There are at least two artists with this name:

1) The Artifacts were… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least two artists with this name:

1) The Artifacts were a throwback hip-hop duo from Newark, NJ. Their music reflected and emphasized three of the four elements of true hip-hop culture: MCing, DJing, and their specialty, graffiti writing or "bombing"; both Tame One and El Da Sensei are proficient at all three. With unique styles that play off each other well, Tame and El's graff-rap was well received by underground audiences and continued in the Jersey rap tradition of Redman and Lords of the Underground. The crew scored an underground classic with their debut single in 1994, "Wrong Side of The Tracks," serving notice to their graffiti bombing missions and their Jersey heritage. The debut album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, followed soon afterward. Tight, funky production provided the duo's B-boy stance the chance to take shape. Although it contained more of the same, the 1996 follow-up album, The Art of Facts, was not nearly as successful critically, getting lost amid the burgeoning kingpin gangster attitude of Jay-Z and Nas. The Artifacts were hard-nosed backpack hip-hoppers in the halcyon days of hip-hop's golden age revisited, before hip-hop's mainstream explosion and the elevating gangster hardcore style that led to the violent deaths of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. The duo split in 1997 and now release singles as solo artists.

2) The Artifacts are a New York-based indie pop trio, made up of Jon Wan (lead vocals, keys), Zoë Brecher (vocals, drums), and Leo Cancelmo (guitar). The band formed while studying together at Skidmore College. They released their self-titled debut album in May 2012.

This Way
The Artifacts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Tame One]
Hah! The former back of the classroom talk-trasher
Blastin off at ya without help from NASA, has ta
blow a nigga's chest up like asthma
with raptures and fresh ass raps from wack bastards
West district politickin like Gibson
Make a pick-up, and then escapes from New York like Snakeplitzkin
with trees tied to the thighs of down shorties clearing Customs

Ready to cuss and bust on any nigga fuckin with production
(This ain't my bag)
Back in the Bricks tricks and kids dig the music as we dooz it
(God damn yo!)
And lose it, when we play niggaz the new shit
(That's that shit!)
Cross this T, watch me dot your eye
Stay on your P's and Q's, niggaz I've mastered my high
And when the snake bites and hype blinds your eyesight
At last, the Artifacts, will bug and have the last laugh

We're comin through all studio sessions
Bringin 40 motherfuckers, pissin all over your conference tables

[El Da Sensai]
Like this right here
Rhyme style criminal, with the lyrical missile
Wack niggaz the issue bless, catchin wreck, to your chest
Rock even Budapest, who the best, on the spot
Blitzin niggaz wicked from the cornerback, slot for props
MC's pop, but run up close into my strategy
Task be, easily complete major catastrophe
I be the rhymin holocaust, with the sauce to toss
those who fakin jacks in rappin know they fallin off
Is it the way we lay the forte, display my caliber
Slayin my challengers, used to be a dancer, now a flow, balancer
Manufacture raptures, dip into my tricks
Pullin out treats, and singles comin by the hits
Shit done by Vic, units for the nine-six
MC El the Sen, with Da Way Like This

We kickin over your crossaints
Smackin your secretary up and kickin up that fuckin computer
We snatchin all the paper from fax machines
And we stoppin distribution on your next release, HUH?

[Tame One]
What makes you think that we can't start beef in a heartbeat
like car thiefs with snatchers
Givin rappers hot flashes for actions of our main access
Knockin out you half-rockin-my-jocks on your asses, like Cassius
but cautious, these dope rhymes'll leave you nauseous
(Still niggaz sleep but umm, we still got the)

[El Da Sensai]
Picture perfect workin, expert that hurts it
Anyone with the verse, that shit gets bursted
Exploit the time, simplify tracks, I rap
for brothers on the block and those who buy me off the rack
Attack foes who slip up off the earth
Jot down the plot as this MC, gets into that ass

The bass thickens, while crews face their whippin
Always on the low but, you'll never see me slippin

Overall Meaning

The Artifacts's song This Way is a perfect example of the rap genre with strong vocals and creative lyrics. The track starts with Tame One, who exclaims that he is not only a "talk-trasher" but also a "back of the classroom" rapper. He is proud of the fact that he does not need NASA's help to launch his attacks on weak rappers. He compares his verses to a severe asthma attack, with an ability to blow a rapper's chest up. Tame One also boasts of his political acumen, which is not unlike Gibson's West District politic.

In the second verse, El Da Sensai enters with his lyrics, which are equally powerful. He claims that his "rhyme style" is "criminal" and he is "lyrical missile" ready to take out weak rappers. He also proclaims himself as the "rhyming holocaust," with the power to destroy any rapper who dares to challenge him. El also highlights his ability to manufacture raptures and dip into his bag of tricks with ease.

The song ends with both rappers threatening to wreak havoc in a studio session and "kickin' over your croissants." The music video of the song also features an impressive display of graffiti art, which was a significant part of hip hop culture during the 90s.

