So Think Again - El Da Sensei

As I recall it

I first started to only get dap

To show the cats on my block and in my school that I could rap

They knew me as a B-Boy

Now I burst a verse and added piece to my collection

Twice that for the selection

I chose this direction cause I was an expert

At not only art, plus I had the ill footwork

Dancing supreme, flares, crabs, slice and windmill

Twelve years was the age, by then I had the will

I knew deep in my heart that if I came up with a scheme

To use my tools and my skills I’d fulfill my rap dreams

Started copping LP’s as the years went by

Noticing the different styles and how MC’s sound fly

P.E., J.B.'s, Rakim, Red Alert

KRS, Marley Marl, Juice Crew and B.L.S

The state of fresh plus a mess inbetween

That makes up my whole aura as an MC fiend

«Don't think you can before you start rapping» — Fat Joe

Labels, A&R, marketing schemes

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

Looking at contracts and don’t know what it mean

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

Per diem, promo shows worth no doe

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

This is what happens in the game but you just don’t know

To get my props as a pro I entered local talent shows

Cause I knew without my lessons my profession wouldn’t grow

Battle cats in my school, in the street or in the club

Made a name for myself, everybody showed me love

But there was still something missing from my flavor of the month

So I sold out for a partner that was ill from the jump

Enter Tame One, lyric extrodinar

Two superb legionar, niggas couldn’t compare

Slaying cats left and right, who performing tonight?

(That's them!)

Damn right, known to always be nice

Count was minimal but we didn’t gain respect

Till 89.9, Bob and Armstrong Stretch

Official to the world or shall I say the industry

Now we hit from Dirty Jers' with the shit for NYC

Cause where we at, Jersey already on the map

So we uphold tradition so enters Artifacts

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

Executives in your ear telling you, you the shit

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

Until your album comes out and there’s nobody buying it

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

Check the soundscan, to see your flow

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

This is what happens in the game but you just don’t know

Aight, the year is '94 and we signed a record deal, put your boots on

Big Beat/Atlantic was the shield

On the real, the first album was a dope experience

Hear my voice on wax over T-Ray instruments

Hitting tours and all

From a song talking 'bout writing on the wall

Many thought we had balls

We knew it was the plan, laid the whole program

Between A Rock And Hard Place, the label didn’t understand

Example yo, my nigga listen to this

We would’ve blown from a vid' off the Busta remix

Second album mad pressure but we did that shit

Came with The Ultimate, a plaque, one tour, we split

Now the whole world shaking cause they knew that we was breaking

No more cans to be shaking, know the scores that we was lacing

From this I took a two year break and I was back

Cause I can’t be stopped from getting mine, fuck that

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

How it affects your life and how those around you feel your strife

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

Whether you like it or not, the hottest MC can get dropped

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

Keep your day job, messing with this you get robbed

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»

This is what happens in the game but you just don’t know

«Don't think you can before you start rapping»