Keepin It Live
Written by: Michael Turner & Christopher Portugal
[Double K, with gibberish argument sounds behind him:] Nigga, what you mean "I ain't making no money off this hip-hop shit"? Yeah, I know this is all I do is stay up and make beats. You know, this is how we make our living, this is what the people want us to do… Nah, I'm not gonna get a job there, and I'm not gonna work there, and all that yak… fuck it. Hey, come over here, let's listen to Thes One…
[Thes One:] (Check it out…)
It was me and Double K in my room in '95
Beatboxing on the mic, recording the tape live [Double K beatboxing]
Before we arrived on the scene, you know what I mean
When it was all about… I forgot, man, forget it
See, now the P is sweated as a global affair
But it seems those closest to me seem the least to care
When it was "Rah-rah, y'all can do it!" back in the day
Now it's like 3 albums deep and "When are you getting paid?"
My records are played, I sleep smiling every night
But when I wake up, it's something else, a whole new fight
Like cats double-crossing me that I try to help out
If it wasn't for me and Double, that shit wouldn't come out
So recognize who's the guys devoting their life to it
Sacrificed stability to flex our ability, crew the iller artillery
I can't chill until we fufill the plan of having mics in the hand
The sole reason I was cast down on this land
Is to sit in front of the MPC and turn the bland into the flambé
Things to play to make your day, same shit 10 years ago I'm doing today
And 10 years from now, so don't ask how or even why
B-boy for life, fuck a suit and a tie
'Cause I'll know I made a difference on the day that I die
Ay-yo, I'm B-boy for life, so fuck a suit and a tie
[Double K:] Yeah… I feel you, man… she be talking that ol' bullshit, you know… you know, "maybe you should get out and go get a job," you know, or- or, "we can't spend enough time," you know what I'm saying, man? Just like you, Big Thes, man, I'mma spend all my life try to do this hip-hop shit… fuck it!
[Thes One:] Think it was like '95… '96…
[Double K:] (When I…)
Perfected my track skills on the SP
Murdered 10 seconds in a minute, peers couldn't get it
Mike was walking on water, my brother, you shoulda seen it
Got ate up in some rap battles, I'm here to redeem it
Like a raincheck hustler, scoping the aisles
Jotting lyrics, making beats, just to keep it on file
Whether ADAT, Zip, or floppy, never coming sloppy
No reason to copy niggas, I'm dope, so go figure
Not conceited, nigga, I'm confident when I'm dropping it
Hold the microphone firm, let the lyrics burn
Like the Buddha to the sherm, I'm mellow with one word
Two letter Ks, bringing better days when I bust
Stay grounded with my head in the clouds, and that's a must
You know, just a piece in my hip-hop black book
Outlining the track, y'all watch for the hook
Filling in my ideas, here to keep your style shook
Never rapping like bigots just to be in the game
I'm coming from the inside 'til y'all remember my name
Yo, it's the K-Dub, trouble-bringing notorious one
Couldn't be stopped, keeping these sucka crews on the run
Ya dig it? No matter what y'all say, do, or know
It's me and Thes One, maintaining the…
[Double K:] Uh… you know how it goes, man… it's me and Thes One, like always, it's two of us… keeping it live, keeping it fresh… I don't know, man… sometimes, I just feel like I can't take it no more, man, like we just gonna bust back, you know, back rapping, back grabbing, yeah… yeah… we backpacking… back rapping and slapping all you fools in the face… you're just a… you're just a… just a disgrace to the… to the… to the… yeah, I like how that sounds right there, man… that's real, real mellow, real jazzy, like, ya dig? Out… word out… out… word up, word up… out… word up… Thes One… and, uh, the Double… hip hop, and my man, and… yeah… step hop and he in the house… ye-yeah… wi-with the Double… and The-es, he in the house, yeah… we all in the house, whatever, we never leaving to the beat's through… yeah, nigga sucka!
[Audience sample:] Yeah, boy! Rock on! Ooow whoo! C'mon!
*Important Note: These transcriptions are not verified with P.U.T.S., so there may be errors. We are especially unsure of the greyed-out text. We encourage you to offer your suggestions for lyrics corrections on the site's main page.
Trivia:
- None yet.
This track appears on the following releases:
- "O.S.T." (2002) (CD & LP) - Om Records (OM-105)
- 10 Years Of Thes One (2010/2013) (LP & MP3) - Piecelock70 Records (PL7001)
