"The Ultimate (Live)" lyrics - THE ROOTS

THE ROOTS
"The Ultimate (Live)"

[Intro: Black Thought]
When it comes to presenting this Hip Hop shit to you, in its most pure form
Me and my brothers that you see on the stage, we're on the ultimate level, without no doubt
I feel it's safe to say The Roots Crew is the foundation, we're the original article, you know I'm saying
No additives, no preservatives
Word up, word up
I'ma break this shit down for you
Whatever I say, "We are the ultimate"
All my people in the house, right?
What y'all gon's say, Zurich is "Rock, rockin' it!"
Y'all say: "Rock, rockin' it!", one time
Then y'all gon' go:"Rock, rockin' it! Rock, rockin' it! Rock, rockin' it!"
'Cause we say: "The ultimate"
And you: "Rock, rockin' it!"
We are the ultimate
And you: "Rock, rockin' it!"
We are the ultimate
Then y'all go: "Rock, rockin' it!"
1-2, here we go, yeah!
We are the ultimate
Rock, rockin' it!
We are the ultimate
Rock, rockin' it!
We are the ultimate
Rock, rockin' it!
Rock, rockin' it!
Rock, rockin' it!

[Hook: Black Thought & Audience]
We are the ultimate
Rock, rockin' it!
We are the ultimate
Rock, rockin' it!
We are the ultimate
Rock, rockin' it!
Rock, rockin' it!
Rock, rockin' it!

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Yo my definition is a lyricist for hire
My vocal's a passport that never expire
Crowd loud like fifty rounds of gun fire
Screamin' out "The Roots" while I balance wit the wire
Yo, expert in this profession, the session
In 1987, I linked up wit the?uestion
Eleven years later we shared crop wit Geffen
In musical hell, but hip-hop forever heaven
My thoughts, interwoven and deep like Beethoven
This foul world so filled of shit it like a clogged up colon
Swollen wit minds that got stolen
Fake-ass cops, uncontrollable patrolmen
Torture, blood flow like bodies of water
Fathers sexually assaultin they own daughter
Out of sync, outta order like a puzzle
In the land of the unseen hand that hold juggle
In a Game of Life, yo it's hard to roll a double
Tryin times, take lives and separate couples
Kids thinkin they grown, tellin they moms "Fuck you"
Under they breath, livin in the last times left
Peep the imagery stretch across the sky like a canvas
And we're the artists beneath vigorous rough strokes of darkness
Time to set it off, let's spark this
Switzerland, LET'S SPARK THIS!!

[Hook: Black Thought & Audience]
We are the ULTIMATE (Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE (Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE (Rock, rockin' it! Rock, rockin' it! Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE (Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE, LOUDER! (Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE (Rock-rockin it)
C'mon (Rock, rockin' it!)
C'mon (Rock, rockin' it!)

[Verse 2: Black Thought]
Yo my definition is a lyricist for hire
You couldn't have a clue, it's about to transpire
The books I buy live arms?I wire?
The Fifth, similar to ghetto gospel choir
We ex-plore the whole states plus record
In flight buds, trip that was a prisoner in war
Four-four the corridor, seal it, no floor
But I could see the drop was a mile aboard
To the bottom, electrical shock for rhymes
I said "I don't got em", guess it kinda presented a problem
When I understood, they said "Let him go"
I woke, during a center to London-Heathrow
And now wit a past, fuckin wit border patrol
I'm finding it out, I'm leaking wit my people
Hit the studio, spread this information
In daze of frustration fogged the education
From Illa-Fifth to Switzerland destination
The Roots du jour, go check the translation
The dictionary of devout topics, far from ebonics
The Fifth Dynasty, they can't stop it
Yo Zurich y'all keep it tight heed
While The Roots Crew smoke weed

[Hook: Black Thought & Audience]
We are the ULTIMATE (Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE, say what? (Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE, c'mon (Rock, rockin' it!)
C'mon c'mon (Rock, rockin' it! Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE (Rock, rockin' it!)
We are the ULTIMATE LOUDER (rock-rockin it)
We are the ULTIMATE LOUDER (Rock, rockin' it!)
C'mon (Rock, rockin' it! Rock, rockin' it!)