Lyrics:

I don't know what you thought you had, or what you got,
But yo, to be an emcee, it takes a lot.
Are you willin' to take, the responsibility of this quest?
'Cause if you do it right, you might not have nothing left.

It takes artistic ability, and know-how, lyrically
To express in forms of poetical wizardry.
It takes rhythmic structures and phenomenal thoughts,(phenomenal thoughts)
It takes creation of hooks on which the wack can get caught. (the wack can get caught)
It takes knowledge of self, and creater. (whoo)
It takes payin' attention to that music in the elevator and elevatin'.
If you call your self a lyrical surgeon, it takes patience/patients.
It takes takin' a trip with God on that ship of relation.
It takes self denial and self realization.
It takes keepin' it realistic, not real just to become a statistic.
It takes evolution, and edification.
It takes a person, it takes a family, it takes a city, it takes a nation.
It takes surroundin' sound not lettin' sound surround you.
It takes surroundin' your self with fam and a dope crew.
It takes hot tracks and it takes hot use'a words.
I dunno about you, but for me it took the third.

I don't know what you thought you had, or what you got,
But yo, to be an emcee, it takes a lot.
Are you willin' to take, the responsibility of this quest?
'Cause if you do it right, you might not have nothing left.

It takes a sense of focus and clear mind state.
It takes shapin' destiny and accepting fate.
It takes you takin' a stand and not conciet.
It takes bein' and actin' like a man and not a beast.
It takes squashin' beef,
It takes treating our women like queens and men like kings.
It takes replacement of material with spiritual things,
It takes the want for education and lack of stupidity.
It takes discoverin' your faults and seekin' remedy.
It takes some illogical thinking in this rational world.
It takes pacifists and confrontation, rebellion and confirmation.
It takes, and open and a closed mind.
It takes a lack of comprise, and findin' some truth in lies.
It takes healin, it takes bruisin', it takes tryin'.
It takes winnin', it takes losin' it takes livin', it takes dyin'.
It takes them, it takes us, it takes you, it takes me.
These are the essentials I think it takes to be an emcee.

I don't know what you thought you had, or what you got,
But yo, to be an emcee, it takes a lot.
Are you willin' to take, the responsibility of this quest?
'Cause if you do it right, you might not have nothing left.

I don't know what you thought you had, or what you got,
But yo, to be an emcee, it takes a lot.
Are you willin' to take, the responsibility of this quest?
'Cause if you do it right, you might not have nothing left.