Respect the Craft: Phife Dawg's Dopest Lyrics

The late rapper was a legendary storyteller.

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We Lost a Great One - Phife Dawg was a hip hop innovator, five-foot assassin and a founding member of the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest. The Queens native never forgot where he came from and was one of the best craftsmen of punchlines and wordplay to ever bless a microphone. The culture will forever miss his beats and rhymes. Here's a look at Phife's greatest bars. — Mya Abraham (Photo: Chris McKay/Getty Images for BET)

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'Check the Rhime' - "You'd be a fool to reply that Phife is not the man /'Cause you know and I know that you know who I am /A special shot of peace goes out to all my pals, you see /And a middle finger goes for all you punk MCs /'Cause I love it when you wack MC's despise me /They get vexed, I roll next, can't none contest me." (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

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'Electric Relaxation' - "I like 'em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian /Name is Phife Dawg from the Zulu Nation /Told you in the jam that we can get down /Now let's knock the boots like the group H-Town /You got BBD all on your bedroom wall /But I'm above the rim and this is how I ball /A gritty little something on the New York street /This is how I represent over this here beat." (Photo: Rodrigo Vaz/FilmMagic)

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'Award Tour' - "When was the last time you heard the Phife sloppy /Lyrics anonymous, you'll never hear me copy /Top notch baby, never coming less /Sky's the limit, you gots to believe up in Quest." (Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)

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'Steve Biko (Stir It Up)' - "Why they dodging bullets, you should be dodging Quest / Don't get me wrong, violence is not our forte /I just like to rhyme, kick the lyric skills like Pelé /Tip educate 'em, my rhymes are strictly taboo /Fill 'em with some fantasies and I'll look out like Tattoo."(Photo: Gabriel Olsen/Getty Images)

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'We Can Get Down' - "Straight from the heart, I represent hip hop /I be three albums deep, but I don't wanna go pop /Too many candy rappers seem to be at the top /Too much candy is no good, so now I'm closing the shop." (Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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Oh My God - Trini gladiator, anti-hesitater/Shaheed push the fader from here to Grenada/Mr Energetic, who me sound pathetic?/When's the last time you heard a funky diabetic? (Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage)

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'Buggin' Out' - "Yo, microphone check one two what is this /The five foot assassin with the ruffneck business /I float like gravity, never had a cavity /Got more rhymes than the Winans got family /No need to sweat Arsenio to gain some type of fame /No shame in my game cause I'll always be the same /Styles upon styles upon styles is what I have /You want to diss the Phifer but you still don't know the half." (Photo: John Sciulli/Getty Images for Samsung)

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'Lyrics to Go' - "The mic is in effect so you know I'm never stallin' /Walkin through the door and all them suckers started haulin' /Talk a lot of trash but no one can seem to beat it /Pull out your microphone and watch the Phifer make you eat it." (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

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'Hot Sex' - "Yeah, I'm tellin' you G, to back up off me /I'm not a mad cohort, but I'm not Mr. Softee /Rappin' is an art, coming straight from the heart /So forget the chart because the action can start." (Photo: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

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'Word Play' - "Analyze. That's what I do to MCs /That be talkin bout they this and that, money please /Ego. I'm on my own jock skill /'Cuz if I don't say I'm the best, tell me who the hell will."(Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

'Butter' - "Phife this, Phife that, where you going, where you at /These girls don't know me from jack, yet I feel like the Mack /You didn't want me then, so yo hon, don't want me now /Here, Here, take the towel, wipe off your brow /And take the contact out your eye, you're far from looking fly /You get an E for effort, and T for nice try." (Photo: Sebastian Gabsch/Future Image/WENN.com)

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'Butter' - "Phife this, Phife that, where you going, where you at /These girls don't know me from jack, yet I feel like the Mack /You didn't want me then, so yo hon, don't want me now /Here, Here, take the towel, wipe off your brow /And take the contact out your eye, you're far from looking fly /You get an E for effort, and T for nice try." (Photo: Sebastian Gabsch/Future Image/WENN.com)

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'Baby Phife's Return' - "Represent the Zulu Nation with illy rap creations /Just keep s**t hotter than Death Row-Bad Boy confrontations /Chillin' with Fudge Love because he represents the Haitians /Ya naw'mean." (Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Bing)

Photo By Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Bing

'The Pressure' - "Step back, me no have no time for dat /I'm blowin' up the spot for all you ras clot idi-ots /In a world where you have like a zillion MCs /Ninety percent of all you suckers have filthy LPs." (Photo: WENN)

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'The Pressure' - "Step back, me no have no time for dat /I'm blowin' up the spot for all you ras clot idi-ots /In a world where you have like a zillion MCs /Ninety percent of all you suckers have filthy LPs." (Photo: WENN)

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'1nce Again' - "Sometimes I might catch a severe case of writer's block / But by the end of the day you'll be on my jock /My name's Malik my hobby's putting MC's to the test /And if you front I'll put my foot up in your freaking chest / Freestyle fanatic, and never will it ever stop." (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)

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'Clap Your Hands' - "The worst thing in the world is a sucker MC /Favorite rap group in the world is EPMD /Can't forget the De La, due to originality /And if I ever went solo my favorite MC would be me."(Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Bing)