I've been gone awhile away from you, and I hope you overstand That I got to do what I must do to be a better man Cause if I was just to act the fool do nothing for myself Then all my blessings would be cursed my world would crumble in It's a joy when I sit down and think cause of the good things that we have And what we do to make it through when the good turns into bad Well I hope you find it in your heart and know these words are true And please don't fuss because I must go do what I must do Hey baby don't you worry, even though the road is rocky I'll be coming home to you again And if you thought that I was lost, I have to bear my cross Now I'm free from all these chains A time and space a different place a perfect we might be I would be the wind that blows you be that widow tree And I could never bear the thought of you not by my side So I would be the warmth of day, you'd be the cool of night And everyday I pray to Jah that one day you will see And overstand the fact I must fulfill my destiny I hope you find it in your heart and know these words are true And please don't cry you know that I must do what I must do Hey baby don't you worry, even though the road is rocky I'll be coming home to you again And if you thought that I was lost, I have to bear my cross Now I'm free from all these chains (Mos Def) Well then it's not easy, Jah knows how I try, I try. So don't you get weary (Oh God) Jah knows I tried And God knows, that life is one big road With alot of signs and turns and twist and curves Even though the road is rocky But maintain to ride and keep on rockin From, city to city backyard to yard And we, be seein the cites standin under the lights And the spot is hot it's cold and lonely at nights And I'm feenin and I'm dreamin and I'm holdin you tight But hold on, every single road I rode on Come to an end and I'm back home again So baby please don't cry Cause nobody knows and it's no bye bye bye And our love don't die with the passin of time It just grow more, it just keep strong And even though I'm gone I ain't movin too far Your the light through the dark shinnin right through my heart So my journey just start Hey baby don't you worry, even though the road is rocky I'll be coming home to you again And if you thought that I was lost, I have to bury my cross Now I'm free from all these chains And if you thought that I was lost, I have to bury my cross Now I'm free from all these chains

They say the goodness in life belongs to those who believe So, I believe... YES! I start to think, and then I sink Into the paper, like I was ink When I'm writing I'm trapped in between the line I escape when I finish the rhyme (aiyyo) I start to think, and then I sink Into the paper, like I was ink When I'm writing I'm trapped in between the line I escape when I finish the rhyme (aiyyo) My pops said he was in love when he made me Thought about it for a second, wasn't hard to see I could hear he was sincere, was a game of promotion The entire affair's probably charged with emotion But love call your heart, I guess you got to pursue 12-11-73 my life is testament Praise the beneficent, element that rest Devoid in the form that make love manifest I spent my early years in Roosevelt Project It was a bright valley wit some dark prospects In '83, Venny C was the host wit the most I listened to the Rap Attack and held the radio close I listened to the Rap Attack and held the radio close This is far before the days of high glamour and pose Aiyyo power from the street light made the place dark I know a few understand what I'm talkin about It was love for the thing that made me wanna stay out It was love for the thing that made me stay in the house Spendin time, writin rhymes Tryin to find words that describe the vibe That's inside the space When you close yo' eyes and screw yo' face Is this the pain of too much tenderness To make me nod my head in reverence Should I visit this place in rememberence To build landmarks here as evidence Nighttime, spirit shook my temperament To write rhymes that portray this sentiment We live the now for the promise of the infinite We live the now for the promise of the infinite And we believe in the promise (love, love) Yes yes y'all and we don't stop because I start to think, and then I sink Into the paper, like I was ink When I'm writing I'm trapped in between the line I escape when I finish the rhyme I got love, L-O-V-E and I be Love, L-O-V-E to MC Get love, L-O-V-E and I be Love, L-O-V-E I MC Get love, L-O-V-E and I be Love, L-O-V-E to MC Get love, L-O-V-E and I be The M-O-S-D-E-F-initely Check it out y'all, feel me out y'all Feel me out y'all, hear my out y'all Check me, out y'all Feel me out y'all, check it out y'all Now hear out (bounce) y'all Check me out y'all, feel me out y'all Check me out y'all, feel me out y'all Feel me out y'all (hear me bounce y'all) Check me out y'all, check it out y'all My folks said they was in love when they made me I take they love they made me wit to make rhymes and beats (Can you feel?) The raw deal, it's all wheel-driven Contemplate the essence of beats, rhymes and living Speech in line wit the rhythm, designed wit the rhythm Ears and eyes keepin good time wit the rhythm I shine wit the rhythm, the Black Star Gallactica Big number fleetin, we ancient like the Abbacca's After us, I see most proceed to be trees Sproutin leaves, given breeze to the we who believe I MC, which means I Must Cultivate the earth Back straight backs, hard beats and hard work I be the funky drummer to soften the hard earth (Amin) Pray Allah keep my soul and heart clean (Amin) Pray the same thing again for all my team This go out to Fort Greene and on out to Queens Uptown to Boogie Down, yo just look around And shook up the world, like Ali in 6-3 (right) I'm reachin the height that you said cannot be I'm bringin the light but you said we can't see Saw the new day comin, and it look just like me Some burst through the clouds, my photo ID I bring light to your day and raise yo' degree The Universal Magnetic, you must respect it From end to beginning, great true and livin Ever changing, it was a state of magnificent Building it now for the promise of the infinite Building it now for the promise of the infinite because I start to think, and then I sink Into the paper, like I was ink When I'm writing I'm trapped in between the line I escape when I finish the rhyme I got love, L-O-V-E and I be Love, L-O-V-E to MC Get love, L-O-V-E and I be Love, L-O-V-E to MC Get love, L-O-V-E and I be Love, L-O-V-E to MC Get love, L-O-V-E and I be The M-O-S-D-E-F-initely

