[Intro: Samples]
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"You better, you better"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen"

[Verse 1: Erick Sermon]
When I came out with my first rap jam
I had no idea that the record would slam
Dunk with the chunk, a funk with no airplay
Maybe at night, but no airplay in the day
I couldn't understand why to be exact
Like BBD, I was dope or far from wack
Then came the answer, commercial was the key
To get airplay and a spot on TV
Like Ed Lover and Doctor Dre for Yo! MTV Raps
A show mainly for the Black
And still we can't ill, 'cause to them, that's wrong
'Cause like P.E. said, we're too Black and too strong
But hey, what can I say?
("Brothers and sisters") That's a price a rapper must pay, 'cause

[Chorus: Samples]
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"You better, you better"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen"
[Verse 2: PMD]
As airwaves collapse, rap shows at a standstill
Some waves short-circuit the frequencies, can't handle
The funk tracks produced by me and the E.D
That's the E-R-I-C-K S-E-R-M-O-N, G
And it's a fat chance that we'll ever win a Grammy
Unless we sell out, kill the Black movement dead
Which means to swallow our pride and become flunkies instead
And stop the rap about freedom, thoughts of a Black president
And rap about a Black cracked-out mayor in our residence
Give me a break, brothers, time to take a stand
And kill that no, sir, yes, sir, and thank you, ma'am
'Cause the word if's a luxury a Black man can't afford
That's why poverty's on the rise and we're still ignored
And it's a setback and yet the clock still ticks
And if we let it, rap would be run by politics
I read it somewhere that every man's created equal
But not in this day and age, maybe in the sequel
Which means next time, so observe these rhymes
And take a stand and go for yours, 'cause I'm going for mine
That's why I

[Chorus: Samples]
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"You better, you better"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen"
[Verse 3: Erick Sermon, PMD]
Like BDP, why is that when wrong is done by the Black
It's blown out of proportion and immediately attacked?
By the press and yes, conflict is caused
By the kids at concerts who bumrush the doors
One child gets hurt (Ow), the press gets pressed
Yo, but what about the Beatles, G, and Elvis Presley?
Same stuff was rough, rap does not cause violence ("E-E-Enough, enough")
So ("Fight the power"), and make them understand
But too much power and you might get banned
So if you want airplay
You can't be too Black and yo, watch what you say, but we

[Chorus: Samples]
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"You better, you better"
"Ladies and gentlemen"
"Give the people what they want"
"Ladies and gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen"

[Outro: PMD, Erick Sermon]
Yeah
Scratch in the house
Ebony Projects is in the house
Hit Squad's in the house
Brentwood's in the house
K-Solo's in the house
Redman's in the house
Puff Daddy's in the house
Red Zone's in the house
Kid Capri's in the house
Pete Rock's in the house