Student of the Game (feat. Poetics)

My first day of school started in 94 I was coming from this district where I was kind of bored Because they didn't play rap Now see I never rhymed before until I found the school of hip hop A sign from the Lord The way you're living in this culture is the path to be on Study classic songs Listen If you're wack then you're gone Before you enter well you've got to learn the rules first And if hip hop was a school then the principal is kool herc I was highly motivated I was ready to do work Had new wu shirts Getting grades on my new verse But back to the first day I walked into class where I kicked my first rhyme Feeling awkward I laughed But my hunger is like a lion when it stalks in the grass My dark past helped my rhyme Leave my mark on em fast And nowadays students copying my homework But I told those mcs go study and write your own verse Student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh? But don't nobody know my name I'm a student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh But will my teachers know my name I'm a Student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh? But don't nobody know my name I'm a student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh But will my teachers know my name I'm a student of the game See I took a path different than the rest took Illmatic was a textbook White tees a fresh look Raekwon the best cook And mathematics always taught by wutang Now I'm a rap addict Not a 5%er though Fear I had to let it go Supernat he was incredible and from the head he would flow And gym class taught me lyrical exercise Helped my mind stay fit when they test my pride I had this teacher named Marshall who taught language arts I heard him bend words like dang he's smart Had a teacher named canibus who taught self defense He showed me how to battle and it helped me to vent I had the story time with Mr Slick Rick He had the gold ropes Patch was on his eye and his stories were so dope One of my teachers had brought return of the boom bap Wanted to rock a crowd and he taught me how to do that Student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh? But don't nobody know my name I'm a student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh But will my teachers know my name I'm a Student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh? But don't nobody know my name I'm a student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh But will my teachers know my name I'm a student of the game Had this teacher from the west coast who wrote the chronic But my mother she hated weed Said don't focus on it I had Mr Shakur who taught me poetry Though he didn't notice me he taught me how to write a rhyme potently A lot of classmates see they flow was average Till they learned from Mr Big He's the total package Gotta be Mr Black thought is in my top three Along with NaS and Rakim who calls himself the God MC Ayo a few of my teachers would act criminal I sit back and listen to elzhi who really stacked syllables Rap changed my life so I pray for the culture But then there's some infiltrators around the way like a vulture They're just here for all the profits Full of greed and envy You ain't even an mc Let me see your degree You ain't never went to school so you just want all the money then I'm a student of the game Never stop studying Student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh? Well they about to know my name I'm a student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh My teachers bout to know my name I'm a Student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh? Well they about to know my name I'm a student of the game I'm just a student of the game huh My teachers bout to know my name I'm a Student of the game