"MC's Act Like They Don't Know" is a song from KRS-One

KRS-One

Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...

's 1995 eponymous album. It contains production from DJ Premier

DJ Premier

Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...

 that samples

Sampling (music)

In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...

 "Yesterdays" by Clifford Brown

Clifford Brown

Clifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...

, and interpolates

Interpolation

In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a method of constructing new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points....

 "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow

Kurtis Blow

Kurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...

. Its lyrics deal with how lots of rappers who achieve positive chart positions and other commercial awards cannot perform well live. Ironically, it holds higher chart positions than any other KRS-One single.

Lyrics from "MC's Act Like They Don't Know" are sampled in "Anticipation" by M.O.P.

M.O.P.

M.O.P., short for Mash Out Posse, is an American hip hop duo. The duo, composed of Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, is known for the aggressive delivery typically employed by both emcees. Although they maintain a strong underground following, they are mainly known for the song "Ante Up," released on...

, "Rise of the Machines

Rise of the Machines (song)

"Rise of the Machines" is a single by hip hop duo Jedi Mind Tricks , released as a limited edition promo single in 2003 . The vinyl is the only JMT single not to feature a B-Side. The album version of Rise of the Machines features a Latin acoustic guitar sample, coupled with clips from Mike Tyson's...

" by Jedi Mind Tricks

Jedi Mind Tricks

Jedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...

 and "Hardcore Hip Hop" by Rawcotiks.

In 2010 a new version of the song appeared on the mixtape album 'Survival Kit' which is a tribute to KRS One and his collaborative partner Buckshot. This new version of the song features Sha Stimuli

Sha Stimuli

Sha Stimuli, born Sherod Khaalis , is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his mixtape releases, beginning with Let Me Show You The Way in 2002, which earned him a spot in Source Magazine's Unsigned Hype section...

, Promise

Promise (rapper)

Promise Shepherd is a Canadian Hip hop soul artist/songwriter from Toronto. Currently he is being managed by Duck Down Music .-Biography:...

, J.A.M.E.S. Watts and Fashawn and is available for free download at duckdown.com

Album appearances

Besides appearing on KRS-One

KRS-One (album)

KRS-One is the second album released by hip hop artist KRS-One under his own name. The album was originally meant to be titled Hip-Hop Vs. Rap, as can be seen in the early The Source's and Rap Pages reviews, which also reveals that a few tracks were scrapped at last minute in addition to the change...

and on the "MC's Act Like They Don't Know/Represent the Real Hip-Hop" single, it has appeared on many compilation albums. It appeared on compilations including 1996's Hip Hop's Most Wanted, 1997's Gangsta Hip Hop, Vol. 5, Hot Joints, Vol. 1, 1999's Best of D&D Studios, Vol. 1, 1999's Discover the Rhythm of Hip Hop, 1999's Ill Rated, 1999's Real Hip-Hop: Best of D & D, Vol. 1, 2000's A Retrospective, 2002's Hip Hop, Vol. 2, 2002's Rappers Delight and 2003's Best of Rapture's Delight.

Track listing

A-side

1. MC's Act Like They Don't Know (LP Version) (4:44)
2. MC's Act Like They Don't Know (Instrumental) (4:44)

B-side

1. Represent the Real Hip-Hop (Street) (3:20)
2. Represent the Real Hip-Hop (Clean) (3:20)
3. Represent the Real Hip-Hop (Instrumental) (2:50)

Charts

Chart (1995)	Peak position
Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	57
Billboard Hot R&B Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	35
Billboard Hot Rap Singles Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...	9
Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales	1