Lyrics of 'Hip Hop Tribute' by Raekwon The Chef

[sample from "Can it Be All So Simple": sample (Raekwon)]
Hey you know everybody's talkin bout the good ol' days, right?
(Yeah) E-everybody, everybody, the good ol' days, good ol' days
(The good ol' days.. the good ol' days)
Well.. Let's talk about them (Let's talk about them xxxxx now, knowImean?)

[Chorus: sample]
I love you so.. never gonna let you go baby
I love you so.. never gonna let you go baby

[Intro: Polite (Stumic)]
Ice Water.. (yeah dedication
to my niggaz, I love y'all)

[Stumic]
I remember back when, a nigga first started rapping
Wu-Tang was the main attraction
Rae and Ghost was the illest team
Deck did his thing on C.R.E.A.M.
Meth made you wanna smoke weed
Dirt and Uey, spit with SWV
I used to rock Cuban Linx and go and double my cheese
Duckin' the D's, RZA was the Prince Rakeem
So peace to the whole Clan and thanks for everything

[Cigars]
Yo, it's hip hop/rap, let's take it back, 1986
When MC Shan, Marley Marl, niggaz rocked the bridge
I watched video hot tracks on T.V.
Kool Moe Dee, Big Daddy Kane, down to Biz Markie
Remember UTFO and The Real Roxanne?
"Eric B. For President" was a classic jam
KRS repped the Bronx, Boogie Down, rap battles threw down
From the roof top to Polo Grounds
I had the big boom box, thumping Scott LaRock
Hip hop was hot, had shorties doing the wop
And my niggaz used to break dance to Planet Rock
From doing the pop, spinning on the cardboard box

[Polite]
Aiyo, it seems it's all good, but the block is mean
It's like, hip hop, showed me how to rock my jeans
If it wasn't for this rap game, where would I be?
Gunned down, dead in the streets, or locked in the beast
Yo, when Big died, that's the day the world cried
Peace to Pac and Pun, Aaliyah, we ride
Yo, I wanna take this rap game back to the beginning
Where Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay was spinning
Yo, it wasn't easy, niggas had a harder way
Doc The Roc, he spinning on Harbor's day
It's like, hip hop, showed me how to live my life
My name's Jason, but hip hop named me Lite

[Chorus]

[Raekwon]
Straight money, get a live lad
Young seed, color it bad
My wallabees red, the lobby, we graph it
Sell it, had smoke with caves on
Brushin' my way, hide behind wave picture, fly away sensation
Blast takers, be gooses, mad loose, come in the booth
Doug E. Fresh and 'em, Rick and them suits
The raw lotto years, switch up the emblem
More color bottles, gold on a nigga neck
Slidin' around cop Gallo
What? Playin' Union Square
Chillin' with you and who care
My first fade, picture me scared
I bet a high life, and anarchy, can't rob me, all in the train
The 8th baby boy, blowin' on yard weed
R.C. Tone, K-Pin, J-Bosh
The nigga Rosh, Buddha Rob, Black Chavy and Marsh
Move on, I shout yesterday's dons, God love and respect
I hope the dreams come true, word is bond

[P.C.]
When niggaz used to be in cyphers I was sittin in the back
Never said nothin, I just used to listen to rap
Wu was still tryin to get on the map
I was a youngin when I realized that I had a mission in rap
So I grabbed my pen and my pad, gave it everything that I had
I swear I used to sit in the lab
and write all night, niggaz used to make me hype
Freestylin in the mirror with a brush as my mic

[Rhyme Recka]
This is my music, it made me, taught me, raised me
Held me down, 24/7, when I need it from it it gave me
Put me on to the latest gear, put a durag on my hair
Throwback or baseball cap, Air 1's, Triple 5 Vex on my back
This is now but I still remember way back when
When we used to rock Puma's, Gazelles and back spin
Before 106 & Park, they used to throw jams in the park
Cheeba got sparked after dark, twisted in bamboo paper
That was when that battle between KRS-One and MC Shan was major
Kane was raw, what Rakim said on beat was never said before
The streets was hot, on every ghetto and every block
And every radio you walked by was blastin off that real hip hop {*echoes*}

[Chorus]

[movie sample from Casino performed by Joe Pesci]
If you don't have my money for me
I'll crack your xxxxxx head wide open in front of everybody in the bank
And just about the time that I'm comin out of jail
Hopefully, you'll be comin out of your coma
And guess what?
I'll split ya xxxxxx head open again
Cuz I'm xxxxxx stupid