Underground

What does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground

It's time that I open with a thunder sound
Now look around your own town for the underground
Yo, you rhymin for the TV or a million Cd's?
You ain't a MC, you ain't underground

You could be platinum or gold, hot or cold
But it's the respect you hold that's underground
When the critics don't get, that for the streets you spit it
When your lyric they fear, that's underground

Yeah what does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground

Yo, white kids, black kids, skinny kids, fat kids
Them Asian cats be underground
Chicanos, Palestinians, Milanos, fuck the lone ranger
Where's Tanto? That's underground

Freddie Fox, Blackalicious, Kweli
M.O.P., Gangstarr that's underground
Mad lion, Smif-N-Wessun, Buckshot
Armageddon T.S. that's underground

What does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground

Yo, the t'cha returns, I told y'all I went to Cali to learn
And that shit was underground
If the cops be eyein' you 'cause survive is what you try to do
Yo I'm wit you, you underground

If it's justice you want and you protest the ice they flaunt
You want skills that's underground
Yo it's not about a rugger, rapper, or an actor
It's about your subject matter that's underground, look

What does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground, alright

Chevonne Dean from Ruff Ryders, all the outsiderz
Young Zee, that's underground
When all your money's spent and you're still hangin' on
To 50 Cent, get it, you underground

When you rep the collective consciousness of hip-hop
Not hip-pop, you underground
Yo it ain't about jewels, bitches and cars
It's about Nas, that's underground, yo

What does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground

To be underground simply means that you're down
For the struggle, get 'em up, that's underground
You could be a classy lady or a whore
But if you protest the war, for sure, you underground

If the government can't see you or deceive you
You love your people, believe you underground
If you refuse to play the game, you go against the grain
You ridin' the train, you underground, get it

What does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground

Yo, yo, that blast from the past, like Grandmaster Caz
Bam and Flash, that's underground
Doug E. Fresh, Lord Finesse, KRS
If you listenin' to this you underground

Turn it up now KRS about to show you how
They go wow, blaow for the underground
Mr. Walt, Evil Dee, KRS, BDP
Kenny P, that's underground, do it

What does it mean to be underground?
It means you gotta be free to be underground
Yo, you got your own key when you're underground
If you're listening to me yo you underground

Alright turn it up, turn it up
Turn it up, turn it up
Turn it up, turn it up
Turn it up if you underground, listen
Sure shall