Hard Times
Hard times! Spreading just like the flu
Watch out, homeboy, don't let it catch you
Prices go up, don't let your pocket go down
When you got short money you're stuck on the ground
Turn around, get ready, keep your eye on the clock
And be on point for the future shock
Hard times [2x]
Hard times are coming to your town
So stay alert, don't let them get you down
They tell you times are tough, you hear that times are hard
But when you work for that ace you know you pulled the right card
Hard times got our pockets all in chains
I'll tell you what, homeboy, it don't have my brain
All day I have to work at my peak
Because I need that dollar every day of the week
Hard times
Hard times can take you on a natural trip
So keep your balance, and don't you slip
Hard times is nothing new on me,
I'm gonna use my strong mentality
Like the cream of the crop, like the crop of the cream
Beating hard times, that is my dream
Hard times in life, hard times in death,
I'm gonna keep on fighting till my very last breath
Hard times [6x]
Rock Box
Run DMC, live for you, fresh
To all you sucker MCs perpetrating a fraud
Your rhymes are cold wack, keep the crowd cold bored
You're the kind of guy that girls ignore
I'm driving a Caddy, you're fixing a Ford
My name is Joseph Simmons but my middle name is Lord
And when I'm rockin on the mic you should all applaud
Because we're wheelin, dealin, we got a funny feelin
We rock from the floor up to the ceiling
We're groovin, you're movin, it has been proven
We calm the savage beast because our music is soothin'
We create it, relate it, and often demonstrate it
We dis the sucker MC, make the others suckers hate it
We're rising, surprising, and often hypnotizing
We always tell the truth, and we never slip no lies in
No curls no braids peasy head and still get paid
Jam-Master cuts the records up and down the cross fade
Because the rhymes I say, sharp as a nail
Witty as can be, and not for sale
Always funky fresh could never be stale
Took a test to become an MC and didn't fail
I couldn't wait to demonstrate
All the super def rhymes that I create
I'm a wizard of the word, that’s what you heard
And anything else is quite absurd
I'm a master of the mic, that’s what I say
And if I didn't say that, just say it anyway
Bust into the party, cover the place
See the first thing that comes, is the music in your face
Girls on the wall, some on the floor
With the DJ named Jay with the cuts galore
So listen to this, because it can't be missed
And you can't leave til you're dismissed
You can do anything that you want to
But you can't leave until we're through
So relax your body and your mind
And listen to us say this rhyme, Hey
You might think that you have waited
Long enough till the rhyme was stated
But if it were a test it would be graded
With a grade that's not debated
Nothing to deep, and nothing dense
And all our rhymes make a lot of sense
So move your butt to the cut
Run amok, you're not in a rut
Each and everybody out there we got the notion
And we want to see y'all in motion
Just shake, wiggle, jump up and down
Move your body to the funky sound
Side to side, back and forth
We're the two MCs and we gonna go off
Stand in place, walk or run
Tap your feet, you'll be on the one
Just snap your fingers and clap your hands
Our DJs better than all these bands...huh
[This verse only appears in the Vocal Dub version of Rock Box]
It's the movement of your body when you're inside a party
Tryin to do a dance just like everybody
You keep the pep in your step
Inside of your heart is where its kept
It's the movement of your feet when you hear def beats
Silence so sweet, harmony is so neat
It's the movement of the head when a rhyme is said
That I rock the livin' dead, I get you out your bed
It's the movement of you arms, to a beat that's charred
We're checkin and respectin cause it's never hard
It's the movement of your jock when he rocks the block
Ill sucker def beats all around the block
It's the movement of the 'table when it starts to spin
Round and round, and back again
Huh...!
We got all the lines, and all the rhymes
We don't drive dimes, and we don't do crimes
We bake a little cake with Duncan Hines
And never wear those pants they're callin' Calvin Klein
Cause Calvin Klein's no friend of mine
Don't want nobody's name on my behind
It's Lee on my leg, sneakers on my feet
D by my side, and Jay with the beat
...Jay...Run...
We don't...Jay...
Bun...Two...Tee...Run...
Hollis Crew...
But...
Cortina...
Ha...
My man Jam-Master...And his place to be...
Jay...The big beat blaster...
Waited...
Straight off the ground...All the way live...
Remember, you don't stop...beat...
Run rocks it well...With the clientele...
Krush Groove...
Young ladies in place...with base...with the high space...
