Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962 in Queens, New York City), better known as Marley Marl, is an influential hip-hop producer. He was the house producer of the Juice Crew, which included (in addition to him): Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap, MC Shan (his cousin) and Masta Ace, and produced songs for outside artists including King Tee and LL Cool J. He was also an important figure in the careers of Eric B. & Rakim, producing their first hits "My Melody" and "Eric B Is President", mixing James Brown samples and synthetic beats in a fashion previously unheard of.
Hip-Hop Lives is a collaborative album from MC KRS-One and producer Marley Marl that was released on May 22, 2007. The album is sometimes consdered a bench mark in the history of hip-hop, in the sense that 20 years ago, KRS and Marl were once bitter rivals involved in the legendary Bridge Wars.
"It all happened with one phone call," Marley Marl told AllHipHop.com during a March 2006 interview.[1] "They called me and he jumped on the phone and told me it would be spectacular for Hip-Hop...My reason for doing this is to show these kids that [Hip-Hop beefs] are not that serious."
Album sampler has premier on HipHopGame.com
This album was ranked #1 Top Hip-Hop releases for May on About.com
Kill A Rapper
KRS-One & Marley Marl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(It's bullshit)
Why they can't ever solve the crime Marley?
Whatever happened with that Scott LaRock case man?
I don't know
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
Scott LaRock's a open case, unresolved
The cops never find the killer, when it's one of ours
Tupac's a open case, even though
He was killed in a open place, there's really no haste
It's sorta like we govern ourselves
Even though we lack a love for ourselves
Or is that we know this thug shit sells?
You want them pockets to swell well
Even though we know we livin' in hell, what about big L?
Hold up, let's stop frontin', let me tell you somethin'
JMJ's dead and the cops don't know nuthin'?
We gotta open our eyes to this too, this issue
Lisa 'Left Eye', we miss you
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
It seems like when a rapper dies, it don't matter
He simply becomes a poster, somethin' to run after
A reason for these kids to pull they guns faster
Tryin' to emulate and be like dead rappers
I roll with them visionary look-ahead rappers
From the city to the farm pushin' John Deere tractors
Bust this, in the city, there is no justice
The whole system is flawed, how could you trust this?
Crimes can't seem to be solved when it's one of us
That's why there's no forgiveness and cats just wanna bust
Hush, some people take the law into they own hand
And get burned like touchin' frying pans
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
Man, we lyin' too much, we dyin' too much
Mothers cryin' too much, brothers tryin' to touch
That cash and such, in they hand they want a grand to clutch
Dissin' they man and such
But Christopher Wallace is a unresolved murder
Another one is Mac Dre, I don't know if y'all heard of him
But word is grim, when it turns to sin
All hip-hoppers are next of kin
We face what we supposed to face
But when it comes to them crimes
They never seem to close the case
Yo Marley, uhh, uhh, uhh, uhh
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
There he go right there
Son, ain't even worth it, kid
In the song "Kill a Rapper," KRS-One and Marley Marl discuss the issue of unsolved murder cases in the hip-hop community. They connect the failure to solve these cases to the widespread belief that rappers are easy targets who are unlikely to receive justice due to biases and a lack of attention given by authorities. The chorus repeats the phrase "You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper," suggesting that the perpetrator will never be caught due to systemic negligence. Scott LaRock, Tupac, Big L, JMJ, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes are all mentioned as examples of unsolved murders, highlighting how widespread the issue is.
The first verse touches on the irony that even though hip-hop is a community that emphasizes love and unity, crimes against its members often go unsolved. The second verse discusses the glamorization of violence in hip-hop culture and how it perpetuates the cycle of crime. The third verse points out how this issue is not limited to a particular location, noting that even rural areas like farms are affected by it. The concluding verse acknowledges that while the hip-hop community may be resilient, they still face the harsh reality that justice is often not served in their cases.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't understand this man
I can't comprehend the situation
(It's bullshit)
(This is not right)
Why they can't ever solve the crime Marley?
Why can't the authorities solve the crime, Marley?
Whatever happened with that Scott LaRock case man?
What's the latest on the Scott LaRock case?
I don't know
I'm not aware
You wanna get away with murder? Kill a rapper
To avoid punishment for murder, just kill a rapper
The investigation won't go further, kill a rapper
Killing a rapper puts an end to investigations for the crime
Scott LaRock's a open case, unresolved
The murder of Scott LaRock remains unsolved
The cops never find the killer, when it's one of ours
When a rapper is killed, the police can't find the culprit who's possibly from the rap community
Tupac's a open case, even though
The murder of Tupac Shakur remains unsolved despite
He was killed in a open place, there's really no haste
Although Tupac was killed in public, there's no sense of urgency in finding his murderer
It's sorta like we govern ourselves
It seems we are self-governed
Even though we lack a love for ourselves
Despite our lack of self-love
Or is that we know this thug shit sells?
Perhaps we are aware that gangster behavior is marketable
You want them pockets to swell well
If you want to make money
Even though we know we livin' in hell, what about big L?
Although we are in a tough situation, what about the murder of Big L?
Hold up, let's stop frontin', let me tell you somethin'
Let's stop pretending and discuss this
JMJ's dead and the cops don't know nuthin'?
Jam Master Jay is dead, and the police don't have any details?
We gotta open our eyes to this too, this issue
We need to acknowledge and address this problem
It seems like when a rapper dies, it don't matter
When a rapper is killed, it seems insignificant
He simply becomes a poster, somethin' to run after
A deceased rapper becomes an icon or a goal
A reason for these kids to pull they guns faster
Motivation for young people to get violent
Tryin' to emulate and be like dead rappers
Attempting to mimic and be similar to deceased rappers
I roll with them visionary look-ahead rappers
I associate with forward-thinking rappers
From the city to the farm pushin' John Deere tractors
From urban to rural, working in agriculture
Bust this, in the city, there is no justice
Let me break it down: there is no justice in urban areas
The whole system is flawed, how could you trust this?
The entire system is corrupt, how can one have faith in it?
Crimes can't seem to be solved when it's one of us
The police are unable to solve crimes within the rap community
That's why there's no forgiveness and cats just wanna bust
That's why there is no mercy, and individuals just want to retaliate
Man, we lyin' too much, we dyin' too much
Man, we are too deceitful, we are dying too frequently
Mothers cryin' too much, brothers tryin' to touch
Mothers are grieving too much, brothers are seeking revenge
That cash and such, in they hand they want a grand to clutch
They desire to acquire wealth to hold onto
Dissin' they man and such
Disrespecting their associates and similar behavior
But Christopher Wallace is an unresolved murder
The killing of Christopher Wallace is also unsolved
Another one is Mac Dre, I don't know if y'all heard of him
Mac Dre is another rapper whose death is unknown to many
But word is grim, when it turns to sin
But the circumstances are concerning when it comes to violence
All hip-hoppers are next of kin
All rappers are related to each other in some way
We face what we supposed to face
We experience what we are expected to
But when it comes to them crimes
But when it comes to those crimes
They never seem to close the case
The authorities never seem to solve the case
There he go right there
There he is right there
Son, ain't even worth it, kid
It's not even worth it, my friend
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAWRENCE KRSONE PARKER, MARL MARLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind