The Lesson: Timeless Lyrics

Boogie Down Productions // I'm Still #1 (1988)



Earlier this week, I'm riding home from the gig with a friend of mind. We're talking about whatever, and the radio is playing. But the music on the radio is just background noise. Next thing we know, either a Lil wayne song or a songe featuring lil wayne comes on. That shit just disrupted the whole conversation. I didnt say anything. But my guy Rodney, without even taking his eyes off the road, reached into the pocket of the door and pulls out a cd. It didnt matter what cd it was. Anything was better than listening to this shit. Slides in the disk. First cut.... Eric B & Rakim - I aint no joke. Heads automatically bob and we continue our conversation. Next cut comes on..... I'm still #1. All i had to hear was the horns in the intro. Our conversation switched from talking about work to reciting these lyrics. The somewhere in the middle of the song, it hit me. This shit is still relevant today. How is it that KRS wrote a song 20 years ago thats still relevant today??? All I could say was WOW. So what were talking about here is timeless lyrics.

Heres a few standouts from this song:

"I'm the original teacher of this type of style
Rockin' off-beat with a smile
or smirk or chuckle, yes some are not up to
BDP Posse so I love to
step in the jam and slam
I'm not Superman, because anybody can
or should be able to rock off turntables
Grab the mic, plug it in and begin
But here's where the problem starts, no heart
Because of that a lot of groups fell apart"

"You know what you need to learn?
Old School artists don't always burn
You're just another rapper who's had his turn
Now it's my turn, and I am concerned
about idiots posing as kings
What are we here to rule?
I thought we were supposed to sing
And if we oughta sing, then let us begin to teach
Many of you are educated, open your mouth and speak"

"KRS-One is something like a total renegade
except I don't steal, I rhyme to get paid
Airplanes flyin', overseas people dyin'
Politicians lyin', I'm tryin'
not to escape, but hit the problem head-on
by bringin' out the truth in a song"

And my favorite line in this song:

"Rap is still an art, and no-one's from the Old School
cuz Rap is still a brand-new tool
I say no-one's from the Old School cuz Rap on a whole
isn't even twenty years old
Fifty years down the line, you can start this
cuz we'll be the Old School artists
And even in that time, I'll say a rhyme
A brand-new style, ruthless and wild
Runnin' around spendin' money, havin' fun
cuz even then, I'm still number one."

I swear KRS is trying to live up to the "50 years down the line" thing. But the whole point is.... be timeless. You almost have to be a prophet when you get on the mic. Say something thats gone messe my head up when i hear it again 10 years later....... 15 years later.... 20 years later.