Co-produced by KRS One, this Just Ice classic is one of the earliest history lessons in Hip Hop. Almost 30 years later, Just Ice’s first person account of Hip Hop’s early days has become a landmark in Hip Hop history. Listen and learn!

Intro: Just Ice and KRS One
To the best of my knowledge I guess that I’m fresh
And when I manifest I never protest
(Hold it, hold it. What’s going on, Just?)
Yo KRS, what’s the, what’s the, what’s the purpose of you stopping me?
(Yo man kick the rhymes you was just kicking to me a while ago)
Aight

Verse 1: Just Ice
I’ll wax and maim, rappers who proclaim
To be the epitome of this game
Fronting like you hard, rugged and rough
Soft like butter, creamy like a puff
On the mic no sense, head very dense
Just listen to the gangster and I will convince
All that doubt my power of speech
The title of the gangster they tried to impeach
But um, it is protected by the black and the red
It’s not true all gangsters are dead
Not a gangster with a gun, doing crime none of that
Kill a MC with the rhyme cause I’m the gangster of rap
In fact, exact, I’m the dominant black
Coming full force on, and power that’s packed
For all the party people this is a fact
For all the pioneers I’m going way back

Bridge: KRS One
G******, that is funky funky funky fresh (dope! dope!)
If you could just keep kicking that, we’ll be alright til ’88
Dig it (dope! dope!)

Verse 2: Just Ice
Going way way back to the early days
Of 75 and the Black Spades
Chilling with my homeboy Muscle Man Ron
In the Boogie Down Bronx BKA Pelan
It was a privilege for people to see
Bambaataa rocking hard at 123
On a Friday night the boys would come running
To hear big beats that were shocking and stunning
In the Hill, not a thing was chill
Sound Masters on the loose and acting ill
Up top, every weekend rock
Either 131 or around that block
But anywhere Uptown, you always heard the sound
Hip Hop, funky beats, MCs getting down
The truth I swear, admit and declare
The Bronx was the first, I know, I was there
The beats were dope, the sound was on
By the way saying Peace to my brother Melquan
Dedications have a little bit more
The L Brothers, Grand Wizard Theodore
I can’t forget where we used to ill
With the young Sound Masters in Castle Hill
I can keep going on, for more and more
With Breakout, and Baron, and the Funky 4
On the other side of town, the mics in their hands
The lecherous, treacherous also perpetuous MCs cold in command
And if you listen to that for an actual fact
For all the pioneers I’m going way back

Bridge: KRS One
Word! Now you know I know
This is KRS with Just Ice (dope! dope!)
Ha ha. Talk about dope beats (dope!)
Yo Just, kick me one more verse, please!

Verse 3: Just Ice
Let’s rest, so I can take a breath
Cause I’m bearing the truth and nothing less
No disrepect intended but I have to show ya
If I didn’t say your name that means I did not know ya
To get to the point, to make it clear
If I don’t say your name that means you was not there
It’s true, I’m from the old school
I’m the professor and they are my pupils
I teach and never preach
Not a bloodsucker, parasite or a leech
I’m telling you how, it was or is
The Bronx is the home for the Hip Hop kids
A long time ago when I was raising hell
With the nappy head of hair at the age of 12
I saw and heard, crews that rocked
The Cold Crushers, Monsters, Breakout, Sasquatch
You’re not familiar with the funky sound
That proves it right there, you wasn’t down
Had to earn a position, and do hard work
You can ask Kool Herc or my man Red Alert
He’ll tell ya, because he knows for sure
About Flash, EZ Mike, and the Furious Four
I’ll run off some names, with no offence
Listen up real close, as I commence
Coke La Rock, Clark Kent, my man Cool Fish
Homeboy Tre Dee and Frisky Frisk
Wonderful sincere, in the atmosphere
Almighty Kay Gee at Union Square
Dr. Kik rock on, and my man Shelt La Rocker
B.I., KRS, C Rasta
Definitely we would rock
And I can’t forget my homeboy Big Knot
It’s the truth and for an actual fact
For all the pioneers I’m going way back

Outro: KRS One and Just Ice
Well I think that’s about as far back as we can go
(Saying peace to my man T La Rock!)
Word! Saying peace to my brother Scott La Rock, he’s in here!
(Scott La Rock rock on!)
Word
(DMX peace!)
Peace!
(Peace!)