Like They Used To Say - Common

We dealin wit some very critical and crucial times

Some of the most critical and crucial times I’ve ever seen

I wrote Stoney Island on my guy

He was tryin me about the S-I-E experience

Tried to tell him about the C-S-E experience, you know?

Yo I’m the rap profession, I go the session

Study MC’s like a god do lessons

Mic testin in the rain, I brainstorm

You feelin me out nigga?

We got the same form

I drop heavy in spots you scared to put your weight

There’s only so much ice you can skate on Shit cats right for you, you say wrong

No time to debate on, who’s your pop and who’s not

Or who shot Big and Tupac

Or who this stud fuckin or how much this crew got

That’s hoe shit

That ain’t me or the type of niggas I roll wit

I Cold Get Dumb, like a brother in prison

Who hasn’t had a chance to hold his son

Sacrificin like Abe did his oldest son

Tryin to hold my come, I think of raps

Seen the BDP cover and I start thinkin back to Kool G Rap and Polo, back again

Yeah Like they used to say

(Dig it, like they used to say) *Biz Markie sample* Like they used to say

I walk through triple darkness wit a childproof lighter

All your homeboys’ll bite us, so what’s up wit that?

Your producer pumped the track

Told him, Naw, I can’t fuck wit that

Nice way of sayin Big, bring a rougher track

My ball in my ear said Enough of that humble rap

Now every single you drop I’ma double that

Jigga-jigga Joe cut the record down to My sound surround you like racism, you feel it all around you

I go into a soundproof booth and change flows

Track the strange hoes wit headwraps and Bangols

Hip-hop is gettin strangled by this Puff Combs syndrome

Niggas Been Around The World actin like they never been home

I ain’t hatin cuz I can only love niggas

It’s just outta the game, I wanna sub niggas

I be dub figure rusty to adjust the in-dustry

And speak up, like when my homey’s musty

Here we go yeah * Roxanne Roxanne sample* yeah, dig it Like they used to say

You don’t want it Like they used to say

F-R-E-S-H Like they used to say

My Adidas, walk through concrete doors and broke

Like they used to say

Yo *repeating zen zen zen zen for about 20 sec.*

Like they used to say 3x

Yo yo check it Appreciate the art that came through Puerto Ricans and Blacks

Speakin the facts, the sound is much deeper than wax

Dug Inf, Luke Lumberjack I’m keepin the axe

Layin on passed out nights wakin up reekin wit raps

Geek like the Fat Boys?

produce the feeb?

in fat

In shows I get more hoes/holes than a seam in the matt

Raps develop like film (so what?) so call me Instant Common

This business of pimps and hoes, I stick out like Bishop Juan

Talk to my nigga Ron about openin shops

Holdin up cops, I’m from the 'Go, it don’t stop

Contract ain’t show enough options, it’s time to pop guns

It’s gon’be some Shook, Lost and popped Ones

Askin How Come like Wyclef, they’ll be Gone before November (yeah)

Name’ll be in sentences wit the word remember

Wrote a letter to '88, let’s get back, love me tender

The letter came back three days later, return to sender

Damn!

Like they used to say

Hot damn hoe here we go again Like they used to say

I want it like that, I got it like that, I have it like that

Like they used to say

You gots to chill Like they used to say

Boyz in the hood are always hard Like they used to say

One for all and all Like they used to say

Zoom zoom zoom, zoom zoom zoom zoo zoom

Like they used to say

I get money, money I got Like they used to say

Plug one, plug two Like they used to say

For all the pioneers, I’m goin way back Like they used to say

I think that’s about as far back as we can go Like they used to say 3x

Yo what happened to the beats

Like they used to say

PEACE!!!

Like they used to say Like they used to say