Noir

[Verse 1] A young inmate who knew his fate was truly great Had to escape from the chains that brought him to the States To save face he made more than a few mistakes While back-tracing his roots like Henry Louis Gates Respectfully, the trajectory, he remained in it He tried to walk on water instead of wade in it He went from cradle to grave, he's been a king of the slaves The menagerie of America, he was made in it Instead of waiting for Superman, his people had a plan They were sticking it to the man whose energy was spent like solid gold Uberman 'cause everything he did came back like a boomerang A ruler without a throne, the ruins are not of Rome Intruder without a home, a heart made out of stone A blade made out of bone, the skin of a copper tone A loner but not alone, the child that's got his own N-O-I-R [Record Scratching] N-O N-O N-O-I-R [Verse 2] The wave took some time to catch on The spade was grey, he wasn't afraid to press on Neither was his child because he embraced the weapon That aimed at the same prize, his eyes were kept on Surviving on soup kitchens, bread lines and newspaper clippings When he was in the headlines for being degradated Segregated and red-lined For blue-collar crimes that could've got him fed time Where funds is critical and sons is killable That unfulfillable 40 acres, untillable To make it in general would've taken a miracle I pray for the Earth the day the meek will inherit you A singer that says a Joyce but couldn't lift every voice Deciding your life and death is making a heavy choice Lifting a heavy weigh with so much hella hate That every day I await is a reason to celebrate N-O-I-R [Record Scratching] N-O N-O N-O-I-R