In this bass-heavy Def Jam classic from 1986, Doctor Dre and T-Money (future presenters of Yo MTV Raps along with Ed Lover) play two Long Island B-Boys riding the bus around town checking out the local crews.
Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, Russell Simmons, and Rick Rubin all get shouts, as well as...
Yo cuz, yo, I went down to the Hempstead Terminal, cuz
Word cousin, man?
Yo man, and the Gods came up to me, man. You know what they said to me, cuz?
Yo what was they kicking to you man?
Yo cuz they said...
[Hook]
Knowledge me, homie
Yo cuz, yo, I got on the bus cuz, you know what I'm saying?
N-40 man?
Yo, yeah an N-40, you know I was riding around yo I went to the Stead, cuz
Hempstead, man?
Yo you know what I'm saying, man?
I went to check out Mr Bill Most Chill
In the middle of The Word Show, man?
You know what I'm saying, cousin be groovy, you know what I'm saying? Mr Bill be live, kicking it live 9-5 man
Word!
Yeah it be about this, you know what I'm saying? I got back on the bus you know what I'm saying, man?
And where you go next?
I went to see Rusty J man
Rusty J with the headline on the radio, man?
Yo man Rusty J be fresh, you know what I'm saying cuz? Yo he had a lot of girlies in the crib man
Rusty don't never give you no girlies man
Yo he didn't want to put me D cuz
Why not man?
Yo you know Rusty be clocking, man
And what he say to you, man?
You know what Rusty said to me, man?
Naw what he say to you, man?
He said...
[Hook]
Yo cuz yo, I got back on the bus man, yo. I went down to Spectrum City cuz
Spectrum City, man?
Yo man they was doing the rock, you know what I'm saying? You know being ill tempo style there man
Chilling, man?
They was chilling, you know what I'm saying? Yo, it was Chuckie D, man, you know what I'm saying, Butch, man
Butch Cassidy, man?
Yo it was real ill, man, you know what I'm saying? Yo, you know what, you know what, and the man K-Jee you know?
And what was they doing, man?
He... and K-Jee came up to me cuz, you know what he said to me, cuz?
Naw what did he say?
He said...
[Hook]
Yo cuz, yo, I got back on the bus cuz, yo. And I went to the Wild Wild Westbury, cuz
Wild Westbury?
Yo Westbury cuz, yo, and I went to the park man, and the Concept Crew was cutting rhythms, man
Yo Concept Crew!
Yo man they was cutting rhythms they was getting funky on the turntables 1 and 2
Hoo-hah!
Yo, yo, you know what I'm saying? Yo and the crew be out man
Yo who was the crew man?
Yo, yo know Doctor Dre man, T-Money you know, AD, E-Ski, Willie D, AJ you know
Chilling
Yo it was chilling, yo AD was on the mic man. He looked at me man, you know what he said to me, cuz?
Naw what he say to you cousin?
He said...
[Hook]
Yo man check it out, man. I was chilling out one day, and I went up to a place called Rush, man
Yo you went to Rush, cuz?
You know Rush man, Run DMC, Whodini, ???
Oh Run and them man, they be ill man
Yeah man but I saw these brothers chilling in the corner man with a beer. God named Rick Chilly, and you know what I said to Rick, man, he had the Beastie Boys with him
What you say to Rick cuz?
Yo man I said...
[Hook]
Yo, things be real ill around the way you know what I'm saying Yo, you be at Def Jam, you know what I'm saying? They be real ill man, they be throwing the ill beats man. The tempo be real live, kicking fly, you know what I'm saying?
Yo man but who taught you how to talk like this man?
Yo my man you know the Wizard
It was the Wizard, the Wizard
The Wizard K-Jee put me down you know what I'm saying. He taught me to rock the B-Boy language, cuz. Yeah he put me D
He was saying stuff like "Yo homie, homey, I'm chilling in the um place. Ho-ho-homie." What was the last thing he said to us man, before we cut out man?
Yo he cut out, you know what he said to me cuz
What he say to you cuz?
He said...
[Hook]
Yo cuz, yo, let's put some of the homeboys down on some terms, cuz
Yo man something like what's up with them skeezers over there man
Yo the skeezers, you know the stunts, you know what I'm saying
Man they're chilling and illing, man
Yo you got ill tempo, cuz
Yo word, what's happening with the place to be. Am I cold chilling, man?
You cold chilling, yo what's the, what's the science, cuz
Yo I'mma tell you like Russell Rush would say, Yo, we gon' make all the money, man
We gon' make all the money, cuz
But you know one thing, man
What's the main thing, man
I got one thing for all these brothers out there
I want, I wanted them to...
You know what I'm gonna say, man
I want them to...
[Hook]
Knowledge Me was written by T-Money & Doctor Dre.
Knowledge Me was produced by Original Concept & Rick Rubin.