Rising to the Top

[Incomprehensible] to you super listeners how you doing tonight? All you fly guys and fly girls Welcome once again to the world famous Mister Magic Rap Attack and of course I am [Incomprehensible] Way way back before the 'Hots' and the 'Powers' We used to listen to live mixin' for hours Roxanne Shanté, U.T.F.O. Mister Magic Rap Attack some of y'all know But I was in the shelter in weakness Homeless, turntableless and microphoneless Fresh gearless but still I was fearless And focused on being the dopest MC alive It's '85, LL's on Def Jam with the best jam And Whodini's on Jive, man you know I had to survive New York City was crazy in the 80's but damn it was live So here comes the Juice Crew with MC Shan Shanté's already the queen, Marley's already the man Y'all don't really understand When you throw on Shanté or Shan it got live in the jam So we went to Mister Magic If anybody had to power to put you on he had it We gave up the demo tape no love lost But it seems Mister Magic just brushed us off Somehow we heard we were whack Every track, and that we shouldn't even call back Right there my jaw dropped, no doubt But it made me see what I was all about And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got In the spot new hip hop and Latin Quarters And the Union Square and the rooftop We used to hear them tunes pop in the parking lot Where it got dark a lot me and Scott La Rock But it was all for the hip hoppers Salt-N-Pepa answered Doug E Fresh with 'The Show Stoppa' MC Shan was gonna challenge LL Shanté was battling 3 or 4 groups at the same time what the hell Answer records were big then after Shanté did it Everybody was trying to spit them so we spit off To tell you the truth it was the only way an MC could get on We answered MC Shan's 'Queensbridge' A dope jam about where he was from and where he lived But in the Bronx there was these kids KRS, Scott La Rock trying to live And I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got I'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got We'll keep rising to the top while my mind go Give it all you got, give it all you got, give it all you got This it what an MC was we had a strong street buzz Marley and Shan showed us some love and love never hurt 'Cause while Shan was with Marley we was with DJ Red Alert Every Friday night, every Saturday night On the airwaves the battle was right Under New York nights, smog and lights Jargon at night the Roxy used to get so hype You could put on your headset And get what heads didn't get yet Live MCs going, "Check, check" Spitin' rhymes over the radio set These are the days and the ways I can never forget So I don't forget it to Marley and Shan I am indebted For the start of my career these guys could take credit For my rappin', the whole battle they let it all happen Marley and Shan and Shanté could have been gun strapping cousin But they wasn't and you know why 'Cause we was on some real hip hop let's keep it buzzing