The Roots

Released: January 17, 1995

Featuring: ELO the Cosmic Eye

Songwriter: ?uestlove Leonard “Hub” Hubbard Scott Storch ELO the Cosmic Eye Malik B Black Thought

Producer: Richard Nichols AJ Shine Grand Wizzards

[Hook x2]
Do you wanna know... what goes on?
Do you wanna know... what goes on?
(Tell me, baby!)

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Yo, niggas cannot see me, cannot be me or
Capture the metaphoric phrase blasted off stage when I tour
I am but a messenger born to blow up
My niggas knew it all the time
Lyrically, I was a dime at the age of nine, shorty Black could rhyme
On the mic, I never wasted time, I'm the exquisite wizard
When I visit shorties, I hit it, I'm cool as a blizzard, nigga, whut?!
If you want, I'll bust your fronts with the butt of my black
Paper chase ya and then erase ya rhyme
Sucker MC's, how I hate the way you waste your time
My state of mind shine like it's diamond studded
I rhyme blunted on stage
Word is bond, when I'm on, I rage
Got the 12 gauge at the rest, so play and into rest you lay
My everyday M.O. is gettin' dough 'cause times is rougher
Than a mother for brothers to scuffle, shuffle your cards, kid
'Cause the odds is, niggas'll hustle and live foul
This wild environment hostile produce the music in me
So, my style's the blend of what is and was
You could get a buzz from it
But enter too deep and reach a summit, you fall and then plummet
Beyond real, where you're killed if your raps ain't ill
Another crab motherfucker, 'nother cap to peel
Through these amps, I motivate camps to dance
Niggas too advanced, I warn, I'm just tellin' you what goes on

[Hook x2]

[Verse 2: ELO the Cosmic Eye]
Inside my head, you wish to see
The signs appear, the shit's not clear
What if I flipped, would you know how to maintain your edge?
I'm takin' heads because, there's no fuckin' ledge
I pledge allegiance to my cosmic guide
I couldn't fit in three dimensions if I tried
Civilizations I can delete, so crews don't bother me
Battle with Jehovah, gainin' universal sovereignty
Niggas run around like clones, I got planets and thrones
Throughout the galaxy, my name's well known
I'm all alone in my zone, you wouldn't understand
Stare in my face, fuck around and catch a sun tan

[Verse 3: Malik B]
Here on this agenda, there is no pretenders
So, when we begin to assassinate your cast members
They shall hinder, wavin' white flags, "Man, we surrender"
Those half-assed negroes know they're no contenders
In syringes, I can shoot up lyrical vengeance
And my grammar might do a mandatory life in slammers
You should regret it, thinkin' about steppin' to me
Niggas forget it - you'll get gassed with lyrics leaded
Most energetic, I never snag, I'm tightly threaded
I flip scripts like pattern twistness in calisthenics
Black Thought, ELO and me - a trio
Talent is strong, word is bond
I'm just tellin' you what goes on

[Hook x4]

The world’s premiere hip-hop band, The Roots were formed in Philadelphia in 1987 by MC Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and drummer and bandleader Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Since those early days, the band has weathered changes in personnel and record labels while performing hundreds of shows a year and releasing a string of well-regarded (if not always top-selling) albums.

While the musicianship of Thompson and the other band members, as well as their seemingly limitless repertoire, gets most of the attention, real hip-hop fans know that the rapping skills of Black Thought (along with former group member Malik B.) are the group’s hidden weapon. Thought, one of the few MCs brave enough to go toe to toe with Big Pun, handles any groove the band throws at him with aplomb, style, and flash.

Today, The Roots are seen by millions every night as the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a move that has given the group the chance to indulge its not-insignificant comic side.

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