Homeless, turntableless and microphoneless
Fresh gearless but still I was fearless
And focused on being the dopest MC alive

It's '85, LL's on Def Jam with the best jam
And Whodini's on Jive, man you know I had to survive
New York City was crazy in the 80's but damn it was live

So here comes the Juice Crew with MC Shan
Shanté's already the queen, Marley's already the man
Y'all don't really understand
When you throw on Shanté or Shan it got live in the jam

So we went to Mister Magic
If anybody had to power to put you on he had it
We gave up the demo tape no love lost
But it seems Mister Magic just brushed us off

Somehow we heard we were whack
Every track, and that we shouldn't even call back
Right there my jaw dropped, no doubt
But it made me see what I was all about

And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got
I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got

We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got
We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got

In the spot new hip hop and Latin Quarters
And the Union Square and the rooftop
We used to hear them tunes pop in the parking lot
Where it got dark a lot me and Scott La Rock

But it was all for the hip hoppers
Salt-N-Pepa answered Doug E Fresh with 'The Show Stoppa'
MC Shan was gonna challenge LL
Shanté was battling 3 or 4 groups at the same time what the hell

Answer records were big then after Shanté did it
Everybody was trying to spit them so we spit off
To tell you the truth it was the only way an MC could get on

We answered MC Shan's 'Queensbridge'
A dope jam about where he was from and where he lived
But in the Bronx there was these kids
KRS, Scott La Rock trying to live

And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got
I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got

We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got
We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go
Give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got

This it what an MC was we had a strong street buzz
Marley and Shan showed us some love and love never hurt
'Cause while Shan was with Marley we was with DJ Red Alert

Every Friday night, every Saturday night
On the airwaves the battle was right
Under New York nights, smog and lights
Jargon at night the Roxy used to get so hype

You could put on your headset
And get what heads didn't get yet
Live MCs going, "Check, check"
Spitin' rhymes over the radio set

These are the days and the ways I can never forget
So I don't forget it to Marley and Shan I am indebted
For the start of my career these guys could take credit

For my rappin', the whole battle they let it all happen
Marley and Shan and Shanté could have been gun strapping cousin
But they wasn't and you know why
'Cause we was on some real hip hop let's keep it buzzing