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Readers' Best Opening Lyrics: No. 12

"Thinkin' of a master plan, 'cause ain't nothin' but sweat inside my hand"
--Erik B and Rakim's 'Paid in Full'

Previous Next


Listen to the line!

Posted by Spinner Readers
Filed under: The Hit List

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  • Comments (25)

Reader Comments(1 of 2)

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Alexat 8-27-2007

Cool song

Reply
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bolyat 8-27-2007

I've had a ton of problems understanding what pin head ranked this opening lyrics, but this one tops them all for idiocy.

First of all, it's poorly written, and secondly, and worst of all, it's a terrible rhyme! I mean, is that the BEST you can do?

Reply
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deesjointat 6-10-2009

hey genius, how much rap do you listen to? couldn't be much, because for any real hip hop head, that's one of the most quoted lines in rap. i'm sick of you critics criticizing what you obviously know nothing about. it's easy to say you hate it, but you don't even know what it is you're hating...it's like someone who listens to nothing but classical criticizing rock...if you don't know, learn--if you don't want to learn, shut your ignorant ass mouth............i believe Bob Dylan--a rock artist-- said ''don't criticize what you can't understand''. i live for small minded dipshits like you...

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Danat 8-27-2007

The definition of hip-hop; a drum solo accompanied by bad poetry.

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kimat 8-27-2007

You'd have to be a crack-head to even consider that these people might have ANYTHING to contribute to the life of intelligent people. Were you overcome with the imagery, talent or the future of this STUPID appointment of 'The Best Opening Lyrics'? There's just not enough vulgarities in the mother-tongue to describe the dumbing-down that had to happen in order for these people to even be on the WAITING list for the possibility to be in the same BUILDING as the people who are ON the list for the best opening line of a song. As a 19 year career musician, I am HIGHLY offended each time morons reach the entertainment limelight.

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Kevinat 8-27-2007

umm ok as usual on these lists there's some bizarre entry. This must be a favorite song of whoever wrote this list

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Marcusat 8-27-2007

It amazes me when I see rational people say irrational, asinine things. Have any of you who criticized the lyrics ever bother to try to understand them or why they are on the list or are you to wrapped in your musical elite world to even give a damn. I could criticize / stereotype every song on the list or every genre; e.g., typical rock song, heavy guitar followed by loud, inaudible, nonsensical lyrics. What purpose does that serve? Doing such only shows one's ignorance and a lack of tolerance for the wide range of good music in various genre which appeals to real music fans.

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amazingglass4uat 8-27-2007

Ahh yes, This one always causes me to ponder. What the???

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Susanat 8-27-2007

RAP IS CRAP! It sure isn't music.

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Direcat 8-27-2007

Ignoring all the HATERS that left comments...

Eric B. and Rakim were pioneers. Keep this on the list!
And for the record, Hip-Hop is more than just music, do some research, boy.

Reply
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Charlesat 8-27-2007

I guess "Jeremiah was a bull frog" makes since. Some people are so narrow mined and afraid of anything or anybody how is different. I guess if Shakesphere had wrote it, then they would say it is a masterpiece. Who cares what you think! Rap has been the number one genre since the day it was created. "How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul" -Public Enemy

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Melodyat 8-28-2007

After listening to the entire song, it's easy to see that the opening lyrics are good. They set the tone for what follows (like the other songs on the list, hello!). If you only consider the 1st line apart from the rest of the song, then every song on this list is stupid...including "Hotel California".

The song is about a person who doesn't have any money but wants to buy things. So, he comes up with several ideas of how to get paid for doing legitimate work. He even mentions that he'd like to buy some fish to eat but he can't because, "without the money it's still a wish". The song was written in a clever manner and it addresses a basic problem that we have all faced at some point in life regardless of background...not having any money or not having enough.

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chillinat 8-28-2007

Those of you complaining should've been more vocal when the best lyrics were decided upon. After all, this list is the "Readers' Best Opening Lyrics".

The opening lines elicit the picture of a young man with empty pockets dreaming of making a better living for himself. Certainly no worse than some other entries on here.

These lines are iconic in hip-hop culture and are perfect for this list. They represent the genesis period of hip-hop before sameness became profitable.

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Alat 8-28-2007

Kye (#12)you hit it squarely on the head. Those who don't understand just won't understand. I suppose it's true...IGNORANCE IS BLISS!!!

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nicknmemphisat 8-28-2007

KIM: your career as the backup singer for the Spice Girls doesn't mean that you know music sorry. Rap is music if you ever actually find out what the true definition of music is you'd find that it is in fact a very broad term. Actually Phillip Glass A world reknown critically acclaimed composer once wrote composed a song that consisted of him sitting perfectly still for just over 3 minutes allowing the crowd to make any sound they wished and even that is in fact music. Actually it caused a huge uproar at the possibilities it opened up but I guess your super human knowledge of music overlooked that one. And by the stupid poetry. Even Bob Dylan has said that a certain white rapper today is the best lyricist out there today. McCartney Elton Dylan all of them have given rap and hip hop props for the lyrics. Some are bad some are good same for any genre. But Tupac KRS-One R.A.K.I.M. NAS there lyrics stand alone in any genre.

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bdbr0nxstaat 8-28-2007

You all who disrespect Hip-Hop are Ignorant pieces of shiet. Do you realize half of the MotherF*ckers on this list didn
t write their own lines besides Rakim..You realize That bullshit you listen to is dumb Country or Rock motherF*ckers puttin words next to each other that they don't even truly feel.....Listen to TUPAC en then tell me any artist living or dead has more talent....duma**es

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Kyeat 8-28-2007

Well damn ya'll!! I thought i just had to yell at pixie but it seems as though the rest of you need some extracurricular musical education as well...and THANK YOU Chillin (#11) and Marcus (#6) for those fine words of COMMON SENSE...jeez u all really thought that all the best opening lines would be from Classic rock and BLuegrass songs? Is it so offensive to see a genre so overlooked in the music world as it is (condoned by many of these so-called music "elite" to not even be called music because it doesnt fit their text-book definiton...not that anyone commenting on this site is music elite, by the way) Give Hip-Hop some credit for talkin about the real life struggles of the life in the inner cities, a voice of the young people who cry for a vetter tomorrow, who didint asked to be dropped in a world of sex drugs and guns they had to find out about before they turned 8. Just think about what the lines actually mean before u go slandering my precious culture...cuz Acid Rock and Glam Rock arent the brightest crayons in the box either...

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theoat 8-29-2007

Brilliant rhyme from one of America's best Urban/Rhythmic groups. The point of the contest is how the first line is memorable and sets the tone of the musical entry. If you don't know or get the song it's alright, you don't have to hate. If you are older and don't understand it, that's fine too. However, the comments that are overly negative say more about the people writing them than the song itself.

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Keenan Smithat 8-30-2007

white people...

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melanieat 9-30-2007

Maybe you should try listening to the whole song, before judging, because those who can relate most certainly feel it's a masterpiece.

Reply
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