[Intro]
Killing us one by one
In one way or another, America will find a way to eliminate the problem
One by one
The problem is the troublesome Black youth of the ghetto
And, one by one, we are being wiped off the face of this Earth at an extremely alarming rate
And even more alarming is the fact that we are not fighting back
Brothers, sisters, niggas
When I say "nigga" it is not the nigga we have grown to fear
It is not the "nigga" we say as if it has no meaning, but, to me
It means "Never Ignorant Getting Goals Accomplished", nigga
Niggas, what are we going to do?
Walk blind into a line or fight?
Fight and die if we must
Die, like niggas
[Verse 1]
This is for the masses, the lower classes, ones you left out
Jobs were given, better living, but we were kept out
Made to feel inferior, but we're superior
Break the chains in our brains that made us fear ya
Pledge allegiance to a flag that neglects us
Honor a man that refuses to respect us
Emancipation Proclamation? Please
Lincoln just said that to save the nation
These are lies that we all accepted
Say no to drugs, but the governments' kept it
Running through our community, killing the unity
The war on drugs is a war on you and me
And yet, they say this is the home of the free
You ask me, it's all about hypocrisy
The constitution, yo, it don't apply to me
And Lady Liberty? Stupid bitch lied to me
This may be strong, and no one's gonna like what I'm pumpin'
But its wrong to keep someone from learning something
So get up, its time to start nation building
I'm fed up, we gotta start teaching children
That they can be all that they want to be
There's much more to life than just poverty
This is definitely, uh, words of wisdom
[Interlude]
America! America! AmeriKa-Ka-Ka
I charge you with the crime of rape, murder, and assault
For suppressing and punishing my people
I charge you with robbery for robbing me of my history
I charge you with false imprisonment for keeping me trapped in the projects
And the jury finds you guilty on all accounts
And you are to serve the consequences for your evil schemes
Prosecutor, do you have any more evidence?
[Verse 2]
Words of wisdom based upon the strength of a nation
Conquer the enemy armed with education
Protect yourself, reach for what you want to do
Know thyself, teach by what we've been through
Armed with the knowledge of the place we've been
No one will ever oppress this race again
No Malcolm X in my history text, why's that?
’Cause he tried to educate and liberate all Blacks
Why is Martin Luther King in my book each week?
He told Blacks, if they get smacked, turn the other cheek
I don't get it, so many questions went through my mind
I get sweated, they act like asking questions a crime
But forget it, 'cause one day I'm gonna prove them wrong
Not every brother had his mother on the welfare line
The American Dream, though it seems like it's attainable
They're pulling your sleeve, don't believe, ’cause it'll strangle ya
Pulling the life of your brain, I can't explain
Beg as you can obtain from which you came
You swear to your mother that you living in equality
Forgetting your brother that's living here in poverty
Thought they had us beaten when they took out King
But the battle ain't over 'til the Black man sings
Words of wisdom
The battle ain't over 'till the Black man sings, words of wisdom
[Outro]
Nightmare! That's what I am
America's nightmare
I am what you made me
The hate and the evil that you gave me
I shine as a reminder of what you've done to my people for four hundred plus years
You should be scared, you should be running
You should be trying to silence me
Ha, but you can not escape fate
For it is my turn to come
Just as you rose, you will fall
By my hands
America, you reap what you sow
2Pacalypse, America's nightmare
Ice Cube and Da Lench Mob, America's nightmare
Above The Law, America's nightmare
Paris, America's nightmare
Public Enemy, America's nightmare
KRS-One, America's nightmare
New Afrikan Panthers, America's nightmare
Mutulu Shakur, America's nightmare
Geronimo Pratt, America's nightmare
Assata Shakur, America's nightmare
Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera
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