[Intro: Black Thought]
What?
Hip-hop, love (Hip-hop, love), to the top, love (To the top, love)
Hip-hop, check it out, it's like that (Uh)
And it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
I'm 'bout to take you to the, to the, to the, to the (To the, to the, to the)
To the, to the, to the (To the, to the, to the)
To the, to the, to the (To the, to the, to the)
To the, to the, check it out, yo (To the, to the, yeah)
What? And it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
I'm 'bout to take you to the top, what?
Hip-hop, love (Hip-hop, love)
To the top, love (To the top, love)
Hip-hop, check it out (Hip-hop, check it out)
It's like, word up (Uh)
And it sounds so nice (And it sounds so nice)
Hip-hop, you the love of my life

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
The anticipation arose as time froze
I stared off the stage with my eyes closed
And dove into the deep cosmos
The impact pushed back the first five rows
But before the raw live shows, I remember I's a little snot-nosed
Rockin' Cazal goggles and Izod clothes
Learnin' the ropes of ghetto survival
Peepin' out the situation I had to slide through
Had to watch my back, my front, plus my sides too
When it came to gettin' mine, I ain't tryin' to argue
Sometimes, I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for you
Hip-hop, you the love of my life, and that's true (And that's true)
When I was handlin' the shit I had to do
It was all for you (It was all for you), from the door for you (From the door for you)
Speak through you, gettin' paper on tour for you
From the start, Thought was down by law for you
Used to hit up every corner store wall for you
We ripped shit and kept it hardcore for you
I remember late nights, steady rockin' the mic
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
So tell the people like that, y'all (That, y'all)
And it sounds so nice (Sounds so nice)
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
We 'bout to take it to the top
[Verse 2: Common]
I was speakin' to my guy 'Riq and
How she was desperately seekin' to organize in a confusion
Using no protection, told her on Resurrection
Caught in the Hype Williams, and lost her direction
Gettin' ate in sections where I wouldn't eat her
An under-the-counter love, so silently I treat her
Her daddy'd beat her, eyes all puff
In the mix on tape, n***as had her in the buff
When we touch, it was more than just a fuck, the police
In her, I found peace (Like who?), like Malcolm in the East
Seen her on the streets of New York trickin' off
Tried to make a hit with her, but my dick went soft
Movin' weight, losin' weight
Not picky with who she choose to date
Too confused to hate, with her struggle, I relate
Close to thirty, most of the n***as she know is dirty
Havin' more babies than Lauryn, she started showin' early
As of late, I realized that this is her fate or destiny
To bring the best of me, it's like God is testin' me
In retrospect, I see she brought life and death to me
Peace to us collectively, live and direct
When we perform, it's just coffee shop chicks and white dudes (What?)
Over her, I got into it with that n***a Ice Cube
Now the fight moved to in life, makin' the right moves (Yeah)
Besides God and family, you my life's jewel (Like that, y'all)
[Segue: Black Thought]
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop
Hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop, hip-hop

[Outro: Black Thought]
I'm 'bout to take you to the top, love
Hip-hop, love (Hip-hop, love)
To the top, love (To the top, love)
Hip-hop, check it out (Hip-hop, check it out)
It's like, word up, and it sounds so nice (And it sounds so nice)
Hip-hop, you the love of my life, what?
I'm 'bout to take you to the, to the, to the
To the, to the (Word up), to the, to the, to the, to the (Yo)
Fifth Dynamite, and it sounds so nice (And it sounds so nice)
Hip-hop, you the love of my life (Yeah)
I'm 'bout to take you to the top, love
Hip-hop, love (Word up)
To the top, love (To the top, love)
Hip-hop, check it out (Hip-hop, check it out)
It's like that, right? (Uh)
And it sounds alright (Yeah), hey (Check it out)
'Cause you the love of my life
I'm 'bout to take you to the, to the, to the
To the, to the, to the (To the, to the, to the)
To the, to the (To the, to the, to the)
To the, to the, to the, to the, what? (Check it out)
Yeah, and it sounds so nice (And it sounds so nice)
Hip-hop, you the love of my life (Yeah, what?)
I'm 'bout to take you to the top, love (To the top, love)
Hip-hop, love (Hip-hop, love)
To the top, love (To the top, love)
Hip-hop, check it out (Hip-hop, check it out)
Fifth Dynamite, and it sounds alright
Hey, 'cause you the love of my life
I'm 'bout to take you to the, to the, to the
To the, to the, to the, to the, to the
To the, to the, to the, to the, to the (Check it, yo)
Yeah, yeah, yo, yo, and it sounds so nice
Hip-hop, you the love of my life
We 'bout to, to the top, love
Hip-hop, love (Hip-hop, love)
To the top, love (To the top, love)
Hip-hop, love (Hip-hop, love)
Check it out, it's like (Check it out, yeah)
Yeah, and it sounds alright
Hip-hop, you the love of my life (Yeah)
We 'bout to, to the, to the, to the
To the, to the, to the
To the, to the, to the
To the, to the, to the
So close, y'all, it sounds so nice