[Jay Z - Spoken]
"The record that you made,
That's underground hip-hop, ("Okay.")
But with big...with big sounds (x2),
That's what takes it over 'cause the sounds are so big,
It's an underground...that's an underground hip-hop record,

The richness of the music and everything, I knew it was going to be somethin' serious."

[Intro - Mike]
You ready?!
Lets go!

Yeah!
For those of you that wanna know what we're all about?
It's like this ya'll (c'mon!)

[Chorus]
This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill,
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain,
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Mike! - He doesn't need his name up in lights,
He just wants to be heard whether it's the beat or the mic,
He feels so unlike everybody else, alone,
In spite of the fact that some people still think that they know him,
But fuck 'em, he knows the code,
It's not about the salary,
It's all about reality and makin' some noise,
Makin' the story, makin' sure his clique stays up,
That means when he puts it down Tak's pickin it up! let's go!

[Verse 2 - Tak]
Who the hell is he anyway?
He never really talks much,
Never concerned with status, but still leavin' them star struck,
Humbled through opportunities, given to him despite the fact,
That many misjudge him, because he makes a livin' from writin raps,
Put it together himself, now the picture connects,
Never askin' for someone's help, or to get some respect,
He's only focused on what he wrote, his will is beyond reach,
And now when it all unfolds, the skill of an artist...

[Verse 3 - Ryu]
It's just twenty percent skill,
Eighty percent beer,
Be one hundred percent clear cause Ryu is ill,
Who would've thought that he'd be the one to set the west in flames,
And I heard him wreckin with The Crystal Method, "Name Of The Game",
Came back dropped Megadef, took em to church,
I like "Bleach" man, Ryu had the stupidest verse,
This dude is the truth, now everybody be givin him guest spots,
His stock's through the roof I heard he fuckin with S. Dot!

[Chorus]
This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill,
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain,
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

[Verse 4 - Ryu]
They call him Ryu The Sick,
And he's spittin' fire with Mike,
Got him out the dryer he's hot,
Found him in Fort Minor with Tak,
Been a fuckin' annihilist porcupine,
He's a prick, he's a cock,
The type woman want to be with, and rappers hope he get shot,
Eight years in the makin', patiently waitin to blow,
Now the record with Shinoda's takin' over the globe,
He's got a partner in crime, his shit is equally dope,
You wont believe the kind of shit that comes out of this kid's throat...

[Verse 5 - Tak]
Tak! He's not your everyday on the block,
He knows how to work with what he's got,
Makin' his way to the top,
People think its a common owners name,
People keep askin' him was it given at birth,
Or does it stand for an acronym?
No he's livin' proof, Got him rockin the booth,
He'll get you buzzin' quicker than a shot of vodka with juice,
Him and his crew are known around as one of the best,
Dedicated to what they doin' give a hundred percent...

[Verse 6 - Mike]
Forget Mike, nobody really knows how or why he works so hard,
It seems like he's never got time,
Because he writes every note and he writes every line,
And I've seen him at work when that light goes on in his mind,
It's like a design is written in his head every time,
Before he even touches a key or speaks in a rhyme,
And those motherfuckers he runs with, those kids that he signed?
Ridiculous, without even trying, how do they do it?!

[Chorus x2]
This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill,
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will,
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain,
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name!

[Outro - Mike]
Yeah! Fort Minor!
M. Shinoda! Styles Of Beyond!
Ryu! Takbir!
Machine Shop!

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Someone right now, is leavin' their apartment,
Looking down at the street, and wonderin' where their car went,
Someone in a car, is sittin' at a signal,
In front of a restaurant, starin' through the window,
At someone right now, with their finger in their teeth,
Who could use a little floss, right across the street,
There's somebody on the curb, who really needs a jacket,
But spent half the rent at a bar getting plastered,
Now he's gotta walk 14 blocks,
Just to work at a shop where he's about to get fired.
Someone right now, is lookin' pretty tired,
Staring at a laptop, tryin' to get inspired,
As somebody living right across the street,
Just wrote the best thing that she's written all week,
But her best friend is coughing up blood i nthe sink,
He can't even think what happened, feeling so confused,
And he knows it looks bad but there's nothing he can do,
I wonder what it's like to be right there in his shoes, but...

[Chorus]
Yo, I'm just takin' it in,
Out the window of a hotel bedroom again,
Tomorrow I'll be gone, I don't know when I'll be back,
But in this world everything can change just like that (like that).

[Verse 2 - Ryu]
Somebody right right now is droppin' his vote,
Inside a box and tryin' not to get shot in his throat,
For the act of freedom,
Right now, somebody's stuck in Iraq,
Hoping that he gets shipped back breathing,
In a war, but he's not really sure of the reasons,
So we show our support when the press mislead him,
Though we mourn, remain proud, salute the troops,
Gte some, I know you boys got some work to do.

[Verse 3 - Ryu]
Meanwhile, right now someone's 25-to-life-ing,
Standing on a corner with their thumb up hitchhiking,
Scratching off a lotto ticket, hopin' for a real winner,
Sneaking through the border just to work and eat a real dinner,
Right now, somoene wishes they were you and I,
Instead of second-guessing fatal thoughts of quiet suicide,
But right now I'm staring out the window at a fiend,
With holes in his arm, and holes in his jeans,
He pulled out a cigarette and sparked a light,
And walked right around the corner just out of my sight, but...

[Chorus]
I'm just takin' it in,
From a second story hotel window again,
The T.V's on and my bags are packed,
But in this world everything can change just like that (like that).

