KRS-One - Health, Wealth, Self

Yeah.. yeah.. yup! You know what? I was just downstairs and I was on my way up here to the studio and a guy bumped into me and and he said.. he said, Yo Kris! How is it that you stay in this music? You know, this rap music ex-specially for SO.. LONG.. SO.. LONG I said, Well you know years ago I made a deal with the Goddess He said, The Goddess? I said, Well yeah, you might know her as God but I know her as the Goddess The universal mother The mother of everything you see in existance I ax-ked her for assistance in lyrical persistance and she gave it to me, under one condition She said, I'll give you the gift but use the gift to uplift I said, Okay mom! So I tell you the truth, really Me nah gon' need nuttin else but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself Me nah gon' need nuttin else but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself In the beginning was the word, the word was made flesh Knowledge K. Reigns R. Supreme S. Some of us guess while others of us are blessed Take heed to the word, that I manifest I manifest the future, the present, followed by the past Everything in nature, rules by kickin ass What they tellin me, but yo, you a friend to me so I'ma tell you the secrets of MC longevity Secret one: if it ain't fun, you're done And about your career, huh, well choose another one If you don't like what you do, you're through Lesson two: make sure you got a dope crew Not some crew, that's like an anchor on a shoe A MAD CREW, that's of some benefit to you Lesson three, might be contradictory or funny but MC's should have OTHER WAYS of gettin money That's to say learn other things beside music Make money elsewhere, Hip-Hop you won't abuse it Too many MC's, just emcee so their longevity, is based on an Uncle Tom at the record company Lesson four: sell your image, never sell a record Image is respected, records come and go and get collected Even the records of platinum artists, that used to rip shop can be bought, for a quarter at the thrift shop Which brings me to lesson number five, the illusion has me thinkin, the minute they drop a record they'll be cruisin, in the Acura Slow down! You're still a amateur What seperates the pro from the amateur is stamina Not how long you can rhyme, but how long you've been rhymin changin with the times, and findin yourself still CLIIIIIIIIIIIIMbin for wealth Blow for blow, you're still growin, still showin (all knowin) now that's a pro at it Me nah gon' need nuttin else but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself Me nah gon' need nuttin else but health, wealth, and knowledge of myself Thank you Mother, I'm out