[KRS-One:] 
Do it Marley, ha! 
Killin 'em, you killin 'em! (Where were you?) 
I wanna talk about these rap historians 
Y'all better get it together (Where were you?) 
I be readin your books (Where were you?) 
Y'all better get it together, word up 

When Hot 97 started, I was there 
When Rap City got started, I was there 
When KDAY got started, I was there 
When Jive Records got started, I was there 
When Yo! MTV Raps started, I was there 
When The Source magazins started, I was there 
When Cedric and Seda started, I was there 
When Biggie was doin his album, I was there 
When Tookie Williams was buried, I was there 
'73, Cedar Park, I was there 
One-twenty-three park, I was there 
You ain't tellin me the history cause I was there 

[Chorus:] 
I WAS THERE! (And where were you?) (Where were you?) 
(And where were you?) (Where were you?) 
(And where were you?) (Where were you?) 
(Where were you?) 

[KRS-One:] 
When Moe Dee challenged LL, I was there 
When that bus blew up in London, I was there 
When Death Row challenged Bad Boy at the Source Awards 
in New York at the Garden, yup, I was there 
When Kwame Toure, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael 
was passin on, I was there 
When Nelson Mandela was freed from prison 
and spoke out at Yankee Stadium in New York, I was there 
For all the births of my children, I was there 
When the Rodney King uprisings happened I was there 
These objective rap historians tryin to document 
hip-hop from outside forget it, I was there 

[Chorus] 

[KRS-One:] 
LOOK! The Jive Records label, I was there 
The Columbia Records label, I was there 
The Elektra Records label, I was there 
The Warner Brothers Records label, I was there 
The Koch Records label, I was there 
The Capitol Records label, I was there 
I know about they contracts cause I was there 
I wrote and rewrote most of 'em when I was there 
I ain't readin a book or recitin a hook 
I am hip-hop itself cause yup I was there 
Y'all need to get it together with hip-hop's history 
and get it right, cause yup I was there 

[Chorus]