Released: May 24, 1994

Songwriter: Jeru The Damaja DJ Premier Afrika Baby Bam Mike Gee

Producer: DJ Premier Jeru The Damaja

[Verse 1]
It started on the sands of land of the mother
Word to mother, king like my father
My style survived slave ships, whips, and chains, hardships
Still through all this, the praise roll off my lips
Bring your guns, chains and tongue force your religion
On me cut my hair, the vibes still exist
To destroy the molesters of my heritage
But they conceal the drums reveal, my royal lineage
King of kings, God of Gods
Like my ancestors drums I beat the odds
More mics killed than slaves during the middle passages
Who rapes and ravages and calls us savage?
Jungle bunny, I'm not mo' funny, I'm mo' deadly
They know one day we'll learn how to use it
That's why they fear our jungle music

[Hook: Preemo on the cuts]
"In the J-U-N-G-L-E"

[Verse 2]
We went from pyramids to the ghetto
Still my sounds make devils tumble like the walls of Jericho
Chant my power to devour all the snakes and rats
Extrasensory perception to avoid all traps
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord
In the sanctuary of your caves, white kids press record
As my mystic music spread from sea to galaxy
It's inevitable, you can't stop me
Try and carbon copy, but it always comes out sloppy
You can't outrap me, you can't outrock me
Like the dreads on my head, you try and lock me
Down underground, but I bounce to the jungle
Melodies that flows like the breeze
Through the trees, like my forefathers
Command the wind and seas - with my jungle music

[Hook: Preemo on the cuts]
"In the J-U-N-G-L-E"

[Verse 3]
Unga bunga binga
Sound warrior, I'll take your head more than a rap singer
Enlightener, with the mitre
Make the forces of my nature smite ya
Over the airwaves, powers are released
Holy music destroy the savage beast
I'll beat the devil like a Nyahbinghi drummer
Beats his drum, this beat will drum through the summer
Try to hold us back with all the strength you can muster
You'll hear a sound similar to the one Custer
Heard before he got ambushed, you'll get ambushed
For taking this back to Kush
For too long you've abused it
On the low used it - and called it jungle music

[Hook: Preemo on the cuts]
"In the J-U-N-G-L-E"

Jeru The Damaja

Jeru the Damaja is an emcee from East New York, Brooklyn best known for his 1994 debut album, The Sun Rises in the East. He has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since he was in high school.

Discography

The Sun rises in the East (1994)