Hey, hey, hey man I strike the empire back I strike the empire back Fuck the empire High flyin' like the Millennium Falcon, piloted by Han Solo I never roll for dolo, frontin' on me's a no-no Understand? Doin' this for my family Ha ha, check it out y'all Yo, I'm tryin' to make a dollar out of what makes sense Add it up, told my daddy I'd be a rich man You never know when your fate gon' switch hand Get today's solid ground out of yesterday's quicksand I was a young boy, who dreamt about being a big man On small looseleaf sheets I sketched a big plan Gotta handle business properly, boost up my economy Store it up and get my mom some waterfront property Yesterday was not for me but nowadays it's time for me The streets is watchin' me, I watch back, that's the policy Movin' along my oddesey like blood through the artery Navigate the treacherous and make it seem effortless Let those who make the exodus seekin' the North beacon From beatin' and hog-eatin', from punishment all season From hands cracked and bleedin' cotton thorns in your palms It's for y'all that I sketch these songs, and it goes Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow I fear no man, because faith is the arrow My vocal chord travel worldwide to block narrow We can blow with the ammo or go mano-a-mano Kweli is you wit me? Let's make it happen (Whattup whattup?) I burn through your argument with action My eyes stay fastened to tomorrow lookin' for a brighter day When y'all wanna leave y'all? Right away Shout it out from East-West, from South to Northern From Cakalak' to California From the coldest to the warmest To the borders 'cross the waters, understand And know that I love you We got love in the place Shout out to all the Queens all the seeds To all the teams that's gettin' cream From outlaw to emcee's Make it happen do your thing, understand And know that I love you Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen Guess who? The illest MC in the atmosphere, yeah the Soul Controller Who roam the frontier like a Buffalo Soldier I follow the code of honor like a real man gonna Never disrespect no women 'cause I love my momma These cats be givin' us praise but it ain't that accurate I give it up to God, all that, love and attachment, get Scary well-prepared with the shears when it get hairy Like how these niggaz is lookin' like some fairies And singin' like canaries to the beast And anybody who will listen to 'em clearly Y'all don't hear me though, even when I'm comin' through in stereo You make a mockery of what I represent properly Yo, why you startin' me? I take that shit straight to the artery Intellectual property I got the title and the deed I pay for rent, with the tears and sweat, and what I bleed MC's imitate the way we walk, the way we talk You cats spit lyrical pork with no spiritual thought Plus your flow a little bit off, you come across soft Back in the days, niggaz like that on stage got tossed off Need to get crossed off the guest list It's like you gotta be disrespected And thrown out the exit to get the message Sometimes your sunshine get snatched like a necklace When you get too drunk on power and your drive get reckless Check it, MC's in my face after I slug you then I hug you If I gotta dead you know it's only 'cause I love you Shout it out from East-West from South to Northern From the richest to the poorest To the elders in the coffins Livin' native dyin' for it, understand And know that I love you Yeah, yeah, we got love in the place Shout out from up top to the middle To black bottom, sky high Whether you colder than December or hotter, than July It don't stop 'til we complete this And know that I love you keep this fly It's so much to life when you just Stay black, stay black Stay black, stay black Stay black, stay black Stay black, stay black Stay black, stay black My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, my people, my people people p-people My people, oh oh oh oh ohh, oh ohh

Whack niggas sleep rapping and woke up in trouble Whack niggas with that sleep rap and then woke up in trouble You were cool ten years ago, you fucking lex bubble Brand new tires, Rollin down the same old strip New party same old chicks I'm so sorry If I don't look happy to be here In your label office but they said I can't smoke weed here Man fuck it I'm out black on And I'm bout it fool I got a studio in my house Along with some the perks That come with my work Pretty twenty something sleeping in my Diamond Supply shirt There is not a adjective to describe how I work Hard is not enough brother I'm tougher Whack niggas with that sleep rapping and woke up in trouble You was cool ten years ago you fucking lex bubbles, bubble You gotta know when to hold em', know when to fold em' Learn how to roll with the punches Take em' to school give these niggas brown bag lunches If it ain't the jets then it ain't nothing Yo the king closed his cloak the set was overfull Such a excellent moment, so emotional He rushed out on the field, so devoted for Final victory clutch they went postal cold Glory overload, hold up hold my coat Please remember this day This changes everything we can do anything Until you show anyway My momma told me, "Son, always call a spade a spade" Be like Chuck D never be like Flavor Flav But that clock around his neck is so fly And the way he complimenting Chuckie with that bow tie flow Make me feel high so I'm gone spit it my way Excuse me as I do me cruising rudely down the high way I'm young, black, intelligent, elegant, blasé Back to the thesis Back to to shooting craps and talking smack to the polices Back to black and gold ballys Dickes with the creases Pulling youngins by the coattails Schooling em' who the beast is I pray this flow is dumb enough ugh I pray my heart is DMC and Reverend Run enough Cause I'm a throw my number up I'm a throw some chicken bones and feathers on a hundred bucks And summon up the thunder what? The voodoo man is coming bruh Can't see the forest for the trees It's okay, I got my jigsaw and my lumber truck Tell them boys their run is up Yo the king closed his cloak the set was overfull Such a excellent moment, so emotional He rushed out on the field, so devoted for Final victory clutch they went postal cold Glory overload, hold up hold my coat Please remember this day This changes everything we can do anything Until you show anyway We're ready for anything