Gang Starr - The Illest Brother

Gotta be the illest brother to claim respect
It takes the illest brother just to get respect
Got to be the illest brother when it's time to get wreck
Got to be the illest brother when I get my mic check

I'm one of the illest brothers known to man
but if you don't understand, see I'm a grown man

And I stand 5'8" and 3 quarters
giving orders to my sqaudron cuz I'm like the sergeant
or general but let me keep this minimal
I used to hang with kids who like to live trife with a knife
Cutting kids for fun and pulling out much guns
and like riflery champs fellas start to get real amped
Dead bodies lay stamped to the pavement so I gave it some thought
remembering the brothers who are gone now
I will make a strong vow to make things right
ignite the mic, get hype and all that
Suckers try to menace but they always fall
flat to the ground as I astound come around
I'll put you down about the brothers who think they're the boss
think they're getting large but in the end they pay the cost
Of their lives and that ain't the way to go out even take their boys with 'em cause they know their boys will go out
But when it comes to facing some time
they're like crying like weeping, wanna call mom Dukes
But mom Dukes is fed, fed up with the shit you did
she knows that you shot and she knows that you cripples kids
But who's to judge when you're trying to survive
the one who moves first might be the one to stay alive
So when you think you're hard and dominating the set
just remember the illest brother claims respect!

Like I said I'm an ill kid, so never dare test me
they wanna arrest me cuz i'm causing a frenzy
Fake gangsters come and fake gangsters go
real gangsters chill cuz real gangsters know
That quietly you stalk your prey on the down low
cuz too much talk will get you beef on the street
And brothers in the city have to live this way
it may cause dismay but Imma' tell it anyway
Yo guns are easy to get and like a puppet
some young kid is gonna be the subject of internal oppression
An example of hard times
cuz to make it out the trap in your mind it's a hard climb
But even if you change and come right and exact