MC Anomaly, Poetics - Student of the Game Lyrics

My first day of school started in 94
I was coming from this district where I was kind of bored
Because they didn't play rap
Now see I never rhymed before until I found the school of hip hop
A sign from the Lord
The way you're living in this culture is the path to be on
Study classic songs
Listen
If you're wack then you're gone
Before you enter well you've got to learn the rules first
And if hip hop was a school then the principal is kool herc
I was highly motivated
I was ready to do work
Had new wu shirts
Getting grades on my new verse
But back to the first day I walked into class where I kicked my first rhyme
Feeling awkward I laughed
But my hunger is like a lion when it stalks in the grass
My dark past helped my rhyme
Leave my mark on em fast
And nowadays students copying my homework
But I told those mcs go study and write your own verse

Student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh?
But don't nobody know my name
I'm a student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh
But will my teachers know my name
I'm a Student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh?
But don't nobody know my name
I'm a student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh
But will my teachers know my name
I'm a student of the game

See I took a path different than the rest took
Illmatic was a textbook
White tees a fresh look
Raekwon the best cook
And mathematics always taught by wutang
Now I'm a rap addict
Not a 5%er though
Fear I had to let it go
Supernat he was incredible and from the head he would flow
And gym class taught me lyrical exercise
Helped my mind stay fit when they test my pride
I had this teacher named Marshall who taught language arts
I heard him bend words like dang he's smart
Had a teacher named canibus who taught self defense
He showed me how to battle and it helped me to vent
I had the story time with Mr Slick Rick
He had the gold ropes
Patch was on his eye and his stories were so dope
One of my teachers had brought return of the boom bap
Wanted to rock a crowd and he taught me how to do that

Student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh?
But don't nobody know my name
I'm a student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh
But will my teachers know my name
I'm a Student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh?
But don't nobody know my name
I'm a student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh
But will my teachers know my name
I'm a student of the game

Had this teacher from the west coast who wrote the chronic
But my mother she hated weed
Said don't focus on it
I had Mr Shakur who taught me poetry
Though he didn't notice me he taught me how to write a rhyme potently
A lot of classmates see they flow was average
Till they learned from Mr Big
He's the total package
Gotta be
Mr Black thought is in my top three
Along with NaS and Rakim who calls himself the God MC
Ayo a few of my teachers would act criminal
I sit back and listen to elzhi who really stacked syllables
Rap changed my life so I pray for the culture
But then there's some infiltrators around the way like a vulture
They're just here for all the profits
Full of greed and envy
You ain't even an mc
Let me see your degree
You ain't never went to school so you just want all the money then
I'm a student of the game
Never stop studying

Student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh?
Well they about to know my name
I'm a student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh
My teachers bout to know my name
I'm a Student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh?
Well they about to know my name
I'm a student of the game
I'm just a student of the game huh
My teachers bout to know my name
I'm a Student of the game