Return of the B‐Boy
Mr. Lif Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seconds after I have been swept off my feet
Open through the doors and in steps the beat
Complete with medical packs and four fours
Looked at me and said "damn this nigga need god"
Bored, apart in the streets he got beat
The meat, a disinfranchised he left wheat
Me, these images I could'nt ignore
This man's slim, sported a red glim, notcing damage within
We remove bullets and pack skin
The kickdrum slur reopen my eyes, he say don't worry
At the clerk he say don't fire rounds in the flurry
And I have bad, tied the hostages with his gat
Told 'em break the fuck out and never look back
They have the form like meiogy for the kamikaze
Then they got me walking out pass the local paparazzi
I see y'all re animated, sure kick get damned a flavor
We came to save ya and we came to, pull back the data
I repay a major situation across town, my music is lost sound
Cause they had us locked down.
They meaning sucka rappers had us heard past
Comic clowns who be making shit sounds and laughs
Then they facing masteries, just fittin lack of pieces
what's dope and hope that we accept the wack atheists, jesus
where's the chamber? Allow me the become the scum rearranged uh
They said "focus ya anger" and bring the rhymes that you wrote
Because these folks will hang ya
I accepted their concerns turn to him and said
"fuck that written shit I'll flip that kid off the head"
What about the feds? Ayo we left them a decoy
We didn't want the beats to know we brought back the be -Boy
[Chorus]
Hip, Hip-Hop (I'm a bring it back) x4
[Verse 2]
Hip hop is so wack, the beats are fighting back
And I was sent to attack, so I'm following the map
X's mark the rappers out with two head with
Furocious cademies that only need with the next spliff
Step by step I'm headed toward the set to analyze the threat
And make him regret, the day that we met
I suspect he got a smooth box, I head into the rooftops
Where I'll make me strategy so I can splatter them
They were only half of them, five less rappers alive
So we can vibe the stand and then, dope they didn't coincide
They were half religious, and vicious, with dark wishes
Which is to assure the core of hip hop which is snitches
I dropped dimes on how to travel back in time
So they can melt and miss the nine pioneers patterns to rhyme
And I'm furious, seething at what I'm seeing
Soon those niggaz won't be breathing
I've seen what I got so I'm leaving
Cause I want to, set up to stop up for the evening
Niggaz hopped on my shitlist with a swiftness
I'm about to rip this, come fear witness
[Beat plays for About 20 seconds]
[chorus] x2
[beat changes]
[Mr. Lif begins rapping]
Mic Check!
We had ill static, over illmatic, I reached for it
This nigga said I couldnt have it
So tragic they try to counter my magic, I'm rabid
I reached for his fuckin face and grabbed it
Nigga, how the fuck did you figure
You can Interfere with the music so potent
That I need to just go for a moment
Before I moved on.
