The Essence - LowKey

I don’t know exactly when it started going downhill

Let’s take it back to the days it was about skill

Before it was sweet boys parading as tough geeza’s

Educated men naming themselves after drug dealers

When it was a way to vent a mans pain

Before it became a tool for presidential campaigns

Before the 50's, Lil' Wayne’s and Rick Ross’s

I’m about to show you the essence of what Hip-Hop is

Before it was about street credibility

When it was he’s alright but he’s better lyrically

Think about the zombies your bad words influence

Before Hip-Hop became an advert for ignorance

Before it became Kamikaze

I’m half Gil Scott-Heron and half Talib Kwelli

You think getting shot makes you the next best thing

For every 50 cent there’s at least 50 MF Grimms

And that’s grim

I know you think that this is easier

But don’t believe the flippin' media

Or what you read on Wikipedia

It used to be all for the love

Now pricks are greedier

This business is sicker than an infant with leukaemia

I live Hip-Hop, don’t disrespect my household

I’m about to kill these rappers sales like internet downloads

We’ve come a long way from the old timers

Now it’s all 360, deals and fucking ghost writers

Am I controversial cause I’m not commercial?

Or cause I don’t rap like a rapper that wants to hurt you?

Every man’s bragging, making anthems with gang-banging

I’m like a man standing, over the Grand Canyon

Hip-Hop broke down barriers like skin tone

Hip-Hop 2008 is selling ring tones

Hip-Hop even had your son dressing up in pink clothes

Is Hip-Hop responsible for your kids soul?

I think so!