Released: November 16, 1993

Featuring: Treach Heavy D KRS-One

Songwriter: Queen Latifah KRS-One Heavy D Treach Tony Dofat

Producer: Tony Dofat

[Intro]
This one goes out to all the rough and rugged muthafuckas out there
Strictly on the Latifah tip


[Verse 1: Treach]
The quicker committee gettin witty for many cause the war ain't won
This the city where I'm From, I'll glue ya titties to ya tongue
It's on like this with The Black Bleep the blip
Smokin' Shit with mad misfits
The 1 man, 1 mold, Murder 1
Murder gold, 1 hard headache to hold
Word to god It's good as Gold
If it Ain't rough, it ain't ashy & brick thick
And If It ain't nasty, Naughty's pissin on your picnic
Rough is the place, the space, knuckle which way you think
Here to put a fat black nose back on the Black Sphnix
I don't shoot to get pimples order your Christmas
I shot St. Nick
There's stuff for the kids I ain't get
No One under 17 Admitted, so I Came 18 deep
You can raid but you can't fade me
If It ain't rough, it ain't rugged
And if you can't hear it, you can't dub it COME ON

[Hook]
If It ain't rough, I could do without it
If It ain't rough, Just throw it to the curb
If It ain't rough, He could do without it
If It ain't rough, It's working my nerves
If It ain't rough, I could do without it
If It ain't rough, Just throw it to the curb
If It ain't rough, He could do without it
If It ain't rough, It's working my nerves

[Bridge: Heavy D]
Tell me how you like it - Rough
Tell me how you need it - Rough
Tell me how you keep it - Rough
Tell me how you want it - Rough

[Verse 2: Heavy D]
Tuck away your entire stuff, I'm comin' tough
Rugged and rough, from a blunt, take a puff UHHH
Never joke with a tech nine hotter than a sex line
Next time, flex when it's my time
I'll take a chump or a champ, a clamp or a zamp, so now the rolly polly holly molly
I'm magnificent
Skip to my lou, gather up your crew
Let the heavysetters show you what a nigga could really do today
We all know about body bags, but seems everybody brags about being tough, catch a body tag
Knowin' well, they just cream puffs
Talkin' tough cause they've seen stuff, It's a bluff
They ain't tough they ain't nothin'

[Hook]
If It ain't rough, I could do without it
If It ain't rough, Just kick it to the curb
If It ain't rough, He could do without it
If It ain't rough, It's working my nerves
If It ain't rough, now I could do without it
If It ain't rough, So kick it to the curb
If It ain't rough, He could do without it
If It ain't rough, you know it's working my nerves

[Verse 3: KRS-One]
Follow me massive! Follow me massive! Follow me crew! follow me crew!
KRS-One in the party just a gwan and wanna
Here we go, Yo, You Know the flow, I get high & Low
You Know, Why you wanna flow with the pro, Oh, no no no no no no no
Breakin' rappers in half by the ass is my only task
Gold & Platinum Plaques will pass, only talent will last
I come to the party prepared to kick Ass
You come to the party well prepared to get scared
You're through and need stitching up, You and your crew start bitching up
Where you gonna live around where I'm not stompin' It? I really believe you're a wee bit ova confident
On MTV, You wanna down rate me quick, yeah I'm a hypocrite
When you in my face, you on my dick
Consequently your lyrics don't fit, get a grip
You Straight on some sucka shit

[Hook]
If It ain't rough, I could do without it
If It ain't rough, Just throw it to the curb
If It ain't rough, you know he could do without it
If It ain't rough, It's working my nerves
If It ain't rough, I could do without it
If It ain't rough, So kick it to the curb
If It ain't rough, you know he could do without it
If It ain't rough, It's working my nerves

[Verse 4: Queen Latifah]
Here comes the queen, I'll make a woman on the track get attracted like a fiend to the beat so I rap
You're looking for a friend to the end, good, that me
But if you're looking for a Gangsta bitch
That's exactly what you're gonna see
Ain't no way, ain't no say, this ain't your lucky day
So go pray, Now you pay cause I don't fuckin' play
Matter fact, I think Ice-T, he put it just right
"You diss me on record? You see me? Fight!"
Just throw up the joints and get to the point
And cut all the talk, the BS can walk
Cause I ain't here to waste my breath
You test my skills, you gettin' put to ya death
I'm sick of all the huff, puff, blow your house down bull-
Shit I heard last week
You get ya ass beat
So watch the way you approach the Queen
If it ain't rough I'll send that ass to the guillotines

[Hook]
If It ain't rough, I could do without it
If It ain't rough, so kick it to the curb
If It ain't rough, hip hop could do without it
If It ain't rough, It's working my nerves
If It ain't rough, I could do without it
If It ain't rough, just kick it to the curb
If It ain't rough, Latifah could do without it
If It ain't rough, It's working my nerves

Queen Latifah

Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, actress, model, television producer, record producer and talk show hostess. She has long been considered one of hip-hop’s pioneer feminists. Her work in music, film, and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination.

Together with Roxanne Shanté and Sparky-D, she’s one of Hip-hop’s first successful ladies.