Released: November 7, 1995

Songwriter: KRS-One

Producer: KRS-One

[Hook]
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you see a devil down
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you take the devil's crown
Ah yeah, stay alive all things will change around
Ah yeah, what, ah yeah

[Verse 1]
So here I go kickin' science in ninety-five
I be illin', parental discretion is advised still
Don't call me nigga, this MC goes for his
Call me God, cause that's what the black man is
Roamin' through the forest as the hardest lyrical artist
Black women you are not a bitch you're a Goddess
Let it be known, you can lean on KRS-One
Like a wall cause I'm hard, I represent God
Wack MC's have one style: gun buck
But when you say, "Let's buck for revolution"
They shut the fuck up, can't get with it
Down to start a riot in a minute
You'll hear so many Bowe-Bowe-Bowe, you think I'm Riddick
While other MC's are talkin' bout up with hope down with dope
I'll have a devil in my infrared scope, WOY
That's for calling my father a boy and, "klak, klak, klak"
That's for putting scars on my mother's back, BO
That's for calling my sister a ho, and for you
"Buck, buck, buck", cause I don't give a motherfuck
Remember the whip, remember the chant
Remember the rope and
You black people still thinkin' about voting
Every President we ever had lied
You know, I'm kinda glad Nixon died

[Hook]
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you see a devil down
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you take the devil's crown
Ah yeah, stay alive all things will change around
Ah yeah, what, ah yeah

[Verse 2]
This is not the first time I came to the planet
But every time I come, only a few could understand it
I came as Isis, my words they tried to ban it
I came as Moses, they couldn't follow my Commandments
I came as Solomon, to a people that was lost
I came as Jesus, but they nailed me to a cross
I came as Harriet Tubman, I put the truth to Sojourner
Other times, I had to come as Nat Turner
They tried to burn me, lynch me and starve me
So I had to come back as Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley
They tried to harm me, I used to be Malcolm X
Now I'm on the planet as the one called KRS
Kickin' the metaphysical, spiritual, tryin' to like
Get with you, showin' you, you are invincible
The Black Panther is the black answer for real
In my spiritual form, I turn into Bobby Seale
On the wheels of steel, my spirit flies away
And enters into Kwame Ture

[Hook]
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you see a devil down
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you take the devil's crown
Ah yeah, stay alive all things will change around
Ah yeah, what, ah yeah

[Verse 3]
In the streets there is no EQ, no di-do-di-do-di-do
So I grab the air and speak through the code
The devil cannot see through as I unload
Into another cerebellum
Then I can tell em, because my vibes go through denim
And leather whatever, however, I'm still rockin'
We used to pick cotton, now we pick up cotton when we shoppin'
Have you forgotten why we buildin' in a cypher
Yo hear me kid, government is building in a pyramid
The son of God is brighter than the son of man
The spirit is, check your dollar bill G, here it is
We got no time for fancy mathematics
Your mental frequency frequently pickin' up static
Makin' you a naked body, addict and it's democratic
They press auto, and you kill it with an automatic

[Hook]
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you see a devil down
Ah yeah, that's whatcha say when you take the devil's crown
Ah yeah, stay alive all things will change around
Ah yeah, what, ah yeah

KRS-One

The legendary MC from the South Bronx, New York, Lawrence “KRS-One” Parker has been steadily rapping since 1985. His name stands for “Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone”.

KRS came to rapping only by chance. In the Something from The Art of Rap documentary, he recalls watching an MC cypher when suddenly “a dude” randomly picked him out of the crowd and made fun of him. Feeling compelled to defend himself, KRS performed a little freestyle which impressed the crowd and eventually kicked off his rapping career.

His breakthrough onto the hip hop scene began with “The Bridge Is Over” – an answer record to the popular Queens rapper MC Shan’s song “Queensbridge”. From 1986 to 1992, KRS-One fronted the groundbreaking hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, scoring six top 20 hits on the US Rap Chart. In 1993, he began a solo career spanning three decades, racking up six more top 20 Rap Chart hits with “Sound of da Police”, “MCs Act Like They Don’t Know”, “Step Into A World” and “Men Of Steel” also achieving mainstream pop success on the Hot 100.