"Now And Then" lyrics - COMMON & PETE ROCK

[Intro:]
We do it now, oh yeah
Now, now, this time, every now and then I step to the now
We do it now, oh yeah
Now, this time, every now and then I step to the now

[Verse 1: Common]
The holy matrimony of rap music is stony
On the mic, I'm nice, niggas think that they know me
Meet you where you are, let God speak through these bars
Whether Rakim or Rashid, I guess the world is ours
Wrote eighteen letters to the rap gods
Hopin' I could be better, they said, "Find Forever"
I just wanna be, killers wanna swarm
The world is kinda jaded, I just keep willin' on
Like Packard or Smith, rap is a gift
I stay present 'cause I'm rappin it with truth to power
It's like the man who thought it was his time
But didn't know the day or the hour
Ain't no second guessing, this is the second resurrection
I write in that direction, striving towards perfection
In a land where the rivers flow, we've been blue indigo
If we gon' ball then it gotta be a give and go
I live to know the meaning of existence
I'm learning like Sha'Carri, so I can go the distance
Long nails in our bodies, they try to crucify us
Don't know if Lake Michigan can purify us
The outliers, southsiders
Tryin' to get rich without priors, get rich without dyin'
I admire young messiahs from the theories of the low end
Enter like the dragon, braggin' when I go in

[Chorus:]
We do it now, oh yeah
Now, now, this time, every now and then I step to the now
We do it now, oh yeah
Now, this time, every now and then I step to the now

[Verse 2: Common]
The holy of holies, told me to speak soley
Truth when it's boldly, goldly for the lowly
Extoll thee and let my glow be the glory
My name is Common, though I tell a different story
I've been on the block with the wizards of the OZ's
Ten men tried to scarecrow me
But the OGs show me how to throw these
We used to watch 'em box in they Dobbs and they Fortis
While we was drinkin Old E'ase on down the road
Started to see gold like Kobe
I left the beef behind me, divinely, remotely
Yes men, acting like they no me
The road gets rocky, you ain't my Adrian, Brody
Piano lessons, they came from key players
I was barely rushin' then became Gale Sayers
I could see the lies, I could see the layers
I emcee with vibes like I'm Roy Ayers
On the streets, I cross young boy saviors
What destroyed the player-the bullet or the favor?
I'm the Spike Lee Majors
Got six million ways to get our forty acres
As the Lord remake us, the owners
The onus is on us
To take the four corners of the Earth and harvest its worth
I'm from the windy city where we blow trees to get our souls ease
Reality falls like gold leaves (Gold leaves, leaves, leaves-)

[Chorus:]
We do it now, oh yeah
Now, now, this time, every now and then I step to the now
We do it now, oh yeah
Now, now, this time, every now and then I step to the now