Intro:
~Brown Sugar (2002) snippet~
Taye: That song be reminding me of us
Sanaa: It does?
Taye: Yeah, back in the day? You remember that feeling?
Just, how Hip Hip used to make you feel?
Especially back then, it was so real! It was like air. nah'm'sayin?
Taye: I cannot remember the last time I've had that feeling...
(VERSE 1: Corey Hanz)
Uh -
Two bedroom apartments, living with a slew of roaches
Orkin man would visit often - Even when my crew was over
Toys was always chewed or broken
Mom's could only afford the dollar water guns
While others had voice activated super soakers
Good thing she knew Jehovah, I got a chance to grow up
Be taught to rap and learn my Hip Hop culture
I should've died in, oh what? '86 of October?
That transit bus missed us by inches -
Still unborn - Could've been hit on the corner
A goner! And here I stand in the organs
Reminiscing about The Wonder Years w/ my partner
Better days, the golden age of Boom Bap and Rasta
Gangasta Funk that spawned from Zapp & Roger
But onward, I remember innovation
Before the CORE processor in playstation
Me and my cousin used to freestyle in the basement
He do the hook, I do the verse, record it to tape and laced it (practice!)
We kept it basic, genuine, never faked it
Back when your life was lost in limbo and Hip Hop could saved it
Picked up big buzz, kicked beats, spit on a sick ones
But now wanting to be a rapper adds to the stigma
Maaan, you had to be skilled to get a deal - for that mill?
Better be real, or reinburst your label the bill
When female emcees was able to kill
The mic right, ain't like it mattered who was king of the hill
What I remember (hah!) Really, how can I say?
I grew up on KRS and Roxanne Shante
The illness, you feel this? When beef was just a skill set?
You squashed it then chilled with
The realness - What happened?
[Chorus]
~I remember: Refering to our daughters by their names
~I remember: When ppl had a soul and had a brain
~I remember: Etiquette and moralitée[morality]
Kids would interact and play
But now it seems so far away
~I remember: The 90's, and a whole 'lotta thangs
~I remember: You could joke, but had to know its not a game
~I remember: Respect for the culture's side of reigns
Went against the grain
Your career ain't see the light of day
~I remember~ (Hey Jovan, do you remember?)
[VERSE 2: Jovan]
(remember, remember, remember)
You know I do, attacking with that flow!
Let's go, and bring it back I’ma let know
Cuz you know we get high off these rhymes that we carry from ’99
And surprise ya! With something that's fresh to your mind
All the time; I’m forever, a 90s baby
Around the time came out Cool, and Sexy Crazy
I pray to God: I’m the chosen one, that's coming up next
So I could lead the blind, who is unconscious
And once my deed is done and I can, finally rest
Cuz its not about the dollars or how much you flex
[I remember] I inflect, I reflect, my retrospect
And when the kids were just kids, and at least had respect
So growing up, listened to Mary J Blige
From "Real Love" "No Limit" “When We" "Not Gon Cry"
[Let's go!] I had playstation too, what about them game boys?
Cartridges costed bout 10 dollars
I'm sick of all of these dudes playing these games boys
No need to holler, better get ya game proper
In present time we wanna talk about who’s hotter
When it sounds all the same, it’s so hard to detect
No balance in hip hop, who’s coming up next
Can I have the sound that was on the cassettes?
Rocking to the beat, giving this summer heat
Just something you can step to and put on repeat
The flow is sweet, you can, put in your tea
Cuz I’m the result of the realest emcee
We lost a lot legends in our time, I don’t understand
And then our expectations got lower
To the ground under, yet I still can’t really understand…
You know its time to rock the culture
[Chorus]
[Outro]
~I remember (9x)
Do YOU remember?
Sanaa: Just when you think you know everything there is to know about Hip Hop, it finds a way to surprise you, and remind you why you fell in love in the first place...