Then I heard two songs
Spit flavor from those head up the 36 chambers
I'm about to bring this nigga danger
He was illucive an uncle tom carry a nuciance
Strong and spiritually useless
I gave him flashbacks, of niggaz gettin treated like labrats
Beatin with sticks and straps
Hidden with conscience, held a mirror up to his face
The motherfucker jetted out of the place
Who's next to get me vexed this rapper making idle threats
Claiming that he got contacts, I stepped to him slow
Looked deep in his eyes, see another person was within him
Cause he's living a lie
A rap nearly operation
Told him that man was not meant to leave earth's population
These talks left him pacing, now he suffers from brain disintergration
No thoughts or information, it started raining visibility low
This had no effects on my abilities though
To murder an MC is standing procedure
Looked and see this cat gone follow the leader
But I'm a cheater, the abdomen and chester leader
The primary feature, my intense earth to to bleed ya
All this blood stream, and I'm steadily aiming
To find the next nigga for naming
that's when the death sticks came in, hand me
This mega large nigga tried to brand me
I thought the mega blast to enemies
Then my mind aged to centuries
Futuristic data, for a complex matter
This power left to cater, I can compete with the equator
Smiled I can see him through the earth's vapors
Looked him up and down, as we walked toward solid ground
What mind, jaw dropped looked what I found
Classics like Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, EMPD and RUN DMC
But when we get three feet
Criminal mind takes a nation a mill, Time to kill
Run DMC self titled, this nigga my arch rival
Survival, not liable, got up close and what I signed couldnt believe
My enemy was a genetic replica of me
That means self is the biggest tour
It could me the bigger fall, a truly vicious type of war
So now I'm thrown off, taken back to back, I didn't know how to react
To lack a plan of attack, but it was in full effect, connect
He didn't affect my intellect, but thoughts I couldnt accept
Images of my grandmother in that old folks home
Became Very vivid in my dome, this method of rap is telepathic
Damage of my mental fabric, hell a vibe or I have it
Criminal I can't stand it,or understand it yet my torture was expanded
By thoughts that he commanded, had a vision of my uncle sitting down
By himself, meanwhile he's breaking down my physical health
Chronicle inseperable thoughts, to my head
98 percent of which were absorbed by my dreads
The other 2 percent I accepted, just so I can feel the heat again
Had a vision of my defeat of him
So now I'm back, strapped and intact
Increasing my brain waves to maximum impact
Thoughts were un holdly, slowly up he looked me up and down coldly
Like I'm the motherfuckin chrome be
And I am damned I dropped the mic from my hand
Saw some open land so I ranned
But as the gem has past hearts, my man had blast shots
Bloodcots stopped ciculation from my nog
My ego's dead my humiliation to mumble feeble shit
Suddenly had a dream of desert eagle clips
So who's me, maybe this oozie, cold hard and steel
With a sign that says use me
I call on Susie, and tell what you see
Usually, I wouldn't let a biter confuse me
Much of this instance, make a difference
So started to think with, the innocence fit infants incents of incest
Burn in inscents, I'm intense
Funny how the powerful scent just dense his senses
don't even comment on the senses, I sent this razor sharp tone
To relentless, sequences that leap fences
beating all human kind to defenseless
So I shift for, never sick for
with a swift sword, clipped and flipped this mic for
Speechless, never wit weakness
he tried to use the heat of his desire to beat Lif
Be my guest, take a guess who was left to mess
And at peace request
I summoned the sun to burn a whole in his chest
[Mr. Lif Talking to the end]
The lyrics of Mr. Lif's song "Return of the B-Boy" describe a man who is visited by embodiments of hip-hop culture, including the beat itself, who have come to rescue him from the "sucka rappers" who have taken over and are "making shit sounds and laughs." The singer is called to fight back against these "wack atheists" and "comic clowns," and he accepts the challenge with rage and defiance. He encounters various obstacles and enemies, but he ultimately triumphs over them through his skillful rapping and his dedication to the music.
Throughout the song, Mr. Lif uses vivid imagery and complex wordplay to convey the urgency and intensity of his message. The beat drives the narrative forward with a relentless energy, mirroring the singer's determination to reclaim hip-hop from those who would dilute or destroy it. There is a sense of righteous anger and rebellion in the lyrics, as if Mr. Lif is calling on the true believers in hip-hop culture to rise up and overthrow the impostors who seek to profit from its popularity without understanding its roots.