[Verse 4 - Black Thought]
Yeah, right now somebody's sittin' in the darkness,
Tryin' to figure how to put some heat in they apartment,
But they got a little matress, little carpet,
And they appreciate it 'cause some people on a park bench.
You see 'em when you rushing to get to the office,
Wife ride by 'em when she comin' home from the market,
Right now somebody comin' out the pocket,
Tryin' to dump that rock they runnin' 'round the block with,
Same time, the cops is raisin' the glock,
With aim to fill your legs and your back with some hot shit.
Right now somebody's strugglin' to stop this man,
That's kickin' and punchin' and cussin' at the doctors.
Down the hall a child is takin' it's breath,
The doctors ain't even passed him to the nurse yet, yo,
I wonder if he understands what it's worth yet,
Life, the time spent while we here on the earth yet,
The answers to the questions we all seek,
Can be found, it depend on how free y'all think,
Right now, it's somebody who ain't eat all week,
That would kill for the shit you throw away in the street,
I guess one main's trash is the next man's treasure,
One man's pain is the next man's pleasure,
One say infinity, then next say forever,
Right now, everybody got to get it together, man,

[Chorus]
I'm just takin' it in,
In another strange hotel lobby again,
With my luggage on my back, I don't know where I'm at,
I'm in a world where it all change just like that (like that).

[Mike - Intro]
Ya'll are not not re-ready (no!),
Not re-ready (no!),
We about to drop it steady (so!),
Do it like that, like that, like that,
Do it like that, like that, like that...

[Chorus x2]
Now why's everybody so petrified? (What!)
Petrified (what!), step aside,
And just drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')

[Verse 1 - Mike]
How you doin ya'll, my name's Mike,
I'm fluent with the new shit I'm doin it all night,
I like what I do, I do what I like,
I can quit and get it back like I'm riding a bike.
Like STOP...

Bring it back, bring it back,
We got that balance keepin us on track,
That you get when you're movin quick with no slow,
You stare like you don't care, but you do though.
I know, you really must be so lonely,
Puffed up like you're tough but so phony.
You and your boys you don't know me,
You really wanna hold me? Show me homie.
Let's get it over with for good,
I got a friction addiction I wish you would,
Machine Shop rockin' when we step inside,
And we got everybody so petrified!

[Chorus]
Now why's everybody so petrified? (What!)
Petrified (what!), step aside,
And just drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')

[Verse 2 - Mike]
Listen you are not ready,
Like children and a building you cant stand steady.
It must be the beat so heavy,
Causin' panic attacks like a crack in the levy.
Give you that Robert Plant,
Dancin' days are back, feelin all in the track,
And infact? For those knowin' the name I'm back,
With some brand new crack we can do it like that,
You really must be so lonely,
Puffed up like you're tough but so phony.
You and your boys you don't know me,
You really wanna hold me? Show me homie.
Tough talk doesn't mean a thing,
Get over yourself, you know when we're up in the scene,
It's Machine Shop rockin when we step inside,
And we got everybody so petrified!

[Chorus x2]
Now why's everybody so petrified? (What!)
Petrified (what!), step aside,
And just drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')

[Mike - Bridge x2]
Ya'll are not not re-ready (no!),
Not re-ready (no!),
We about to drop it steady (so!),
Do it like that, like that, like that,
Do it like that, like that, like that...

[Chorus x2]
Now why's everybody so petrified? (What!)
Petrified (what!), step aside,
And just drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')
Drop that! (cmon')

[Mike - Outro x4]
Like stop (stop), bring it back (bring it back),
We got that balance keepin us on track...

[Mike - Outro 2]
Like stop! (stop x10)
Machine shop! (shop x10)

[Chorus]
These days are dark and the nights are cold,
People acting like they lost their soul,
And everywhere I go I see another person like me,
Trying to make it all feel like home.

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Standin' on the bridge in the dark and I'm seein' my breath,
Tryin' to make it home without freezin' to death,
And my grandfather's face is stuck in my mind and how,
Seeing him tonight's gonna be the last time.
I should've brought a ajcket,
Blowin' in my hands like it's really gonna stop the chill,
I buy a cup of cofee with a five dollar bill, thinkin',
Layin' in that box people look so still,
At times like these you start thinkin',
Your first beath in, and your clock starts tickin',
I'm not trying to bum anyone out,
Not trying to be dramatic, just thinkin' out loud,
I'm just tryin' to make some sense in my mind.
Some defense from the cold that I'm feeling outside, and for a minute,
Escape with some rhythm and rhyme, and,
Get away from the grey, just a bit at a time.

[Verse 2 - Ryu]
Yeah, kinda funny how this would can treat you,
Like a freak in a sideshow, a carnival creature,
Climbin' outta cans, I'm a diamond in the sand,
But you can't tell the difference on a beach full of rhinestones,
My life's like tryin' to swallow a pinecone.
It's tough when you live fast, just to die slow,
Talk to dial tones, my dreams are far-fetched,
It seems, so I sleep underneath this park bench,
I know it don't make sense,
And I don't expect for you to know what it's like.,
Smoke, drink, piss, sniffing everything in my sight.
Push rocks in a pipe,
Liftoff, I keep puffin' 'til my lips turn white,
And my chest gets tight, but who the fuck really cares,
When you're so far left, that even death looks right.
All I can do is hope for the best and pray,
That it gets a little better than yesterday.

[Chorus]
These days are dark and the nights are cold,
People acting like they lost their soul,
And everywhere I go I see another person like me,
Trying to make it all feel like home.

[Verse 3 - Tak]
Yo, pardon me, I think I'm next to url,
Too many problems goin' on, that's why I left my girl.
Packed my bags and I traveled with a pen and my notepad,
Pissed that I was broke and all the things that I don't have,
But still, I try to find a way to escape,
From all the hate planted in my head which lead to mistakes,
But now I'm breakin' the mold, see I was patient and calm,
Many sleep in the rain, but I'm awake in the storm,
Writing my life in a short film, The Rise and Fall,
How I managed to scorch hills, and climb the walls,
Pound pavement, aimless in this cold existance,
Even though things are changin', I'm goin' the distance,
Overcomin' the doubt that had controlled for so long,
And put it all behind me, 'cause life still goes on,
Now I'm much stronger and know where I stand,
While lost souls search over and over again.

