Yo (yo)

Watch as the room rocks mentally moonwalk
Mixed Media slang, banging in your boom box
Verbal violence, lyrical stylist
In a time when rock hip hop rhymes are childish

You can't tempt me with rhymes that are empty
Rapping to a beat doesn't make you an MC
With your lack of skill and facility, you're killin' me
And a DJ in the group just for credibility

I heard that some of you are gettin' help with your rhymes
You're not an MC if someone else writes your lines
Rapping over rock doesn't make you a pioneer
'Cause rock and hip hop have collaborated for years

But now they're getting randomly mixed and matched up
All after a fast buck and all the tracks suck
So how does it stack up? None of it's real
You want to be an MC, you've got to study the skill

Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Bring it to you every time like this?
Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Step, step up, step, step up

So you pick up a pen and write yourself a new identity
But mentally you don't have the hip hop energy
With a tendency to make up stories
Sounding like the only hip hop you've heard is top forty (top forty)

And your record company is completely missing it
All the kids are dissing it for not being legitimate
So in a battle, you can't hack it, react with whack shit
And get smacked with verbal backflips

Get your ass kicked by fabulous battle catalysts
It's taken decades for MCs to establish this
You're new to hip hop and welcome if you're serious
But not on the mic leave that to the experienced

(Using the waves of sound the true master)
(Paralyzes his opponents, leaving him vulnerable to attack)

Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Bring it to you every time like this?
Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Step, step up, step, step up

Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Bring it to you every time like this?
Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Step, step up, step, step up, step up

(After years of painstaking research)
(By the world's leading sound scientists)
(We here at the sound institute have invented)
(A reliable audio weapons system)
(Actual movement of musical sound)
(In space used to carefully attack and neutralize)
(The cellular structure of the human body)
(And the question must be asked)

Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Bring it to you every time like this?
Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Step, step up, step, step up

Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Bring it to you every time like this?
Who can rock a rhyme like this?
Step, step up, step, step up, step up

(Mixed Media)
(Mixed Media)
(Mixed Media)
(Step up to the microphone)
(And you do it like this)
(And you do it like this)
(Step up to the microphone)
(Mixed Media)
(And you do it like this)
(Mixed Media)
(Step up to the microphone)
(And you do it like this)
(Mixed Media)
(Step up to the microphone)
(And you do it like this)


Lyrics submitted by Sexy Aggie

Step Up [Hybrid Theory EP] Lyrics as written by Chester Charles Bennington Brad Delson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Step Up song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

41 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    Its fairly easy to see how this song differs from other songs calling out rappers "enemies"

    First off consider

    Mixed media slang Banging in your boom box verbal violence Lyrical stylist In a time when rock hip hop rhymes are childish

    He isnt dissing rappers, he is dissing the media culture, in the same way that American Idiot does. Verbal violence means that the hip hop culture is contributing to America's violence problem because rappers are "childish" and dont understand what rap is all about.

    All after a fast buck and all the tracks suck So how does it stack up? None of it’s real You want to be an emcee you’ve got to study the skill

    All of these manufactured hits, fake artist collaborations and bad mash ups are just a quick money grab and they take away from emcees who really try to enhance their art.

    So you pick up a pen and write yourself a new identity But mentally you don’t have the hip hop energy

    Pretty obvious, you cant just wake up and decide to be a rapper, you have to really be willing to work for it.

    With a tendency to make up stories Sounding like the only hip hop you’ve heard is top 40 And your record company is completely missing it All the kids are dissing it for not being legitimate

    People know the difference between real rap and manufactured hits, even if the media doesnt.

    So in a battle you can't hack it React with whack shit And get smacked with verbal back flips Get your ass kicked by fabulous battle catalysts It's taken decades for emcees to establish this You’re new to hip hop and welcome if your serious But not on the mic Leave that to the experienced

    The tradition of hip hop, (open mics, rap battles) is being taken down by people who go straight to a big label record deal. If you want to be a rapper: earn it. If you arent willing to work: step down.

    Malignanceon September 09, 2006   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.