Rising To The Top Lyrics - Hip-hop Lives - Krs One

[Incomprehensible] to you super listeners how you doing tonight? 

All you fly guys and fly girls 

Welcome once again to the world famous 

Mister Magic Rap Attack and of course I am [Incomprehensible] 

Way way back before the 'Hots' and the 'Powers' 

We used to listen to live mixin' for hours 

Roxanne Shanté, U.T.F.O. 

Mister Magic Rap Attack some of y'all know 

But I was in the shelter in weakness 

Homeless, turntableless and microphoneless 

Fresh gearless but still I was fearless 

And focused on being the dopest MC alive 

It's '85, LL's on Def Jam with the best jam 

And Whodini's on Jive, man you know I had to survive 

New York City was crazy in the 80's but damn it was live 

So here comes the Juice Crew with MC Shan 

Shanté's already the queen, Marley's already the man 

Y'all don't really understand 

When you throw on Shanté or Shan it got live in the jam 

So we went to Mister Magic 

If anybody had to power to put you on he had it 

We gave up the demo tape no love lost 

But it seems Mister Magic just brushed us off 

Somehow we heard we were whack 

Every track, and that we shouldn't even call back 

Right there my jaw dropped, no doubt 

But it made me see what I was all about 

And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got 

I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got 

We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got 

We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got 

In the spot new hip hop and Latin Quarters 

And the Union Square and the rooftop 

We used to hear them tunes pop in the parking lot 

Where it got dark a lot me and Scott La Rock 

But it was all for the hip hoppers 

Salt-N-Pepa answered Doug E Fresh with 'The Show Stoppa' 

MC Shan was gonna challenge LL 

Shanté was battling 3 or 4 groups at the same time what the hell 

Answer records were big then after Shanté did it 

Everybody was trying to spit them so we spit off 

To tell you the truth it was the only way an MC could get on 

We answered MC Shan's 'Queensbridge' 

A dope jam about where he was from and where he lived 

But in the Bronx there was these kids 

KRS, Scott La Rock trying to live 

And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got 

I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got 

We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got 

We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go 

Give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got 

This it what an MC was we had a strong street buzz 

Marley and Shan showed us some love and love never hurt 

'Cause while Shan was with Marley we was with DJ Red Alert 

Every Friday night, every Saturday night 

On the airwaves the battle was right 

Under New York nights, smog and lights 

Jargon at night the Roxy used to get so hype 

You could put on your headset 

And get what heads didn't get yet 

Live MCs going, "Check, check" 

Spitin' rhymes over the radio set 

These are the days and the ways I can never forget 

So I don't forget it to Marley and Shan I am indebted 

For the start of my career these guys could take credit 

For my rappin', the whole battle they let it all happen 

Marley and Shan and Shanté could have been gun strapping cousin 

But they wasn't and you know why 

'Cause we was on some real hip hop let's keep it buzzing