Released: May 5, 1992

Songwriter: Guru DJ Premier

Producer: Guru DJ Premier

[Intro]
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal

[Verse 1]
I never thought that you would crab me
Undermine me, and backstab me
But I can see clearly now the rain is gone
The pain is gone but what you did was still wrong
There was a few times I needed your support
But you tried to play me like an indoor sport
Like racquetball, tennis, pool, whatever
All I know is that you attempted to be clever
Nevertheless, cleverness can't impress
'Cause now you've been exposed like a person undressed
And I could see through you, 'cause I'm the Guru
And what you gonna do when I start to step to you?
'Cause when I pay you back, I'll be hurting you
And this ain't no threat so take it personal

[Interlude]
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal

[Verse 2]
Rap is an art, you can't own no loops
It's how you hook 'em up and the rhyme style, troop
So don't even think you could say someone bit
Off of your weak beat, come on, you need to quit
I flip lines and rhymes that never sound like yours
There ought to be laws against you yapping your jaws
Originality overflows in me
And the truth is, that you wish you could live the
Life I live and kick the lyrics I kick
But bear in mind that you can't think this quick
So Premier drops beats for me to say verses to
And if I sound doper, then take it personal

[Interlude]
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal

[Verse 3]
Don't be mad 'cause I don't come around the way
Like I used to, I don't have time these days
I'm keeping busy making power moves
And don't try to say I don't remember you
You shouldn't let your jealousy show like that
I stopped coming by 'cause of the way you act
Telling my business to kids I don't even know
You're like a daytime talk show, and that's low
So you can tell everyone, that I'm jerking you
And if you don't like it, kid, take it personal

[Outro]
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal
Take it personal

Gang Starr

Gang Starr is the formidable hip-hop duo of MC Guru and producer DJ Premier.

The group was originally founded by two childhood friends, Big Shug and Guru, in Atlanta; coming up with the logo design and name of the group. Big Shug and Guru got separated when Shug got imprisoned and Guru moved to New York where he met Dj Premier.

While DJ Premier is from Texas and the monotone Guru is from Boston, they came together in Brooklyn, New York, and helped define the sound of East Coast hip-hop in the 1990s with their jazzy production on singles such as “Words I Manifest” and “Jazz Thing,” as well as their harder boom bap singles like “Just to Get a Rep” and “Take it Personal.”