One of the best socially conscious rap songs of the old school hip-hop. Groups like Public Enemy and KRS One emerged later in the '80s with rap songs that usually had a political message of some kind. Chuck D of Public Enemy even called rap "The black CNN" for its ability to reach a young black audience. The socially conscious style gave way to rappers in the '90s who seemed more concerned about their cars, jewelry and women.
The track is based on an obscure dance song called "Cavern" by the group Liquid Liquid. The song "Cavern" was influenced by the many different sources, funk, dub reggae of the 1970s. This track has been sampled and completely remastered by Joseph "Biggie Grand" Saddler and Sugarhill House Band. Sugarhill House Band bassist Doug Wimbish rearanged and played instantly recognizable bassline.
Joseph "Biggie Grand" Saddler and Melvin "Melle Mel" Glover broke up before "White Lines" was released. Joseph Saddler, who was the DJ, went to court with Melvin Glover, who was the rapper, over rights to the name "Grandmaster." The video was directed by then unknown film student Spike Lee as a part of the college project & starred then unknown actor Laurence Fishburne.
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five Ft. Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
Ooh White Lines, Vision dreams of passion
Blowin' through my mind) and all the while I think of you
High price, a very strange reaction
For us to unwind, the more I see, the more I do
Something like a phenomenon, Baby!
Tellin your body to come along, but white lines blow away
Blow! Rock it! Blow!
Ticket to ride, white line highway
Tell all your friends, they can go my way
Pay your toll, sell your soul
Pound for pound costs more than gold
The longer you stay, the more you pay
My white lines go a long way
Either up your nose or through your vein
With nothin to gain except killin' your brain
Higher, baby
Get higher, baby!
Get higher, baby!
And don't ever come down! Freebase!
Pipeline pure as the driven snow
Connected to my mind) and now I'm havin' fun, baby!
High price it's getting kinda low
Cause it makes you feel so nice I need some one-on-one, baby!
Don't let it blow your mind away Baby!
And go into your little hideaway 'cause white lines blow away
Blow!
A million magic crystals, painted pure and white
A multi-million dollars almost overnight
Twice as sweet as sugar, twice as bitter as salt
And if you get hooked, baby, it's nobody else's fault, so don't do it!
Higher, baby
Get higher, baby!
Get higher, baby!
And don't ever come down! Freebase!
Don't you get too high, don't you get too high baby!
Turns you on, you really turn me on and on
When you gonna come down, my temperature is risin'
When the thrill is gone, no, I don't want you to go
A street kid gets arrested, gonna do some time
He got out three years from now just to commit more crime
A businessman is caught with 24 kilos
He's out on bail and out of jail
And that's the way it goes
Raah!
Athletes rejected, governors corrected
Gangsters, thugs and smugglers are thoroughly respected
The money gets divided
The women get excited
Now I'm broke and it's no joke
It's hard as hell to fight it, don't buy it!
Get higher, baby
Get higher, girl!
Get higher, baby!
C'mon!...
Little Jack Horner sitting on the corner
With no shoes and clothes
This aint funny, but he took his money
And sniffed it up his nose
Hey man, you wanna cop some blow?
Sure, what you got, dust, flakes or rocks?
I got China White, Mother of Pearl, Ivory Flake, What you need?
Well yeah, well let me check it out man, just let me get a freeze
Go ahead man, stuff I got should kill ya!
Yeah man th-that's that's raw, wuh
