Whayback

(album: Between A Rock And A Hard Place - 1994)

"A world premiere"
"A world premiere"
"A world premiere"

I calculate that eighty-five was the year
I first grabbed the pen, daydreaming of the cheers
Ahead from rocking shows, no Girbauds that sag
The windbreaker suits and backspins that was mad
I stress progress, roll joints at my rest
'Til the ill wee hours, and I knew it was the best
I hit mad spots, many crews got dropped
While I was getting props niggas was dealing on the block
Staying in crib on the weekends
'Cause was Marley Marl was freakin
The cuts Mr. Magic was speaking
That's how I got my first taste, making tapes
'Til the rhyme skill was great and my style would escalate
Practice made my perfect tactics
Now my dap gets clap, 'cause I'm the rap snap fanatic
But now in nine-trey I got the T-Ray track
And my trunks, my roots are growing styles from way back

"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"

I flash back to fat Kangol hats with plastic
Back when stepping on kicks in eighty-six got your ass kicked
Bombers and sheepskins, were common when I first started rhyming
Still I found time to go bombing
Me and my pals rocked Cazals with no glass
Dark flavored Clarks, Lee Denims off the ass
Back when Mr. Magic had it going all the way on
The beef with BDP added flavor like a crayon
Indeed MCs would represent with the skills
But now in ninety-three a lot of them can get the dillz
It seems like a little something missing in the mix
But now I got a deal, so it's up to me to fix
When niggas put me up on, with funky raps to cut on
Word is bond, if I hear another wack rap song
I might snap and it's an actual fact
That I'mma kick it like that 'cause this is strictly 'bout the way back

"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all
It's like that tha tha-that, it's like that y'all"
"It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all
It's like that tha tha-that, it's like that y'all"

Aww man, damn, way back things was kinda fat
Had the Godfather knot, a Starter hat, things are kinda wack now
Packed up, my cardboard and stepped away
I didn't have a choice, the culture was slayed
Graffiti had died, and things were dissapearing
The West coast was here and all these wack beats appearing
DJs were breaking down record store doors
To get the Biz Dance and the Chante Moore's
Peace to Buck Four, Rocksteady on the floor
New York and Dynamic crews plus many more
Remember the time when you didn't pack a nine
Niggas just came to hear some funky ass rhymes
But all of that's over 'cause brothers wanna act up
No clubs to go to, they'll just pack rap up
That's how the media wants it to stop
So peep the first and last showing of Graffiti Rock
So check it, the brothers wanna wreck it
To get what's expected, 'cause hip-hop should be respect
Gotta get it back to get it on track
Artifacts kicking styles illy on the way back

Like back when my Timberlands were only size sixes
I used to take pictures shooting spitballs at bitches
Cross New Jersey Transit just to see a rapper kick it
But now I ain't with it 'cause niggas just ain't worth the ticket
Shit man, I remember jams that were slamming
Getting me and my man in was harder than backgammon
DJs would scratch back to back on boom baps
And rappers with real raps could drop shit real fat
But now kid, as I recollect, rappers out who caught wreck
Respected, just got stuck up in my tape deck
Real deal hip-hop, when Biz used to flip-flop
His fat ass, on stage'd do a dance in busted Reeboks
Niggas must've forgot when real rhymes was hot
'Cause now if you ain't gold you ain't got no props
But fuck that, I'm above that, I don't play that
The Artifacts staff drops math about the way back

"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Going way back, way back, way back"
"Back in Back in the days"

"It's a demo..."
"Back in Back in the days"
"You gots to chill..."
"Back in Back in the days"
"South Bronx"
"To the to the Bridge"
'South Bronx"
"Back in Back in the days"
"Jimbrowski... that's what it is"
"Back in Back in the days"
"It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all
It's like that tha tha-that, it's like that y'all"
"It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all
It's like that tha tha-that, it's like that y'all"
"It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all
It's like that tha tha-that, it's like that y'all"
"It's like that y'all, it's like that y'all
It's like that tha tha-that, it's like that y'all"