Rap For[med] Me (RealLate)

Alex Dionisio

(samples “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones and “Real Love” by The Beatles)

[Lyrics]
Back before Eminem was Slim Shady
This is how the kids would get crazy
After Kool Herc made the first loops out of breakbeats from the vinyl
Then Bam and Flash hit those park jams, it was so exciting
Inciting emcees to come and riff along
Even dancers and the taggers would get it on
See they’d have been fighting, gangbanging
Instead they’re hanging, slanging phrases to great hits
Amidst the creativity, it demonstrated how to get down without the help of paperchasers
Until the major players did come around
It was at this point that the game had caught the industry bug, to get plugged
As it was, over the next twenty to thirty years
There was some copying but still lyrics in your ear
Seems 2015 to 2020, real hip-hop went underground and left the city, pity
I reminisce over Cold Crush, Treacherous Three, Spoonie Gee
Busy Bee, BDP, Kool Moe Dee, Run DMC, Juice Crew
Right there is no exhaustive list
All the old emcees taught me this, precious
Now I only support those with merit
Who’s got the MPC like Dilla on some tear shit?
Who knows how to scare parents ’til their hairs split at their ends?
I wouldn’t be here without the old school
So I thought it only fitting to make an ode to you and include some new dudes that I just met
Oracle, Cap Jones on some tough shit
Holy Ghost, Shaya Rhymes on some other shit
Evolucian, DayEXSO, that’s some across the pond ish
To be honest maybe the rest don’t show love to me
‘cause they don’t want to feel like they owe stuff to me
But look, you paid me back and then some
‘cause you used your true gifts and did something
And not something like work for a corporation
I’m talking making some fresh soul exploration