Learning from their cohort Lord Finesse, the two started an underground buzz by street promoting their demos then selling the tapes out of the trunks of their cars. The street sales helped them polish their debut single "Soul Clap" b/w "Party Groove," a cut that banged dance clubs and got love on Yo! MTV Raps for many a week, a self-titled EP was released in March of 1992. Their debut album, Runaway Slave, followed in the fall and is seen as an early-'90s hip-hop essential. The album brought a bouncing hardcore sound of crisp, jazzy horns, stiff drum kicks, and snapping snares that could get a party hopping but could also satisfy the non-dancing purist nodding his head in the back of the club. The album truly is a D.I.T.C. family affair and introduced such legendary names as the late Big L, Fat Joe, and Diamond D, whose classic debut solo album Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop dropped the same week in 1992.
The albatross of making unadulterated rap music is that it sometimes costs a crew acclaim, for Show and A.G. are some of rap's disturbingly underrated. The sequel to their raw, stripped sound came in 1995 with the under-appreciated Goodfellas and the two were major contributors to D.I.T.C.'s eponymous debut album in 2000.
Time For ...
Showbiz & A.G. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You promised to be honest
You said that you could solve this fear-fueled hate
The tension building higher
You said you’re not a liar
Each word another claim that you’re self-made
Yet it’s broken now
We’ve broken down
With a thought and a prayer
Still judging every color
Splitting children with their mothers
Refuse to see past the fear
Time's up on the bad stuff
The walls are getting higher
Are you a lover or a fighter?
I don't wanna wait another year
Time's up on the bad stuff
They tell me I am too young
To come up with a solution
I’m sick of the excuses that it can’t be done
I’m inheriting your bias
I’m breaking down the prejudice
I wanna build a future for everyone
Cos it’s broken now
I’m speaking out
I wanna stand up and fight back with more
Than just a thought and a prayer
Still judging every color
Splitting children with their mothers
Refuse to see past the fear
Time's up on the bad stuff
The walls are getting higher
Are you a lover or a fighter?
I don't wanna wait another year
Time's up on the bad stuff
Not made to discriminate
My mama taught me better
It’s a shame that we have to say
You should know better
Still judging every color
Splitting children with their mothers
Refuse to see past the fear
Time's up on the bad stuff
The walls are getting higher
Are you a lover or a fighter?
I don't wanna wait another year
Time's up on the bad stuff
The lyrics to Showbiz & A.G.'s song Time For reflect themes of honesty, intolerance, prejudice, and discrimination. The song opens with a call for honesty and an end to fear-fueled hate. The growing tension is acknowledged, as are the many claims of self-made success. However, despite these claims, it is clear that the situation is "broken" and "frozen" and the hope is for change through thought, prayer, and action.
The second verse shifts to a more personal perspective. The singer is tired of being told they are too young to come up with solutions or that change cannot be done. They see themselves as inheriting the biases of the older generation but aim to break down prejudice and build a future for everyone. The lyrics reflect a sense of urgency as the walls continue to get higher and the question is posed whether the listener is a lover or a fighter.
Overall, the lyrics of Time For call for an end to discrimination and intolerance, addressing these themes both on a societal and personal level.
Line by Line Meaning
As if it weren’t a problem
Dismissing a problem
You promised to be honest
Stating a promise of honesty
You said that you could solve this fear-fueled hate
Assumed the responsibility to end hatred caused by fear
The tension building higher
Sensing an increasing level of tension
You said you’re not a liar
Claimed to be truthful
Each word another claim that you’re self-made
Stating claims of being successful through one's efforts
Yet it’s broken now
Admitting failure to keep the promise
We’ve broken down
Acknowledging failure in general
Frozen and hopin that things will change
Overwhelmed and optimistic for improvement
With a thought and a prayer
Limited to just hopes and prayers
Still judging every color
Continuously biased towards different races
Splitting children with their mothers
Causing division among families
Refuse to see past the fear
Failing to recognize that fear is causing the anger
Time's up on the bad stuff
The period of acceptable misbehavior is over
The walls are getting higher
Obstacles are increasing
Are you a lover or a fighter?
Are you fighting for change or passive?
I don't wanna wait another year
No longer willing to be patient
They tell me I am too young
Being underestimated due to age
To come up with a solution
Belittling the capability to solve problems
I’m sick of the excuses that it can’t be done
Tired of false excuses for inability to make changes
I’m inheriting your bias
Inheriting predetermined prejudices
I’m breaking down the prejudice
Challenging and removing unjust prejudices
I wanna build a future for everyone
Determined to create an inclusive future
Cos it’s broken now
Realizing current situation is unsatisfactory
I’m speaking out
Using words to convey a message
I wanna stand up and fight back with more
Advocating for a forceful approach
Not made to discriminate
Not designed to favor or exclude specific groups
My mama taught me better
Values and lessons from mother
It’s a shame that we have to say
Regretful that such statement has to be made
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Emma Amiri-Ghaemmaghamy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind