De La Soul – Respect lyrics

[Dave:]
Hey yo I'm proud to be black y'all, wish I could bring Jay back
DJ put the needle to the haystack
Pump beats like eighty-six pumped crack
Raise the heat for the summer, we Fahrenheit
Banners like cash on your corner, papered and OD
Make your girl wanna shake in front of little ol' me
Even when I'm rock bottom still the most poppin
Hold crops like John on the farm, then Johnny your Fox
Boxcutter clean cut stem from the PA
Not your everday outcast, we outlast
Used to bust a tommy gun, now I blast off with a check
Might as well, I done earned the respect

[Chorus]

[Pos:]
Here to jumpstart the art again, the sparkplug W-O-N
I trouble your whole squad again
In a class by myself, so selfish in my ways
Shave my head bald, I'm too fly for tou-pes
Ain't nuttin sweet yet, never actin bitter
Shut your spitter small fry, you too dry to wet me
And if you could, you think I'd really let you?
In and out the hood I get much respect DUE

[Dave:]
Got two [?] with Supa Dave bandana
Shut your camera lens and use your senses
Recognize it's Pos, Mase and me
Stressin R-E-S-P-E-C-T, see?

[Chorus]

[Pos:]
Best believe it's official y'all
Rap's the new form of wrestling on mescaline tabs
and E pills, and y'all came back for refills
Watchin how the drama unfold
as MC's go from hot to cold
Pots of gold they search for
Some find more than others - platinum plaques
But when you act goes active on the radio
You become radioactive, that's a fact~!
De La's got the respect attack
Tactfully weathering the storm in all forms
We born to give you the breaks
Cause just like a fiend y'all came
so y'all can get rid of them shades

[Chorus]