Released: July 16, 1996

Featuring: Dice Raw

Songwriter: Kelo Saunders Marz Dice Raw Malik B Black Thought

Producer: Grand Wizzards Kelo Saunders

[Intro: Black Thought]
To all the Jim Carrey-ass large co-op
KnowhatI'msayin? Large co-op, what the fuck
To the clones, we bless the domes
Blow the vial, you know my style, large co-op
Freestyle all the way son
Dice

[Verse 1: M.A.R.S]
First of all, let's talk about these ill capers
And fly ass frontin' bitches that now caught vapors
Niggas run up on you with guns, snatchin' papers
Outlined body chalk, is how they would scrape ya
From off the pavement, I hate gettin' locked up
'Cause that upstate bus reminds me of the slave ships
But then The Bible never saved shit
I guess that's why every juvenile is in the same predicament
You wanna slang crack, or hold TECs, and do the concept
You can't make loot when your moms is smokin' up the product
I try to tell ya, don't let these streets fuckin' fail ya
The way niggas be gettin' clapped, the shit'll fuckin' scare ya
But in the dark, we ran wild, son, we killin' em
Niggas scared, can't stand still like fuckin' helium
Fake niggas, they don't go platinum, they go aluminum
Got 'em cloned the fuck up, son, that's why we losin' 'em
I'm lookin' at this nigga's longevity
To make a big play, but then, it might be a mistake
'Cause if I get sent to D.C., I'm sendin' Dice to D.E
With three p's, so when I get out, he can see me
For real, 'cause the streets is filled with snakes and rats
The snake will be that bitch and that rat will be that cool cat
With swollen pockets we gonna take you back home
Master-Allah-Rule-Savior, never clone

[Verse 2: Black Thought]
I use the mic to slap you in the face and erase your taste
Disgrace your date, put your title to waste
Dominant lyrical grace from a place
Called wild Illadelph Isle Pensy, that's the residency
Consistent currency, my pocket's never empty
Some cats believe they MC, but we know they all fraud
Do a show in Philly, niggas wouldn't applaud
Nobody know your record nor who you openin' for
Can tell your squad's artificial while approachin' the door
So you should prepare for lyrical terror that's pure
Step up to the reservoir of the soul proprietor style
Messiah or, the kaya law down with Dice Raw
The matador, shorty connoisseur
Stompin' whatever you build to the floor
Similar to that of a dinosaur
I told you I'm the rap predator
You insist to imitate, what for?
Superstar niggas is 10% real, 90% invented for a fuckin' record deal
Comin' with somethin' veterans can't feel
I hit you like a steel anvil
Because you grafted off the next man's skill
But still, I remain mellow, seein' the theatrics of Othello
But know the tactics of the P.L.O
These C-L-O-N-E-S fess
The phoniest cats is felonious (word)

[Verse 3: Dice Raw]
Dice Raw, the juvenile lyricist, corner store terrorist
Block trooper, connoisseur of fine cannabis
Focus never weak, blow up the spot like plastique
Leave a nigga shook, to the point he won't speak
Never half-assed, always live and direct
On bitches try to punk, smell the panty and raw sex
Mad lights I had to black out when fake niggas act out
Or step out of place, they get slapped in they face
All y'all niggas is fake, tryin' to emulate my style
What grown man? In this game, to me you're a child
I trained wack MC's in camps like ex-marines
Why the fuck you think you went home and had bad dreams
Of horrifying things that your ass never seen before?
You traveled to the realm of Dice Raw
Where clones get they domes blown with chrome microphones
It's not your fault, black, just the fact you wasn't shown
You'll come through this like a smurf
Unnatural, it’s not from this earth
Represent while I been like this since birth
And I won't be the last, but I definitely was the first
Dice Raw big car Logan Val' sol-dier

[Verse 4: Malik B]
Don't come across that line or pay a cost
Knuckle games and hammer cocked, ain't nothin' sweet or soft
Win, lose or draw, to the jaw take one
Deranged lyrical launcher, or station
No conversation is needed, my task completed
Read a nigga up and down in the cut where I'm seated
Snatch you from your cloud of cannabis, you ignoramuses
You laid on your lap when I attacked your glamorous
Lifestyle, I banged your head up with the right fowl
My character a product of this 2-1-5th trife style
I breeze through areas niggas would fear to walk in
Balance the talkin', that galactic style as of a Vulcan
Your Star Trek ass will wrinkle
Spill these words and form into a sprinkle
Cat, you're brought up and the name of twinkle
My insight will crack the windpipe of y'all niggas
Whether small, middle-sized or tall niggas
Just sign your name next when I start to X
Givin' out flesh pains of death, so fuck a rain check
The insane vet, whether you ganked the brain wet
You proceed to lame check, the opposite of same sex
I annihilate your type if you violate
Makin' your blood rush, your pulse now at a higher rate

Uh!
Uh!
Uh!

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.