Black Star

Hello everybody, they're calling live from somewhere Lawd, lawd have mercy All nice and peace and true, follow me now, we say Say hi-tek yes you're ruling hip-hop Say J. Rawls yes you're ruling hip-hop Redefinition say you're ruling hip-hop Say Black Star come to rock it non... Yo, from the first to the last of it, delivery is passionate The whole and not the half of it, vocab and not the math of it Projectile that them blasted with, accurate assassin shit Me and Kweli close like, Bethlehem and Nazareth After this you be pressing rewind on top your master disk Shining like an asterisk for all those that be gatherin' Connected like a roundhouse from the townhouse to the tenaments 'Cause all my Brooklyn residents? Heavy regiments Don't believe, here the evidence, where Brooklyn? See that? Bound to take it all kid, believe that From where they sellin' tree at, to where the police be at Talib Kweli e-kweli-ty, yo tell them where we be at Brooklyn, New York City where they paint murals of Biggie In cash we trust cause it's ghetto fabulous, life look pretty What a pity, blunts is still fifty cents, it's intense Tree scents is dominant can't be covered with incense My presence felt my name is Kweli from the eternal reflection People thinkin' mc is short hand for misconception Let me meditate, set it straight, came to the conclusion That most of these cats is featherweight, let me demonstrate Walkin' the streets is like battlin', be careful with your body You must know karate or think your soul is bulletproof like sade Stop actin' like a bitch already, be a visionary And maybe you can see your name in the column of obituaries Third rate teacher readin' and talkin about, "I knew he'd amount to nothin" Neighbors like, "He was the quiet type, who'd have thought they was frontin? " Talkin' loud like you in RCA, get carted away With body parts and treys, what a way to start your day Yo it's like One two three Mos Def and Talib Kweli We came to rock it on to the tip-top Best alliance in hip-hop I said one two three It's kind of dangerous to be a emcee They shot Tupac and Biggie Too much violence in hip-hop I said Manhattan keep on makin' it, Brooklyn keep on takin' it So relax we're takin' it back, Red Hook where we're livin' at Plenty cats be strugglin', not hustlin' and bubblin' It ain't about production and- what else we discussin'? So when the cock crows, my crop grows, enable me to rock flows Strivin' for perfection ever since I was a snot-nosed Colossal, true original b-boy apostle Standin' on the rooftop with the Zulu Gestapo You think you the shit Somebody in the wings'll force you to quit It could be your crew or click Or some random kid you smoked buddha with Consider me the entity within the industry without a history Of spittin' the epitome, of stupidity, livin' my life Expressin' my liberty, it gotta be done properly My name is in the middle of e-kweli-ty People follow me and other cats they hear him flow And assume I'm the real one with the lyrics like I'm Cyrano Still sippin' wishin' well water, imported, from Pluto Three hundred and sixty milliliters for all our believers In miles or kilometers, most cats, cannot proceed us In the jungle with the leaders we the lions you the cheaters A cypher, will complete us if we come through your receivers You can play us and repeat us and then take us home and read us (Line for line) Good Jesus, Mos Def and Kweli just Make a pussy freeze up, thinkin' we will ease up One two three Mos Def and Talib Kweli We came to rock it on to the tip-top Best alliance in hip-hop I said one two three It's kind of dangerous to be a emcee They shot Tupac and Biggie Hold your head when the beat drop

Black star Black star Forever you will be A shining star Shining star be whatever you can be A rock star Rock star You will always be A black star Black star Black star Black star Black star Black star

