[Intro: Nas]
Uh, uh, yeah, yeah
Uh huh, uh huh
[Verse 1: Nas]
Yo, life is school for the soul and I'm in life seven already
Life’s simple but heavy, incomprehensible shit
Everything from sexy to deadly, I done been through that shit
Still goin' deeper like I grew a new inch on my dick
We looked at robbin' as a way of resolving our problems
My moms cooked food, but my niggas was starving
And whatever they was down to do, I was with ’em regardless
Turns out the Fed mouth started hittin' the hardest
My decisions was sharper, my predictions was on it
No fortune teller, just going off regular signs
Niggas often tell ya they moves without a word
Just reading they mind, wasn't needin' my nine
Corner executive, born in ghetto hell
Where the metal yell especially over necklaces
Life lessons is karma
Whatever you dish out come back as blessings or come back to harm ya
It could miss you and hit your kids for your dishonor
Generational curses, can't embrace it, let's break it
Escape and reverse it, escape and reverse it
[Verse 2: Talib Kweli]
Yeah, come on
Tried of rap fame, using my middle name
Had my little gang like M.O.P. we had a little fame
The hustlers had a twinkle in they eye
Entrepreneurial as the Winklervoss twins of a [fry?] while they in [crinkle fry?]
I ran to the crime scenes as the cops [encamped us?]
They intention was to kill us, and my man on the transcript
Old school, I call a bandwagon a band[?]
Classic like doing the [all whites?] with the [stand smith's?]
I was doing my thing, I was true to the game
I had background dancers, they was doing the [James?]
[Saidye?] got shot, we used to [scarf?] as a turner kit
It was winter of 1984, think Bernie Goetz
And burn a deck, Peters on billboards, 42's
Way before I was a [?] pourin’ my soul into recording booths
I saw the truth, boots on the ground, since I saw the [coop?]
[Covered for?] genocide, [and juice?] I tried to find the proof
The live performance is killin’ like OJ's isotoners
Life is like a project elevator, we fight for corners
[Verse 3: Yasiin Bey]
Reversing the misfortune by moving forward
Each direction is determined by intention
Life is a school for all of us without exception
24/7, seminars are in session
Some serious studious, some class clowns
The reality like gravity, shut that ass down
They laugh now, cry later and longer
They told me ain’t nothing growing, without some water
We sacrifice for what we needed and wanted
If it was righteous exact or was out of order
Everything is not for sale, everybody pays the price
You can run away and not escape, that's the way of life
Nobody makes it out alive
Nobody ever really dies
It's crazy how the contrast coincide?
It's strange how I’m amazed, but I'm not surprised
They may not understand it, but it's not a lie
Perhaps your understanding is not required
As long as the soul is born, and you feel a vibe
And it's quite alright
More will be revealed in time
Thanks, goodbye
[Verse 4: Common]
My soul walks through old parks, it goes dark like ozark
Ghetto stories with no art
Black mozarts, composing street symphonies
The charts read poverty, mahogany, and hennessy
Energy of the struggle
Bubbles in our stomachs
What he's running from
Watch him become it
The summit, used to be of Benz and rims
Now we peak at night dropping sins and gems
This is just around the way
Of the lost and found today
'Tryna move a pound today
Though sometimes it sounded gray
My people still down to pay, dues for freedom
Wash your hands, save your grace, new rules for eating
It's moods and seasons, I keep my head high on some earth, wind reasons
The fire that I'm breathing, inspired by the babies and the way that we lead them
It's our turn at the table to see them
Yeah
