Ruggedy Baba

Rugged Records
Ah, show me the rhythm

Ase o gbo, o ba le a
A o me nitofo
We spit in pidgin, awon kan fun gan
You better show where you belong
Rugged baba oko mulo ro
Mo da are le mo sanwo wan niran
Rugged baba oko mulo ro
Mo da are le mo sanwo wan niran

Once again it's me the individual, running the game physical
I'm here to open my mouth again and yarn spiritual
To speak from my heart, let you know where e dey pain me
As people dey back bite and talk about me up in this industry
Where them been dey when I dey speak for mechanics and shoe makers
Them dey talk around the subject like our lawmakers
Before I dropped Ehen, the industry was messed up
Fakers dey rule, while realer rappers dem dey stressed up
Nobody did a damn thing until I came through
I cleared the whole area, now real rappers have a say too
Now people dey listen to 'em, come for our shows and clap for 'em
Some dey take am to the next level with hip-hop forums
From Nigeria the world only know juju, fuji and afro beat
But we all know hip-hop is running the streets
Wetin go make them know where your music come from in the long run
Na the fusion of grammar, your slang and your mother tongue

Ase o gbo, o ba le a (o ba le l'owo mi)
A o me nitofo
We spit in pidgin, awon kan fun gan (awon kan fun gan)
You better show where you belong (show where you belong)
Rugged baba oko mulo ro (show where you belong)
Mo da are le mo sanwo wan niran (show where you belong now)
Speak small in your mother tongue (speak small)
Till the people say say dem want more (show where you belong)

I'm tired of people and gossip, I don't switch from smile to frown
I'm tired of so-called hip-hop heads
Accusing that I ain't holding it down
Say I don't change from the way I be before
Say now I dey spit for pidgin, dem prefer me when I be me, hardcore
Like when I dropped What If and split the airwaves
But financially that left me grounded like Nigerian airways
What if I tell you say I only do one or two shows
What if them no pay me well enough to
Buy one good shoe or some good clothes
And say Paul Play, had a hand in letting me know
What it'll take for me to rearrange and eventually blow
While you sit around and talk ish, our elders mock our ish
Cos of our too much metaphorical out of space type shit
When some rap, dem no know where we dey come from
Back then, two rappers on stage was like seven throwing a tantrum
We need to change that, put a face to our music
Let the world know where we come from, let no one abuse it

Ase o gbo, o ba le a (o ba le l'owo mi)
A o me nitofo (a o me nitofo)
We spit in pidgin, awon kan fun gan (awon kan fun gan)
You better show where you belong (won le ko wa fo fodo)
Rugged baba oko mulo ro (Rugged baba)
Mo da are le mo sanwo wan niran (mo da are le mo sanwo wan niran)
Speak small in your mother tongue (speak small)
Till the people say say dem want more

Now let me address this issue of keeping it real
The one subject wey I go say dey make me vex still
Cos of how some MCs feel about these
Three words whenever they open their mouth
Look my guy, I no fit shout
I go only ask, what's keeping it real?
Is it singing or rapping like Oyibo
Or doing what you and your own people can feel?
Some say I sell out because I do dance track
They call me Baba J Master, forgetting it got me fame and money faster
Forget the latter, I move to the next chapter faster
I'm just speaking my mind, playing my controversial character
The way I be known to do when I spit it straight out to you
You better recognize a real brother that's reaching out to you
Speaking pidgin and dance track no mean say I no keep am real
That's just me, so how else I wan be to be real?
My rules are, speak in whatever language but make sense
I did that and I been hot ever since

Ase o gbo, o ba le a
A o me nitofo
We spit in pidgin, awon kan fun gan
You better show where you belong
Rugged baba oko mulo ro
Mo da are le mo sanwo wan niran
Speak small in your mother tongue
Till the people say say dem want more
Ase o gbo, o ba le a
A o me nitofo
We spit in pidgin, awon kan fun gan
You better show where you belong
Rugged baba oko mulo ro
Mo da are le mo sanwo wan niran
Speak small in your mother tongue
Till the people say say dem want more

Rugged baba oko mulo ro (un yato l'owo)
Oko mulo ro
Rugged baba oko mulo ro (speak small)
Oko mulo ro
Rugged man, Nigeria's representer
Putting a face to Nigerian rap music, our language
That don't mean I'm not keeping it real
That doesn't mean I'm wack
That doesn't mean I sell out
So, show the world where you come from
Wherever you're from, let the world know
Oro ma to ma