“Before Hip Hop” Lyrics by Ice Cube is a latest English song in the voice of Ice Cube. Its music too is composed by singer while brand new “Before Hip Hop” song lyrics are also written by Ice Cube. This is a popular song among the people of United States of America. Ice Cube’s “Before Hip Hop” points out that violence, drügs, gangs, and hardships existed long before rap came along. He rejects the idea that hip hop caused these problems, instead showing that the music reflects struggles that were already part of everyday street life.
Before Hip Hop Lyrics
[Intro: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
You killed it my brother
My main man
I loved it, this dude, baby
I want revenge, yeah
Ah, I want revenge, yeah
He was my only brother (Yeah, s*it)
He was like my main man
I loved it-I loved it, my brother
[Chorus: Ice Cube]
Before hip-hop, n!ggas got shot
Before hip-hop, n!ggas smoked rocks
Before hip-hop, my uncle had a drop
Before hip-hop, homies stood on the block
Before hip-hop, people smoked weed
Before hip-hop, I’ll get you what you need
Before hip-hop, pimping was gone
Before hip-hop, b!tches was on
[Verse 1: Ice Cube]
My style is hostile, your style is docile
I pull them Glock’s out
Forgot to box out
I grab the rebound
I claim to be down
The guppy, he drown
Cause homies decline
My pronouns will throw rounds
Heartbeats will slowed down, yeah
Where’s the showdown?
Your hood is a ghost town
I’m a Ghostbuster, hit you with the whole cluster
Turn you into muster, General Custer
Chief Blackfoot, kick a black rock
‘Cause somehow they responsible for crack rock
Somehow they wanna blame it on hip-hop
Before I could talk, they used to crip walk
They used to roll dice
They used to flash ice
Fu*k with a chick, she’ll cut your ass twice
They used to pay the price
They used to go to jail
Hip-hop ain’t the reason why we catching him
[Chorus: Ice Cube]
Before hip-hop, girls got knocked
Before hip-hop, that pu*sy used to pop
Before hip-hop, they was on molly
Before hip-hop, n!ggas caught a body
[Interlude: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
I loved it here (Hm, s*it)
And-and he was my only brother (Yeah, right)
He was like my main man
I loved it-I loved it
[Verse 2: Ice Cube]
They tell you and me it was lots of unity in the black community
That s*it is lunacy
They tried to ruin me, got me for my jewelry
What they did to me, police got immunity
Early 70s got him for his leather piece
Khakis hella creased, it was lots of jealousy
Boys’ bathroom was like a platoon
The girls’ bathroom was like a saloon
Squabbles all year, September to June
N!ggas on weed, water and shrooms
N!ggas OD’d, had gangs and goons
Down the center coon (Soon), straight to the moon
N!ggas would holler “Give me a dollar, n!gga”
He wanted more than a dollar, didn’t take no scholar
Yeah, motherfu*kers had the Chevy Impala
And they crashed out like, fu*k you, your honor (Fu*k you, your honor)
It all happened before they start rapping
If they say I’m lying, motherfu*kers is capping
N!ggas be crying like they was the captain
But I don’t give a fu*k, hand that b!tch a napkin
[Bridge: Ice Cube]
They mad at the mirror, but the mirror don’t lie
Before hip-hop, it was a drive-by
Before hip-hop, n!ggas used to die
Before hip-hop, mamas used to cry
They mad at the mirror, but the mirror don’t lie
Before hip-hop, it was a drive-by
Before hip-hop, n!ggas used to die
Before hip-hop, mamas used to cry
[Chorus: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
(Now-now-now listen)
Before hip-hop (Now-now listen)
Before hip-hop (Now-now-now listen), yeah
Before hip-hop (Now-now listen)
[Bridge: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
They mad at the mirror, but the mirror don’t lie
Before hip-hop, it was a drive-by
Before hip-hop, n!ggas used to die
Before hip-hop, mamas used to cry
(Now-now listen)
Before Hip Hop Video
Ice Cube Songs
Before Hip Hop Lyrics Meaning
[Intro: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
The intro feels like someone is grieving the loss of a close brother or friend. The speaker is expressing pain, love, and a desire for revenge, showing how deeply this loss has affected him. It’s emotional, raw, and sets a heavy tone for what follows, showing that violence and tragedy have been a part of life before music entered the picture.
[Chorus: Ice Cube]
Here Cube is pointing out that all kinds of rough realities—like shootings, drügs, hustling, and street life—were happening long before hip hop was even around. He’s basically shutting down the idea that rap created these problems. Instead, the culture was born out of these environments.
[Verse 1: Ice Cube]
In this part, Ice Cube talks tough, showing he’s ready for confrontation and survival in a hostile world. He uses sharp imagery of guns, battles, and ghost towns to highlight how dangerous life was. He also calls out how people unfairly blame hip hop for crime and drügs, when in fact those issues existed long before the music. He brings up things like gang culture, dice games, flashy jewelry, women causing trouble, and time in jail. Through these stories, he reminds listeners that the streets were already rough, and hip hop simply reflected it—it didn’t invent it.
[Chorus: Ice Cube]
This short chorus adds more examples—violence, drügs, and reckless behavior were already part of the streets. Cube drives home that nothing here started with rap.
[Interlude: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
The interlude circles back to that personal loss, showing a softer, emotional side. It’s like the speaker is still stuck in grief, repeating how important that person was to him. It reinforces that the pain of losing loved ones has always been present in the community.
[Verse 2: Ice Cube]
Here Cube looks back at earlier times and pushes against the myth that there was always unity in the community. He says jealousy, theft, and police corruption were real problems even then. He paints vivid scenes of school bathrooms being wild, kids fighting, people overdosing, gangs running around, and everyone chasing money and status. Even cars like the Chevy Impala were symbols of rebellion and chaos. Cube emphasizes that all of this was happening before rap even existed, so blaming the music is dishonest. He’s calling out the lies and reminding people that the struggles have much deeper roots.
[Bridge: Ice Cube]
This section is powerful—it’s about facing the truth. The “mirror” represents reality, and Cube says people get angry when they see the truth reflected back at them. Drive-bys, death, and mothers crying over lost children were already part of life before hip hop, and denying it is just avoiding responsibility.
[Chorus: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
This short piece is almost like a reminder or echo, repeating that life’s struggles were there before the music came along.
[Bridge: Ice Cube & Robert Townsend]
This closing bridge doubles down on the truth. Again, Cube insists that violence, death, and grief existed long before rap. By saying the mirror doesn’t lie, he makes it clear that blaming hip hop is just an excuse to avoid the real problems in society.
FAQs
Q. Who has sung Before Hip Hop song?
A. Before Hip Hop song is sung by Ice Cube.
Q. Who wrote Before Hip Hop lyrics?
A. Before Hip Hop lyrics are penned by Ice Cube.
Q. Who has given the music of Before Hip Hop song?
A. Before Hip Hop music is composed and produced by Ice Cube.
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