Pass the Mic

Producers

“Pass the Mic” was the first single from the third Beastie Boys album, Check Your Head. In Brian Coleman’s book Check the Technique, producer Mario Caldato Jr. talked… Read More

Apr. 7, 19921 viewer48.4K views

Pass the Mic Lyrics

[Intro]
Goodness gracious!

[Verse 1: MCA]
If you can feel what I'm feeling then it's a musical masterpiece
Hear what I’m dealing well then that's cool at least
What's running through my mind comes through in my walk
True feelings are shown from the way that I talk
And this is me y'all, I emcee y'all
My name is MCA and I still do what I please
And now I'd like to introduce (What's up?)
I'll pass the mic to D for a fist full of truth

[Verse 2: Mike D]
The name is D, y'all and I don't play
And I can rock a block party till your hair turns grey
(So, what you sayin'?) I explode on site
I’m like Jimmie Walker, I’m dynamite
And now I’d like to pass the mic (Alright)
To Ad-Rock, c'mon and do anything you like

[Verse 3: Ad-Rock]
I’m the A-D-R-O-C-K
In the place with the bass, I’m goin' all the way
I can't stop, y'all, tock-tick, y'all
And if you think that you're slick, you'll catch a brick, y'all
‘Cause I’ma turn it in and I’ma turn it out
But now I gotta pass the mic to Yauch

[Verse 4: MCA]
Well, on and on and on and on
I can't stop, y'all, until the early morn
So rock-rock, y'all, tick-tock, y'all
To the beat, y'all, c'mon and rock, y'all

[Verse 5: Beastie Boys]
I give thanks for inspiration
It guides my mind along the way
A lot of people get jealous, they're talking about me
But that's just 'cause they haven't got a thing to say

[Verse 6: Mike D]
Well, everybody rappin' like it's a commercial
Actin' like life is a big commercial
So this is what I got to say to you all
Be true to yourself and you will never fall
And now I'd like to pass the mic to the A
So what's your name, Yauch?

[Verse 7: MCA]
My name is MCA
I’ve been coming to where I am from the get-go
Find that I can groove with the beat when I let go
So put your worries on hold
Get up and groove with the rhythm in your soul
And now I’d like to pass the mic (To who?)
To my brother Ad-Rock, c'mon and shine like a light

[Verse 8: Ad-Rock]
Yes, yes, y'all and yes, yes, y'all
I’m always on time nevertheless, y'all
And that's right y'all, I shed light, y'all
I got no time in my life to get uptight, y'all
So what you gonna say that I don't know already?
I'm like Clyde and I’m rockin' steady
But time flies when you're having fun
So Mike D (That's me), c'mon and get some

[Verse 9: Mike D]
M-I-K-E to the D
You come and see me and you pay a fee
Do what I do professionally
To tell the truth, I am exactly what I want to be
Now Ad-Rock (Huh?) and MCA (Yeah?)
Let's rock this joint in the old school way

[Verse 10: Beastie Boys]
Well, I’m on till the crack of dawn
Mowing down emcees like I’m mowing a lawn
I go off like nothing can phase me
You think we'll ever meet Stevie?
One of these days, D
But I can stand my ground and I am down
To wax an emcee who acts like a clown
But for now, I'd like to ask you how
You like the feel of the bass in your face in the crowd?

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About

Genius Annotation

“Pass the Mic” was the first single from the third Beastie Boys album, Check Your Head.

In Brian Coleman’s book Check the Technique, producer Mario Caldato Jr. talked about the production on “Pass the Mic”:

That was one of the earlier rap songs we did for the album. [Adam] Yauch and I did that one, pretty much. It started with that Bad Brains guitar sample [“Big Takeover”], and those were live drums that I processed the shit out of. I remember we made a big tunnel in front of the kick drum, eight or ten feet long, like a long barrel. The bass was from a Ron Carter solo on Johnny Hammond’s “Big Sur Suite.” Dre even sampled that one [on “A Nigga Witta
Gun,” from 1992’s The Chronic]. In the video for that song, you can see the skateboard ramps we built in the studio. The ceiling was really high, so it was perfect for that.

Samples include:

Ron Carter
“The Black Prince Has Arrived“ by Jimmie Walker
“Big Take Over“ by Bad Brains, from the album, Bad Brains (1982)
“So What Cha Sayin’“ by EPMD, from the album, Unfinished Business (1989)
“Big Sur Suite“ by Johnny "Hammond” Smith
“I Walk on Guilded Splinters“ by Dr. John, from the album, Gris-Gris (1991)
“I Wanna Know If It’s Good to You“ by Funkadelic
“Choir” by James Newton, from the album, Axum (1982)

*Fun Fact: The 6-note flute sample from “Choir” led James Newton to sue for copyright infringement. The Ninth Circuit found that the Beastie Boys had not infringed on James Newton’s music in the case Newton v. Diamond LLC BMG.

“Pass the Mic“ was performed live in 203 known concerts.