Quite simply one of the most powerful verses I’ve ever heard.

I don’t recall, ever graduatin at all
Sometimes I feel I’m just a disappointment to y’all
Every day, I just lay around then I can’t be found
Always asked to give me some livin life like a bum
Times is rough, my auntie got enough problems of her own
Nigga, you supposed to be grown
I agree, I try to be the man I’m ‘posed to be
But negativity is all you seem to ever see
I admit, I’ve done some dumb shit
And I’m probably gon do some mo’
You shouldn’t hold that against me though (Why not?)
Why not? My music’s all that I got
But some time must be ingested for this to be manifested
I know you know but I’m gon say this to you I…
Get high but I don’t get too high
So what’s the limit ‘posed to be?
That must be why you can’t get your ass up out the bed before three
You need to git up, git out, cut that bullshit out
Ain’t you sick and tired of having to do without
And what up with all these questions?
As act as though you know somethin I don’t. Do you have any suggestions?
Cuz every job I get is cruel and demeanin
Sick of takin trash out and toilet bowl cleanin
But I’m also sick and tired of strugglin
I never ever thought I’d have resort to drug smugglin
Naw, that ain’t what I’m about
Cee-lo will just continue travelin this route
Without any doubt or fear
I know the Lord ain’t brought me this far so he could drop me off here
Did I make myself clear?

Cee-Lo, from Git Up, Git Out.

Seven. Surprised I made it this long without mentioning this artist or this song, let alone this verse. But it’s fitting for the 7th run, since the number seven is oh-so-prominent in this verse. Sevens abound, but this was the first verse that I remember really knocking me out. I mean, I had heard other verses I liked, but this one right here? I was staggered.

I’m not a regular competitor, first rhyme editor
Melody arranger, poet, et cetera
Extra events, the grand finale like bonus
I am the man they call the microphonist
With wisdom which means wise words bein spoken
Too many at one time watch the mic start smokin
I came to express the rap I manifest
Stand in my way and I’ll lead a ??? words protest
MC’s that wanna beat this they’re gonna
Be dissed if they don’t get from in fronta
All they can go get is me a glass of Moet
A hard time, sip your juice and watch a smooth poet
I take 7 MC’s put em in a line
And add 7 more brothas who think they can rhyme
Well, it’ll take 7 more before I go for mine
And that’s 21 MC’s ate up at the same time
Easy does it, do it easy, that’s what I’m doin
No fessin, no messin around, no chewin
No robbin, no buyin, bitin, why bother
This slob’ll stop tryin fightin to follow
My unusual style will confuse you a while
If I was water, I flow in the Nile
So many rhymes you won’t have time to go for yours
Just because of a cause I have to pause
Right after tonight is when I prepare
To catch another sucka duck MC out there
Cos my strategy has to be tragedy, catastrophe
And after this you’ll call me your majesty
My melody…

My Melody – Eric B. & Rakim

I’m in the process of coming up with a list of remixes that totally crushed the album version. I can think of a few off the top of my head, one of which will only be on the list because a good friend of mine believes it to be so, but Give The People by EPMD is number one on the list. The album version, which basically jacks the track of “Give The People What They Want” by the O’Jays, is alright…it’s serviceable, but nothin spectacular. Especially being on the album, Business As Usual. But the Erick and Parrish mix, which is the version you hear on the video? Vintage Erick Sermon. Which means you hear UFO by LSG. Way, way, in the cut, under it all is the guitar lick from AWB’s School Boy Crush. And this time, they only used the best part of “Give The People.” This is what a remix is supposed to do — even without doing anything to the lyrics.

Speaking of which, Parrish’s first verse here strikes me as being particularly appropriate now.

As airwaves collapse rap shows at a standstill
Some racial circuits the frequencies can’t handle
The funk tracks produced by me and the E-D
But it’s a fat jam, that will never win a grammy
Unless we sellout and kill the black movement dead
Which means swallow our pride and become flunkies instead
And stop the rap about freedom, thoughts of a black president
And rap about a black crack, the mayor in our residence
Give me a break brothers, it’s time to take a stand
And kill that no sir, yes sir, and thank you ma’am
Cuz the word ‘if’ is a luxury a black man can’t afford
That’s why poverty’s on the rise and we still ignored
And it’s a setback and yet the clock still ticks
And if we let it, rap would be run by politics
I read it somewhere that every man’s created equal
But not in this day and age, maybe in the sequel
Which means next time, so observe these rhymes
And take a stand and go for yours cause I’m going for mine
That’s why I

Rage on Batman and Robin from Snoop’s Paid The Cost To Be The Bo$$

Yeah, when it’s beef in Gotham City I, gots to flip and
Hit ‘em with the POW! BAM! BIFF! Whoa
Pick up your lips, don’t trip, tie your shoelace
When I spit, I split it, turn Harvey Dent into Two-Face
Robin, I’m more than a sidekick, I’m more like the livest
They wanna go head up and collide
And like collision, hope your moms made provisions
See you ain’t got no wins baby, not even a smidgen
Mad hostility dealt, now I’ma really be felt
Switch on my utility belt, make yo’ facility melt
I go Mad on yo’ Hatter, watch yo’ whole shit splatter
Get, wicked on yo’ case like Detective Vanatter
So the, sayin goes, if you snooze you lose
Trust you do, me and Batman the Dynamic Two!

Gettin wicked on your case like Detective Vanatter? Really? I never copped her album, but on guest appearances? Rage was murder.

As I said some time ago, my two favorite emcees are Redman and Posdnuos. I ran a Redman verse not too long ago, so it’s time to rep for Pos. Only thing is, it’s so hard to pick just one. Plug 1 is to me what 2Pac is to a thug. If I made records, he is what I imagine I would sound like, both topically and in terms of the literal rhymes. Take this little piece from Down Syndrome, for instance. “just a form of protozoa tryin to cross them seas?” Are you serious?

I’m Plug One-of-a-kind, for you people’s delight
And for you sucker MC’s, step to your knees
Ain’t no second thoughts and all your thoughts are from Orion
I can tell that you a devil by them rhymes you’re designin
Your play doggin tactics can’t fuck with my facets
Just because you talk all that glock shit don’t mean you can rock shit!
Your identity’s on freeze
Just a form of protozoa tryin to cross them seas