'Now listen' (Mos) .Doin this song for you. All my little brothers. out in the street. Strugglin to survive. keep your eyes on the prize, you know (Kweli) Yeah, the revolution will not be televised Or broadcast live on the net My man Mos said it's personal. knamsayin? It's gotta start from right up in here, you know (Mos & Kweli) You can't stop, you know (x3) You can't stop when we rep (Kweli) We rep the ain't-gots Ain't nobody can't start no party like us, we crush the faint hearts From Hallsey to St. Mark's, walk in the main blocks Painted with blood that's still hot, so deep it stain socks The pain spark frustration, situations lead to hatin Some deal with drug distribution, others walk the plantation Some know the code a' the streets, some got a college education Come down on the weekend, and peep the conversation (Mos) Yo On the corner, units stormed out Ghetto lookin bombed out Police waited to roll, for those who walk the wrong route Shorties goin all out, they got they swords drawn out Ready to brawl out, gettin fought til they fall out Black like Morehouse, 40 o'z is tossed out For brothers that they mourn bout, get wrecked til it's dawn out Whether they broke or flossed out, honeys pass they draws out Lookin for a ticket out the poor-house A jungle out here Lions keep they claws out, fangs and jaws out Weak just get forced out Names is called out, ghetto-fame is sought out You wanna be the man that they talk bout I walked out I had some things on my mind to sort out I thought bout the wild circumstance we born out Remember myself at your age, when I was just like you If that was now, I don't know what I would do My answer's? closest to me So what I say to you is goin for me Son we both still growin indeed But where you at, I was, and where you been, I left Utilize my experience to guide your step Some people get love but don't command respect It's somethin that you can't ride with a check Over-rollin your lex or icy links that hang from your neck If it's real, who need to deal with the special effects? (Kweli) Come here, come here, yo Lemme drop this on ya, look they gotchu cornered The corner of the block is hot, I ain't got to warn ya 'Cause I see you every day, trapped in every way 'Shit, I'm a thug, and that's all that I can say' Who are you anyway? Mary J.? I spend, many nights awake, watchin you while you sleep Tryin to figure out how to be the example, 'cause talk is cheap As you walk the streets, study cats on the real In a convo, just make your point to relax and chill (Niggas) wanna destroy each other in a cypher instead a' build Be a- man of will, don't be- standin still If you- don't plan ahead, then you- plan to fail Do? in a daze when the ways reveal Like they funny style but I'm not laughin Serious (niggas) makin money while the police is passin Can't wait for opportunity to knock, you gotta make it happen It ain't about no spectacular ways a' rappin Just immaculate ways a' action. dig? (Mos sings) Little Brother I know that times is hard Keep your mind on guard Stay clear of things that are harmin You'll get along I sing my song For little brothers Out there in the street Strugglin to make ends meet Gotta hold the heat Strugglin so hard to compete Stay clear of things that harm Do it for y'all Try to stay strong Keep movin on (x6) (Shoutin out Little Brothers all over the area, simultaneous singing)

What'd you do last night? We did umm, two whole cars It was me, Dez, and Main Three right? And on the first car in small letters it said 'All you see is' and then you know Big, big, you know some block silver letters That said 'crime in the city' right?' It just took up the whole car? Yeah yeah, it was a whole car and shit... The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis Shinin', like who on top of this? People was tusslin, arguin and bustlin Gangstaz of Gotham hardcore hustlin I'm wrestlin with words and ideas My ears is picky, seekin what will transmit The scribes can apply to transcript, yo This ain't no time where the usual is suitable Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable The indisputable, we New York the narcotic Strength in metal and fiber optics Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets Hard knuckles on the second hands of workin class watches Skyscrapers is collosus, the cost of living Is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options No Batman and Robin, can't tell between the cops and the robbers They both partners, they all heartless With no conscience, back streets stay darkened Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened My eagle talons stay sharpened, like city lights stay throbbin You either make a way or stay sobbin, the Shiny Apple Is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages My narrative, rose to explain this existance Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance So much on my mind that I can't recline Blastin holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening Sigh before we die like the last train leaving Breathin in deep city breaths, sittin on shitty steps We stoop to new lows, hell froze the night the city slept The beast crept through concrete jungles communicatin with one another And ghetto birds where waters fall from the hydrants to the gutters The beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin You on the wrong side of the track, lookin visibly shaken Taken them plungers, plungin to death that's painted by the numbers With crime unapplied pressure, cats is playin God But havin children by a lesser baby mother but fuck it We played against each other like puppets, swearin you got pull When the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes Gettin knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog Is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene Thoughts that people put in the air Places where you could get murdered over a glare But everything is fair It's a paradox we call reality So keepin it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality Killers Born Naturally like, Mickey and Mallory Not knowing the ways'll get you capped like an NBA salary Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin what you believe in For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted I'm asking if y'all feel me and the crowd left me stranded My blood pressure boiled and rose, cause New York niggaz Actin spoiled at shows, to the winners the spoils go I take the L, transfer to the two, head to the gates New York life type trife the Roman Empire state So much on my mind I just can't recline Blastin holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline Yo don't the bass ride out like an ancient mating call I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin' Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening Sigh before we die like the last train leaving Yo, on The Amen, Corner I stood lookin at my former hood Felt the spirit in the wind, knew my friend was gone for good Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it Mixin down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered I coreograph seven steps to heaven And hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leavened Veteran of a cold war It's Chica-I-go for What I know or, what's known So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home From the crib I spend months gone Sat by the window with a clutched dome listenin to shorties cuss long Young girls with weak minds, but they butt strong Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord, but didn't have a touch-tone It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on Some of this land I must own Outta the city, they want us gone Tearin' down the 'jects creatin plush homes My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones Surrounded by hate, yet I love home Ask my God how he thought travellin the world sound Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep So much on my mind I just can't recline Blastin holes in the night til she bled sunshine Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline Yo how the bass ride out like an ancient mating call I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing Chest heavin, against the flesh of the evening Kiss the Ide's goodbye, I'm on the last train leaving