Line by Line Meaning
Seconds after I have been swept off my feet
Immediately after being overwhelmed, the beat enters the scene
Open through the doors and in steps the beat
The beat arrives with purpose and intensity, entering like a commanding figure
Complete with medical packs and four fours
The beat has everything it needs to heal and amp up the situation
Looked at me and said "damn this nigga need god"
The beat recognizes the artist's need for divine intervention in the current state of hip-hop
Bored, apart in the streets he got beat
The artist is stuck in a stagnant environment where the beat is the only saving grace
The meat, a disinfranchised he left wheat
The meat, or the basic elements of hip-hop, has been abandoned and left to rot in the disillusionment of hip-hop culture
Me, these images I could'nt ignore
The singer cannot ignore the vivid and powerful images of the beat and hip-hop culture that he witnesses
Personas of the rhythm who just walked through the store
The beat represents various characters and personalities that embody the essence of hip-hop
This man's slim, sported a red glim, notcing damage within
The artist describes a specific character within the beat that he notices is in pain
We remove bullets and pack skin
The artist and the beat work together to heal and restore the damaged character
The kickdrum slur reopen my eyes, he say don't worry
The beat awakens the singer and reassures him to not worry about the situation at hand
They meaning sucka rappers had us heard past
The artist identifies the problem as the subpar and inauthentic rappers in hip-hop
Comic clowns who be making shit sounds and laughs
The bad rappers are likened to clowns who produce nothing but ridiculous noises and empty laughter
Then they facing masteries, just fittin lack of pieces
The bad rappers are trying to mimic the masters of hip-hop but are missing the essential elements that make great music
what's dope and hope that we accept the wack atheists, jesus
The bad rappers hope that audiences will lower their standards and accept mediocre music, likening it to a religious conversion
where's the chamber? Allow me the become the scum rearranged uh
The artist expresses his desire to transform hip-hop and become a transcendent entity within the culture
They said "focus ya anger" and bring the rhymes that you wrote
The beat encourages the artist to channel his anger into his music and deliver powerful rhymes
Because these folks will hang ya
The bad rappers will metaphorically hang the singer if he does not stand up and fight back with his music
We didn't want the beats to know we brought back the be-Boy
The beat secretly brings back the essence of the B-Boy culture within hip-hop
Hip hop is so wack, the beats are fighting back
Hip-hop has become subpar and uninspired, causing the beats to rise up and fight back against the culture
And I was sent to attack, so I'm following the map
The artist is on a mission to attack and restore hip-hop to its former greatness
Step by step I'm headed toward the set to analyze the threat
The artist analyzes the state of hip-hop and its threats as he approaches the scene
I suspect he got a smooth box, I head into the rooftops
The singer suspects the threat to be related to a specific style of production and heads to the rooftops to strategize
So we can vibe the stand and then, dope they didn't coincide
The bad rappers' goals are not in line with the goals of true hip-hop culture
They were half religious, and vicious, with dark wishes
The bad rappers have a twisted and misguided relationship with hip-hop culture, treating it like a religion
I dropped dimes on how to travel back in time
The singer drops rhymes that transport listeners back to the golden age of hip-hop
To make him regret, the day that we met
The singer wants to make the bad rapper regret crossing paths with him
He was illucive an uncle tom carry a nuciance
The bad rapper is deceptive and trying to appease the mainstream at the expense of hip-hop culture
I gave him flashbacks, of niggaz gettin treated like labrats
The artist reminds the bad rapper of the oppression and struggles that black people have faced in hip-hop culture
Told him that man was not meant to leave earth's population
The singer challenges the bad rapper's motives and warns him that he is going against the natural order of things
These talks left him pacing, now he suffers from brain disintergration
The bad rapper is mentally deteriorating as a result of the singer's words and the realization of his misguided actions
