Ital (The Universal Side) - The Roots, Q-Tip

I wanna be able to reach an mc and reach a little child in the same degree

And my elders excel

I mean what the hell

we might as well bridge these gaps

in all before we fall in the fire

Black Thought:

It’s a million mc’s upon a plan they call real tryin’to set it profess mic techniques illegit

inaccurate perceptions of reality embedded

in their minds thus their rhymes are discredited (check it out)

Q-Tip:

I use my music implemented with jewels import tools

to inspire all those too cool fools who say screw school

'Cause they don’t see the conspiracy

that’s put here to trap you and me Black Thought:

Y’all know the battle leutenant be on some whole 'nother other finesse genetic

they say I get it from my mother so its’inheredit-

ary and very necessary to shine

legendarily, heavily refined

Q-Tip:

Contemporaries like the Roots is so radit’s like dage

which bag did they come out of, and how can I get in itto win it like raffle ticket pick

and if you feelin’something, guess who gets the sticking

Black Thought:

I got this Ital mad up close and personal

the first I find to violate, I shall retal-

iate with realisms for their whole local

we on point like decimal Abstract now

Q-Tip:

MCin while I’m breathingmcin is believing

that you can host a ceremony and the dough is never phony

in fact, it’s very therapeutic

like B12 hyperdermic needle so shoot it Black Thought:

Lyrically elicit upstarts the explicit

most wicked seven digit mic wizardmy tongue lashes out and strikes with it just slightly might miss it when I blast through your section or district

Verse Two: Black Thought

In my formitive by my peers I was influenced

until the instruments of time killed the congruence

I peeped the blue prints on how to make true sense

of MC’s which are a nuisance I know just what to do sinceI’m on another lev.

brothers is fakin’jacks and think they ready for the rev.

but they got a lot to learn, to make theri thoughts long term

'cause on theri short-cuts they made a wrong turn

probably, timelessly I construct the firesome

to rip your eardrum for many years to come

professional style thinkin’rational to move wise

so hard it’s a wonder y’all alive…

Q-Tip:

…And still breathin', niggaz is dead and not even

perpetuatin’real life the shit kicked is real trife ayo they fake bleedin'

It’s obvious that they needin’attention feedin'

they cold actin’like heathens

when mics is picked up MC’s scenes is kicked up like women with the gripper drinking Moet 'till they hiccup

fellas hustlin’picking bricks up fantasizin’about the illest stick up but rip up the jam and we be truly impressed

on stage you won’t need your tef.

vest

only a mic with and a mic test

and at your best you get blessed by the fans who profess

that they can relate

with the trials you tribulate

or the pains you endure

'cause some cats is pure

tell horors that are true but see cats like you

y’all fake joints just tyo get a woo-woo

the tear jerker

you be that miracle worker

whose miracle just ran out

I think it’s time you pan out

or just plain fade, 'cause yo you played

we 'bout to drop on you like the Everglades