Express Yourself

By N.W.A

On N.W.A. Greatest Hits

Released on January 25, 1989

434K Views

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[Intro: Dr. Dre & Ice Cube]

Yo, man, it's a lot of brothers out there flakin' and perpetratin'

But scared to kick reality

Man, you've been doin' all this dope producin'

You ain't had a chance to show 'em what time it is

So what you want me to do? (Express yourself)


[Verse 1: Dr. Dre]

I'm expressin' with my full capabilities

And now I'm livin' in correctional facilities

'Cause some don't agree with how I do this

I get straight, meditate like a Buddhist

I'm droppin' flavor, my behavior is hereditary

But my technique is very necessary

Blame it on Ice Cube, because he says it gets funky

When you got a subject and a predicate

Add it on a dope beat, and that'll make you think

Some suckas just tickle me pink to my stomach

'Cause they don't flow like this one

You know what?

I won't hesitate to diss one or two before I'm through

So don't try to sing this

Some drop science, well, I'm droppin' English

Even if Yella makes it a cappella

I still express, yo, I don't smoke weed or sess

'Cause it's known to give a brother brain damage

And brain damage on the mic don't manage nothin'

But makin' a sucka and you equal, don't be another sequel


[Chorus]

Express yourself (Ah, ah, ah yeah, ah yeah, ah yeah, ah yeah)

Express yourself (Smoke, smoke)

Come on and do it (Yeah, kick it over here)

Express yourself (Do it, do it, for the bag, for the bag)

Express yourself (Come on and do it)


[Verse 2: Dr. Dre]

Now, gettin' back to the PG

That's program, and it's easy

Dre is back, new jacks are made hollow

Expressin' ain't their subject because they like to follow

The words, the style, the trend, the records I spin

Again and again and again — yo, you on the other end

Watch a brother blend dope rhymes with no help

There's no fessin' and guessin' while I'm expressin' myself

It's crazy to see people be

What society wants 'em to be, but not me

Ruthless is the way to go, they know

Others say rhymes that fail to be original

Or they kill where the hip-hop starts

Forget about the ghetto and rap for the pop charts

Though some musicians cuss at home

But scared to use profanity when up on the microphone

Yeah, they want reality, but you won't hear none

They'd rather exaggerate a little fiction

Some say no to drugs and take a stand

But after the show, they go lookin' for the dopeman

Or they ban my group from the radio

Hear N.W.A and say "Hell no!"

But you know, it ain't all about wealth

As long as you make a note to...


[Chorus]

Express yourself (Yeah, yeah, brothers always beefin', fall victim to the streets)

Express yourself

Come on and do it (Yeah, yeah, do it)

Express yourself (Dr. Dre, Dr. Dre in full effect and N.W.A)

Express yourself

Come on and do it

Express yourself


[Verse 3: Dr. Dre]

From the heart 'cause if you wanna start to move up the chart

Then expression is a big part of it

You ain't efficient when you flow

You ain't swift, movin' like a tortoise full of rigor mortis

There's a little bit more to show

I got rhymes in my mind, embedded like an embryo

Or a lesson, all of 'em expression

And if you start fessin', I got a Smith & Wesson for you

I might ignore your record because it has no bottom

I get loose in the summer, winter, spring and autumn

It's Dre on the mic, gettin' physical

Doin' the job, N.W.A is the lynch mob

Yes, I'm macabre but you know you need this

And the knowledge is growin', just like a fetus

Or a tumor, but here's the rumor

Dre is in the neighborhood and he's up to no good

When I start expressin' myself — Yella, slam it!

'Cause If I stay funky like this, I'm doin' damage

Or I'ma be too hyped and need a straitjacket

I got knowledge and other suckers lack it

So when you see Dre, a DJ on the mic

Ask what it's like — it's like we gettin' hype tonight

'Cause if I strike, it ain't for your good health

But I won't strike if you just...


[Outro]

Express yourself

(Yeah, yeah, this record's almost over, almost over, gotta get hyped up)

Express yourself (Do it, do it)

Come on and do it (Do it, do it, do it)

Express yourself (Compton's full of fakes, Compton's full of fakes, yeah)

Express yourself

Come on and do it (Do it, do it, do it)

Express yourself

Come on and do it (That's what she said, what she said)

Come on and do it

Come on and do it