Line by Line Meaning

The former back of the classroom talk-trasher
I used to be the one who talked trash in class and sat in the back.

Blastin off at ya without help from NASA, has ta
I'm coming at you hard and fast, no help needed.

blow a nigga's chest up like asthma
My rhymes are so powerful that they'll take your breath away.

with raptures and fresh ass raps from wack bastards
I'm bringing fresh rhymes and taking out wack rappers.

West district politickin like Gibson
I'm making moves in the West and playing politics like Mel Gibson in his movie 'The Patriot'.

Make a pick-up, and then escapes from New York like Snakeplitzkin
I make a move and then leave New York like the character Snake Plissken in the movie 'Escape from New York.'

with trees tied to the thighs of down shorties clearing Customs
I've got women helping me smuggle drugs across borders.

Ready to cuss and bust on any nigga fuckin with production
I'm ready to throw down with anyone messing with production.

Back in the Bricks tricks and kids dig the music as we dooz it
Back in the neighborhood, the fans love our music.

And lose it, when we play niggaz the new shit
The fans go crazy when we play them our new music.

Cross this T, watch me dot your eye
You better be careful or I'll knock you out.

Stay on your P’s and Q’s, niggaz I’ve mastered my high
You need to be on your best behavior because I'm in control.

And when the snake bites and hype blinds your eyesight
When you get caught up in hype, you'll regret it.

At last, the Artifacts, will bug and have the last laugh
We'll have the final say and come out on top.

Rhyme style criminal, with the lyrical missile
My rhymes are dangerous and powerful.

Wack niggaz the issue bless, catchin wreck, to your chest
I'm taking out wack rappers and causing destruction.

Rock even Budapest, who the best, on the spot
I can rock crowds all over the world, and I'm the best rapper around.

Blitzin niggaz wicked from the cornerback, slot for props
I'm taking out rappers with ease in football terms, and earning respect.

MC’s pop, but run up close into my strategy
Other MCs try to compete, but they don't stand a chance against my strategy.

Task be, easily complete major catastrophe
I can complete tasks and cause major destruction with ease.

I be the rhymin holocaust, with the sauce to toss
My rhymes are so powerful that they can cause destruction, and I have the skills to make it happen.

those who fakin jacks in rappin know they fallin off
Anyone who tries to copy me in their rapping will fail.

Is it the way we lay the forte, display my caliber
My style is so unique that it speaks to my skill level.

Slayin my challengers, used to be a dancer, now a flow, balancer
I'm taking out the competition, and I used to be a dancer, but now I can balance my flow perfectly.

Manufacture raptures, dip into my tricks
I create intense excitement with my rap, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Pullin out treats, and singles comin by the hits
I'm pulling out the best parts of my music and releasing them as singles.

Shit done by Vic, units for the nine-six
I'm making hits in the studio, and my music is selling well in 1996.

MC El the Sen, with Da Way Like This
I am El the Sensai, and this is how I roll.

What makes you think that we can't start beef in a heartbeat
Don't underestimate our ability to start conflict easily.

like car thiefs with snatchers
We're quick and skilled at taking things, like car thieves and snatchers.

Givin rappers hot flashes for actions of our main access
We're taking out rappers who try to compete with us.

Knockin out you half-rockin-my-jocks on your asses, like Cassius
We'll knock out anyone who tries to copy us, like Cassius Clay, aka Muhammad Ali.

but cautious, these dope rhymes'll leave you nauseous
I'm being careful, but my rhymes are so good that they might make you sick.

Picture perfect workin, expert that hurts it
I'm a perfectionist at work and can really hurt the competition.

Anyone with the verse, that shit gets bursted
Anyone who tries to compete with me in rhyming gets destroyed.

Exploit the time, simplify tracks, I rap
I use my time wisely and make simple music that people can enjoy.

for brothers on the block and those who buy me off the rack
My music is for people on the streets and those who buy it from stores.

Attack foes who slip up off the earth
I'll go after anyone who tries to mess with me.

Jot down the plot as this MC, gets into that ass
I'll take notes on my victories and destroy the competition.

The bass thickens, while crews face their whippin
The intensity of my music increases, and other crews start to feel the pressure.

Always on the low but, you'll never see me slippin
I'm always working behind the scenes, but I'll never make a mistake.

We’re comin through all studio sessions
We're taking over all studio sessions and making our music heard.

Bringin 40 motherfuckers, pissin all over your conference tables
We're bringing a big group of people to make a statement and cause chaos.

We kickin over your crossaints
We're causing disruption and ruining your day.

Smackin your secretary up and kickin up that fuckin computer
We're not afraid to get physical and take out anyone who tries to stop us.

We snatchin all the paper from fax machines
We're taking all the documents and ruining your business.

And we stoppin distribution on your next release, HUH?
We're stopping the distribution of your next album and hurting your business.

Lyrics © Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Rahem Ross Brown, William E Williams, DELROY FOSTER, VICTOR PADILLA, W Williams

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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