Down With The King – English Lyrics

• By: RUN DMC

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the powerful rhymes of 'Down With The King' to learn a pivotal piece of hip-hop history. This song is special because it showcases the evolution of legendary artists Run-DMC, blending their classic, commanding delivery with the newer, harder-edged sound of the '90s. Through its clever wordplay, you can learn how artists can express complex dual meanings, celebrating both their own legacy and their deep personal faith, making it a rich text for understanding the storytelling potential of English.

[English]

♪ Reporters clock, producers jock ♪

♪ They wanna be down with the king ♪

♪ The king, the king ♪

♪ The king, the king, king ♪

♪ The king, the king ♪

♪ The king, the king, the king ♪

♪ The king, the king, the king ♪

♪ The king, the king ♪

♪ Producers die, they wanna be down ♪

♪ Wanna be down with the king ♪

♪ Down with the king for years, about ten of 'em ♪

♪ Recruiting suckers mackin' mic and makin' men of 'em ♪

♪ Tears and fears for my peers, they rippin' ♪

♪ You think that it is, it is, if not it isn't ♪

♪ Race for the border my daughter ♪

♪ 'Cause beats you're bangin' out ♪

♪ Jeeps rockin' beats in the streets ♪

♪ And it's time for hangin' out ♪

♪ Gather or rather form a circle around out loud ♪

♪ 'Cause brothers or others could never ever rock a crowd ♪

♪ Is it because he's runnin' off with the mouth ♪

♪ Or was he really clearly tryin' to play a, out ♪

♪ Nope, shut him down, the king with a crown ♪

♪ 'Cause all you wanna be is Diggy Down ♪

♪ Down with the king, come on, come on ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king ♪

♪ Uh, come on ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Two years ago, a friend of mine ♪

♪ Asked me to say some MC rhymes ♪

♪ So I said this rhyme I'm about to say ♪

♪ The rhyme was mecca, and it went this way ♪

♪ Recollect a mecca mic check on the windmill skill ♪

♪ Mac distracts, wearing Godfather hats ♪

♪ It's okay to parlay to forte better ♪

♪ Tell 'em, tougher than leather ♪

♪ Swing another Rodney King thing and I'll wreck ♪

♪ But just like the white one I get no respect ♪

♪ Money stay awake, 'cause them other, fake ♪

♪ From Hollis to the Beacon, now your dumb ass is leakin' ♪

♪ C.L. and Run D.M.C. so rush it ♪

♪ Big time weight before Hammer got to touch it ♪

♪ Remember the faces in all types of places ♪

♪ Look Ma, no shoelaces ♪

♪ And I'm, down with the king ♪

♪ You wanna be, down with the king ♪

♪ You wanna be, down with the king ♪

♪ You wanna be, down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king ♪

♪ The king, down with the ♪

♪ You wanna be ♪

♪ You wanna be ♪

♪ You wanna be ♪

♪ Check it ♪

♪ I'm takin' the tours, I'm wreckin' the land ♪

♪ I keep it hardcore 'cause it's dope man ♪

♪ These are the roughest toughest words I ever wrote down ♪

♪ Not meant for a ho like a slow jam, check it ♪

♪ Sucka MCs could never swing with D ♪

♪ Because of all the things that I bring with me ♪

♪ Only G-O-D could be a king to me ♪

♪ And if the G-O-D be in me, then the king I be ♪

♪ The microphone is branded when it's handed to me ♪

♪ I was planted on this planet and I plan to MC ♪

♪ The MC fiends only seem to agree ♪

♪ That I rock all the world and the society ♪

♪ Outrageous on the stages with a tune of verse ♪

♪ I give praises from these pages to the universe ♪

♪ My voice is raw, my lyrics is law ♪

♪ I keep it hardcore like you never saw ♪

♪ You wanna be, down with the king ♪

♪ You wanna be, down with the king ♪

♪ You know you wanna be, down with the king ♪

♪ You wanna be, wanna wanna be ♪

♪ You know you wanna wanna be ♪

♪ The king, down with the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ I'm the man you see, in the place to be ♪

♪ I went to John Jay University ♪

♪ And since kindergarten I acquired the knowledge ♪

♪ And after twelve grade I went straight to college ♪

♪ Down with the kings on the mic, a full swinger ♪

♪ The P to the R, not an R&B singer ♪

♪ The R to the U-N-D-MC and ♪

♪ The fly human beings, tonight I hold the key and ♪

♪ Flowin' with the funk track, here to soul brother black ♪

♪ Pick up the bass, better yet leave a space ♪

♪ So let me put my big black twinkie on ♪

♪ Into the early mornin' ♪

♪ Had skins yawning' ♪

♪ Mecca, yo, you want the mecca, yo ♪

♪ I'll make a funky beat so we can blow, check it out ♪

♪ Pete Rock's the beat knock, put you in a headlock ♪

♪ And now all the outty out flock ♪

♪ Is I'm down with the kings ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

