HOLD YOUR OWN

Put your mouth on pause; hear the words as I cause the terror

Me and the boys are in the area

Hitting you hard, you see me with a travel card

From a couple of clubs I get barred

As I walk the streets I look around

Some of them are down and out, beaten to the ground

But I know that it's an everyday thing

Not everyone can live like the queen or king so I sing

Every once in a while I get tense

Trying to work it out so I know every thin' makes sense

But it's hard; I know something has got to give

I'm the positive, never the negative

So I go on living like I used to

Saying "Yo! What's up?" without knowing who's who

All the same people raise their hand and wave

While I'm thinking of the money I could've saved

If only I knew in the days what I know now

A little know-how, it hurt so I say "Ow!"

They used to treat me like dirt, never could pull a skirt

'cause I never wore a tie and a damn shirt

And shoes to match, we got to start from scratch

See the eggs hatch, too quick to catch

The vapours, I don't owe you favours

Read the papers, see me getting famous

You're talking out your anus, how much you paying us

Radio stations are playing us

From day to day, swing it any which way you can

Put up a hand and get busy

As I drop the truth about a duck

I wish 'em luck; he says that I sound like Chuck

(D Public Enemy number 1)

Jerk yourself while I get the job done son

Run, run, if you think you can catch us

I make a living while another one bites the dust

And I don't trust the man from around the way

Hey so stay the mother hell away

Broke as hell, but still I rebel against the foe

Go toe to toe just to let them know

They wanna give me money but I want full control

'cause I'm a man with soul playing a role

People always insist that I sign a deal and get it over and done with

See who you run with

I'm just the type with the morals to stick to

The one without the morals is the one that tricked you

Watch your back for the backstabber

Keep your money well away from the fucking money-grabber

Down in the avenue, see who's having who

It ain't over till I'm through.....get with this

Hold your own; the beggar couldn't be a chooser

That's what they used to say, but I refuse to

Listen to the hunky-dory ways of a crackpot

I set the goal, so I'm going for the jackpot

Harder the better, I put it in a long letter

To the enemy to show that I'm the go-getta

Going against those who walk with their noses up

You know what time it is 'cause you know your time is up

Slow the pace, giving you time to show your face

Follow the ways of the 'Lyrical

Maniac' when I plug in the phono to jack

I'm a lover of rap, but I ain't black

Nor am I white, but a simple Armenian

Never the product, but a human being

Even though you see the record stacked on the shelf

When I walk the streets I wanna be myself

So when you see me around this is for the best

Don't say a word about how you think I ought to dress

'cause what makes a man is how he conducts himself

You wear a suit but everyday I see you kick yourself

'cause you did something that you never should've did

You're confused and acting like a fucking kid

Stop the crying, think what you're buying

There's no need for lying, or even relying on

Others to do what you could do for yourself

Get your lazy ass off the shelf

And pull yourself together, never let it drag on

Some use the heavy heavy beat just to brag on

But that's a waste of the seconds that tick away

Or maybe they got nothing better to say

Ay yo, you could be the one to defeat the competition

But me I'm on a mission.