Released: October 19, 1999

Songwriter: Beanie Sigel Black Thought Malik B Dice Raw Scott Storch Kamal Gray Rahzel Chaos Leonard “Hub” Hubbard Scratch ?uestlove

[Chorus: Black Thought]
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain, yo, Adrenaline
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain, yo, Adrenaline

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Yo I'm in the eye of the storm, where the pressure's on
And MC's is dressed funny like a leprechaun
I chop rappers up like chicken szechuan
Sells a squads off like a slave auction
Aiyyo my zodiac sign read caution
On stage, I make your seed to an or-phan
Yo, my age an algebraic equation
Niggas want some? I hit 'em wit' a portion
Son, The Fifth foursome, armed at the door son
M-illi-tilla, Dice Raw, quick draw son
You don't want no more son? That's when more come
And drag a nigga Erie Avenue to Oregon, you're all done
Ladies and gentlemen, select the weapon at the
Gate upon entering, The Roots instrumentaling
Spark shit, them niggas try to talk shit
We hit 'em like the L at 60th and Market
South Philly clip a hole into a nigga pocket
Take sneaks, chains and rings and bracelets
Split back this like we the therapist
Adrenaline, Fifth mic terrorist, once again

[Chorus: Black Thought]
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain, yo, Adrenaline
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain, yo, Adrenaline


[Verse 2: Malik B]
Zigga zigga zigga tryin to get a grip but still slip, so lift me up
Ever since I was a pup I was designed to erupt
You get to know me, you poke me slowly, when caught puzzin'
Some niggas thought they was, when of course they wasn't
Punked em wit' a dozen of pellets all in they skelet
Transform, from the norm, start to brainstorm
Yeah Malik B from The Roots, he ain't gone
I took the wrong exit, the sign said Langhorne
I'm trapped up in about five worlds with live pearls
Shouts to Armour Akquan whose name is Jalil
The moat is deep water so let your hand expand it
Demanding, takin' you back like Knots Landing
I'm Ralph Kramden, we out, you'll see in Hampton
Yo what the what the what the, what the what the what the
Pivot on this concrete earth until I rot
Didn't figure how to conquer it yet but still I plot, once again

[Chorus: Black Thought]
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain, yo, Adrenaline

[Verse 3: Dice Raw]
Beans passed the Mac and we held 'em, like hostages
Rappers see me, hide they face like ostriches
Dice'll grind your brain into little sausages
Underwater rap, you know who the bosses is
North Philly baby, that's where that Raw shit is
You'll get blown out the sky once shit get talkative
A-D devise rise, I fathered it
So when you see me on the street, don't bother kid
Just be on your merry way, or you might get slit
Ask around, wondering what Dice Raw did
Lay you on floors like ya getting carpeted
You need a special kind of mic for retarded kids
Me against you's like Kane verse the Partridges
You wanna battle, change your name to The Forfeiters
Cuz that's what you do, face to face wit' raw niggas
I give you a bad case of the fucked-up jitters, once again

[Chorus: Black Thought]
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain, yo, Adrenaline

[Verse 4: Beanie Sigel]
They used to talk shit, but I'ma quiet them
Kick in the door wit my boys stick to rioting
First nigga that flinch, I'mma fire 'em
Tape em up, grip his hands, and plier them
Know the bricks is in here, where you hiding them?
Don't die in the shit that you lying in
I used to get fronted bricks, now I'm buying 'em
Used to cop off my man, now I'm supplying him
Paid the front row seat watching Iverson
First class air crafts what I'm flying in
To L.A., Shaq, Eddie, Kobe Bryant and them
Save the jokes for Chris Tucker, Richard Pryor and them
Used to shotgun in cars, now I'm driving them
Used to hustle 'round bars, y'all was robbing them
Ran up in y'all spot wit' Rob and them
Grew up, two-four, wit' Pie and them
But do my dirt, 21st, wit' Kyle and them
Nigga Pop, nigga Buzz, little Mark and them
Brother news, nigga schooled Marley Park and them
Nigga jump, pull a pump, low sparking them
I know shit right now getting dark to them
Tore they body all up, ain't no chalking them
Too sharp for them, move out in the dark on them
These Illadel foul streets what I'm stomping in once again

[Chorus: Black Thought]
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Yo, Adrenaline
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Yo, Adrenaline
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain ladies and gentlemen
Once again 'gain, once again 'gain
Once again 'gain 'gain, yo, Adrenaline

The Roots

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.