KRS-One: Know Thy Self

You ready to go? I'm ready to go
What about y'all, y'all ready to go? (yeah aight yeah) I'm ready to go
Look

[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)

God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?
What does it mean to be in the world but not of it
It means you want the cars the cash the jewels the house but you don't love it
It means to taxes regulation state law you live above it
It means you a FREE hip-hopper, you ain't nobody's puppet
You don't see no money on me, you see it up in the cupboard
You see me up in Toys'R'Us, with my seeds cause they love it
You see insurance flash out, if my kids pass out
You see seven acres of land where we can all spaz out
To all my fathers that fathered, hold your head up for starters
Teach your toddlers, not to be thieves and robbers
This that other kind of rap, that leads to true hip-hop
There's other kinds of raps, but they lead you to get shot
The choice is yours, you gettin older now
You got a kid comin, how you gonna hold it down?
It's one thing to be iced out and rocked up
What's the point if you're gettin locked up?

[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)

God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?
It's really time we seperate the young men from the big men
The young girls from the women, whatever the title that fit them
My style designed to open a child's mind when I spit them
I only got a little bit of time to really rhyme and uplift them
You see them brothers talkin about that crime? Forgive them
It won't be long before they words manifest and they live them
Sometimes you gotta go back to the beginnin to learn
After fifteen years I'm just BEGINNIN to burn
To all my true hip-hoppers, that pay bills and live proper
Never allow a negative thought to stop ya
Correct ya posture, stand upright not uptight
Don't be scared of the light, just prepare for the fight
We say "Criminal Minded", cause our thoughts are illegal
We represent the very thinkin of, inner-city people
Real people, people that take care of theyself
They need health, love, awareness and wealth
Not to mention, knowledge of God
Not college, the job then dead - if you agree nod your head
It's one thing to be iced out and rocked up
But what's the point if you're gettin locked up?

[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)

God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?
C'mon c'mon yo, tonight is it
We gonna steal away together, through these rhymes I spit
When the student is ready, the teacher, shall appear
So I'm here, but are you really ready to face your fears?
Mo' money, mo' money, is that your credo?
You've been livin in a dream world Neo, power to the people!
Nobody's equal, everybody's diversed and different
My lyric'll never cheat you, my verse is gifted
So manifest what you believe is God almighty
It could be Allah Jesus Krishna Buddha Aphrodite
It could be Nefretire come hear me and never fear me
It's like at some point in your life you gonna have to hear me
I represent them teachers preachers comin through your speaker
Manifestin another lesson to them true believers
Instead of pickin up our women ready to mistreat 'em
You better get yourself a wife and kid and never leave 'em
You better teach 'em you better read 'em you better feed 'em
The system will defeat 'em if you don't teach 'em the cops'll beat 'em
The style that I be kickin quick is "Edutainment"
Hip-Hop culture needed a teacher quick so I became it
Instead of rhymin about my history and what I been through
I'd rather rhyme about awakening the God within you
Yo, it's one thing to be iced out and rocked up
But what's the point if you're gettin locked up?

[repeat 3X]
Know thy self, and thou shalt know
The universe and God (whoa-ohh-ohh)

God is the mother, the father, the friend
Know ye not that ye must be born again?

[KRS-One]
Yeah.. yeah.. FRESH, for two-thousand and two
my sisters and BROTHERS, my sisters and BROTHERS.. {*repeats to fade*}