Released: January 31, 2020

Featuring: Method Man & Redman

Songwriter: Redman Method Man Guru DJ Premier

Producer: DJ Premier

[Intro: Redman and Edo.G]
Um (oh!)
This is a PSA announcement
DJ Premier is on the ones and motherfuckin' twos
I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-
I hate tellin' good people bad news
Yo, listen up all my children (oh!)
Yo, Gang Starr's in the building (oh!)
Yo, Red & Meth in the building (oh!)
I hate tellin' good people bad news (Let's get 'em!)

[Chorus: Guru]
Word to God, if Big and 'Pac were still here
Some of these weirdos wouldn't act so cavalier
We all know that the game has changed
It's crazy out here and rap's got a bad name (get 'em)
Think about it, what if bling never happened
And the true artists were gettin' rich from rappin'?
Word to God, somethin' should give (oh!)
Let's delete the politics so real hip-hop can live

[Verse 1: Guru]
Beef is what's up now, careers are gettin' shut down
The media wants something meaty, people are fuckin' greedy
Music and culture is like a foreign language
You'd be better off stagin' a fake beef in Spanglish
Compadre (oh!), can you handle the whole weight?
¡Ay, Dios mío!, watch 'em swallow your whole plate
You used to support your fam off of this
Now you can't even buy SPAM off of this
And I don't deal with swine, I ain't Dr. Phil
I'll truly help you heal your mind
Nowadays it's like everybody's losin' it
Instead of them preservin' this gift, they're all abusin' it
It's mad drama, they want us reachin' for the llamas
Causin' hysteria, the new hip-hop criteria
And they forgot about the blood, sweat and tears
Now we see the results of all the blunts, chicks and beers

[Chorus: Guru]
Word to God, if Big and 'Pac were still here
Some of these weirdos wouldn't act so cavalier (let's go)
We all know that the game has changed
It's crazy out here and rap's got a bad name (get 'em)
Think about it, what if bling never happened
And the true artists were gettin' rich from rappin'?
Word to God, somethin' should give (oh!)
Let's delete the politics so real hip-hop can live

[Bridge: Edo.G]
I-I-I-I-I-I
I hate tellin' good people bad news
Remix
I-I-I-I-hate
I-hate-tellin'-good-pe-pe-peop-people bad news (funk that, nigga!)

[Verse 2: Redman]
What you know about hip-hop?
Steppin' on stage, controllin' a crowd with no lipsyncin'
Me? I got flows, punchlines like Tyson, the non-believers?
I'ma Mitch Green 'em
90s era, I look back: everybody had the pen right and cook crack
Nowadays, when I hear bars, I watch URL
If Big L was here, you wouldn't act so cavalier (where you at, nigga?)
Little niggas beef on the internet
Big boys beef when the bread incorrect (yes sir)
Overall, most of these niggas only beef with Mom
When they bring extra dinner guests (yo nigga!)
What happened to the street code? (street code)
Media gave niggas a cheat code
Respect first, beast mode (grr)
Behind these bars, I'ma get charged with the RICO
'Cause everything raw, don't read Robb Reports
Niggas report to me who got robbed (woo)
And Brick City is the hood I'm from
Gotta teach dem youth or they kill you, son

[Verse 3: Method Man]
Word to God, if Guru were still here
A lot of you weirdos wouldn't have a real career
Just wannabe gangsters, but you wouldn't have Premier
Back in my day, these wanksters, they wouldn't last a year
Did it my way, I'm high like I'm Smokey on a Friday
It ain't about this money or the smoke? Me no hable
Tu sabe, game done gone ape, too Harambe
I flipped when I found out that whole group was Sade (what?)
Too many MCs and not enough rhymeplay
I used to love her, now they treat her like a side bae
But she still F with me the long way, my long drawers come off
She gonna have a long day
Now keep the children outta harm's way
Sunday Service, take another sniff of Kan's yay
The right message but you took it all the wrong way
Get in your feelings every time you hear the song say

[Outro: Guru & Edo.G]
Word to God, if Big and Pac were still here
I-I hate tellin' good people

Gang Starr

Gang Starr is the formidable hip-hop duo of MC Guru and producer DJ Premier.

The group was originally founded by two childhood friends, Big Shug and Guru, in Atlanta; coming up with the logo design and name of the group. Big Shug and Guru got separated when Shug got imprisoned and Guru moved to New York where he met Dj Premier.

While DJ Premier is from Texas and the monotone Guru is from Boston, they came together in Brooklyn, New York, and helped define the sound of East Coast hip-hop in the 1990s with their jazzy production on singles such as “Words I Manifest” and “Jazz Thing,” as well as their harder boom bap singles like “Just to Get a Rep” and “Take it Personal.”