Common: Like They Used To Say

"Like they used to say" [repeated in background]

[Common]
We dealin wit some very critical and crucial times
Some of the most critical and crucial times I've ever seen
I wrote Stoney Island on my guy
He was tryin me about the S-I-E experience
Tried to tell him about the C-S-E experience, you know?

Yo I'm the rap profession, I go the session
Study MC's like a god do lessons
Mic testin in the rain, I brainstorm
You feelin me out nigga? We got the same form
I drop heavy in spots you scared to put your weight
There's only so much ice you can skate on
Shit cats right for you, you say wrong
No time to debate on, who's your pop and who's not
Or who shot Big and Tupac
Or who this stud fuckin or how much this crew got
That's hoe shit
That ain't me or the type of niggas I roll wit
I Cold Get Dumb, like a brother in prison
Who hasn't had a chance to hold his son
Sacrificin like Abe did his oldest son
Tryin to hold my come, I think of raps
Seen the BDP cover and I start thinkin back to

["Silly Hoes" sample] say what? "Like they used to say"
"Kool G Rap and Polo, back again" [Kool G Rap]
Yeah "Like they used to say"
["Ain't No Half-Steppin" sample] yeah "Like they used to say"
(Dig it, like they used to say) [Biz Markie sample] "Like they used to say"

[Common]
I walk through triple darkness wit a childproof lighter
All your homeboys'll bite us, so what's up wit that?
Your producer pumped the track
Told him, "Naw, I can't fuck wit that"
Nice way of sayin "Big, bring a rougher track"
My ball in my ear said "Enough of that humble rap"
Now every single you drop I'ma double that
Jigga-jigga Joe cut the record down to
My sound surround you like racism, you feel it all around you
I go into a soundproof booth and change flows
Track the strange hoes wit headwraps and Bangols
Hip-hop is gettin strangled by this Puff Combs syndrome
Niggas Been Around The World actin like they never been home
I ain't hatin cuz I can only love niggas
It's just outta the game, I wanna sub niggas
I be dub figure rusty to adjust the in-dustry
And speak up, like when my homey's musty
Here we go yeah * "Roxanne Roxanne" sample* yeah, dig it
"Like they used to say"
"You don't want it" [T-La Rock] "Like they used to say"
"F-R-E-S-H" [Fresh 3 MC's] "Like they used to say"
"My Adidas, walk through concrete doors and broke" [Run-DMC]
"Like they used to say"

[Common]
Yo [repeating "zen zen zen zen" for about 20 sec.]
"Like they used to say" [x3]

Yo yo check it
Appreciate the art that came through Puerto Ricans and Blacks
Speakin the facts, the sound is much deeper than wax
Dug Inf, Luke Lumberjack I'm keepin the axe
Layin on passed out nights wakin up reekin wit raps
Geek like the Fat Boys ?produce the feeb? in fat
In shows I get more hoes/holes than a seam in the matt
Raps develop like film (so what?) so call me Instant Common
This business of pimps and hoes, I stick out like Bishop Juan
Talk to my nigga Ron about openin shops
Holdin up cops, I'm from the 'Go, it don't stop
Contract ain't show enough options, it's time to pop guns
It's gon' be some Shook, Lost and popped Ones
Askin How Come like Wyclef, they'll be Gone before November (yeah)
Name'll be in sentences wit the word "remember"
Wrote a letter to '88, let's get back, love me tender
The letter came back three days later, return to sender
Damn!

"Like they used to say"
"Hot damn hoe here we go again" [MC Lyte] "Like they used to say"
"I want it like that, I got it like that, I have it like that" [Kool Keith]
"Like they used to say"
"You gots to chill" [PMD] "Like they used to say"
"Boyz in the hood are always hard" [Eazy E] "Like they used to say"
"One for all and all" [Brand Nubian] "Like they used to say"
"Zoom zoom zoom, zoom zoom zoom zoo zoom" [MC E-Z]
"Like they used to say"
"I get money, money I got" [Milk-D] "Like they used to say"
"Plug one, plug two" [De La Soul] "Like they used to say"
"For all the pioneers, I'm goin way back" [Just-Ice] "Like they used to say"
"I think that's about as far back as we can go" [Just-Ice]
"Like they used to say" 3x
"Yo what happened to the beats" [Eric B.]
"Like they used to say"
PEACE!!! "Like they used to say" "Like they used to say"