[Chorus: KRS-One] 
We keep showin you, and showin you, and showin you 
This is what it is! 
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop 
This is what it is! 
We keep showin you, and showin you, and showin you 
This is what it is! 
We gon' flow with you, you know it's true, hip-hop 
This is what it is! 

[KRS-One:] 
A man once said that the streets are watchin us 
If this be the truth we must keep hip-hop in us 
They'll never topple us 
You done heard them thugs, now it's time to hear from the philosophers 
Buildings fallin, employment stallin us 
Now it's time, the future is callin us 
Television is boring us 
Radio is whorin us, lurin us with a chorus plus 
You can't even trust 
The church, the synagogue, they all deceivin us 
It's time to believe in us 
To believe in a hip-hop lifestyle that agrees with us 
No squeeze or bust (bo! bo!) you find ease with us 
The DJ's, the MC's is us 
The ice we've seen enough 
It's time for hip-hop and this is what it is! 

[Chorus] 

[KRS-One:] 
You know we lead a movement, it's called "I Am Hip-Hop" 
Cats debate about it, but I am hip-hop 
Cats wanna talk about but I am hip-hop 
My cats in New York like "I am hip-hop" 
My cats in Atlanta like "I am hip-hop" 
Cats in Miami like "I am hip-hop" 
Chi-Town like "I am hip-hop" 
All over L.A., "I am hip-hop" 
Keep the rawness; the gutter the real 
The movement's growin like corn in the field 
KRS-One was born with the steel 
I'm on top of my game like Shaquille O'Neal 
No surprises, hip-hop come in all sizes 
Now watch as KRS rises up, up-up, up and away~! 
Now you critics mouth shut, got nothin to say 
And that's good for the kids, cause hip-hop 
This is what it is! 

[Chorus] 

[KRS-One:] 
Stay focused... focused... 
Stay focused... oh, oh! 
Yeah, uh-huh, focused... 
Yo, look, look! This is what it is 
Y'all need to stop confusin the kids 
Makin 'em think you gotta do a bid to be hip-hop 
Man that ain't it 
Rob a nigga, kill a nigga, man that ain't shit 
How you figure, how murder make you hip? 
You need to hop to the bookstore and look for Kris 
Anything by KRS-One 
Will lead you to peace, to love, to unity & havin fun 
Y'all know, but, some of y'all don't 
And some of y'all won't that's why only some of y'all dope 
The rest of y'all, food for the Gods 
I eat everything but pop's cause I don't eat lard 

[Chorus: except for the very last three words]