Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9" & Ingrid Smalls
Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9" & Ingrid Smalls
Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9" & Cutty Mack
Royce da 5'9" & Ingrid Smalls
Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9"
Royce da 5'9" & Ingrid Smalls
Royce da 5'9" & Cha Cha & Ingrid Smalls
Royce da 5'9" & Carlos “6 July” Broady
The fourth track off of Royce da 5'9" ’s album Death Is Certain.
In this song, Royce explores the roots of hip-hop, where it is now, and how it has affected him. The song is filled with references to classics, and with poetic rhymes that make you hit rewind and think.
[Verse 1]
Unlock ya locks, and keep ya keys
The Pac in me got me thinkin' deeply
I got to shock MCs wit my philosophies
'Cause I think very deeply
Where I come from where you sweat ya pen up
Young gun rep-resenter from the Ep-icenter
The microphone fiendin' for a microphone
Before he knew what a microphone mean
With them four pounds, and they soundin' in off (uh-uh)
And them slugs, get them thugs, and the ground, get the chalk (uh)
Niggas hearts is dissolvin', involved in
What Farakhan and Jim Brown couldn't solve (it's over)
[Chorus]
I'mma tell (yeah) you what I know, (we're just gonna kick it)
What I know (yeah, yeah)
[Verse 2]
'Cause the boys in the hood is always hard
You come talkin' that trash they'll pull ya card (uh)
Who would have known that the boy growin' up playin' them cards
Will soon know the music he wrote, it was so true (yeah-uh)
Who could raise me after I been amazed by Dre
And N.W.A., and you couldn't pay me (yeah)
To back the staff for free (uh), I will believe
It ain't nothing Shady in the Aftermath (yeah)
Perhaps when you unwrappin' the plastic
You respect whatever you hear, and the styles is growin' (yeah)
Them guys is clonin' them pioneers
Rappers wanna be classic like they Clef, Pras, and Lauryn (ha-ha)
[Chorus]
I'mma tell you (yeah, I'm just talkin', haha) what I know, (yeah) what I know (yeah)
[Verse 3]
Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me, it's statements
Like that made me gauge, White, Black, hate to make
Me say - I like when they fight back, they
Meaning rap, I vent myself
Leanin' back, not knowin' that I meant myself
A lesson comin' fast, you dudes better catch it
Whenever the future answers your questions from the past
And hold that, I'm spillin' these cold raps
'Cause I am a throwback you feeling a soldier
And keep tryin' to keep up with the kind of guy
That'll play you until they fatally say that the game's over (yeah)
[Chorus]
I'mma tell you what I know (yeah), what I know (yeah)
[Verse 4]
Oh my God, I destroy cities like the Blob
Goin' from city to city, seein' who I could rob (uh)
Goin' from makin' them poems up in my garage (yeah)
Then goin' on major tours with me and my squad (uh)
Goin' from listenin' to Reggie to meeting him
With my palms sweaty to him, telling me I'm deadly (me)
Goin' from likin' to spray the club after a night
That didn't go my way to plug to writin' for Dre (yeah)
You damn right I was raised the amazin'
Hand-writin' on the same page that you can't type on
So I black out the usual same way
The old fashion rap 'til it's no lights on (light's on)
[Chorus]
I'mma tell you what I know (I'm a throwback, man, yeah)
What I know
What I Know was written by Royce da 5'9".
What I Know was produced by Rob “Reef” Tewlow.
Royce da 5'9" released What I Know on Tue Feb 24 2004.