[Verse 1: AWKWORD]
Nine-one, a decade before September Eleventh
Before Barack Obama, turned 50 as President
Saddam Hussein, was, global terrorism
And the death of Amy Winehouse, lucky 27
Before Catholic Church apologies and White Christ
Roku and DVR, living like kilobytes
We took silicon injections, invented AIDS infections
Can't fuck our girls without Viagara erections
Flooded streets of crack, and Fat Joe was Joe Crack
The son of Rupert Mirdoch, founded Rawkus Rap
They took coke out of Coke, and Air Jordan came back
Before Bandcamp and Soundcloud, recorded on wax
The NYPD, beat Pete Rock's family
Before Esperanza, took Justin Bieber's Grammy
Before my parents got cancer, and everything was dandy
Kel, T, Spekt and AWK, still spit John Handy
[Hook 1: DJ Graft (Norway) (cuts featuring original vocals by Block McCloud)]
Before, Berlin 'teared' the wall
Before, MC Hammer seen glamour then turned poor
Before, Hip Hop videos depicted all girls as whores
Before, love of money and greed put hate in our blood
[Verse 2: MarQ Spekt]
Before there was the guts there was the glory
Before Heaven, Hell had a nigga locked down in purgatory
Before she said she love me so much, she'd murder for me
Now I stand before the judge in cuffs, he heard the story
But this before the shots fired, before the cop sirens
Before the pigs had him on the ground hog tied
Before the war he knew Saddam ain't have a stockpile
Shit been raw since before BIG and Pac died
So you know it's before you blog and twitter rappers
Before you 'lil bastards even thought of getting active
I been a factor before you in the winner's bracket
Spittin acid serving heads on a silver platter
But this before it didn't matter
Before A&Rs getting axed and them labels getting wacker
New artists got so underground they can't surface
BBfore swag, furry Timbs and man purses
Before you saw me on South Street I had verses
That had your mom speaking in tongues like Black Churches
Before these rappers even made their first crack purchase
Had 'em fiend out man these bitches can't serve us
[Hook 2 (cuts featuring original vocals by Pace Won)]
Before, they killed Cheese in The Wire
Before, Vader joined The Empire
Before, Earth Wind and Fire
Before, Nick Cannon married Mariah
[Verse 3: T.Shirt]
Aspire, to do my thing and be on fire
It's a hard knock life, son, you preaching to the choir
Back before it became about succeeding
Rapping 'bout what I know was just as natural as breathing
Just a little nigga eating, working morning through the evening
Can't wait for the weekend, I was cold but I was decent
Couple nights in the precinct, had me thinking
Nah, fuck this life, I'm not gon' be shit
But before all the pressure
Man, you should've seen me all dressed up
My shirt and tie all pressed up
Prom queen panties on the dresser
Turns out that the kid you might've saw
Grew to be a crazy son of a bitch, same as before
Nothing really changed, not for me not for y'all
I mean except my size in sneakers and the bitches I adore
[Hook 3 (cuts featuring original vocals by Pace Won)]
Before, Spragga Benz and Pliers
Before, swagger Timbs and bikers
Before, we went to war, I been so high up
Like the King of Rock, there is none higher
[Verse 4: Kel Spencer]
K S... Before it all, I was a fly on the wall, watching Satan defying us all
Cast out, after inciting riots and brawls
Before Caiaphas called Christ to the Sanhedrin
Before Polo P-wings and RL-2000 Skis
And even way before they made the law to abolish the Slave Trade
I'm A-Grade in Earth's womb, demanding a pay raise
For what I knew I'd do in due time, my stew was brewing
I was a shoe-in before Lew Alcindor was a Bruin
Running rough shot like a Dollar Van
Gallivanting without a plan, but now I got a plan
And now and now I do the numbers like the lotto man
Kick my 'Lo cookies up, on the suede ottoman
Before we go before the track discussing 'Befores'
Let's remove the lust from the cause, what shows up in applause
Is appreciation for our deviation from the Herd Theory
K S... Recognize, you just heard Theory
[Hook 4 (cuts featuring original vocals by Pace Won)]
Before, Spragga Benz and Pliers
Before, swagger Timbs and bikers
Before, we went to war, I been so high up
Like the King of Rock, there is none higher
[Instrumental Bridge]
[Outro (Back to the Future sample)]
Wait a minute, wait a minute, Doc. Doc. Are you telling me you built a time machine!?