I summoned the sun to burn a whole in his chest
The artist uses his powerful words to metaphorically destroy the bad rapper and his negative influence on hip-hop culture
Chronicle inseperable thoughts, to my head
The artist's thoughts and experiences in hip-hop are deeply ingrained in his mind and difficult to separate from
Burn in inscents, I'm intense
The artist is filled with intensity and passion for hip-hop culture
Funny how the powerful scent just dense his senses
The singer's passion and intensity overwhelms those who are not truly committed to hip-hop culture
I'm intense
The artist reasserts his passion and intensity for hip-hop culture
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davelindomusic2207
[Verse 1]
Seconds after I had been swept off my feet
Open flew the doors and in steps the beat
Complete with medical packs and four-fours
Looked at me and said, "Damn, this nigga needs gauze"
Wars are fought in the street
He got beat
The meek are disenfranchised and left weak
Peep these images I couldn't ignore
Personas of the rhythm who just walked in the store
The snare, Slim, sported a rare grin
Noticing damage within
Removed bullets and patched skin
The kick drum, Scurvy
Opened my eyes, he say, "Don't worry"
At the clerk, he fired rounds in a flurry
And the hi-hat, Matt
Tapped the hostages with his gat
Told 'em, "Break the fuck out and never look back"
They had performed like Miyagi for the kamikaze
Then they got me, walked me out past the local paparazzi
"I see, y'all reanimators"
"Sure, kid, ya jams are flavor
We need a savior and we came ta
Relay the data
I'll repay ya, major situation 'cross town
Our music has lost sound
'Cause they had us locked down
'They' meaning sucka rappers, herbs, crabs
Common clowns who be making shitty sounds in labs
They're defacing masterpieces
Just to blast to pieces
What's dope and hope that we'd accept a wacker thesis"
"Jesus
Where's the chamber?
Allow me to become the scum rearranger"
They said, "Focus your anger
And bring the rhymes that you wrote
Because these folks will hang ya"
I accepted their concern, turned to 'em and said
"Fuck that written shit, I'll flip these niggas off the head
What about the feds?"
"Ayo, we left them a decoy
We didn't want the beast to know we brought back the B-Boy"
[Chorus]
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop)
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop)
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
[Verse 2]
Hiphop is so wack the beats are fighting back
And I was sent to attack
So I'm following the map
X's mark the rappers I would soon hex with
Corrosive cadences that'll be leaving their necks split
Step by step, I'm headed toward the set
To analyze a threat
And make 'em regret the day we met
I suspect they got a smooth plot
I'm headed to the rooftops
That's where I'll make my stratagem
So I can splatter them
They were only half o' ten
Five less rappers alive
When we collide
The standard is dope
They didn't coincide
They were sacrilegious and vicious
With dark wishes, which is
To assure the core of hiphop withers, snitches
I dropped dime on how to travel back in time
So they can melt and misalign
Pioneers' patterns of rhyme
And I'm furious
Seething at what I'm seeing
Soon those niggas won't be breathing
I've seen what I got ta so I'm leaving
'Cause I wanna
Set off the slaughter for the evening
Niggas hopped on my shit list
With a swiftness
I'm about to rip this
Come bear witness
[Chorus]
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop)
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop)
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop)
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
(Hiphop)
(Hiphop) I'ma bring it back
[Beat changes]
[Verse 3]
Mic check
We had ill static over Illmatic
I reached for it
This nigga said I couldn't have it
So tragic for him to try to counter my magic
I'm rabid
Reached through his fucking face and grabbed it
Nigga
How the fuck did you figure you could interfere
With a music so potent?
Then I gazed at his skull for a moment
Before I moved on
Then I heard two songs
Distinct flavors
From Wu's Enter the thirty-six Chambers
I'm about to bring this nigga danger
He was elusive
An Uncle Tom carrying nooses
Strong yet spiritually useless
I gave him flashbacks of niggas getting treated like lab rats
Beaten with whips and straps
Hit him with conscience
Held a mirror up to his face
The motherfucker jetted out of the place
Who's next to get me vexed?
