Released: November 14, 1989

Featuring: MF DOOM Reggie Ossé

Songwriter: Prince Paul Reggie Ossé Prime Minister Pete Nice Don Newkirk MC Serch MF DOOM

Producer: Prime Minister Pete Nice MC Serch Prince Paul

[MC Serch]
Ayo, man, my labelmate, Don Newkirk
Man, step to 'em

[Don Newkirk]
Thanks, Serch!
And now... for the Prime Minister...
Sinister... Pete... N-hi-hi-hi-hi-hi-hice!
Nice, Nice, Nice

[MC Serch]
Kick 'em in the grill, Pete!

[Verse 1: Pete Nice]
Gas—past tense, made facially
3rd Bass'll express, KMD
Three blind mice on sight
Zev Lover, gave it the first light
A grin shows a trick up a sleeve (HUAHAH)
What a tangled web they weave
Deceivers, stupefied through fable
Say Let's Make a Deal at the dinner table
Put you on tour, put your record on wax ("Trust me!")
Sign your life on the X
You exit, x-off, but what you really get:
A box of Newports, and Puma sweats ("Damn!")
Tex feeds and frowns upon Emis
To give up Gas Face he drinks from a Thermos
Sub Roc cut at you with a clipper
Gas Face given, I beg to differ

[MC Serch]
Pete that was real def, man, but I gotta get serious now
Ayo, Don, step to 'em again

[Don Newkirk]
Everybody... MC Serch!

[Verse 2: MC Serch]
Black cat is bad luck, bad guys wear black
Musta been a white guy who started all that
(Make the Gas Face!) For those little white lies
My expression to the mountainous blue eyes
Then form a face, and shake my skull cap
Dismiss the myth, that evil is not black
But opposite spectrum, this done by red man
With horns on his head, laid down the ill plan
Got all his helpers, said, "Make it snappy!
Tell all the people that their hair can't be nappy!"
Blonde and blue-eyed, or dark-skinned heffer, G
A disease, created by leprosy
Don't speak of bleach, bend them to right
Say it was night WAY before the light
Put aside spooks, Serch leaves a trace
I've set em correct with the effect of the Gas Face

[MC Serch]
Next up, Don?

[Don Newkirk]
A special appearance by KMD's Zev Love X!

[Verse 3: Zev Love X]
A Gas Face can either be a smile or a smirk
When appears, a monkey wrench to work one's clockwork
Perkin his brim to the rim of my cup
Don't tempt me, you're empty, so fill'er up!
Is I'm talkin coffee or cocoa, is you loco?
Cash or credit for unleaded at Sunoco
KMD and 3rd Bass is just ace in the hole
I mean soul, so make the Gas Face (HUAHAHA)
Damn, if looks could kill
You look like host was a ghost from your grill
But still, what's the new fed, to recollect
To our passing phase to facades to '80-deca
For my label reads Hood, street might have a tattoo
Don't pick any card or no rabbit from my hat
Never a magician if I ever tricked em
"Oh shit!" Another Gas Face victim

[MC Serch]
There it is, yo fellas man
Why don't you step to the mic man?

[Zev Love X]
That's how I kicks it, for 80-deca

[MC Serch]
Ayo, good lookin' out Don, man, peace
Punji, yo, who gets the Gas Face?

[Punji]Little Vic for the Gas Face
[Serch]Tony Dick, gets the Gas Face
[Zev X]No Gas Faces for Plugs One Two and Three
[Serch] No Gas Face for Professor Prince Pa-paul!
[?]My friend Tina gets the big Gas Face
[Zev X] No Gas Face for DJ Subroc
[Serch]No Gas Face for KMD
[PNice] Hammer, shut the fuck up! Gas Face! AHUAHAUAH!
[All]WHAHAHAOAHH
[PNice]What do we think about Hammer? HAOWAHWOHAHBHABHAHBHAHBBHB
[?]G.Y.P
[Serch]Get Yours Posse does not get the Gas Face
[Serch]But P. W. Botha gets a Gas Face
[All] WHOAHBLBLAHBHA-WHOO!
[?]Dante Ross gets the Gas Face
[Serch]Yo stop dissin Dante on records y'all!
[Serch] Elroy.. Elroy.. Elroy Cohen, gets the Gas Face!
HAHAhahahahahaha, that's all..

3rd Bass

In 1986, white rapper Lord Scotch introduced Peter ‘Pete Nice’ Nash to Michael ‘MC Serch’ Berrin at the famous NY nightclub Latin Quarter. At the time, Pete Nice hosted a hip hop radio show on Columbia University’s radio station with Richard “Richie Rich” Lawson. The three began performing as 3 the Hard Way, later calling themselves 3rd Bass. They soon signed with Def Jam Records.

3rd Bass released their first single without any press photos or interviews to intentionally hide the fact both rappers were white. After a writer from The Village Voice exposed them, the group quickly became “the first critically respected white hip-hop group since the Beastie Boys”.

“Steppin' To The A.M.” and “The Gas Face” both peaked at #5 on the US Rap Chart and The Cactus Album was certified Gold within six months. Overseas, those two singles plus “Brookyn-Queens” achieved modest success in the UK. In New Zealand, “The Gas Face” and “Brooklyn-Queens” were both top 40 hits. Years later, The Source would name The Cactus Album as one of the 100 Best Rap Albums.