The Perfect Beat
Talib Kweli KRS One Lyrics

Ho! (HEY DJ!)
Attention! (Hey DJ!)

What? yeah, yeah, yeah yeah (I know you're gonna dig this)
What? Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah (I know you're going to enjoy this)

KRS, ohh! (Talib Kweli)
KRS, ohh! (Talib Kweli)

Talib this is crazy, yo this is crazy
Talib, this situation is incredible, yo this is amazing

Ha, what'chu doin? (bow, bow, bow, bow bow, bow)
Ha, what are you doing? (Celebratory sounds)

Throw your hands up (brrt), c'mon (brrt)
Raise your hands (sound effect), come on (sound effect)

BK to BX and every place in between, it's all 7-18 like (ha)
From Brooklyn to the Bronx and all the areas in between, it's the same vibe everywhere

Grand Concourse, whassup
Greetings from the Grand Concourse

We got beats to the rhyme and the rhyme is so fresh yo
We have incredible beats and our lyrics are innovative and exciting

So what'chu got? 9's and TECs, you're no threat
So what do you have? Guns and weapons, but you're not a real danger

It's the beat, how you get your cake don't matter
The most important thing is the beat, it doesn't matter how you make money

It takes heart the lyrics been replaced with the swagger
What matters is the passion, the lyrics have been replaced with confidence

I stay sharp enough to slash your face like a dagger
I stay focused and skilled enough to cause damage

The actors been replaced with the rappers
The fake personas have been replaced with genuine artists

The rappers been replaced with the actors, see how they try to stay on the beat
The genuine rappers have been replaced with fake performers who try to mimic the authentic sound

The pig route when he's walking down the street to the beat
The police take a certain route when they patrol while the beat plays in the background

WOOP! Sound of da police
WOOP! Sound of the police

What is the life of a true hip-hopper, the beats
What is the essence of a real hip-hop artist? It's all about the beats

Peace love unity livin' proper with the beats
Finding peace, love, and unity while living right with the beats

In any endeavor whatever we will prosper with our beats
No matter what we do, we will succeed with our beats

Some cats are real, other are impostors with beats
Some artists are genuine, others are just pretending with their beats

We the realest, livest
We are the most genuine, energetic

The rawest, crack cocaine heroin survivors with beats
We are the most authentic, overcoming the struggles associated with drugs, with our beats

We avoided the cops, we focused on beefs
We stayed away from trouble with the police and focused on artistic rivalries

Spittin', all we saw was stacks of rhymes written, elite
We were constantly writing and spitting rhymes, reaching the highest level of skill

Way too smart for the system of course
We are highly intelligent, surpassing the limitations of the system

We know a smart, free, black man just pisses 'em off
We understand that an intelligent, liberated black man angers the powers that be

What they like is when we glisten and gloss
What they enjoy is when we flaunt our wealth and success

Flashin' millions but still takin' a loss
Even though we may seem rich, we are still facing setbacks and financial losses

Bump the beat (yeah), all in the street (yeah)
Play the beat loudly (yeah), causing a commotion in the street (yeah)

Talib yo, I think it's 'bout time to speak
Talib, it's time for you to speak up

Word, watch me take it there, life ain't a crystal stair
Listen, watch me go deep, life is not always easy

Hell yeah it's crystal clear when Kweli and Kris is here (where?)
Yes, it's absolutely clear when Kweli and Kris are present (where are they?)

Searching for the perfect beat I went to East Dayt'
I went to East Dayt' in search of the perfect beat

It's crazy and fugazi how they slaves to they release date
It's absurd and fake how artists become slaves to their release dates

They try to look away, they're scared to look inside
They try to ignore their true selves, afraid to confront their inner feelings

Askin' why like a guy who look for God up in the sky (that's right)
Questioning why, like a man who searches for God in the sky (that's right)

Searchin' high and low, behind the do', inside the drawer
Searching everywhere, behind the door, inside the drawer

Little did he know that the beat was tryin' to find a flow
He didn't realize that the beat was searching for the perfect rhythm

Stuck in limbo, how low can you go?
Trapped in a state of uncertainty, how much lower can you sink?

