[Intro: James Baldwin]
If we were White
If we were Irish
If we were Jewish, if we were Poles
If we had, in fact, in your mind a frame of reference
Our heroes would be your heroes, too
Nat Turner would be a hero for you instead of a threat
Malcolm X might still be alive
But, you know, when the Israelis pick up guns, or the Poles
Or the Irish, or any White man in the world
Says, "Give mе liberty, or give me dеath"
The entire White world applauds
When a Black man says exactly the same thing, word for word
He is judged a criminal and treated like one
And everything possible is done
To make an example of this bad nigga
So there won't be any more like him
[Verse 1: dread scott]
I talked to god, but he ain't tell me much
The devil gripping on my shoulder with a healthy clutch
I muscle up because the shells'll bust
The block is hot, that's why them cells see us
Ayo, it's death before dishonor, never call a judge your honor, bruh
Behead the king and make a soccer ball for my commoners
My UZI weigh a Huey new-ton, you can check the barometer
But Kamala would rather see us in a cell like mitochondria
We lighting candles every week, a different Hanukkah
Police is on the the streets, they rolling deeper than the mafia
An ounce of weed is all they need to put it in ya yamaka
But we know who really moving the keys like a Yamaha
[Hook: dread scott and Honey Cone]
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away (I got the shotgun, I got the briefcase)
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away (It's all in the game though, right?)
Please let me testify
[Verse 2: dread scott & JAY-Z]
I'm outta kindness
I'm tired o' spineless liars, your highness, your iris biased
We riot 'cause testifiers accuse us and gentrify us
I'm shooting, don't test this fire, I prove it with rocket science
I ain't rocking with the master's plan, from three fifths, we still half a man
I'm packing in my bag again, they pack us in the back of vans
Attacking on Afghanistan, they strapping for the Taliban
But slap me with a half a mill' for bail because I'm African
[Hook: dread scott and Honey Cone]
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away (I got the shotgun, I got the briefcase)
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away (It's all in the game though, right?)
Please let me testify
Lyrics provided by