♪ Down with the king, the king ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
king /kɪŋ/ A1	noun - a male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth.
down /daʊn/ A1	adjective - in low spirits; sad or depressed.
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - a period of 365 or 366 days, reckoned from a specified date; a unit of time.
men /men/ A1	noun - plural of man
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - a drop of clear salty liquid secreted from glands in the eye
beats /biːts/ A2	noun - a rhythmic pattern of sounds in music.
streets /striːts/ A2	noun - a public road in a city or town, with houses and buildings on one or both sides.
brothers /ˈbrʌðərz/ A2	noun - a man or boy in relation to other sons and daughters of his parents.
mouth /maʊθ/ A2	noun - the opening in the lower part of the human face, surrounded by the lips, through which food is taken in and from which speech and other sounds are emitted.
crown /kraʊn/ B1	noun - an ornamental jeweled headdress worn as a symbol of royalty.
rhymes /raɪmz/ B1	noun - correspondence of sound between words or the endings of words, especially when used at the ends of lines of poetry.
skill /skɪl/ B1	noun - the ability to do something well; expertise.
respect /rɪˈspekt/ B1	noun - due regard for the feelings, wishes, rights, or traditions of others.
weight /weɪt/ B1	noun - a measurement of how heavy something is.
places /ˈpleɪsɪz/ B1	noun - a particular position or point in space; a location.
tours /tʊərz/ B1	noun - a journey for pleasure in which several places are visited.
hardcore /ˈhɑːrdkɔːr/ B2	adjective - (of music, films, etc.) uncompromisingly violent, sexual, or extreme.
d.m.c. /ˌdiː em siː/ B2	noun - Abbreviation of a famous rap group Run-DMC.
fiends /fiːndz/ B2	noun - a person excessively interested in or enthusiastic about a particular subject or activity.
universe /ˈjuːnɪvɜːrs/ B2	noun - all existing matter and space considered as a whole; the cosmos.
pages /ˈpeɪdʒɪz/ B2	noun - one side of a sheet of paper in a book, magazine, etc., or the sheets of paper themselves.

Key Grammar Structures

• They wanna be down with the king

  ➔ Informal Contraction & Phrasal Verb/Idiom

  ➔ "Wanna" is an informal contraction of "want to". "Be down with" is an idiom meaning to support, agree with, or be associated with someone or something.

• You think that it is, it is, if not it isn't

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 0/1) with "if not"

  ➔ This is a conditional sentence. The phrase "if not" introduces a contrasting condition, meaning "otherwise" or "if the previous condition is not met."

• Nope, shut him down, the king with a crown

  ➔ Imperative & Phrasal Verb

  ➔ "Shut him down" is an imperative command using the phrasal verb "shut down," which means to stop someone or something from operating or continuing.

• Asked me to say some MC rhymes

  ➔ Verb + Object + Infinitive

  ➔ The structure "ask + object + to-infinitive" is used to report a request or command. Here, "asked" is the verb, "me" is the object, and "to say" is the infinitive.

• But just like the white one I get no respect

  ➔ Comparison using "just like"

  ➔ "Just like" is used to make a direct comparison, emphasizing similarity between two things or situations.

• Only G-O-D could be a king to me / And if the G-O-D be in me, then the king I be

  ➔ Modal Verb "could" & Conditional Clause (Non-Standard/Poetic Subjunctive-like "be")

  ➔ "Could be" expresses possibility or potential. The "if... be" structure is a non-standard, poetic, or archaic use of the subjunctive mood, often found in rap lyrics or older English, instead of the standard "if... is."

• The microphone is branded when it's handed to me

  ➔ Passive Voice (Present Simple) & Time Clause

  ➔ "Is branded" and "it's handed" (it is handed) are examples of the passive voice, where the subject receives the action. "When" introduces a time clause, specifying when the action occurs.

• And since kindergarten I acquired the knowledge

  ➔ "Since" with a Point in Time

  ➔ "Since" is used here to indicate the starting point of a period, followed by a past simple verb ("acquired") to describe an action that happened after that point, or a state that began then.

• My voice is raw, my lyrics is law

  ➔ Subject-Verb Agreement (Non-Standard Usage)

  ➔ This line demonstrates non-standard subject-verb agreement. While "voice is" is correct, "lyrics" is a plural noun and typically requires the plural verb "are" ("my lyrics are law"). This is common in informal language and song lyrics for rhythm or emphasis.

• I keep it hardcore 'cause it's dope man

  ➔ Phrasal Verb/Idiom ("keep it hardcore") & Causal Clause

  ➔ "Keep it hardcore" is an idiomatic expression meaning to maintain a tough, uncompromising, or authentic style. "'Cause" is an informal contraction of "because," introducing a causal clause.