So let 'em...
Homeboy...
Now we're talkin autographs...
Homegirl...
Autographs...
Fly Girl...In place...
Homeboy...
High Street...
Fun...
Sing...
Jam-Master Jay
Kick off shoes, jump on the jock
Listen to the Jam Master as he starts to rock
His name is Jay and he's on his way
To be the best DJ in the US of A
J-a-y are the letters of his name
Cutting and scratching are the aspects of his game
So check out the Master as he cuts these jams
And look at us with the mics in our hands
Then take a count, 1-2-3
Jam Master Jay, Run-D.M.C.
He's Jam Master Jay, the big beat blaster
He gets better cause he knows he has to
In '84 he'll be a little faster
And only practice makes a real Jam Master
We're live as can be, not singing the blues
I got to tell you all the good news
The good news is there is a crew
Not 5, not 4, not 3, just 2
2 MC's who are claim the fame
And all other things won't be the same
'Cause it's about time for a brand new group
Run-DMC will put you up on the scoop
We make the fly girls scream in ecstasy
We rock the freshest rhymes at a party
We put all the fellas in a daze
It's everyone that we amaze
And we got the master of a disco scratch
There's not a break that he can't catch
Jam Master Jay that is his name
And all wild DJ's he will tame
Behind the turntables is where he stands
Then there is the movement of his hands
So when asked who's the best, y'all should say:
"Run-D.M.C. and Jam Master Jay"
Jam Master Jay is the one in charge
It's up to him to rock beats that are truly large
He is the master of the scratch and cut
So move your arms, so move your legs
So won't you move your butt
We're not talking ground, we're not talking sky
We're not talking low, we're not talking high
We're not talking big, we're not talking small
We want all of the people on off the wall
We're not talking night, we're not talking day
But we're talking bout Jam Master Jay
Hollis Crew [Krush-Groove 2]
Sucker MC's who did not learn
If you don't this time, we shall return
The beat is big, it's kind of large
And when we're on the mic, we're in charge
It's like that y'all (that y'all) like that y'all (that y'all)
Like that-a-tha-that a-like that y'all (that y'all)
Cool chief rocker, I don't drink vodka
But keep a microphone inside my locker
Go to school everyday, on the side makin pay
Cause I'm rockin on the mic until the break of day
And now the things I do make me a star
And you could be too if you know who you are
Just put your mind to it, you'll go real far
Like a pedal to the metal when you're drivin a car
...Liggy-liggy-liggy-listen to the things that I say
Because it's not routine, it's the way I play
Just come out my mouth all time of the day
And then I must have time to give it away
Hey, they used to call me Easy Dee
Cause I rapped on the mic so easily
But now they call me D.M.C.
(He's) the Emcee of the party
The D's for doin it all of the time
The M's for the rhymes that are all mine
The C's for cool, cool as can be
(And why you wear those glasses?) So I can see
Huh-huh
Got rhymes so def, rhymes, rhymes galore
Rhymes that you never even heard before
Now if you say you heard my rhymes, we're gonna have to fight
Cause I just made the super-def rhymes last night
Microphone master, super rhyme maker
I get def as the others get faker
It's me, D.M.C. in the place to be
And I still got the same old harmony
I'm the devastatin mic-controller
The word wizard and the chief rock roller
Bad b-boy made for the b-girls
Rock ruler rhymes as the turntable twirls
Supreme being who was born to talk
And over sucker MC's all day I walk
A few years ago my name was Joe
And then I went to a party, cold stole the show
Stole it as sure as birds have wings
Now they're callin me DJ Running Things
Got Kurtis Blow down with the two
And my man Larry Lah makes beats for you
Keepin up the funky beat is the Hollis Crew
So Dee, take the mic cause you know I'm through
In case you wonder what all this means
We're funky fresh from Hollis, Queens
Run and Kurt both down with me
And that's the way it's meant to be
I'm the microphone master D.M.C.
Devastatin mic-controller personality
And to the sucker MC's who did not learn
If you don't this time we shall return...
