Stay Cool
The Roots Lyrics

Bass for your face, highs for your eyes
The music is designed to hit listeners hard and visually stimulate them.

Don't blink, Black Ink has arrived, all rise
Don't miss out on the arrival of the Roots and show respect to them.

Rudebwoys keep dem thing at your side, be alright
Stay prepared and be okay in any situation.

Muh'fuckers Philly we up in here, we all live
The Roots are here in Philly and are fully alive.

I'm puffin this Cohiba mami coolin' her heels
The rapper is smoking a cigar and trying to calm a woman down.

All she ever seem to do is play it cool f'real
The woman always acts cool and collected.

She be pushin', pop vessel, and her shoes is ill
The woman is energetic and has nice shoes.

But her hand, keep slippin on the woodgrain wheel
The woman has trouble holding onto the steering wheel of the car due to its material.

But it's cool, we never slippin' when there's moves to make
They keep focused and don't lose their way when working towards goals.

Especially when what we talkin' ain't ya usual cake
They are talking about something different and special.

I pump bass for y'all bathin' apes, to get charged
The rapper creates music to energize his fans.

Nah, I'm not a dealer, I'm a poet at large
He is not selling drugs, but creates art with his words.

We in the wind with the roof back, lettin' the breeze hit us
They are driving with the roof down and enjoying the wind.

The bathrobe on with sweatpants and slippers
They are in comfortable attire while driving their car.

Comin' to pay a visit to whoever on the hit list
They are on their way to visit someone they need to confront.

Some of y'all been tryin' for years, you'll never get this fool
Some people have been trying for a long time, but will never achieve what they want.

Hip-Hop my main bitch, I got a few on the side
Hip-Hop is his main focus, but he has other interests as well.

The game stitched y'all I'm doin' my job
The music industry is corrupt and he is just trying to do his job as an artist.

Go up against enormous odds
He is fighting against difficult circumstances.

Wouldn't break a sweat, money make her bet
He doesn't stress out and he is good at making money.

Funny son you threat, well I ain't shakin' yet
People try to threaten him, but he is not afraid.

Twenty-fo'/sev' chillin', tougher than penicillin
He is always cool and collected, and very resilient.

From the block where the crooked cops killin' like a villain
He comes from a rough location where corrupt cops are committing crimes.

Children, in the hood gettin' rocked by they buildings
Children in the hood are negatively impacted by the living conditions around them.

And brothers, 'cross the board gettin' knocked by the millions
Many black men are unfairly targeted by the justice system and other societal issues.

The stress, got me ignitin' the potent marijuana leaf
To deal with the difficult environment, he smokes marijuana to feel more relaxed.

Tryin' to play it cooler than a polar bear colony
He is trying to act even cooler than the famously cool polar bears.

You feel the music know I'm over there probably
The music makes people feel a certain way and he is responsible for that feeling.

Pimpin on the same system that forever shorted me
He is using the same music industry that has screwed him over in the past to promote himself.

I got the soul of a young Sam Cooke when I spit
He has the spirit of Sam Cooke (a famous soul singer) when he raps.

It make you want to make a new dance up
His music is so good that it inspires people to create new dances to go along with it.

It's all to the good shorty 'gwan do that stuff
It's all good and people should enjoy the music and do their thing.

It's not another sound system rockin steady as us
Their sound system is better than anyone else's.

Yeah, when I'm crusin' in my vehicle, the chase harass me
When he's driving, the police might target him.

They never ride past me, they really comin' at me right
The police always come for him and don't just pass him by.

They want to know where the drugs guns and cash be
The police are looking for illegal drugs, weapons, and money.

Probably want to get me to run, so they can blast me
The police may want him to run away so they have an excuse to shoot him.

Just, blast me in your box, play my shit
Play his music on the radio instead of targeting him unfairly.

I know it's crowded at the top, cause I'm on the tip
Many people are at the top of the industry but he stands out above them.

And that's as high up at the top, as a brother could get
He has reached as high as he can in the industry as a black man.

And how I do it make a lot of muh'fuckers upset
The way he achieves success makes some people angry.

But it's fine, re-gizzlin' I'm back for mine
It's okay and he is back for what he deserves.

In case y'all gettin' tired of the same ol' shine
He is offering something new and different than what is currently popular.

And I'm calm, calculated and perfectly aligned
He is always composed, strategic, and focused.

The way I'm operatin' what is a surgery of rhyme
He is operating with precision and skill in his musical craft.

It's not a thang when I lower the gradient lens frames
He is casual and cool when he puts on his sunglasses.

I'm cooler than Clyde Stubblefield, drummer for James
He is just as cool (if not cooler) than the famous drummer Clyde Stubblefield who played for James Brown.

Hip-Hop is out of Hustleville, comin' for change
Hip-Hop culture is growing and is pushing for change.

I exercise 'til a muscle build, breakin' the chains
He is working hard and constantly striving for progress and freedom from oppression.