Get Busy
The Roots Lyrics

Look my squad's half mandrill half Mandela
My team is a mix of strong and free-willed individuals, part monkey and part great leader, just like Nelson Mandela.

My band bout seventy strong just like fela
My ensemble is a group of approximately seventy people, like the legendary Fela Kuti's band.

Yeah part Melly Mel part Van Halen
I have a bit of the streetwise rapper Melly Mel and the rock musician Van Halen in me.

And we represent illadel where they still rebellin'
We come from Philadelphia, where people still resist and fight against the system.

A yo sicko show like mike moore's
Our show is unbelievable, like Mike Moore's thought-provoking documentaries.

My city ain't nothing like your's
My city is unique and distinct from anywhere else you've been.

Slippin' into darkness like war! night-crawl
Our community is falling into a dangerous place, similar to the darkness of war and night.

With the lights off, you see a lot of life loss for the white horse
When everything is concealed, you see a lot of death and destruction that serves no purpose.

Regardless, the charges makin' us all targets
Despite the circumstances, we are all being accused and blamed by others.

All on the red carpet, guns from the black market
Our high-profile appearance attracts danger, and we're forced to acquire firearms from illegal sources.

Hey who got the politicians in they back pocket
Who bribed the politicians for their own gain?

Pimp slap pump that gimme that profit
Beat down and take the money from those who exploit others for personal gain.

When you make contact gimme that gossip
When you talk to someone, give me all the juicy details.

If you break contract you'll be that hostage
If you fail to fulfill the contract, you'll be held prisoner.

They getting busy in the city it's raw
People are struggling to survive and thrive in our city, and it's tough.

Better deadbolt the door it ain't safe no more
It's become unsafe in the city, so we need to lock our doors for safety purposes.

Approach with caution be cautious when talking to bosses
Be very careful when speaking to people in power, as they hold all the cards.

I feel I've been through a metamorphosis
I've changed a lot and grown as a person.

I'm mutated by unknown forces
I'm constantly changing due to various unknown circumstances and influences.

The feelin' of course is something thats hard to describe I'm half dead never felt more alive
It's a complicated feeling that I can't easily explain, but I feel both alive and half-dead.

Reborn removed the gold coins from my eyes
I feel like I've been reborn, and I no longer have blinders on that block my vision.

I've been down but now I'm back up
I've struggled in the past, but I've made a comeback.

Bout to act up boy you better back up
I'm about to get wild and rambunctious, so people should stay out of my way.

When you see me set up shop know to pack up
If you see me deciding to do something, it's best for you to leave because I'm about to take over.

I crack up when a rapper gets slapped up
It's amusing to me when a rapper gets beaten up.

Number one reason yall should give rap up
The best reason why people should stop doing rap music is because they're not good at it.

Dice it's mine, I got it all wrapped up
I'm the best rapper around, and I have everything under control.

I'm kinda W.E.B. Dubois meets Heavy D and the boys smooth as a Rolls Royce
I'm a mix of intellect and brawn, like W.E.B. Dubois and Heavy D, and I'm effortlessly stylish.

Built like a tank smoking on dank
I'm tough and indestructible, and I'm also currently smoking marijuana.

I'm walking through the Guggenheim Raw Life Black Ink
I'm up-and-coming in the art world, with a life that is real and raw, like black ink.

Now on your mark get set
We're about to start something big.

Go cop everything you ever heard by P.Crack Dice Raw and Black
Get everything that you can by these amazing musicians.

Fuck the internet buy a baseball bat break a bootlegger
Don't use the internet to pirate music, instead, use a baseball bat to beat up those who do.

Leg all I listen to is vets, your fresh of the step
All I listen to is old-school rap veterans, and you're a newcomer.

I come directly at your OG neck
I'm very direct with the original gangster that I encounter.

I'm used to the one two check not the one two step
I'm used to checking someone's moves in a fight, not following their rhythm in a dance.

Um strapped I'll leave every cat among you wet
I'm carrying weapons, and I won't hesitate to shoot anyone who opposes me.

Now lets go! you know I'm politically incorrect
Let's get started! You know that I say things that are not politically correct.

At the show I start it with a can I get a ho and the hoes go retarded
When I perform at a concert, I kick things off by getting everyone hyped up.

The popo tape off the stage for caution, its badlands north philly get it in!
The police tape off the concert stage for safety because we're in the dangerous area of North Philadelphia.

Its crack man, used to backspin now I spend stacks in sack's and
It's amazing, back in the day I was a breakdancer, but now I'm making a lot of money and spending it in Saks Fifth Avenue.

Uncle Sam tryin' to tax all my hard earned raps damn!
The government is trying to take a big chunk of my hard-earned money from my music career.

We makin' yin, pesos, euros, we representin'
We're making money from all over the world, representing our craft and getting paid.