Sucker M.C.’s [Krush-Groove 1]
[Run]
Two years ago a friend of mine
Asked me to say some emcee rhymes
So I said this rhyme I'm about to say,
The rhyme was Def and it went this way
Took a test to become an emcee
And Orange Krush became amazed at me
So Larry put me inside his Cadillac,
The chauffeur drove off and we never came back
Dave cut the record down to the bone,
And now they got me rockin' on the microphone
And then we're talking autographs, years of laughs,
Champagne, caviar, and bubble baths
You see, that's the life that I lead, and
You sucker MC, this is who I be
So take that and move back, catch a heart attack
Because there's nothing in the world, that Run will ever lack
I cold chill at a party in a B-boy's stance,
And rock on the mike and make the girls want to dance
Fly like a dove, they come from up above,
I'm rockin on the mike and you can call me Run Love.
I got a big long Caddy not like a Seville
And written right on the side it reads 'Dressed to Kill'
So if you see me cruisin' girls just move or step aside
There ain't enough room to fit you all in my ride
It's on a, ah first come, first serve basis
Coolin out girl, take you to the def places
One of a kind and for your people's delight
And for you sucker emcee, you just ain't right
Because you're bitin all your life, you're cheatin on your wife
You're walkin round town like a hoodlum with a knife
You're hangin on the ave, chillin' with the crew
And everybody know what you've been through
Ah with the one two three, three to two one
My man Larry Larr, my name DJ Run
We do it in the place with the highs and the bass
I'm rockin to the rhythm won't you watch it on my face
Go Uptown and come down to the ground
You sucker emcee's, you sad face clown
You're a five-dollar boy and I'm a million dollar man
You're a sucker emcee, and you're my fan
You try to bite rhymes, all lines are mine
You're a sucker emcee in a pair of Calvin Kleins
Comin' from the wackest part of town,
Tryin to rap but you can't get down
You don't even know your English, your verbs or noun
You're just a sucker emcee you sad-faced clown
So DMC if you're ready, the people rockin' steady
You're drivin big cars, get your gas from Getty
[D.M.C.]
I'm DMC in the place to be, I go to St. John's University
And since kindergarten I acquired the knowledge,
And after 12th grade I went straight to college
I'm light skinned, I live in Queens
And I love eatin chicken and collard greens
I dress to kill, I love to style
I'm the emcee you know who's versatile
Say I got good credit in your regards
Got my name not numbers on my credit cards
I go Uptown, I come back home
With who? me myself and my microphone
All my rhymes are street delight
So here's another one for y'all to bite
When I rhyme I never quit,
And if I got a new rhyme I'll just say it
'Cause it takes a lot to entertain,
And sucker emcee's can be a pain
You can't rock a party with a hip and a hop
You gotta let em know you'll never stop
The rhymes have to make a lot of sense,
You got to know when to start (when the beats commence...)
It’s Like That
Unemployment's at a record high
People coming, people going, people born to die
Don't ask me why, 'cause I don't know why
But it's like that, and that's the way it is
People in the world tryin to make ends meet
You try to ride car, train, bus, or feet
I said you got to work hard, you want to compete
It's like that, and that's the way it is
Huh!
Money is the key to end all your woes
Your ups, your downs, your highs and your lows
Won't you tell me last time that love bought you clothes?
It's like that, and that's the way it is
Bills rise higher every day
We receive much lower pay
I'd rather stay young, go out and play
It's like that, and that's the way it is
Huh!
War going on across the sea
Street soldiers killing the elderly
Whatever happened to unity?
It's like that, and that's the way it is
Disillusion is the word
That's used by me when I'm not heard
I just go through life with my glasses blurred
It's like that, and that's the way it is
Huh!
You can see a lot in this lifespan
Like a bum eating out of a garbage can
You noticed one time he was your man
It's like that (what?) and that's the way it is
You should have gone to school, you could've learned a trade
But you laid in the bed where the bums have laid
Now all the time you're crying that you're underpaid
It's like that (what?) and that's the way it is
Huh!
One thing I know is that life is short
So listen up homeboy, give this a thought
The next time someone's teaching why don't you get taught?
It's like that (what?) and that's the way it is
If you really think about it times aren't that bad
The one that flexes with successes will make you glad
Stop playing start praying, you won't be sad
It's like that (what?) and that's the way it is
Huh!
When you feel you fail sometimes it hurts
For a meaning in life is why you search
Take the bus or the train, drive to school or the church
It's like that, and that's the way it is
Here's another point in life you should not miss
Do not be a fool who's prejudiced
Because we're all written down on the same list
It's like that (what?) and that's the way it is
Huh!
