De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul & Yummy Bingham
De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul & Spike Lee
De La Soul & Carl Thomas
De La Soul & Ghostface Killah
De La Soul & Common
De La Soul & Flavor Flav
De La Soul & Yummy Bingham & Butta Verses
De La Soul & MF DOOM
De La Soul & Sean Paul
No is a braggadocios song where De La Soul and Butta Verses rap about how their grind has paid back dividends: they are never last place, whether it’s with work, girls, or life. Even though they all come from humble backgrounds, their combined spirit of hard work got them where they got today.
No’s...
[Intro: Yummy]
I never can say goodbye
No, no, n-no I, never can say goodbye
I don't— I— I don't know the rest
[Verse 1: Posdnuos]
We them pros, we never procrastinate (Ah)
Guardians who shouldn't let you get past the gate
Watch out, dawg, the watchdog's showin' his teeth
Guess you bit too much shit, they bitin' your beat
While I speak from experience, hunger and hurt
And a little bit of hate from niggas doin' me dirt
I just wash it all out with Tide and show love
To those who ride with me while I'm puttin' in work
[Verse 2: Butta Verses]
Full-timin' it, eight-thirty to six, the graveyard shift
The three months before the benefits hit
But my position went temp to perm'
I sat and listened like an intern watchin' who applied get fired
Now I'm sittin' in the break room, they gotta make room (Make room)
My paper stacks, put staples through 'em
So I can keep my money together
Some die-hard fans just don't want it like, "Put Pos back on it"
[Verse 3: Posdnuos]
I'm back on it, that's why you never disappointed
We give you what we live through for real (For real)
Don't own a crown, but I'm royalty
And tryin' to see the royalty checks about a half a mil'
Whether off or on the chart, my cuts grips your heart
You know we got you open like your gut splits apart
I never pass the buck, my shoulder holds the weights
So don't beef when we don't pass collection plates
[Verse 4: Butta Verses]
I don't give money, I don't support the needy
Schooled in America, taught to be greedy
And everything ought to be easy
But I never could say goodbye to my friends who get high
Wonder Why, I'm rockin' with that guy serious
Still make you cry when the satire's hilarious
Cold for your areas, flows come in various
Shapes and sizes, so hot that you despise it
[Chorus: Dave, Yummy & Posdnuos]
Never last up to bat (No, no, no, no)
These skills, we don't lack (No, no, no, no)
We never fallin' prey (No, no, n-no, no)
Make all the ladies say (Ooh-ooh, baby)
You can't knock the hustle (No, no, no, no, not at all)
Can't be budged by your muscle (No, no, no, no)
Never ridin' on E (No, no, n-no, no)
It's De La and Butta V (Drive you crazy, yo)
[Verse 5: Posdonus]
If you are what you eat, some of you cats heads between
Your girl's legs a lot, 'cause y'all actin' sweet
Go brush your teeth, then after that
Put in a little more practice on your rhymin' attack
What you write's not the least bit hot
Maybe 'cause your wrist is so cold from all that ice you cop
Hate to hate a playa, but you know what?
I still smother ya like cheese and broccoli's freshly cut
[Verse 6: Butta Verses]
And we the steak and potatoes and De La's the greatest
And ladies be on the floor thankin' the Lord that He made us
I'm tellin' you, I swoop her like a pelican do
You sayin', "Look at that pelican fly," you spittin' gelatin rhymes
They shaky as shit, ugly in the mold you fit
We the square peg on the round hole
Sound's soulful, your imitation flavor is tofu
It's true we make a better day and we are
[Verse 7: Posdnuos]
The world of rap, take you back in the days
Of all four hundred ways that people lack
It's that (What?) authentic, big-nosed mic music
Fortified, survive all night to it
I'm tryin' to keep up with my Jones' and Thomas'
'Til I'm broke like them New Year's Eve promises
And that's alright, I just penned another sixteen
To fill my bank account with the mixed greens
[Verse 8: Butta Verses]
Moms want fives and tens
The girls I got is nines and tens, VH1 "Behind The Pens"
You anticipate greatness from elder statesmen
I "ch-ch-ch-ch-ah" like Biz Mark' or Jason
I bust one shot just to start the racing
The tortoise and the hare, which one there is chasin'?
Slow and steady, we already Andretti
Get ticker tape parades, waves and confetti and
[Chorus: Dave, Yummy & Posdnuos]
Never last up to bat (No, no, no, no)
These skills, we don't lack (No, no, no, no)
We never fallin' prey (No, no, n-no, no)
Make all the ladies say (Ooh-ooh, baby)
You can't knock the hustle (No, no, no, no)
Can't be budged by your muscle (No, no, no, no, not at all)
Never ridin' on E (No, no, n-no, no)
It's De La and Butta V (Drive you crazy c'mon, y'all)
[Outro: Yummy]
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
If the streets keep rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the streets stop rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
If the streets keep rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the streets stop rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
If the streets keep rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the streets stop rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
If the streets keep rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the streets stop rockin', the Soul will keep rockin'
If the Soul keeps rockin', the streets will keep rockin'
No was written by Supa Dave West & Clifton Davis & Maseo & Trugoy the Dove & Posdnuos & Butta Verses.
No was produced by Supa Dave West.
De La Soul released No on Tue Oct 05 2004.