This rapper making idle threats
Claiming that he's got concepts
I stepped to him slow
Looked deep in his eyes
Seen a prison was within him, 'cause he's living a lie
I grabbed Daily Operation
Told him that man was not meant to rule the earth's population
These thoughts left him pacing
Now he suffers from brain disintegration
No thoughts or information
It started raining
Visibility low
This had no effect on my abilities, though
To murder an MC is standard procedure
I looked and seen this cat guarding Follow the Leader
But I'm a cheetah
The abdomen and chest deleter
Primary feature
My intense urge to bleed ya
While his blood's draining
I'm steadily aiming
To find the next nigga for maiming
That's when my instincts came in
Handy
This mega large nigga tried to brand me
I dodged a mega blast of energy
Then my mind aged a century
Futuristic data
For a complex matter
His power left a crater
I could peep the equator
He smiled, I could see him through the earth's vapor
Looked him up and down as we walked toward solid ground
What? My jaw dropped at what I found
Classics by Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul
B.D.P., P.E. and Run-D.M.C
Low End Theory, Three Feet
Criminal Mind, Takes a Nation of Mill
Time to kill
Run-D.M.C., self-titled
This nigga's my arch-rival
Survival
Not liable
Got up close and what I saw, I couldn't believe
My enemy was a genetic replica of me
Battling yourself is the biggest chore
It could leave your digits raw
A truly vicious type of war
So now I'm thrown off
Taken back
In fact, I didn't know how to react
I lacked a plan of attack
But his was in full effect
And next
He'd infect my intellect with thoughts I couldn't accept
Images of my grandmother in that old folks home
Became very vivid in my dome
His method is drastic, telepathic
Damaging my mental fabric
Hellified, horror, havoc
Crippled, I can't stand it
Or understand it
Yet my torture was expanded
By thoughts that he commanded
Had a vision of my uncle sitting dying by himself
Meanwhile, he's breaking down my physical health
Body blows
Several shots to the head
Ninety-eight percent of which were absorbed by my dreads
The other two percent I accepted
Just so I can feel the heat again
Had a vision of defeating men
So now I'm back
Strapped and intact
Increasing my brain waves to maximum impact
Thoughts were unholy
Slowly
He looked me up and down coldly
Like I'm the motherfucking phony
And maybe I am
Damn, I stuttered
Dropped the mic from my hand
Saw some open land so I ran
But as I jet past past thoughts
My man had blast shots
Blood clots
Stopping circulation to my knot
My ego split
My humility started to mumble feeble shit
The thug within me had a dream of Desert Eagle clips
So who's me?
Maybe this uzi
The cold-hearted steel with a sign that says, "Use me"
I call her Suzy
Do you like what you see?
Usually
I wouldn't let a biter confuse me
So why should this instance make a difference?
So I started to think with
The innocence of infants
And since I'm incensed
Burn incense
I'm intense
Funny how the powerful scent just
Dents his senses
Don't even count him in at the census
I sent this
Razor-sharp tone of relentless
Sequences that leap fences
Leading all humankind to deep ventures
So I shift forward like a Sith Lord with a swift sword
Flipped and clipped his mic cord
Speechless, riddled with weakness, peep this
He tried to use the heat of his desire to beat Lif
Be my guest
Take a guess who left the set blessed
And who was left a mess ("Fight fire with fire")
And at P's request
I summoned the sun to burn a hole in his chest
@mrugod
El-P is a fucking wizard
@Madvillainy91
A Hip-Hop fucking Masterpiece
@Eagles4life221
Madvillainy91 This shit is just too good.
@DoYouLikeMyVest
This song is straight 🔥 One of the best hip hop records ever, underground & otherwise.
@anthonytruman
This song and album is one of the greatest ever created. Criminally underrated. Shout out to people who appreciate this masterpiece
@highhi11
"Hip hop is so whack, the beats are fightin' back."
This man can turn a goddamn phrase like few else can.
@1308SPAZZ
I still love this album! My homeys only listened to 3/6mafia when this came out I argued with them for years they get it now.
@KarlLind
This album is in the same stratosphere as it Takes a Nation of millions to hold us back and Paid in Full, truly timeless.
@sandansaiyan5675
Karl Lind Films any Definitive Jux albums are masterpieces
@theliquidsword
Greatest. Song. Ever.