** best guess ** Follow me! upon a black star line Off for the rest and for brand nubian Now go to africa again, watch dis! Repeat 4x Black star line it's the black star line Everybody come aboard and free your mind It's the black star line that's leavin at nine Here's a paid ticket so you can free your mind Playgrounds is filled with visions of steel Grab the black babies it's time to build See we got a mental ship somethin like noah's ark Spark your brain cell now let's set sail (With no avail) we flowin on a positive trip All nubians is welcome, male and female I, wouldn't resort, to askin for a passport Love vibes rule so your black face is cool Cool, but not frozen, a trip for the chosen few. ** best guess ** Form a line-ah, upon the black star liner Goin to africa, one more time Form a line-ah, upon the black star liner Goin to africa, one more time, true! Let me tell you bout marcus garvey Born in jamaica, god left him in country He go to america to make black people free He walk around low and just try make money Him buy up some ship and just start for we America or africa and live irie We hav some man where wan gonna be Young nasty and just licky licky Some love marcus garvey, the place of peace Or peace around it, and dem sparkle up him say I just light up, make the first hungry Writer no block it but just run follow me Form a line-ah, upon the black star liner Goin to africa, one more time Form a line-ah, upon the black star liner Brand nubian!! tell dem one more time As we look to the stars, they take ours Yeah we got fly cars but you can live in four wheels? We need new approaches, old style is null and void Makes me paranoid, to think That we own the whole ocean yet we can't even drink You couldn't swim the nine thousand so we got you a means Of transportation, for the nubian nation Marcus garvey had the idea back in the days Doin for self, keepin the wealth I gotta add on and create Though the devil thinks it's not the latest fashion Navigatin lost, somethin like a ship's captain ** best guess ** When i'm ova, arms will be raised for the tom-toms Push up ya arm they call ya proud to be black Call me proud to be black, cause i'm not tryin to fuck When i'm proud to be black, i'm not some young eedyot Be gone! i want no dem i want no dem-dem dem-dem dem-dem Never know they wickedness they haffa come to an end Don't take a no fey word for de white boy dem Awayaa tell me - all you get in de end Awayaa tell me - all you get isa dem Awayaa tell me - all you get more den dey spend C'mon, tell de world black man entertainer Rock dem one and rock entertained Tell the red foxx style dem a get When i'm ova, arms will be raised for the tom-toms Push up ya arm they call ya proud to be black Brand nubian wanna give nuff respect to the one marcus garvey Nuff respect to red foxx Sting international in the house Dave kennedy on the boards Knowhati'msayin? the one rafael Nuff respect to the god sincere Yeah, yaknowhati'msayin? mark the spark is in the house And umm, this how we work out For the ninety-two season