[Chorus]
These days are dark and the nights are cold,
People acting like they lost their soul,
And everybody's tryin' not to cry, trin' to get by,
And tryin' not too feel out of control,
And if you look hard enough,
Sometimes you'll find a place that might just remind you of home,
But if it doesn't feel like home,
You can do what I do,
Just pretend you don't feel so alone.

[Chorus - Holly Brook/Jonah Matranga]
Where'd you go? I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Please come back home.

[Verse 1 - Mike]
She said;
"Some days I feel like shit, some days I wanna quit,
And just be normal for a bit,
I don't understand why you have to always be gone,
I get along but the trips always feel so long, and,
I find myself tryin' to stay by the phone,
'Cause your voice always helps me and I feel not so alone,
But I feel like an idiot, working my day around a call,
That when I pick up I don't have much to say, so,
I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waiting,
At times debating, telling you I've had it with you and your career,
Me and the rest of the family here singing "where'd you go?"."

[Chorus - Holly Brook/Jonah Matranga]
Where'd you go? I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go? I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Please come back home.

[Verse 2 - Mike]
Come back home, you know that place where you used to live?,
Used to barbeque up burgers and ribs,
Used to have a little party every Halloween with candy by the pile,
But now you only stop by every once in a while.
(Shit) I find myself just filling my time,
With anything to keep the thought of you from my mind,
I'm doing fine, and I'm planning to keep it that way,
And you can call me if you find thatyou have something tosay,
And I'll tell you;
"I want you to know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waiting,
At times debating, telling you that I've had it with you and your career.
Me and the rest of the family here singing "where'd you go?"."

[Chorus - Holly Brook/Jonah Matranga]
Where'd you go? I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go? I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Please come back home.

[Bridge - Mike]
I want you know it's a little fucked up,
That I'm stuck here waiting,
No longer debating,
Tired of sitting and hating and making these excuses,
For why you're not around, and feeling so useless,
It seems one thing has been true all along,
You don't really know what you've got 'til it's gone,
I guess I've had it with you and your career,
When you come back I won't be here,
And you can sing it.

[Chorus - Holly Brook/Jonah Matranga]
Where'd you go? I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Where'd you go? I miss you so,
Seems like it's been forever,
That you've been gone.
Please come back home. (x5)

[Intro - Jay-Z]
"That beat is hard!"

[Verse 1 - Mike]
This is how it goes,
Welcome one and all to the show,
We’re wired up, fired up, fuckin' ready to go,
In the back of the parking lot outside of the bar,
Twenty deep, twenty feet from the boulevard,
Black hoodies, black caps, black label in glasses,
Previewin' the new shit before all the masses,
'Cause the first thing I need when I got a new beat,
Is to see how it sounds echoin' off the street,
I just take it for a spin, pop the CD in,
Slide it up to ten and get that rear view shakin',
And play it again so there’s no mistakin',
San Andreas the block get this bitch earthquakin' like..OH!

[Chorus]
Oh-oh!
Ready for it? Here we go,
We got the whole block rockin' in stereo,
We're takin' control, lettin everybody know,
And if you feel it lemme hear everybody go,
Oh-Oh!

[Verse 2 - Mike]
You’re not ready, I got plenty cuts,
For twenty months dropped steadily,
Plenty tracks to empty on your wack pedigree,
I’m backed heavily, while you’re back peddling,
Forget the chit chat on me homie, kick back,
I’m on that shit that can get your homie bitchslapped,
So zip your lip back, listen and watch,
We got the whole block rockin' off the way the beat knocks,
You dont have to warn the people on the corner, they know,
That if you’re standing on that corner then you’re getting that show,
World premiering you're hearing that machine shop flow,
San Andreas the block get this bitch earthquakin' like..OH!

[Chorus x2]
Oh...oh!
Ready for it? Here we go,
We got the whole block rockin' in stereo,
We're takin' control, lettin everybody know,
And if you feel it lemme hear everybody go,
Oh...oh!

[Bridge]
Turn the key, turn the volume up to loud,
Roll right, roll every window down,
Let the whole block know what this is about,
Turn it up, ya'll, burn that system out,
Turn the key, turn the volume up to loud,
Roll right, roll every window down,
Let the whole block know what this is about,
Turn it up, ya'll, burn out that system like OH!

[Chorus x2]
Oh...oh!
Ready for it? Here we go,
We got the whole block rockin' in stereo,
We're takin' control, lettin everybody know,
And if you feel it lemme hear everybody go,
Oh...oh!

[Outro - Mike]
Let’s go ahead and test out the speakers, you ready?
Let’s go, like this!

[Intro - Common]
Uh! Yeah...yo,
We about to take ya'll to the tip, to the crib...
Let's do it Mike!

Yeah!

[Chorus]
Back home (back home),
Everybody's searching for somethin',
But all they can find is a whole lot of nothin',
Back home (back home),
Ain't nobody hopin' and prayin',
'Cause they feel like nothing can save 'em,
And they try to hold out but they can't fight the fact,
That life goes black when those lights go out,
But I guess you gotta just watch out for your own,
'Cause ain't a damn thing free back home! (Back home)

[Verse 1 - Common]
Back home, they holler "disciple" and "blackstone",
Same block they freebase yo we trapped on,
Where our grandmothers marched, the guns clap on,
There's liquor stores, beauty supplies, and rap songs,
I travel the world just to come back to it,
The crib got a lot of soul like black music,
I'm attached to it,
In many ways the city raised me, and gave me,
The drama, honor, and bravery,
The streets seem hollow, when I go to Chicago,
It's cheap wine and sorrow,
Times is hard to swallow,
In search of God's tomorrow, I borrow words from the,
Bible, and use them for survival, gangs rival,
Signs painted on walls like hieroglyphics,
I tell 'em that this is all tribal,
Used to do dirt, shorty's goin' through the same cycle,
And trials like Michael, tryin' not to stay idle!

