No Gimmicks Lyrics - Lord Finesse

[ krs-one ] 

Lord finesse and blastmaster krs-one 

Lyrical styles weigh a ton 

Lord finesse, we know you got skills 

Come into the cypher and build 

Chill out, all mc I kill 

Come down 

[ verse 1: lord finesse ] 

Check it out, come on, here's your chance to swing 

With some ill muthafuckas, we don't dance and sing 

In '95 we out-jinglin 

Servin 'poetic justice' without that nigga john singleton 

I do my thing while the fans be jealin 

Hey yo, I'm so dope, you better tap your man and tell him 

I don't fake moves, I scrape crews, I make brothers break fool 

Just give me a beat with a bass groove 

I'm mad funky, ask the experts 

Cause I make you bob your head until your muthafuckin neck hurt 

So don't ask me to match, gee 

Cause if you ain't real, I'm bringin it to your face like acne 

Now rappers run scams and flim-flams 

On how they be gettin loose when they rusty like a tin man 

They rap fast, tryin to stack cash 

But on the reel to reel, yo, they still soundin half-assed 

Yellin and screamin like they got somethin 

When they don't got nothin, so them niggas need to stop frontin 

Talkin how they be raggin shit 

When I don't know if them niggas are rappin or talkin muthafuckin arabic 

They act so ill, they no frills 

They should go chill, they all mouth with no skills 

When I'm around y'all feel funny 

Cause I'm young makin funds like shaquille o'neal, money 

You want any drama? you better wear plenty armor 

I cut that ass like the chef at benny harner's 

The funky man's in it to win it 

We gotta keep it real yo, no muthafuckin gimmicks 

Whoever make a hit they the best (that's a gimmick) 

You sell records based on how you dress (that's a gimmick) 

Hey yo, that tongue-twistin shit, that's kinda fresh (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you're soft but you're frontin like you're stressed? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you're only into rap to get paid? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you're yellin and screamin up on stage? (that's a gimmick) 

When your career is numbered by days? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when your lyrical style is just a faze? (that's a gimmick) 

[ verse 2: krs-one ] 

I guess yes y'all, to the beat y'all, bring in the street 

Let me put my beeper on 'vibrate', so won't hear it beep 

Representin the street, concrete what I speak, yeah, I live it 

Let it be known, krs is not about a gimmick 

I grab the mic and rip it, meanwhile they stallin 

I raise the mic stand, because I'm tall and I keep the crowd callin 

I'm not like those other rappers talkin about the caps they peel 

Punk, I battle mc's for real 

Fuck a record deal when you're still into hip-hoppin 

With your country ass, sound like you're still pickin cotton 

You get thrown across the room in that direction, listen 

The lyrical teacher's not the one you should be checkin 

This is my eara, or era or eera, whatever, I'm mad clever 

I shoop, you doop, you doop like salt-n-pepa 

Lyrical terror, you should never ever come for mine 

When I rhyme I clean up mc's with the fresh smell of pine 

I got skills, and it shows 

You could slow or speed up the tempo, your style is fake like janet jackson's nose 

I'm sellin that real live shit, and you could get hurt 

You're sellin that fake shit like the home shopping network 

You got a lotta rhymes to battle in a second 

But frankly the bottom line is: where's your hit record? 

You claim I'm jockin, you claim I'm on your dick, where's your witness? 

If I'm on your dick, my name has got to be syphilis 

I come with lyrical physical fitness 

Two months from now you will have bit this 

Watch me light that ass up like christmas 

Don't let me come out on that ass 

Start flippin the lyrics I be kickin 

Be hotter than curry chicken 

So whether from the east or from the west 

There's no other krs 

I got force 

I came to your town to set it off 

So when finesse goes 'hit it' 

I'll never mimick 

Krs-one could never use a gimmick 

When you're ridin the next rapper's dick (that's a gimmick) 

When you're r&b, and then you cold flip (that's a gimmick) 

Start rhymin hardcore just to get a hit (that's a gimmick) 

When yout get over, but your skills ain't shit (that's a gimmick) 

When you rap, but you don't have soul (that's a gimmick) 

When you cross over just to go gold (that's a gimmick) 

When you're not a gangster, but portrayin a role (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you shape in somebody else's mould? (that's a gimmick) 

[ verse 3: lord finesse ] 

Man your station, cause the clan you're facin 

Is steppin to you trash muthafuckas like sanitatian 

I shoot and throw rhymes, the whole nine when it's showtime 

(what up, kid? ) brothers know I can hold mine 

On the real I got rhymes skills 

When the time's ill I'm blowin up spots like a minefield 

Brothers front with they chest out 

But words from finesse's mouth'll leave them niggas stressed out 

They make me sick to my stomach 

(so put it on em, kid!) them muthafuckas don't want it 

They can't see me, believe me 

They all phoneys, like them niggas that be wrestlin on tv 

Yo, they're nowhere near pro 

And niggas couldn't hang if they was muthafuckin scarecrows 

Nowadays a lotta rappers sound fake 

Talkin that gangster shit, when they're softer than a poundcake 

So why you're frontin with the burner, kid 

When you done took more ass-whippins than fuckin tina turner did 

You wanna front? so be it 

But fuck beatin around the bush, I just speak how I see it 

Me fall off? that shit's dead 

That's not happenin, kid, so get that shit through your thick head 

I'll never sellout (what? ) you head right 

I'll never cross over (aight!) word life 

So when I said it, peep the method 

If I never go gold but get credit, I won't sweat it 

In '95 we all in it 

We gotta keep it real, yo, no muthafuckin gimmicks 

What's when you rap and don't appreciate the art? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you sell out just to get a start? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you make bullshit just for the charts? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you rap, but it's not from the heart? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you're hardcore, then you turn pop? (that's a gimmick) 

When you steal ideas to get props? (that's a gimmick) 

When you sell out to be on top? (that's a gimmick) 

What's when you front like you're hard, but you're not? (that's a gimmick) 

[ krs-one ] 

Now let this be a lesson to all mc's 

And dj's 

Anyone that come across the line will have to pay 

Real hip hop is in effect 

Real hip-hop is in effect 

Real hip-hop is in effect 

Give it respect 

We catch wreck