Released: February 23, 1999

Featuring: Common

Songwriter: Scratch James Poyser Leonard “Hub” Hubbard Chaos Rahzel ?uestlove Kamal Gray Black Thought Common

Producer: ?uestlove James Poyser

[Intro: Black Thought]
What, hip-hop y'all
To the top y'all, hip-hop, check it out
It's like that, uh, and it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
I'm 'bout to take it to the, to the, to the, to the, to the, to the
To the, to the, to the, to the, check it out
Yo, what, and it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
I'm bout to take it to the top, what, hip-hop love
To the top love, hip-hop, check it out
It's like, word up, and it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life, of my life

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
The anticipation arose as time froze
I stared off the stage with my eyes closed
And dove into the deep cosmos
The impact pushed back the first five rows
But before the raw live shows, I remember I's a little snot-nosed
Rockin' Cazal goggles and Izod clothes
Learnin' the ropes of ghetto survival
Peepin' out the situation I had to slide through
Had to watch my back, my front, plus my sides too
When it came to gettin' mine, I ain't tryin' to argue
Sometimes, I wouldn'ta made it if it wasn't for you
Hip-hop, you the love of my life and that's true
When I was handlin' the shit I had to do
It was all for you, from the door for you
Speak through you, gettin' paper on tour for you
From the start, Thought was down by law for you
Used to hit up every corner store wall for you
We ripped shit, and kept it hardcore for you
I remember late nights, steady rockin' the mic
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
So tell the people like that y'all, and it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
We 'bout to take it to the top

[Verse 2: Common]
I was speakin', to my guy 'Riq and
How she was desperately seekin' to Organize in a Konfusion
Using no protection, told H.E.R. on Resurrection
Caught up in the Hype Williams, and lost H.E.R. direction
Gettin' ate in sections where I wouldn't eat H.E.R
An under the counter love, so silently I treat H.E.R
Her Daddy'll beat H.E.R., eyes all Puff-ed
In the mix on tape, niggas had her in the buff
When we touch, it was more than just a Fuck, The Police
In H.E.R. I found peace like Malcolm in the East
Seen H.E.R. on the streets of New York, trickin' off
Tried to make a hit with H.E.R. but my dick went soft
Movin' weight, losing weight
Not picky with who she choose to date
Too confused to hate, with her struggle I relate
Close to thirty, most of the niggas she know is dirty
Havin' more babies than Lauryn, she started showin' early
As of late I realized, that this is H.E.R. fate, or destiny
That brings the best of me, it's like God is testin' me
In retrospect, I see she brought life and death to me
Peace to us collectively, live and direct, when we
Perform, it's just coffee shop chicks and White dudes
Over H.E.R. I got into it with that nigga Ice Cube
Now the fight moved to in life, makin' the right moves
Besides God and family, you my life's jewel
Like that y'all

[Outro: Black Thought]
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
It's like, word up, and it sounds nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life, what
Bout to take you to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the, yo
Fifth Dynamite, and it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
I'm bout to take you to the top love
Hip-hop, word up, to the top (to the top)
Hip-hop, check it out
It's like that, what
And it sounds alright
Hey, cause you the love of my life
I'm bout to take you to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the, check it out
What, yeah and it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
Bout to take you to the top love
Hip-hop, hip-hop to the top (to the top) hip-hop (hip-hop)
Fifth Dynamite, and it sounds alright
Hey, cause you the love of my life
I'm bout to take you to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the
To the to the to the to the, check it out, yo
Ye-yeh-yo, yo, and it sounds so nice
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life
We bout to take you to the top love
Hip-hop, hip-hop
To the top, to the top
Hip-hop, hip-hop
Check it out, it's like, yeah, and it's sounds alright
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
We bout, take it to the to the to the

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.