Hope Lyrics - Chrisette Michele

[Intro: Chrisette Michele] 

Hip-Hop - it will never die 

Hip-Hop - Hip-Hop will never, never die 

[Verse 1: Nas] 

Ghetto niggaz struttin' with nothin' but dreams and Queens broke 

Mack-10's, you can smell the PCP smoke 

Mele Mel told it real in the music he wrote 

Those were the days I remember 

We used to be close, then I was nine, coldest winter I remember 

Was slippin' in December, two feet of snow 

Yeah, that's the East Coast, that black ice 

Symbolized the rap life 

It was slick and smooth 

I understood I had to come from the hood 

Doin' the Pee Wee Herman, the Smurf 

Before them phones chirped 

The block's drugs flowin', didn't have your own work 

You had to have somebody else's, a small chrome on your pelvis 

Starter Jacket, Blue Georgetown or Green Celtic 

Your girl's too expensive, she wants shellfish 

Red Lobster was poppin', standin' on that line forever 

I wish somebody would step on my Bally leather's 

Now it's whatever... hip-hop's forever 

Kept my radio on 98 or BLS 

Had a pre-pubescent lyric gift but niggaz never hear me spit 

My little brother tried to warn 'em, I was a tornado comin' 

He knew from inside, like the eye of a storm 

And told my pops about it 

He gave us tickets to that Wild Style flick 

Double Trouble, retarded, we was the proudest 

I never had a summer job 

Sweepin' leaves, socks to my knees 

Homemade shorts cutoff, Lee's 

I ain't work a day in my life 

Wipin' away eraser of the paper man 

I'm just tryin' to say it right 

Big radio, tape slowin' down 

Lower the lights go, battery dead 

I gotta freeze 'em 'til they ice cold 

In the freezer later, I'm starin' at the speaker 

Sunk in them 808's deeper, cleanin' my sneakers 

Wit the bristles of a toothbrush, soap and water 

I let the shoe strings soak in water... 

[Chorus is sung over Nas outro] 

[Chorus: Chrisette Michele] 

Live hip-hop live, live hip-hop live 

Give hip-hop give, give hip-hop give 

Stay hip-hop stay, stay hip-hop stay 

I pray, hip-hop pray, I pray hip-hop stays 

[Outro: Nas] 

Ain't got nothin' to do wit old school, new school 

Dirty South, West Coast, East Coast 

This about us, this our thing, 'knaw'sayin'? 

This came from the gut, from the blood, from the soul 

Right here man, this is our thing man 

You know, so I say what I say 

And I say what I say, and I mean it 

Y'all take it how you wanna take it 

'Cause if you're askin' - Why is hip-hop dead? 

It's a pretty good chance you're the reason it died, man 

It's a pretty good chance your lame ass, corny ass, is the reason it died, man 

You don't give a fuck about, you don't know nothin' about it 

You want this paper, be a hustler 

You a hustler, you ain't a rapper 

Get your paper man 

You know what I'm sayin, but this rap shit is real 

Bitch, this shit is real, bitch, ha-ha 

[Chorus: Chrisette Michele] 

Live hip-hop live, (Stay) live hip-hop live 

Give hip-hop give, give hip-hop give 

Stay hip-hop stay, (Live) stay hip-hop stay (Live) 

I pray, hip-hop pray, I pray hip-hop stays 

Live hip-hop live, (Stay) live hip-hop live 

Give hip-hop give, give hip-hop give 

Stay hip-hop stay, stay hip-hop stay 

I pray, hip-hop pray, I pray hip-hop stays