Lyrics What They Do - The Roots

Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do
Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do

Yo, yo
Lost generation, fast-paced nation
World population confront they frustration
The principles of true hip-hop have been forsaken
It's all contractual, and about money makin'

Pretend-to-be cats don't seem to know they limitation
Exact replication and false representation
You wanna be a man? Then stand your own
To MC require skills, I demand some shown

I let the frauds keep frontin'
And roam like a cellular phone
Far from home, givin' crowds what they wantin'
Official hip-hop consumption, the Fifth thumpin'

Keepin' ya party jumpin' with an original somethin'
Yo, I dedicate this to the one-dimensional
No imagination, excuse for perpetration
My man came over and said, "Yo, we thought we heard you"
Joke's on you, you heard a bitin' ass crew but, um

Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do
Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do

Thin is the line that run between love and hatred
The game is ill-natured, it's nothin' sacred
Aiyo, it's funny what I see some rap niggas do to make it
A few'll blow up, or go as far as they can take it

My nine-to-five is just to hit ya, get the party live
I'm Black Thought, used to rap for sport
Now the rhyme-sayin', rent payin' life support
I take it very seriously within this industry

It's various crews that try to touch me
But I come with the beautiful thing
And I bless the track plushly
Around the world, crowds love me from doin' tours

Recipient of applause from all of you and yours
Creator of original sounds that's in the stores
You take home to absorb and sweat it out your pores
Now who can stop the music runnin' through these veins
Infinitely go against the grain
That's why my motto's to

Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do
Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do

Livin' the life of limos and lights
Airplanes and trains, short days and long nights
Keyboards and mics, bass chords and drum kicks
And my mental thick, they hit my head like brick

As I embark on a mission, welcomin' to the dark
When I first spark the arts, when the listenin' start
Open your head wide, and let the Thought inside
My style fortified by all of Philadelph-i

My delph more stealth than all the wicked wealth-i
Mentality undetectable by the naked eye
Then I get paid when the record is played
To put it short, "I want it made" like Ed, 'nuff said

Then after that, I'm puttin' on my cousin Hamed
We let the ladies blend with the dark-skinned thoroughbred
And discover
My level is that of no other
And Roots crew reign official and true, while I'm continuin' to

Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do
Never do
What they do, what they do, what they do