Self Sufficient

(Cause it's better to have money and not to need it

than to need it and not to have it

and there's a good place in this world for money, yes sirie

and I know where it is, it's right here in my pocket

- Hey, gimme some

- You're talkin' just like a pimp

...

- Answer him, answer him

- I don't get mad at people like that

You know why? Cause he's a revolutionary)

[VERSE 1: Key-Kool (patterned after Ice Cube's "Gangsta Gangsta" verse)]

Here's a little somethin' 'bout a MC like me

Dropped "Kosmonauts" and "Galleries" independently

Key-Kool, I likes to say

That I'm a fresh lyricist from around the way

Since I was a youth, a straight b-boy

Now I'm takin' out all the sucker decoys

Flippin' a rhyme or two, that's what the hell I do

You don't like how I'm livin', well ( *scratch* ) you

This is hip-hop and I'm in it

My man Rhett will cut you up in a minute

With a cut, stab [?] so (funky)

And then he blames his crew the Beat Junkies

Everywhere we go they say (damn)

Visionaries is [scratch] up the program

And then you realize that we all care

For those who just don't know we're throwin' V's in the air

And keep makin' straight up (sh...)

Does it look like I have to make a hit?

To a major label that wanna sign me

Rap ain't nothin' but a way to make money

But I'm the type of MC that's built to last

If you wanna pimp me I put my foot in your ass

See, I don't give a [scratch] how many records you're sellin'

Yo, what the [scratch] are they yellin?

Make money money, make money money money

Make money money, make money money money

[Rhettmatic cuts up]

[D-Nice] (Self sufficient, independent)

[KRS-One] (It's not about) (reality)

(It's all about) (a salary)

(Self sufficient, independent)

[Erick Sermon] (I just get down and I go for mine)

(Self sufficient, independent)

[Rakim] (But now I learn to earn cause I'm righteous)

(Self sufficient, independent)

[VERSE 2: Key-Kool]

Just like King Midas, as I was told

In this rappin' Olympics fools are rushin' for gold

With or without cold, better change your mold

Tryin' to be down with dough on the yellow brick road

Wizard of Oz complex is goin' for the riches

No heart, no brain, cowardly loss to the bitches

Too weak to lead, so they're followin'

Week-kneed MC's now only suck to swallowin'

Fallin' in the trap of big money crap

The only real big baller who started rappin' is Shaq

They act large but it's evident

You only make minimum percent unless you're the president

I'm on self-empowerment, so others'll pay me rent

And I can control my artistic intentions

Make investments, count all my blessings

See the Age of Aquarius, a fifth dimension

Comprehension like Babu

Dynamic like the Duo, it's the two you know

Key-Kool and Rhettmatic always come well equipped

And like a club in Manila we'll make your whole party flip

[Rhettmatic cuts up]

[D-Nice] (Self sufficient, independent)

[KRS-One] (It's not about) (reality)

(It's all about) (a salary)

(Self sufficient, independent)

[Erick Sermon] (I just get down and I go for mine)

(Self sufficient, independent)

[Rakim] (But now I learn to earn cause I'm righteous)

(Self sufficient, independent)

[D-Nice] (The rap race will be lost without a trace)

(Self sufficient, independent)