[Chorus]
Back home (back home),
Everybody's searching for somethin',
But all they can find is a whole lot of nothin',
Back home (back home),
Ain't nobody hopin' and prayin',
'Cause they feel like nothing can save 'em,
And they try to hold out but they can't fight the fact,
That life goes black when those lights go out,
But I guess you gotta just watch out for your own,
'Cause ain't a damn thing free back home! (Back home)

[Verse 2 - Ryu]
Back home it's not Compton but close,
The same problems exist and the pain throbbin',
And folks are so common,
It don't, really bother us much we just swallow it (uh!),
Crack the bottle and smoke, hope tomorrow something,
Magical happens that'll put me back in the biz,
But the chances of it actually happening's kinda slim,
Back home, we get the good life at a glimpse,
In the form of a rap star, drug dealers, and pimps,
I'm back home!

[Verse 3 - Tak]
Back home, I try my best to keep it together it's cold,
Like the Windy City streets of December,
I pace back and forth, looking for the courage to shine,
But can't tap the source, need something to nourish my mind,
I know we all lose quite a bit in life,
Only to gain some,
Life of the dark winding roads we came from,
But I move with the night, so I'm used to the shade,
And never lose sight, bringing truth back to the game!

[Verse 4 - Mike]
Back home, we've got a lot of shit on our minds,
We're always behind on something cause there's not enough time,
And we're non-stop, bottom line, doing what we gotta do,
To get some food in the fridge and stay out of the hospital,
Back home there's people calling us hopeless,
People trying to tell us all we need is some focus,
But focus,
Focus is overrated,
Cause you see every blemish and mistake and can't change it,
Back home is Alvarado, K-Town and J-Town,
Or Little Tokyo for those that don't know,
Where figures shiver, living right in the litter,
Where kids write bigger, right inside the LA river,
On the concrete, a symbol of our everyday way,
Its that color and concentration over heavy and grey,
And by the time the ink dries on this page,
I'll be half a day away from the place where I stay!

[Chorus]
Back home (back home),
Everybody's searching for somethin',
But all they can find is a whole lot of nothin',
Back home (back home),
Ain't nobody hopin' and prayin',
'Cause they feel like nothing can save 'em,
And they try to hold out but they can't fight the fact,
That life goes black when those lights go out,
But I guess you gotta just watch out for your own,
'Cause ain't a damn thing free back home! (Back home)

[Outro - Common]
We takin it back home ya'll,
Yeah it's Common Sense (yeah!),
My guy Mike (what up Com'?),
S.O.B. (uh-huh),
Yeah, this is how we rotate,
It's good music (ha ha ha),
Hip-hop (don't stop!),
Uh, it's home for me baby...yeah!

[Intro - Mike]
Yeah..go ahead and uh, cue those special effects..(haha)
Yeah..

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Man I love this rap game,
Mainly 'cause its cool to add a little,
Spice to the life you've been through,
Everyone exaggerates a tiny little bit,
Make that shit sound more gangster than it really is,
You cant appear weak, man, we wanna hear street,
We wanna hear you spit your thug over this here beat,
Dont take it as sarcastic, I can't get enough,
Im telling you,
You can call my bluff, if it's not rough,
Then I really don't need it,
I'm not even ashamed,
I got too much reality thats filling up my brain,
So sell me on the product, I'm addicted to the game,
Suck it up like a cigarette, light it up man...

[Chorus]
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do,
Once in a while but between me and you,
Its just like a cigarette, nobody's really fooled,
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool!

[Verse 2 - Mike]
Let me tell you something that I realized tonight,
My hip hop radio's like Marlboro Light,
They're both selling stories,
And they sound about the same,
Cigarettes say their safe,
Rappers claim they really bang,
We dont care if it's true, when we lay the money down,
We don't believe the words,
We just love the way they sound,
They're acting like we're idiots, they're lying to our face,
Maybe we are idiots, we buy it anyway,
I'm runnin out to get the next rapper's CD, just,
Suckin up the guns, drugs, and misogyny,
The same way that I suck up all the stories when I breathe,
That little bit of death supposedly cancer-free,
And everything they say's got the truth twisted up but,
Twisted up's what I want man,
I can't get enough,
'Cause even though we know it's all just a big bluff,
We just light another up, what,
We don't give a fuck!

[Chorus x2]
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do,
Once in a while but between me and you,
Its just like a cigarette, nobody's really fooled,
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool!

[Bridge]
Man, listen to my words, listen for awhile,
Lip Service radio, dont touch the dial,
If you're in the car, turn up the track, man,
Give your whole neighborhood some second hand rap, hey,
Matter of a fact, listen for awhile,
Lip Service radio, dont touch the dial,
If you're in the car man turn up the track, and,
Give the whole neighborhood some second hand rap!

[Chorus x2]
Its just like a cigarette, its something that I do,
Once in a while but between me and you,
Its just like a cigarette, nobody's really fooled,
I dont want the truth, I wanna feel fucking cool!

[Chorus]
I guess,
That this is where we've come to,
If you don't want to,
Then you don't have to believe me,
But I,
Won't be there when you go down,
Just so you know now,
You're on your own now,
Believe me!

