"Health, Wealth, Self" lyrics - KRS-ONE

Yeah... yeah... yup!
You know what? I was just downstairs
And I was on my way up here to the studio and
A guy bumped into me and
And he said... he said, "Yo Kris!
How is it that you stay in this music?
You know, this rap music ex-specially for SO... LONG... SO... LONG"
I said, "Well you know years ago I made a deal with the Goddess"
He said, "The Goddess?"
I said, "Well yeah, you might know her as God
But I know her as the Goddess"
The universal mother
The mother of everything you see in existence
I ax-ked her for assistance
In lyrical persistence
And she gave it to me, under one condition
She said, "I'll give you the gift
But use the gift to uplift"
I said, "Okay mom!"

So I tell you the truth, really
Me nah gon' need nuttin else
But health, wealth, and knowledge of myself
Me nah gon' need nuttin else
But health, wealth, and knowledge of myself

In the beginning was the word, the word was made flesh
Knowledge K. Reigns R. Supreme S.
Some of us guess while others of us are blessed
Take heed to the word, that I manifest
I manifest the future, the present, followed by the past
Everything in nature, rules by kickin ass
What they tellin' me, but yo, you a friend to me
So I'ma tell you the secrets of MC longevity
Secret one: if it ain't fun, you're done
And about your career, huh, well choose another one
If you don't like what you do, you're through
Lesson two: make sure you got a dope crew
Not some crew, that's like an anchor on a shoe
A MAD CREW, that's of some benefit to you
Lesson three, might be contradictory or funny
But MC's should have OTHER WAYS of gettin' money
That's to say learn other things beside music
Make money elsewhere, Hip-Hop you won't abuse it
Too many MC's, just emcee
So their longevity, is based on an Uncle Tom
At the record company
Lesson four: sell your image, never sell a record
Image is respected, records come and go
And get collected
Even the records of platinum artists, that used to rip shop
Can be bought, for a quarter at the thrift shop
Which brings me to lesson number five, the illusion
Has me thinkin', the minute they drop a record
They'll be cruisin, in the Acura
Slow down! You're still a amateur
What separates the pro from the amateur is stamina
Not how long you can rhyme, but how long you've been rhymin
Changin with the times, and findin yourself
Still CLIIIIIIIIIIIIMbin for wealth
Blow for blow, you're still growin', still showin
(All knowin') now that's a pro at it

Me nah gon' need nuttin else
But health, wealth, and knowledge of myself
Me nah gon' need nuttin else
But health, wealth, and knowledge of myself

Thank you Mother, I'm out