Ya Gotta Know (Vocal)

Fly Guy Kool Kim ft. Essence - “Ya Gotta Know (Vocal)”
[Emcee(s): Essence (AKA Ayana Soyini) and Fly Guy Kool Kim]
[Producer(s): Haas G]
[Sample 1 (Direct Sample): Rotary Connection - “Life Could” (0:03)]
[Sample 2 (Interpolation): Kenny Rogers - “The Gambler” (1:11)]

[Hook: Fly Guy Kool Kim]
You got to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away, know when to run

[Verse 1: Essence (AKA Ayana Soyini)]
Notice Essence
Manipulates, articulates thoughts that penetrate, separate
Real from fake to elevate my mindstate, I concentrate
With the mic ‘cause it’s my fate, use my voice to populate
Hold it solo like those who masturbate. My heart aches
From all the stressing, gun-blasting, and weapons
Nine times out of ten, y’all fellas is half-stepping, what you
Flexing irrelevant—use your common sense. My mind
My first line of defense, keeps me away from the
Judge on the bench. Heads is being hit with time based on
No evidence, the modern-day lynch, yet you glamorize
The lifestyle of pimps—that’s nonsense. I’ll make a phony rapper flinch
When it comes down to it, speak my mind, no remorse
When I do it. To me, your style’s a bowel movement. The crowd?
You fail to move it. In fact, your whole persona seems to
Indicate rat, wanna rap, but vocabulary
You lack. A lot of devils are black, I kill ‘em with facts

[Hook: Fly Guy Kool Kim] (x2)
You got to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away, know when to run

[Verse 2: Fly Guy Kool Kim]
Showdown at the O.K. Corral
I blast you and your pal—what now?
It ain’t like you know how, so I watched
And strategized a plot to make myself top-notch
Leg-up like hopscotch. When Kim rocks
It’s time to blow your block, break out the scotch
He rhymes songs like The Impressions. This young mind’s
Forgotten story got lessons. Stop guessing, ask questions
‘Cause you denying. If I was to really rhyme, I’d be
Twenty years before my time, screwing up your mind

[Hook: Fly Guy Kool Kim]
You got to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away, know when to run

[Verse 3: Fly Guy Kool Kim]
Rapture your mind with rhythmic lines that define
Secret signs from ancient minds and sacred times, these mighty rhymes
Inject concepts to your mindsets
It’s bomb threats when I flow—check the context
Your kind sex, Napoleon Complex, no progress
Five Percent are idle threats, Eighty-Five is nonsense
The last Ten’s subtracted by me, myself, and I, born
The Seven Deadly Sins that caused your whole crew to die, and now
You know why my foes cried their eyes dry
Never try, live a lie, you just stay high

[Bridge: Fly Guy Kool Kim]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Hook: Fly Guy Kool Kim] (x2)
You got to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away, know when to run

[Verse 4: Fly Guy Kool Kim]
Rappers dare to compare, their skills be
Au contraire, I wouldn’t test this here. It’s like
A moth to a flame. You know about the fame and
The big name but not the danger it contains (Yo)
Things ain’t getting clearer, plus
You’re hypnotized by the devil’s eyes staring in the mirror
In time, you’ll learn to fear the heat to sear ya
You’re screaming, I’m right near ya and I still can’t hear ya
Between a rock and a hard place, you’re left with little
Space to save face, and Kim’s on the chase
I test your mettle/metal like fool’s gold, you fools hold
Too much stake in being fake—big mistake

[Hook (Overlapped with Outro): Fly Guy Kool Kim] (x5)
You got to know when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em
Know when to walk away, know when to run

[Outro (Overlapped with Hook): Fly Guy Kool Kim]
What? Yo, yeah. Know when to run. Haas G, Kool and me, UMC, Essence. Yeah, it’s like this. One for your… two for your… three for your… four for your… five for your… six for your… yeah. Uh. Know when to run, when to hold ‘em, when to fold ‘em, when to walk away, when to, when to run. When to… mmm… one, two… got to know when to run. Uh, yeah, one, two, uh, yeah, when to run. Mmm, yeah, one, two, uh, you run. Yeah