[Verse 1 - Ryu]
I don't want to be the one to blame, you like fun and games,
Keep playing 'em, I'm just sayin,
Think back then we was like one and the same,
On the right track, but I was on the wrong train,
It's like that, now you gotta face the pain,
And the devil's got a fresh new place to play,
In your brain like a maze you can never escape,
The rain, every damn day is the same shade of grey.

[Verse 2 - Mike]
Hey, I used have a little bit of a plan, used to,
Have a concept of where I stand,
But that concept slipped right out of my hand and now,
I don't really even know who I am, yo,
What do I have to say,
Maybe, I should do what I have to do to break free and,
What ever happens to you, we'll see,
But it's not gonna happen with me.

[Chorus]
I guess,
That this is where we've come to,
If you don't want to,
Then you don't have to believe me,
But I,
Won't be there when you go down,
Just so you know now,
You're on your own now,
Believe me!

[Verse 3 - Mike]
Back then, I thought you were just like me,
Somebody who could see all the pain I see,
But you proved to me unintentionally,
That you would self-destruct, eventually,
Now I'm faking like the mistake I made doesn't hurt,
But it's not gonna work, 'cause it's really much worse than I thought,
I wished you were something that you were not,
And now this guilt is really all that I got.

[Verse 4 - Tak]
Uh, you turn your back and walk away in shame,
All you got is a memory of pain,
Nothing makes sense so you stare at the ground,
And hear my voice in my head when no one else is around,
So what do I have to say,
Maybe, I should do what I have to do to break free and,
Whatever happens to you, we'll see,
But it's not gonna happen to me,

[Chorus]
I guess,
That this is where we've come to,
If you don't want to,
Then you don't have to believe me,
But I,
Won't be there when you go down,
Just so you know now,
You're on your own now,
Believe me!

[Instrumental Bridge]

[Chorus]
I guess,
That this is where we've come to,
If you don't want to,
Then you don't have to believe me,
But I,
Won't be there when you go down,
Just so you know now,
You're on your own now,
Believe me!

[Outro]
I'll do what i have to do,
(You're on your own now believe me)
Whatever happens to you,
(You're on your own now believe me)
What do I have to say,
(You're on your own now believe me)
It's not gonna happen to me,
(You're on your own now believe me)

[Mike - Talking]
"The dude, he said that, like, when we were making the first Linkin Park record
He was like,
'Yeah you know, I don't know about the rapping like, I don't know if it's... maybe you should just be a rock band.'
You know what I mean, like, trying to change us,
Like they signed us as an act, like what we sound like, and then he's like
'Oh I don't know maybe you should just play keyboard'."

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Before the first song that you heard me on,
There were people already tryin' to get me gone,
Tellin' me to quit rapping, just play the keys, that
"My band had a singer", "They didn't need me",
But my band had my back,
So we did the tracks, put out the album,
And the talk went flat,
It was funny at first, but then the humour faded,
When some magazines printed that our label made us,
We were to be good to be true,
Some were saying ghost writers were writin' all that we do,
So we had to disprove it, we spelled it out,
To the detail, how we do it, when we're making this music,
After that I made it a rule:
I only do e-mail responses to print interviews,
Because these people love to put a twist to your words,
To infer that you said something fucking absurd.
Oh, did I lose you at 'infer'?
Not used to hearing a verse that uses over first grade vocabulary words?
People used to 'infer' that we were manufactured,
Now I've got the interviews on file,
Which people said what, which number to dial,
So now every enemy screaming insanity,
All they're ever gonna be's another big fan of me, (Bitch!)

[Outro - Mike and Tak Talking]
(*Laughter*)
"Can you believe that? Like that's crazy,
It sounds crazy right, like this point,
At this point you're thinking...you hear that you're like,
'That guy..is out of his mind!', But honestly at that point...
Like besides the fact he wanted me to just play keyboards or whatever,
Didn't want me to rap..he was like 'Maybe Joe Hahn..should, um...wear a lab coat, and a cowboy hat on stage',
Like when we play? ('yo?!')
I swear to god he was crazy!
('So joe..in a cowboy hat?!')
Yeah, and later on he claimed he wrote all our songs,
So yeah..that was..that was really nice."

[Intro - Mike]
Lets go ya'll!

[Verse 1 - Mike]
These people are running off at the mouth,
Tryin to convince me that I'm running on empty,
Tryin to convince themselves that the record with Jay was a fluke,
That the record that I'm makin is a mistake,
And I cant take this,
Lemme tell you where I'm at with this,
You bastards are gonna have to take back that shit,
I'm not plastic and fake, when I make tracks,
I take facts and lay 'em out for the masses,
You assholes are gonna see soon that I'm not playing,
And start asking me the names that I'm not saying,
But I'm tryin to be bigger than the bickering,
Bigger than the petty name calling,
Under the breath talking,
Rumors and labels and categorization,
I'm like a struggling doctor: no patience, (haha)
But you can say what you want about me,
Keep talkin while I'm walkin away!

[Chorus]
You can say what you have to say,
'Cause my mind's made up anyway,
I'm taking the high road, going above you,
This is the last time that I'm gonna trust you,
You can say what you have to say,
'Cause my mind's made up anyway,
All that bullshit you talk might work a lot,
But it's not gonna work today!

[Verse 2 - Mike]
You people are running off at the mouth,
Tryin' to make me take myself off safety,
Tryin' to make my friends turn their backs,
On the team we built,
Buildin up some mistaken information,
And I cant take this,
Let me spell it out plain for you angry groups,
Complaining 'bout the things we do,
I'm not changing direction,
I'm stepping my game up,
Maintainin my name, same way I came up,
You're gonna see that I'm not playing,
And start asking the names that I'm not saying,
But I'm trying not to mention the names of,
People who wanna siphon attention,
You like the hype but,
Pretendin you're part of the picture wont pass,
You're like a high school dropout: no class,
You can say what you want about me,
Keep talkin while i'm walkin away! (bitch!)

