"From New York straight talk, America's best" (3X)
"Yo I'm not new to this I'm true to this" "Word up!"
"From New York straight talk... America's best"

[Guru]
Yo, it doesn't make sense, for you to compete against
this New York vibe that gets your whole body tense
Calm down, listen to a brother who knows
Cause the rappers out here come up with mad different types of flows
Switch-up, change-up, yo pull the range up
so we can build on this shit, for real that's how we came up
Used to ride the subway trains back and forth
Now I push an E-Class, four-two-zero of course
Still material gains, make one more aware
of all the madness and the civil unrest that's out here
I doubt there, is anyplace more complex
You can get lost in the sauce, New York'll have you vexed
Who's next to get served, herbs'll get knocked off
Burning flammable rappers, is how I get my rocks off
I pop your top off as if you were the bottle
then I'll drain all your fluid, you're better off playing lotto
Bright lights, big city and the dark alleyways
New York we get the money all day everyday

"From New York straight talk, America's best"
"Yo I'm not new to this I'm true to this" "Word up!"
"From New York straight talk... America's best"

[Guru]
True if you can make it out here, you can make it anywhere
That means a lot of rappers, they should stay away from here
cause we still care, about the total artform
Niggaz could sell more records but they still can't flip a live forum
Plus everybody out here ain't talkin true shit either
Mad niggaz is fakin jacks, I don't like them neither
But the competition keeps me on point
that's why I lamp in the studio composin fresh new joints
from the streets, Medina, Manhattan, Staten, P-Lawn
The struggle continues, everybody wants to be on
The rat race, makes this lifestyle fast paced
I've loved it since the days of fat shoelace
Screwface me all you want, but I'm used to it
I'll never give up rep in New York, I'm true to it
From forty-deuce to Queens, back to East New Yi
We takin no shorts, and plus we showin no pity
Bright lights, big city and the dark alleyways
New York, we get the money all day everyday

"From New York... straight talk..."
"Yo.. I'm.. not.. new.. to.. this"
"America's best" "Word up!"
"From New York straight talk, America's best"
"Yo I'm not new to this I'm true to this" "Word up!"
"From New York straight talk... America's best"

[Guru]
You get bent up, sent up creek, without a paddle
You wanna battle? Well I live in New York
so think twice blink twice now your Roley and Lincoln's gone
Don't come into this rap game if you don't belong
You won't be on but for a minute anyway
You're just a scavenger, you don't live this life everyday
Rap is regional, so you can check the demographics
Everybody represent where they live, cause shit is drastic
confusion, while I'm givin rappers contusions
And people don't realize that real hip-hop is losing
They wanna shut us down, and I say, "Shut up clown!"
Cause New York is too corrupt and too tough to lay down
and just quit, cause MC's out here kick serious lyrics
And I come to you, with my infinite spirit
Not takin nothin from your hood or your set
But GangStarr could be a threat, in New York we rep
That's where it comes from, that's why you're feelin it
So why supress it, I'd rather be revealin it
Bright lights, big city and dark alleyways
New York we get the money all day everyday