Gang Starr – Step in the Arena

{DJ Premier cuts the phrase “Step up…” over and over}

[Guru]

Once you step in the arena, cheater; you’re gonna be a-

mazed when you gaze at the armor on this leader

Fully clad and glad to find a cause, I won’t pause

Fear is a joke, slowpoke, I’m like claws

that’ll rip ’cause your gift, is merely flesh

Superficial and I wish you, would give it a rest

But if you don’t, I’ll unsheath my Excalibur

Like a noble knight, so meet ya challenger

A true hero, while you’re a through zero

Gettin beat to a pulp so that you can’t run for help

I heard a gulp in your throat, cause you hope that I’ll be merciful

but coo-cluck, I made you strut as I rehearse a few

battle drills, and watch your bladder spill

yellow fluid, check out how I mellowed into it

Face to feet to defeat, you can tell I’m into it

As I’m pullin out my lance, to kill you and advance to

the winner’s throne; cause I own you once you step in the arena

{DJ Premier cuts the phrase “Step up…” over and over}

[Guru]

In the arena… or rather colliseum

There’s people gatherin by multitudes to see one

perpretrator fall to the dust after the other

Quickly disposed of at the hand of a known brother

Born wit the art in his heart that is Spartacus

And one-to-one combat Jack, just a thought of this

match-up, makes GangStarr wanna snatch up

one or two phrases from the new book with new pages

of rhymes that are built like a chariot

Dope vocals carry it, to the battle set

If a beat was a princess, I would marry it

But now I must bow to the crowd as I stand proud

Victorius, glorious, understand now

cause battles and wars and much fights I have been through

One MC got beheaded, and you can too

Forget it, cause you’d rather be just a spectator

An onlooker, afraid you may get slayed or

struck by a blow, from a mic gladiator

I betcha that later you might be sad that you played yourself

cause you stepped up, chest puffed out

And in just one lyric, you got snuffed out

Cause rhymin is serious, I’m strong, I’m like Hercules

You’ll get hurt with these lines, close the curtains please

and suckers can jet cause I wreck once you step in the arena

{DJ Premier cuts the phrase “Step inside my… arena” over and over}

[Guru]

In the arena or forum, weak MC’s I will floor ’em

Causin mayhem, I’ll slay them, and the blood’ll be pourin

Furthermore I implore, that as a soldier of war

I go in only to win and be the holder of more

trophies, titles, and triumphs cause I dump all the sly chumps

Never choosin to lose my spot, not once

For the mere idea of an opponent that I fear

is foolish utterly, I mean but none’ll be

tryin to toy wit a destroyer of many

You shitted your pants cause you can’t figure any

foe that can step to this concept so

tou better sit again citizen, weak MC’s I get rid of them

Watch the way they get distraught when they get caught

in the worst positions, cause they didn’t listen

and tried goin up against a hungry killer who’s itchin

to mame and murder, those who claimed that they were the

toughest ones, they get done once they step in the arena

{DJ Premier cuts the phrase “Step inside my… arena”}