A punched hole through your stomach lining like Tylenol
Causing great pain, like a hole punched through your stomach lining

Build all kind of rolled, metaphors and similes
Constructing various complex metaphors and similes

That'll have you doubtin' my competitor's abilities
Making you question the skills of other artists compared to mine

My whole body is a spiritual facility
My entire being is a place of spiritual connection

Where I confess after a lyrical killing spree (c'mon)
Where I confess my thoughts after a intense display of lyrical skill (come on)

The illest delivery (yeah), later for the talk we need action
The most impressive delivery (yeah), we need action instead of mere words

Silence is golden but the violence is platinum
Silence is valuable, but violence is highly regarded

When you rappin' to the beat
When you're rapping to the beat

Boom, bap, who's, that?
Boom, bap, who is that?

KRS-One bring the beat back
KRS-One, bring the beat back

The perfect beat we seek that, knowledge of mind we speak that
We are searching for the perfect beat, speaking knowledge from our minds

We don't speak weak crap over weak tracks
We don't rap weak nonsense over low-quality beats

Move that, we speak boom bap live in the club
Move that, we perform live with boom bap beats in the club

We can show and prove that (yeah yo)
We can demonstrate and confirm that (yeah yo)

It ain't old school or new school it's true school rap
It's not about old school or new school, it's about authentic, real rap

Beat you 'til you're blue and black, true dat, it's
We will defeat you until you're bruised and battered, it's true that

Let's do it again, work the street
Let's do it again, dominate the streets

Movin' again, insert the heat
Moving again, bringing the fire

Lookin' again for the perfect beat
Searching again for the ideal beat

Don't look in the book to learn to eat
Don't rely on traditional methods to learn how to survive

Write up a hook, learn to speak
Craft catchy hooks, learn how to communicate effectively

Never be shook, follow the heat
Never be afraid, follow the energy and passion

Forever they look weak, T.K. you must speak (yeah)
They will always appear weak, T.K. you must use your voice (yeah)

Teachin' 'em how to eat to live
Educating them on how to survive

They cheap and their pimp is pleadin' the fifth
They are cheap and their controller refuses to testify

Bleedin' as if they goin' to war
Bleeding as if they are preparing for a battle

Everytime they leavin' the crib
Every time they leave their homes

Sneakers and whips, police be peepin' the strip
Sneakers and luxury cars, the police are watching the neighborhood

You see 'em walkin' the beat
You see them patrolling the area

Hoes believin' the pimps who eatin' the shrimps
Prostitutes believing the pimps who enjoy luxurious meals

So John's walkin' the street
So, individuals are walking the streets

Lookin' for a sweet face, in each case
Searching for a beautiful person in every instance

Tryin' to get they heartbeat racin', and the dark meat be tastin'
Trying to make their hearts race and enjoy the thrill of romantic encounters

So delicious, my description so good to the beat
So pleasurable, my description is perfectly in sync with the beat

It's lifted right from the sounds that you hear in the hood when you sleep
It's inspired by the sounds you hear in the neighborhood while you're sleeping

Bring the beat back
Bring the beat back

All that whackness, we don't need that
We don't need all that inferiority

You gotta bring the beat back
You have to bring the beat back

All that whack garbage, we don't need that
We don't need all that terrible music

Bring the beat back, all that weakness we don't need that
Bring the beat back, we don't need all that mediocrity

Selector bring the beat back (bring it back), bring the beat back
DJ, bring the beat back (bring it back), bring the beat back

Selector, listen
DJ, pay attention

Yeah
Yes

DJ Rhettmatic
DJ Rhettmatic

Talib Kweli, Hip-Hop
Talib Kweli, Hip-Hop