[Chorus]
You can say what you have to say,
'Cause my mind's made up anyway,
I'm taking the high road, going above you,
This is the last time that I'm gonna trust you,
You can say what you have to say,
'Cause my mind's made up anyway,
All that bullshit you talk might work a lot,
But it's not gonna work today!

[Bridge]
Why does it always have to be,
Somebody's always watching me,
All I really need is some room to breathe (breathe),
'Cause I cant stand to keep this in,
All I really want, I'll say again!

[Chorus]
You can say what you have to say,
'Cause my mind's made up anyway,
I'm taking the high road, going above you,
This is the last time that I'm gonna trust you,
You can say what you have to say,
'Cause my mind's made up anyway,
All that bullshit you talk might work a lot,
But it's not gonna work today!

[Intro - Mike's Relative]
"My father came from Japan in 1905,
He was 15 when he immigrated from Japan,
He worked until he was able to buy - to actually build a store.."

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Let me tell you a story in the form of a dream,
I don't know why I have to tell it but I know what it means,
Close your eyes and just picture the scene, as I paint it for you,
It was World War II when this man named Kenji woke up,
Ken was not a soldier, he was just a man with a family,
Who owned a store,
In LA, that day,
He crawled out of bed like he always did,
Bacon and eggs with wife and kids,
He lived on the second floor of a little store he ran,
He moved to LA from Japan,
They called him 'Immigrant,' in Japanese,
He'd say he was called "Iisei," that meant,
'First Generation In The United States,' when,
Everybody was afraid of the Germans, afraid of the "Japs",
But most of all afraid of a homeland attack,
And that morning when Ken went out on the doormat,
His world went black 'cause,
Right there; front page news,
Three weeks before 1942,
"Pearl Harbour's Been Bombed And The Japs Are Coming,"
Pictures of soldiers dying and running,
Ken knew what it would lead to,
And just like he guessed, the president said,
"The evil Japanese in our home country would be locked away,"
They gave Ken, a couple of days,
To get his whole life packed in two bags,
Just two bags,
He couldn't even pack his clothes,
And some folks didn't even have a suitcase,
To pack anything in,
So two trash bags is all they gave them,
When the kids asked mom "Where are we going?"
Nobody even knew what to say to them,
Ken didn't wanna lie,
He said "The US is looking for spies,
So we have to live in a place called Manzanar,
Where a lot of Japanese people are.",
Stop it don't look at the gunmen!
You don't wanna get the soldiers wondering,
If you're gonna run or not 'cause if you run then you might get shot,
Other than that try not to think about it,
Try not to worry 'bout it; bein' so crowded,
Someday we'll get out, someday, someday.

[Interlude - Mike's Relative]
"Yeah, soon as war broke out, the F.B.I. came and...they just come to the house,
and, 'you have to come.', 'All the Japanese have to go", they took Mr. Ni,
The people couldn't understand, 'why did they have to take him,
Because he's just an innocent laborer?' "

[Verse 2 - Mike]
So now they're in a town with soldiers surrounding them,
Every day, every night, looked down at them,
From watchtowers up on the wall,
Ken couldn't really hate them at all,
They were just doing their job and,
He wasn't gonna make any problems,
He had a little garden, vegetables and fruits that he gave to the troops,
In a basket his wife made,
But in the back of his mind, he wanted his family's life saved,
Prisoners of war in their own damn country,
What for?
And time passed in the prison town, he wondered,
If he'd live it down if and when they were free,
The only way out was joining the army, and supposedly,
Some men went out for the army, signed on,
And ended up flying to Japan with a bomb,
That fifteen kiloton blast, put an end to the war pretty fast,
Two cities were blown to bits,
The end of the war came quick,
And Ken got out,
Big hopes of a normal life, with his kids and his wife, but,
Then they got back to their home, and,
What they saw made them feel so alone,
These people had trashed every room,
Smashed in the windows and bashed in the doors,
Written on the walls and the floor:
"Japs not welcome anymore.",
And Kenji dropped both of his bags at his sides and just stood outside,
He, looked at his wife without words to say,
She looked back at him wiping tears away,
And, said "Someday we'll be okay, someday,"
Now the names have been changed, but the story's true,
My family was locked up back in '42,
My family was there it was dark and damp,
And they called it an "internment camp".

[Outro - Mike's Relative]
"When we first got back from camp, it was pretty bad."
"I remember my husband said, 'Oh we're gonna stay 'til last.'
Then my husband died before they closed the camp."

[Verse 1 - Mike]
I had a friend named Victor
The two of us used to hang every single day
And it seemed like overnight that his whole life / just changed
I know when his mom and dad broke up / it didn't make sense
But I know that his dad was a drunk and he gambles away the rent
Pretty soon Vic was seeing red / pissed off / but instead
He'd drink every night 'til he passed out
Then he'd do it all again
The whole time / smiling on the outside to cover the pain
But on the inside / all he was trying to do was get away

[Chorus - Jonah/Kenna]
He's dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks...

