DISSNATION
Verified archive entry

Mama Said Knock You Out

By LL Cool J · Targeting Music critics, Rival MCs

Mama Said Knock You Out is a diss track by LL Cool J targeting Music critics and Rival MCs. The supplied transcript is a competitive battle-rap performance directed at rival MCs rather than one consistently named opponent.

Released1990
Annotated1
ExplicitYes
Addressable transcript

Lyrics & breakdown

Demo lines only. Select a line number to copy a stable deep link.

  1. 01

    [Intro]

    02

    C'mon, man

    03

    And with the local DBC news

    04

    LL Cool J with a triumphant comeback

    05

    Word (But tonight—)

  2. 06

    [Verse 1]

    07

    Don't call it a comeback, I been here for years

    08

    I'm rocking my peers, putting suckas in fear

    09

    Making the tears rain down like a monsoon

    10

    Listen to the bass go boom

  3. 11

    Explosions, overpowering

    12

    Over the competition, I'm towering

    13

    Wrecking shop when I drop

    14

    These lyrics that'll make you call the cops

  4. 15

    Don't you dare stare, you better move

    16

    Don't ever compare

    17

    Me to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced

    18

    Competition's paying the price

  5. 19

    [Chorus]

    20

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    21

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    22

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    23

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

  6. 24

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    25

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    26

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    27

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

  7. 28

    [Verse 2]

    29

    Don't you call this a regular jam

    30

    I'm gonna rock this land

    31

    I'm gonna take this itty-bitty world by storm

    32

    And I'm just getting warm

  8. 33

    Just like Muhammad Ali, they called him Cassius

    Multi-line diss block
    34

    Watch me bash this beat like a skull

    35

    That you know I had beef with

    36

    Why do you riff with me? The maniac psycho

    Block noteForces the dispute into a direct contest

    TargetMusic critics

    MeaningWhat it means: In “That you know I had beef with,” LL Cool J addresses Music critics as an opponent who must prove the claims being made rather than rely on reputation. Why it was said: The supplied transcript is a competitive battle-rap performance directed at rival MCs rather than one consistently named opponent. The challenge narrows the argument to performance under pressure, where refusing or failing to answer can itself be presented as a loss for Music critics.

    ContextThe supplied transcript is a competitive battle-rap performance directed at rival MCs rather than one consistently named opponent.

  9. 37

    And when I pull out my jammy get ready 'cause it might go blaow

    38

    How ya like me now?

    39

    The Ripper will not allow

    40

    You to get with, Mr. Smith, don't riff

  10. 41

    Listen to my gear shift

    42

    I'm blasting, outlasting

    43

    Kinda like Shaft, so you could say I'm shafting

    44

    Olde English filled my mind

  11. 45

    And I came up with a funky rhyme

  12. 46

    [Chorus]

    47

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    48

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    49

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    50

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

  13. 51

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    52

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    53

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    54

    Mama said knock you out (Huh), breakdown

  14. 55

    [Post-Chorus]

    56

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    57

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    58

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie (Yeah)

    59

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie (Yeah)

  15. 60

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    61

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    62

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie (Uh)

    63

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie (Huh)

  16. 64

    [Verse 3]

    65

    Shadow boxing when I heard you on the radio

    66

    Uh, I just don't know

    67

    What made you forget that I was raw?

    68

    But now I got a new tour

  17. 69

    I'm going insane

    70

    Starting the hurricane, releasing pain

    71

    Letting you know that you can't gain

    72

    I maintain unless ya say my name

  18. 73

    Ripping, killing, digging and drilling a hole

    74

    Pass the ol' gold

  19. 75

    [Chorus]

    76

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    77

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    78

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    79

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

  20. 80

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    81

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    82

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    83

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

  21. 84

    [Verse 4]

    85

    Shotgun blasts are heard

    86

    When I rip and kill at will

    87

    The man of the hour, tower of power

    88

    I'll devour

  22. 89

    I'm gonna tie you up and let you

    90

    Understand that I'm not your average man

    91

    When I got a jammy in my hand

    92

    Damn

  23. 93

    Ooh, listen to the way I slay

    94

    Your crew

    95

    Damage, uh, damage, uh

    96

    Damage, uh, damage

  24. 97

    Destruction, terror, and mayhem

    98

    Pass me a sissy-soft sucka, I'll slay him

    99

    Farmers (What?) Farmers (What?)

    100

    I'm ready (We ready)

  25. 101

    I think I'm gonna bomb a town (Get down)

    102

    Don't you never, ever, pull my lever

    103

    'Cause I explode

    104

    And my nine is easy to load

  26. 105

    I gotta thank God

    106

    'Cause he gave me the strength to rock hard

  27. 107

    [Chorus]

    108

    Knock you out

    109

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    110

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    111

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

  28. 112

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    113

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

    114

    I'm gonna knock you out (Huh)

    115

    Mama said knock you out (Huh)

  29. 116

    [Post-Chorus]

    117

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie (Damn)

    118

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    119

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    120

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

  30. 121

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    122

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    123

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

    124

    Gangster boogie, gangster boogie

  31. 125

    [Outro]

    126

    They all fell

    127

    They all—

    128

    The— They all fell

    129

    They all fell

  32. 130

    I excel— They all fell

    131

    I excel— They all fell

    132

    I excel— They all fell

    133

    I excel