Cover art for Keep It Live by Jamal

Keep It Live

Produced by

Oct. 10, 19951 viewer

Keep It Live Lyrics

[Intro]
Ayo, man, hol' on, chill, man
Let's take this moment of silence out for my man C-A Dogg
Claude Austin
Rowdy '9-5

[Hook]
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live

[Verse 1]
Back in the day where I'm from in the slum, it was ill
Drive around the corner, catch a view to a kill
Move up the block on the O, they slangin' rocks
When niggas get hot, they lickin' shots at the cops
Come with me (Uh-ha), I take you back to 1983
It was shell top sneakers and it was all about me
Me growin' up, makin' a man out of myself
Kindergarten's cool, I'm thinkin' about makin' to the 12th
Semesters went by, by 5th grade I'm strugglin'
My mind was on bitches and smoke, I'm not functioning
On what I need to be to get me through
The world is a school, and me? Fuck it, I'm rollin' with the crew
Now boom! There it is I'm labelled as
An eleven year old, a 5th grade fast ass
A year went by (Uh-ha), and I'm still bad as hell
I got a taste of jail nothin' major I'm only twelve
My grandmas pissed off, not understandin' what's happenin'
But come with me, creep into the darkening
(Back in the day) It's southwest
Fuck with Jamal, you catch two to your chest
Contest if a nigga want to fool
I be the leader of the new school I straight rule
That was (Back in the days), the days of wayback
But nowadays it's all about million stacks (Word)
[Hook]
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live

[Verse 2]
It all started on December 25th 1991, on the Illadelphiatic streets
That's when the son Jamal took a step up and gave his rep to some play
Prayin' that I make it to this day
I met this female, her name was El
Said she liked my style of rap, we chatted for a little while
Told me haps on how to make the snaps
She said she lived in Atlanta where business booms like rockets
And she had connects outta sockets
Exchanged numbers and I was off to the crib
Cause January 1st I had to start my bid (For what?)
For being a wild unruling child
A week my granny sent complaints to the juevenile
Finally January 1st, the day I hated
My granny flew away to Georgia, I got reinslated
Now I'm off, no more sun for a year of two
No more get high, no more lampin' with the crew
(What could you do?) Nothin'
So I lamped for about 20 months and a half, then I got amped (What?)
I'm losing my mind (Uh-huh), I can't take (What)
All of this bullshit (no more), I'm about to break (Where?)
Atlanta where they got some wealth to share
Hits the poster with my granny, I got some tracks to tear
So I did it, soon as I got home I got blitted
Then I got that bitch Janey Ace to get the ticket and I'm out
[Hook]
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live

[Verse 3]
A wild little shorty on the Straight Loonie expedition
Gut a nigga (Uh-ha), who would ever think I'd be in this position
I went from rockin' basement parties to placements
To all these... opportunites
I got to G.A, OK, and got situated
Reinstated in school and fell El too (Word)
I never forgot my number one plot
Was for me to rock the crowd (Uh-huh) and make my granny proud
No doubt I had to shape up or ship out
Never to be a failure so I found another route
At last, to get the cash (Uh-huh)
And then massed to meet El in North Cackalac (Uh-huh)
She had this black little juvenile wild as hell that got busy
It's real so we packed up and bailed to the city
Together to shop around the sound and get down
With my nigga D hooked me up with E and we on
[Hook]
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live
1-2 to the breaker 1-9-9-5
Jamal represent to keep it live
Testin' 1-2-3, I flows rhymes wicked
Jamal represent to keep it live

How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

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Credits
Produced By
Written By
Release Date
October 10, 1995
Songs That Interpolate Keep It Live
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