[Verse 2 - Tak]
Funny how things change color
Then fade to another shade / when you had it made
It was all good / but now look / just another day
It was so fresh / it was so clean
Now it's all gone / one, two, three
Lights out / which way to turn
Can't get a grip / All alone in a big white house
Every day gets worse / and you just curse 'til your head bursts
And it hurts so bad / she left / now you suffer
Should've thought of that one first
No family / no kids / can accept what you did / now you wanna
Run away but you can't cause the past comes back again

[Verse 3 - Ryu]
Slippin' through the cracks / sip a little Jack
Go to be half dead
What about the rent? Why does every cent gotta be a bet
When's it gonna end
Oh my God / we don't got a penny left
My mom's gotta find a way to get a job
Outta debt / outta dodge / out of breath / out of this big problem
My pop's wanna get away from the pain
In a better place in his brain
But the medication he takes makes him wasted
So sick he was gonna think the good Lord would come take him
I'm shaking him
Wake up you son of a bitch

[Chorus - Jonah/Kenna]
He's dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Hiding himself away
Watching all the memories fade away
From red to black

[Mike - Announcing To Crowd]
Times up, times up, times up!
Alright Celph you got 30 seconds,
You ready?
Aight Celph Titled hit em!

[Verse 1 - Celph]
Hhaha..yeah! Aight, that's all you got?

These hungry rappers battle for a buck and some change,
There really be kids starving, give a fuck if it change,
Shock rap, not that, you get signed you might blow up,
"Release Party In Iraq", you might blow up,
I see you trying to think a few lines you might get at me with,
Slap happy with babies who're born with crack in they cribs,
Too much to cram under you oversized fitted,
And the public system failed you,
Either you're ignorant or...

[Verse 1 - Mike]
You know me
I used to get caught up in everyday life
Trying to make it through my day so I could sleep at night
Trying to figure out my way through the maze of rights and wrongs
But like you used to say
Nothing feels like it's really worth it
Forget perfect / I'm trying not to be worthless
Since I last saw you I've been looking for a purpose / well
I met this kid who thought like I did
He had a weird way of looking at it
This is what he said

[Chorus]
Slip out the back before they
know you were there / and
At the worst you'll see nobody
cares
'Cause you don't wanna be around when it all goes down
Even heroes know when to be
scared

[Verse 2 - Mike]
Now / I don't remember where
I met him
Or remember his name
But he walked funny like he was just too big for his frame
Just over five foot / but he weighed a buck fifty
And what he said seemed so right it stuck with me / listen
It's like poker / you can play your best
But you gotta know when to fold your cards and take a rest
And know when to hold your cards / hold your breath and
Hope that nobody else is stacking the deck / because
I don't need to tell you that life isn't fair
It doesn't care
It arbitrarily cuts off your air
And like you / I want someone to say it's okay
In the truest part of our hearts everybody's afraid / we're just
Underappreciated and overwhelmed
Fighting so hard to hide our fear that we're scaring ourselves
You understand what I'm saying / cause you always did
But it's different in the words of a cowardly kid

[Bridge - Mike]
And I'm no hero
You remember how it was / you know
All I ever did was worry / feeling out of control
To the point where everything was going end over end
I'm spinning around in circles again
This is where you come in
All of this to explain to you why I had to
Separate myself away from
yesterday's life

Please remember
This isn't how I hoped it would be
But I had to protect you from me

[Outro - Mike]
That's why I
Slipped out the back before you knew I was there
I know you felt unprepared
But every single time I was around I'd just bring you down
And I could tell that it was time to be scared
That's why I
Slipped out the back before you knew I was there
And I know the way I left wasn't fair
I didn't anna be around just to bring you down
I'm not a hero
But don't think I didn't care

[Intro - Lupe Fiasco]
Uh! M.S., Lupe,
You know...I'm a fan man, I'm a real fan,
I feel real honored to be up in here, you know what I'm sayin'?
They had to bring out the expensive mics for this one,
You know what I'm sayin? The $7000 headphones for this one here,
You know what I'm sayin?
Come on..talk to em'!

[Verse 1 - Mike]
This is the story of them against us, win or lose,
Forcing your feet into someone else's shoes,
Everybody's got somethin' to say,
That we aughta live their way,
What we're doing's not "okay",
In this world everybody's got a chip on,
Both sides of their neck,
Got no respect, wait up a sec!
You ever feel like the pressure is too much to take,
Too much weight?
Ladies and gentleman,
If anybody can hear me right now please shout back,
We're not the only one's feeling so trapped,
In a dream of somebody else...infact,
They got their heads full of some overblown scheme,
Opportunity they missed back when they were sixteen,
And all they wanna do is push you to be that,
And all you wanna do is scream back...

[Chorus - Holly Brook and Mike]
Gonna be somebody...
For anybody telling me I cant,
Gonna be someone...
For anyone who told me I had no chance,
Gonna be somebody...
I'm telling you the time has come, (like that)
Gonna be someone...
And maybe you'll get it when I'm finally done.

[Verse 2 - Mike]
We don't sleep to dream,
We sleep to build stamina,
Energy to do our thing,
Get your camera,
Cause this ride is about to begin,
Sit down and buckle it in,
Let me say it again,
In this world everybody's got a chip on,
Both sides of their neck,
Got no respect, wait up a sec!
When I was young,
They said the odds of making it were slim to none,
Ladies and...fuck it,
I'm tired of them saying the dream you have doesn't exist,
Telling you you're worthless, telling you should quit,
Basically telling you that you'll never be shit!
Really, they're pissed 'cause they'll never acheive,
Some opportunity they missed back when they sixteen,
And all they wanna do is push you to be that,
And all you wanna do is scream back...

[Verse 3 - Lupe]
Uh!
They're gonna think you're crazy mumblin to yourself,
In the basement all day 'uh-uh-uh'in to yourself,
My pop's didn't dig it, was shovelin' to myself,
My boy's used to get it, they dug it cause they felt,
My undertaking took me I was makin in my stealth,
A wealth of rhymes, of crazy I would chuckle to myself, (ha)
Then they went into the mental rolodex,
See I knew em' by heart like a brain in my chest,
Then I, took em' to school where subjects was getting felt,
Books under my seat, notebook lying on my desk,
My teacher's like, "Mr. Jaco?"
"Yes?"
"With all that knowledge, you aint tryin' to college,
Be a lawyer or a doctor, get a whole lotta dollars,
Rather degrade woman and glorify violence?"
Well the work that works for me, may not work for you,
No homework, I got work to do!

