Tommy Gun and, huh, Scorpio,
Kamikaze Clayton Savage and Easy Mike
And goin' down in the books is the king of the night,

So if you're ever in a battle, I'm-a make you my slave
And I'm-a give you a shovel so you can dig a grave.
Leave behind all your fame and wealth
So you can say one rhyme, then bury yourself, huh.

I may sound possessed, but you know I'm blessed
With the will to make sense of all this mess.
I'm the power of the sun that shines in the sky
And I'm the only MC that'll never die,

So just rock and don't stop 'til you hit the top,
But when you see Mellie Mel, you're gonna have to drop.

And not only that,

Step, step, step, step, step off
Because you got to get lost because you know you're soft, uh-huh.
Step, step, step, step, step off
Because you got to get lost because you know you're soft, uh-huh-huh.

And for all you MC's, you heard my story
On my super-fly, cold-crushin' fame and glory,
How I rocked the children and the young ladies.
I even rocked the country that was overseas

'Cause I can rock anybody from any crew.
Because I did it to Chaka, I'm-a do it to you.
I'm-a show you how I rocked it, why'all, all night long,
But when I rocked with Chaka Khan, I just said,

"Chaka Khan, let me rock you, let me rock you, Chaka Khan.", I said,
"Let me rock you, that's all I want to do.
Chaka Khan, let me rock you, let me rock you, Chaka Khan.", I said.
"Let me me rock you 'cause I feel for you.

Chaka Khan, won't you tell me what you want to do?
Do you feel for me the way I feel for you.
Chaka Khan, let me tell you what I want to do.
I want to love you, want to hug you, want to squeeze you too,

So let me take me in your arms, let me fill you with my charms, Chaka
'Cause you know that I'm the one to keep you warm, Chaka.
I'll make you more than just a physical spell.
I want to rock you, Chaka baby, 'cause my name is Mellie Mel."

Say what, why'all.
Say what.

To the DJ scratch, the metro match
'Cause we're comin' out fresh with a brand new batch,




So takin' you off into the galaxy
Is Vicious, Vicious, VICIOUS LEE!

Overall Meaning

The song "Step Off" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, released in 1984, is a classic hip-hop track with an upbeat and energetic tempo, supported by a groovy bassline and funky percussions which perfectly enhance the confrontational lyrics of the song. The overarching theme of the song revolves around the supremacy of the Furious Five and its individual members as they claim to have revolutionized hip-hop with their unique style and flow, in contrast to other MCs who do not match their lyrical prowess or style. They urge other MCs and rappers to step off and accept that they cannot compare to the MC skills of the Furious Five.


The song is comprised of a chorus and several verses, with each of the Furious Five members putting forth their boastful lyrics that take jabs at their competitors. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the phrase "Step off" as the MCs demand respect and recognition for their talent and music. The opening verse, delivered by Melle Mel, establishes the dominant tone of the song, as he portrays himself as the "king of the rhyme" who can control the rap game, with the help of his lyrical skills and talent. In the later verses, different members take up the cause of asserting their dominance, and Cowboy Keith, in his characteristic style, takes a swing at competitors, highlighting their lackluster music coupled with their petty behavior.


The song is revered by many for its contribution to the emergence of hip-hop as a dominant music genre and also for its role in shaping the culture of the day. The song's confrontational lyrics, supported by its dynamic beat, have become a hip-hop classic, and its influence can be seen in subsequent hits in the genre. Interestingly, the song is also regarded as a critique of competitive and often violent ego battles that characterized the hip-hop industry in the 1980s.


Line by Line Meaning

Step, step, step, step, step off
Stop what you are doing and leave, because you are not good enough to compete with us.


Because you got to get lost because you know you're soft, uh-huh.
You need to leave because you are weak and know that you cannot compete.


I was sittin' on the corner just a-wastin' my time When I realized I was the king of the rhyme.
I was wasting time when I realized that I am the best rapper out there.


I'm like Shakespeare, I'm a pioneer Because I made rap somethin' people wanted to hear.
I am a pioneer like Shakespeare because I created something new and popular that people enjoy.


Step, step, step, step, step off.)
Once again, stop what you are doing and leave because you cannot compete with us.


You won't even get bread and butter, my man.
I will defeat you so badly that you won't even be able to provide for yourself.


But in my MC school, my class is packed And tricks are for kids so I left your ass back.
My MC school is so popular that it is full, and I am too good for tricks that lesser rappers use.


The bow-legged brother, there'll never be another.
I am unique and in a class of my own, and there will never be anyone else like me.


Anything you want to do, I already did.
There is nothing you can do that I have not already accomplished.


But you're nothing but a clone of a flesh and bone.
You are not unique or original, you are just imitating someone else.


The words are a gift we will never flaunt.
Our talent for rap comes naturally and we do not need to brag about it.


I'm the power of the sun that shines in the sky And I'm the only MC that'll never die,
I am a force to be reckoned with and my impact will last forever.


But when you see Mellie Mel, you're gonna have to drop.
When you see me, you will know that I am the best and you will have to acknowledge my superiority.


So takin' you off into the galaxy Is Vicious, Vicious, VICIOUS LEE!
We are taking you on an intergalactic journey with Vicious Lee.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RANDY CLIFFORD EBRIGHT WIDEMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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