A song about self reflection and self evaluation, Gang Starr's Moment of Truth from 1998 is a timeless classic that has been in my playlist since my teenage years. To clarify a common misconception, Gang Starr is a hip hop duo consisting of DJ Premier and Guru. Premier produced the beat and Guru does the rapping.

This song means a lot to me, and tends to make me somewhat calm and thoughtful. I won't say too much about this one, and let the song speak for itself.

Hook:
They say it's lonely at the top in whatever you do
You always gotta watch motherfuckers around you
Nobody's invincible, no plan is fool proof
We all must meet our moment of truth

1st verse:
The same sheisty cats that you hang with and do your thang with
Could set you up and wet you up nigga, peep the language
It's universal - You play with fire it may hurt you
Or burn you, lessons are blessings you should learn through
Let's face facts, although MC's lace tracks
It doesn't mean behind the scenes there ain't no dirt to trace back
That goes for all of us, there ain't nobody to trust
It's like sabotage, it's got me ready to bust
But I can't jeopardize what I have done up to this point
So I'ma get more guys to help me run the whole joint
Cultivate, multiply, motivate, or else we'll die
You know I be the master of the who, what, where and why
See when you're shining, some chumps'll wanna dull ya
Always selfish jealous punks will wanna pull ya
Down, just like some shellfish in a bucket
Cause they love it to see your ass squirm like a worm
But just as you'll receive what is coming to you
Everybody else is gonna get theirs too
I ain't no saint, therefore I cannot dispute
That everyone must meet their moment of truth

Bridge:
Actions are reactions, don't be quick to judge
You may not know the hardships people don't speak up
It's best to step back, and observe with couth
For we all must meet our moment of truth

2nd verse:
Sometimes you gotta dig deep when problems come near
Don't fear, things get severe for everybody everywhere
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Seems that life is just a constant war between good and evil
The situation that I'm facin' is mad amazing
To think such problems can arise from minor confrontations
Now I'm contemplating in my bedroom, pacing
Dark clouds over my head, my heart's racing
Suicide? Nah, I'm not a foolish guy
Don't even feel like drinking or even getting high
Cause all that's gonna do really is accelerate
The anxieties that I wish I could alleviate
But wait, I've been through a whole lot of other shit, before
So I ough to be able to withstand some more
But I'm sweating though, my eyes are turning red, and yo
I'm ready to lose my mind, but instead I use my mind
I put down the knife and take the bullets out my 9
My only crime was that I'm too damn kind
And now some scandalous motherfuckers wanna take what's mine
But they can't take the respect
that I've earned in my lifetime
And you know they'll never stop the furious force of my rhymes
So like they say, every dog has its day
And like they say, God works in a mysterious way
So I pray, remembering the days of my youth
As I prepare to meet my moment of truth

3rd verse:
Yo, I got one lyric pointed at your head for start
Another one is pointed at your weak ass heart
Now if I pull the trigger on these fully loaded lines
You're gonna wish I would've pulled a black 9
I mack dimes, crack the spines of the fake gangsters
Yeah the biting trifling niggas and the studio pranksters
Yo, looking at the situation plainly: will you remain, G?
Or will you be looked upon strangely?
I reign as the articulator, with the greater data
Revolving on the TASCAM much doper than my last jam
While others struggle to juggle, tricky metaphors
I explore more to expose the core
A lot of MC's act stupid to me
And we have yet to see if they can match our longevity
But anyway, it's just another day
Another fake jack I slay with my spectac rap display
Styles, smooth but rugged -- you can't push or shove it
You dig it and you dug it cause like money you love it
The king of monotone, with my own throne
Righteously violent prone my words bring winds like cyclones
Storming your hideout, blocking out your sunlight
Your image and your business were truly not done right
Throw up your He Allah Now Divine Saviours
You got no hand skills, there's no security to save ya
No pager, no celly, no drop top Benz-y
I came to bring your phony hip-hop to an ending
My art of war will leave you sore from the abuse
Cause you must meet your moment of truth