[Chorus - Holly Brook and Mike]
Gonna be somebody...
For anybody telling me I cant,
Gonna be someone...
For anyone who told me I had no chance,
Gonna be somebody...
I'm telling you the time has come, (like that)
Gonna be someone...
And maybe you'll get it when I'm finally done.

[Outro - Mike]
Yeah this one goes out to those fantastic human beings,
That keep us down and hold us back,
And give us fuel for what we do...thanks!

[Intro - Mike]
Ready? Let's go.

[Intro - Sixx John]
Yeah, ladies and gentlemen,
Pleased to meet you,
I go by the name of Sixx John,
Of course you know Mike Shinoda.
Uh-oh,
West coast,
Let's go!

[Pre-Chorus]
(One time) For my machine shop crew, and then it's,
(Two times) S.O.B and LP too, and then it's,
(Three times) It's Mike and Sixx on the track, and then,
(Four times) When we come in through the back, they're sayin'

[Chorus]
Oh no, close the door, shut the lights, and start the show.
Better let everybody know, get on the mic and there they go.
Oh no, close the door, shut the lights, and start the show.
Better let everybody know, get on the mic and there they go.

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Armed and dangerous, bitch,
Y'all can't really hang with us in this,
Everybody's so afraid of us...shit,
Makes me wanna hang it up and quit.
Forget about all the things you heard before,
'Bout time that we're kicking down your door,
Everybody's gonna hit the fucking floor,
Like "please Mike, don't hurt me anymore",
I don't gotta have a secret lie or an alibi,
Everybody knows why I'm here,
I'd just as soon crack a bottle,
As crack you over the head with a bottle of beer!
So just listen up there, powderpuff,
Better believe that I'm not playin',
You can love it, you can hate,
But don't mistake it, everybody sayin'

[Chorus]
Oh no, close the door, shut the lights, and start the show.
Better let everybody know, get on the mic and there they go.
Oh no, close the door, shut the lights, and start the show.
Better let everybody know, get on the mic and there they go.

[Verse 2 - Mike]
What you really wanna do is this,
Just make believe that I don't exist,
But you won't because everytime you go to spit (yo check this ou-),
I talk over you just like this (shit!)
It's annoying, just for you,
You could scream all day til your face is blue.
I'm gettin' in your head and you know it too,
And that's just me, you don't know my crew,
My man Sixx John understand though,
The way that he flows, you can call him Rambo,
Never missed a shot, never run outta ammo,
Comin' with heat like a goddamn commando,
And add in S.O.B,
Ryu, Tak, Vin Scully,
Cheapshot, and now you see,
Fuck with me? Nah.
Sixx?

[Verse 3 - Sixx John]
Oh no, uh-oh,
Whatever you yell when you see that door close,
I'ma bail through the back (fo' sho'),
Straight to the bar so I can act (a fool),
I figured you guys would get a little surprise,
Your eyes wide when it's me and Mike Shinode,
I'm just plain old Sixx John from the Nam-district,
This is not supposed,
I still talk with awkward speech,
I'm like a dog that's off his leash,
Step out with a Fort Minor patch on a black tee,
Niggaz gotta walk these streets.
I'm ain't trippin' homie, talk is cheap,
Accapella or we can bark on a beat,
And if that aint enough action,
I've got 17 pages in this little magazine I keep.

[Chorus]
Oh no, close the door, shut the lights, and start the show.
Better let everybody know, get on the mic and there they go.
Oh no, close the door, shut the lights, and start the show.
Better let everybody know, get on the mic and there they go.

[Pre-Chorus - Mike]
We've got this place rockin',
Beat knockin', non stoppin',
If ya'll are with it, lemme hear it now (yeah, yo) (x2)

[Pre-Chorus]
(One time) For my machine shop crew, and then it's,
(Two times) S.O.B and LP too, and then it's,
(Three times) It's Mike and Sixx on the track, and then,
(Four times) We do it like that, like that, like that, like that.

[Outro - Sixx John]
(*Clapping to the beat*) Clap...clap bitches!

[Verse 1 - Mike]
Come with me / let me walk you thru the world that I currently stay in
You can take a look around and tell me if I'm mistaken
You can meet and talk to / everybody that I live with
Maybe you can tell me why everybody's so distant
Is it me or maybe / when I look around daily
I don't even know the people I can put my trust in lately
People that used to hand with / now they're acting so different
I'm still the same person why doesn't anybody listen
Can somebody please / just explain to me
What happened to the way that we always said we'd be
Right now I don't know why I pushed through the pain that I got through
And I'm losing hope

[Chorus - Kenna]
Deafenin voices / that frequency inside my head
That says / I'm going at it the hard way
I focus / get everything inside out of my brain
That claims / I'm going at it the hard way

[Verse 2 - Mike]
Come with me / let me walk you thru the world that I currently live in
Not a thing is forgotten / not a thing is forgiven
Nobody can hold their own underneath the weight but
Nobody can take the blame for their own mistakes so
What do you do when somebody lets you down
And you wanna say something but you can't cause they're not around
Inside you think they know the extent of the pain
But they won't even admit that they were the one to blame
Can somebody please / just explain to me
What happened to the way that we always said we'd be
'Cause right now I don't know why I pushed through the pain that I got through
And I'm losing hope

Gimmie one reason not to

[Chorus - Kenna]
Deafenin voices / that frequency inside my head
That says / I'm going at it the hard way
I focus / get everything inside out of my brain
That claims / I'm going at it the hard way