[Verse One: B-Baz]
I spit that, Black Thought, Mos Def, and Kanye
That Lupe Fiasco, Common, and Wale
Talib Kweli for thought and Em for the worplay
2Pac for the depth and BIG for the stories
The words, the messages are different today
Back then they were for fun, the drinks and parties
But now hip hop is a legitimate way
So now it's time for us to go back to MCs
The power in the pen is the power of the scholar
But the power of the pen mimics the power of the dollar
If dollars equal power, and the scholars come from dollars
But the broke can be scholars, please tell me, who has the power?
The children growing up, bubble baths instead of showers
Or the students coming up getting knowledge every hour?
All I know is, this world is not meant for cowards
So now I'll show my power, so crank this music louder
[Hook: B-Baz]
When I say, “hip”, you say “hop”
Hip (Hop)
Hip (Hop)
And when I say “disc”, you say “jockey”
Disc (Jockey)
Disc (Jockey)
When I say “more”, you say “power”
More (Power)
More (Power)
And when I say “no”, you say “cowards”
No (Cowards)
No (Cowards)
[Bridge: B-Baz]
Are you ready, hip hop? (I don't really think so)
Are you ready, hip hop? (Baz, they don't wanna know)
Are you ready, hip hop? (They don't want you to flow)
Are you ready, hip hop? (But you should hit ‘em with some mo')
[Verse Two: B-Baz]
Okay, can I get a mic check?
Got this crowd going wild, but ya boy ain't even hype yet
Got these girls going wild, no pipe yet
21 years, I ain't even live life yet
No boo, no love, no wife yet
Couple battle scars, but no wars, no strife yet
But I digress, I ain't start to write yet
Back in my bag, I ain't challenge your minds yet
A n***a call a n***a “n***a”, and don't think
But white boy sings lyrics with “n***a”, and everybody blink
n***a get mad, eyes cold, ice in the rink
Why can't the boy sing “redneck”, or “chink”?
We set examples of the way we wanna be percieved
And when the bad comes, we don't wanna believe
Say we don't care, but we give ‘em so much power
So time to show your power, so crank this music louder
[Hook]
When I say, “hip”, you say “hop”
Hip (Hop)
Hip (Hop)
And when I say “disc”, you say “jockey”
Disc (Jockey)
Disc (Jockey)
When I say “more”, you say “power”
More (Power)
More (Power)
And when I say “no”, you say “cowards”
No (Cowards)
No (Cowards)
[Bridge]
Are you ready, hip hop? (I don't really think so)
Are you ready, hip hop? (Baz, they don't wanna know)
Are you ready, hip hop? (They don't want you to flow)
Are you ready, hip hop? (But you should hit ‘em with some mo')