Old School

Here we go, we gonna send this one out to the old school.
All these mother fuckers in the Bronx and Brooklyn, Staten Island,
Queens and all the mother fuckers that laid down the foundation.
You know what I'm sayin'? Nothin' but love for the old school.
That's who we gonna do this one for, you feel me?

 
What more can I say? I wouldn't be here today,
if the old school didn't pave the way.

 
I remember Mr. Magic Flash, Grand Master Cash,
L.L. raisin' hell but it didn't last.
Eric B. and Rakim was the shit to me.
I'd flip to see a Doug E. Fresh show with Rickie G.
and Red Alert was puttin' in work, 
and Chuck Chill had my homies on the hill 
gettin' ill, when shit was real. 
Well I can still remember Raw with Daddy Cain,
when De La Soul was puttin' potholes in the game.
I can't explain how it was,
Whodini had me puffin' on that buddha gettin' buzzed.
'Cause there I was.
Them block parties in the projects and on my block 
and tic you don't stop sippin' on that private stock. 
And through my speakers Queen Latifah and MC Lyte
Listen to Treach and KRS to get me through the night.
With Te La Rock and Madtronics with Stetsasonic, 
remember Push? It was the bomb shit.
Ain't nothin' like the old school.

What more can I say? I wouldn't be here today,
if the old school didn't pave the way.

I had Shell toes and BVD's.
A killa preacha shot my Lees when I hit the streets.
I'm playin' Skelly, Ring-a-Levio and catch a kiss.
Before the homies in my hood learned to smack a bitch. 
I remember, way back the weak weed they had, 
too many seeds in the trade bag. 
I'm on a train headin' uptown freestylin'
with some wild kids from Bucktown, Profilin'
'cause the hoochies were starin', checkin' what a nigga's wearin' 
I'm wonderin' if that's her hair, 
I remember stick ball, humpin' hoochies on the wall,
I'm takin' leaks up on the steps stinkin' up the hall.
Through my childhood, wild as a juvenile.
A young nigga trying to stay away from Riker's Isle.
Me and my homies breakin' ice tryin' to keep it true.
Out on the roof sippin' 90 proof.
Ain't nothin' like the old school.

What more can I say? I wouldn't be here today,
if the old school didn't pave the way.

Remember Poppin and Lockin and Curtis Blow, 
The Daybelts, and Skat la Rock the super hole back in latin corners.  
When Slick Rick was spittin' Lodi Dodi, 
gaming the hoochies at the neighborhood block parties.
I remember breakdancin' to Mel E Mel,
Jeckyl and Hyde, L.L. when he rocked da bells.
Forget the T.V I'd rather hit the streets and do grafitti.
Be careful, don't let the transit cops see me,
It ain't nothin' like the old school.
It ain't nothin' like the old school.

What more can I say? I wouldn't be here today,
if the old school didn't pave the way.

Remember seein' Brooklyn go crazy up in the mother fuckin' party?
Remember MothaFukas used to go "Is Brooklyn in the house?"
and mother fuckers would lose they god damn minds.
That's the old school to me.
"Super Rob"
Thats what I'm sayin'.
I remember goin' places and mother fuckers was scared
to say they was from anywhere but brooklyn.
That shit was the bomb back in the mother fuckin' old school nigga,
Remember Skelly niggas knockin niggaz out the box,
popin' boxes,
"My Adidias"
Remember stick ball, remember niggas used to run that shit like that?
"L.L. Cool J. is hard as hell"
Remember screamin' up at your moms from the window?
The ice cream trucks, Remember all the Italian Icees?
Yo, remember the Italian Icees the spanish niggas comin'
down with the coconut icees and shit? 
"I came through the door, said it before."
That was the shit!



Transcription 1995 by Jim Moore for Relativity Labs.
Written by Tupac Shakur.
Copyright 1995 Interscope Records. All Rights Reserved.
Used without permisson.