The Breakdown (feat. Headnodic on bass)
Written by: Michael Turner, Christopher Portugal, & E.L. Parsonage
[Double K:] (One-two, one-two, hey, man…)
They said, "Tap the bottle, and twist the cap off"
In your nuggin, it's the rugged book report slanger
I'm a banger, the kind you keep in your disc changer
The best buy for your greenbacks, we make 'em ease back
Push that album release back and rethink
While I re-max in one of them hot-aired joints
Floating over the city, like the Good Year Pimp
Fucking up your ball game, with my fame delay
The frequencies get tweaked, capacities get pushed
To the limit, tell 'em I did it, just to stay up in it
I play to win at all costs, and I stay in the way of danger
To being real, I'm a relative, never been a stranger
So, when you see me walk by, nigga, speak up
I'm a fan of hip hop since E.U. and "Da Butt" was in
And my nigga Doug Fresh ran "The Show"
Three Times was Dope and MTV was ([Spoken sample:] Yo!)
But now they're slow and guaranteed to show
Some extra-ed out rap niggas, rapping big about figures
Never spit about an Escalade if you ain't rolling
Don't spit about no weapons if you know you ain't holding
I'm only breaking it down 'cause fools be breaking the rules
Yo, I love P-Funk, I'm from the Old School
Serious and steady billed, bringing the raw deal
Straight from the West compound, bringing you the break…
([Sung sample:] Down!)
[Sung sample:] Breakdown! (scratched and repeated)
[Thes One:] ([Spoken sample:] Who is you? I'm little…)
Thes One representing Lima, Peru, mi barrio suko, my Los Angeles crew
For Unity heads that I met, chilling in '92
Here's another album, we found 'em, go pound 'em with the new
Lyrical blue light, night special, the Waterloo
World travelling, have a new Fat Larry-style crew
Having to move place-to-place with the smile face
Cooking down the vinyl to finally make base
Something for sophisticated, 8th-grade hip-hop tastes
For heads that remember the break of a 3rd Bass
Tribe, EPMD, Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Your immence influence, and congruent in my groove
It's a tribute, I'm still a fan and god damn it
Demand that my loops and breaks, I excavate second-handed
I'm just being me, and doing my best with what I'm blessed with
Influence of the West, that frontier fresh shit
The sunset jet set, where kids catch wreck
It's no thing to see me on Venice, bumping "Reign of the Tec"
And Fellowship, my mellow, pick him up in Crescent Heights
Then we dip to the Height, club and rock it all night
Gs, the People Under The limelight are like you
Drama with our ladies and can't afford a Mercedes
But been in it to win it since the 80s, so play these
Tracks with a heart and an infinite sound, break it down
([Sung sample:] down!)
[Sung sample:] Breakdown! (scratched and repeated)
*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:
- "Like a Good Year Pimp" – word play on the "Good Year Blimp" advertising airship.
- Other music referenced in this track:
- Experience Unlimited (E.U.) & "Da Butt"
- Doug E. Fresh & "The Show"
- Yo! MTV Raps
- Three Times Dope
- Fat Larry's Band
- 3rd Bass
- A Tribe Called Quest
- EPMD
- Pete Rock and CL Smooth
- "Reign of the Tec" (The Beatnuts)
- Freestyle Fellowship
This track appears on the following releases:
- "O.S.T." (2002) (CD & LP) - Om Records (OM-105)
- The Om Years (2008) (CD only) - Om Records (OH-312)
- 10 Years Of Thes One (2010/2013) (LP & MP3) - Piecelock70 Records (PL7001)
- Live Version: The 10 Year Anniversary Set (Live DVD) - Golden Fire Pig/Piecelock 70
