Released: August 29, 1996
Songwriter: Enya Thom Bell William Hart Lauryn Hill Pras Wyclef Jean
Producer: Pras Jerry Duplessis Lauryn Hill Wyclef Jean
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean]
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me (Yo)
[Verse 1: Wyclef Jean & Lauryn Hill]
Now that I escape, sleepwalker awake (Yeah)
Those who could relate know the world ain't cake
Jail bars ain't golden gates, those who fake, they break
When they meet their four hundred-pound mate
If I could rule the world (If I ruled the world), everyone would have a gun
In the ghetto. of course, when giddy-upping on their horse
I kick a rhyme drinking moonshine
I pour a sip on the concrete for the deceased
But, no, don't weep, Wyclef's in a state of sleep
Thinking 'bout the robbery that I did last week
Money in the bag, banker looked like a drag
I want to play with pelicans from here to Baghdad
Gun blast, think fast, I think I'm hit
My girl pinched my hips to see if I still exist
I think not, I'll send a letter to my friends
A born again hooligan only to be king again
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean]
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me (Yo, yo, yo, yo)
[Verse 2: Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean]
I play my enemies like a game of chess
Where I rest, no stress if you don't smoke sess
Lest I must confess, my destiny's manifest
In some Gore-Tex and sweats, I make treks like I'm homeless
Rap orgies with Porgy and Bess
Capture your bounty like Elliot Ness, yes
Bless you if you represent the Fu
But I'll hex you with some witch's brew if you're doo-doo
Voodoo, I can do what you do, easy
Believe me, fronting niggas give me heebie-jeebies (Ha)
So while you imitating Al Capone
I'll be Nina Simone and defecating on your microphone
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
[Bridge: Lauryn Hill]
You can't run away from these scars I got, oh, baby
Hey, baby, ‘cause I got a lot, oh, yeah
And anywhere you go, my whole crew gonna know, oh, baby
Hey, baby, you can't hide from the block, oh, no
[Verse 3: Pras, Pras & Lauryn Hill]
Ready or not, refugees taking over
The Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta
On the twelfth hour, fly by in my bomber (Drop bombs)
Crews run for cover, now they're under, pushing up flowers
Superfly, true lies, do or die (He's super fly)
Toss me high, only puff lye with my crew from Lakay
I refugee from Guantanamo Bay
Dance around the border like I'm Cassius Clay (Yes, sir)
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean]
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide (Ayo, nobody move)
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide (Ayo, nobody move)
Gonna find you and make you want me (Come on)
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide (You know the—)
Gonna find you and take it slowly (You know)
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me (Yo)
[Verse 1: Wyclef Jean & Lauryn Hill]
Now that I escape, sleepwalker awake (Yeah)
Those who could relate know the world ain't cake
Jail bars ain't golden gates, those who fake, they break
When they meet their four hundred-pound mate
If I could rule the world (If I ruled the world), everyone would have a gun
In the ghetto. of course, when giddy-upping on their horse
I kick a rhyme drinking moonshine
I pour a sip on the concrete for the deceased
But, no, don't weep, Wyclef's in a state of sleep
Thinking 'bout the robbery that I did last week
Money in the bag, banker looked like a drag
I want to play with pelicans from here to Baghdad
Gun blast, think fast, I think I'm hit
My girl pinched my hips to see if I still exist
I think not, I'll send a letter to my friends
A born again hooligan only to be king again
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean]
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me (Yo, yo, yo, yo)
[Verse 2: Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean]
I play my enemies like a game of chess
Where I rest, no stress if you don't smoke sess
Lest I must confess, my destiny's manifest
In some Gore-Tex and sweats, I make treks like I'm homeless
Rap orgies with Porgy and Bess
Capture your bounty like Elliot Ness, yes
Bless you if you represent the Fu
But I'll hex you with some witch's brew if you're doo-doo
Voodoo, I can do what you do, easy
Believe me, fronting niggas give me heebie-jeebies (Ha)
So while you imitating Al Capone
I'll be Nina Simone and defecating on your microphone
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and take it slowly
[Bridge: Lauryn Hill]
You can't run away from these scars I got, oh, baby
Hey, baby, ‘cause I got a lot, oh, yeah
And anywhere you go, my whole crew gonna know, oh, baby
Hey, baby, you can't hide from the block, oh, no
[Verse 3: Pras, Pras & Lauryn Hill]
Ready or not, refugees taking over
The Buffalo Soldier, dreadlock Rasta
On the twelfth hour, fly by in my bomber (Drop bombs)
Crews run for cover, now they're under, pushing up flowers
Superfly, true lies, do or die (He's super fly)
Toss me high, only puff lye with my crew from Lakay
I refugee from Guantanamo Bay
Dance around the border like I'm Cassius Clay (Yes, sir)
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Wyclef Jean]
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide (Ayo, nobody move)
Gonna find you and take it slowly
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide (Ayo, nobody move)
Gonna find you and make you want me (Come on)
Ready or not, here I come, you can't hide (You know the—)
Gonna find you and take it slowly (You know)
Ready or not (Uh-huh), here I come, you can't hide
Gonna find you and make you want me
- The Score (1996)
- Killing Me Softly With His Song
- Ready or Not
- Fu-Gee-La
- How Many Mics
- Zealots
- Family Business
- The Beast
- The Score
- Nappy Heads (Remix)
- The Mask
- Cowboys
- Rumble In The Jungle
- No Woman, No Cry
- Manifest/Outro
- Vocab (Refugee Hip-Hop Remix)
- Fu-Gee-La (Sly & Robbie Mix)
- Fu-Gee-La (Refugee Camp Remix)
- Fu-Gee-La (Refugee Camp Global Mix)
- Mista Mista
- Nappy Heads
- Ready or Not (Salaam’s Ready for the Show Remix)
- A Change Is Gonna Come (UK Bonus Track)
- Blame it on the Sun
- Da Kid From Haiti Interlude