You know it's like that, and that's the way it is
Because it's like that, and that's the way it is
[Repeat these lines til fade]
Wake Up
[Wake up], [wake up]
[Get up]
[Wake up], [wake up]
[Get up]
[Wake up]
When I woke up this morning and got out the bed
I had some really fresh thoughts going through my head
They were thoughts that came from a wonderful dream
It was the vision of a world working as a team
It was a dream [get up]
Just a dream [wake up], [wake up], [get up]
There were no guns, no what
No tanks, no what, atomic bombs
And to be frank homeboy there were no arms
Just people, working hand in hand
There was a feeling of peace all across the land
It was a dream [wake up]
Just a dream [get up], [wake up], [wake up]
Between all countries there were good relations
There finally was a meeting to unite the nations
And everybody had an occupation
'cause we all worked together to fight starvation
It was a dream [wake up]
Just a dream [wake up], [get up]
Everyone was treated on an equal basis
No matter what color, religion or races
We weren't afraid to show our faces
It was cool to chill in foreign places
It was a dream [get up]
Just a dream [wake up], [wake up], [get up]
[wake up], [wake up], [get up], [wake up]
All cities of the world were renovated
And the people all chilled and celebrated
They were all so happy and elated
To live in the world that they created
It was a dream [get up]
Just a dream [wake up], [wake up], [get up]
There were no street people, we live rent free
And every single person had a place to be
A job, a home, and the perfect pay
And the world was free of greed and hate
It was a dream [wake up]
Just a dream [get up], [wake up], [wake up]
Unemployment was at a record low
And the presidents were chillin at our show
Listening to the things that we had to say
And trying to create a new and brighter day
It was a dream [wake up]
Just a dream [wake up]
It was a dream [get up]
Just a dream [wake up]
It was a dream [wake up]
Just a dream [get up]
It was dream [wake up]
Just a dream [wake up]
[get up], [wake up], [wake up]
[get up], [wake up], [wake up]
[get up], [wake up], [wake up]
[get up], [wake up], [wake up]
30 Days
Heard that they said that it's rainin' men
But the offer that I make, it won't be made again
You don't have to write, you don't have to call
It's a one-time offer for nothing at all
And there's no red tape, I don't make it hard
You don't need cash money or a Master Card
I got easy terms, and a layaway
But I need a quick decision, and I need it today
And if you find that you don't like my ways
Well, you can send me back in 30 days
Now have you ever seen a man with a guarantee?
Well you're lookin at him now, cause the man is me
And if you don't believe all the things I say
I'm certified 'prime' by the USDA
Now the name that I use DJ Run
And I'm a fast-talkin slow-walkin number one
And if you don't believe all the words I say
Then you're a natural born fool who's got to be that way
I got a 50 rating and a 50 share
Every minute, every hour that I'm on the air
And when I come to town, I'm on a big marquee
It says (DJ Run) and me, D.M.C.
And if you find that you don't like my ways
Well, you can send me back in 30 days
A good job and lots of money might not be enough
And to satisfy your needs it may be rough
But I take some care and treat you nice
And if it ain't sufficient once, I cold work it out twice
And if you find that you don't like my ways
Well, you can send me back in 30 days
I'm gonna give you everything that you ever need
If you need a pint of blood, then I'll even bleed
If you're lookin for a car, I will buy you two
And if you're lookin for a pet, I'll buy a kangaroo
If you need a vacation, we can fly the world
And you'll know I'll never look at another girl
I'm a single-minded man, and my mind is set
You're the lady of the '80s that I'm gonna get
And if you find you don't like my ways
Well, you can send me back in 30 days
Jay’s Game
The Way it is
Huh, Huh
Jam-Master Jay
J-J-Jam-Jam-Jam-Jam-Jam
Jam-Master Jay
J-J-Jam-Jam-Jam-Jam-Jam
Kick off the shoes
K-K-K-K-Kick
Kick off the shoes
K-K-K-K-Kick
Kick off the shoes
84
80-80-80-84
80-80-80-84
80...
Jay...
J-A-Y are the letters of his name
J-A-Y are the letters of his name
Real...Jam-Master
Real...Jam-Master
...And only practice makes a real Jam-Master
Run...
Run-DMC and Jam-Master Jay
Kick off the shoes
DMC and Jam-Master Jay
Kick off the shoes
Kick off the shoes
Jump on the jock
Listen to the Jam-Master as he starts to rock
K-K-K-K-Kick
