Family Business

[Verse 1: Omega & Wyclef]

Where I was born, nothing is promised

My life is filled with less hope than the prophecies of Nostradamus

Omega marks the ending of predictability

Birth of agility

Who will it be to test me and expose their futility?

Iron like a lion from Zion, stop tryin' so hard

I think I smell your brain cells fryin'

The family's behind you if you're worthy

Philosophies developed deep in the back streets of dirty Jersey

Troops with skully hats and Timberland boots

No more breakdancing for loot, niggas hustle and shoot

In the Garden State, it grows stink weeds and criminals

Government funds are minimal, oppression's subliminal (Yo)

[Verse 2: Wyclef]

These days it's hard for we to find peace of mind

Between insanity and sanity there lies a thin line

Some dwell in hotels with jezebels

A stone age and fall a victim to the plague

Unclean bad dreams of Wyclef being a fiend

One last kiss from my sweet serpentine

Eliminate, break, navigate

To rejuvenate thoughts of suicide with my nickel plate

Reconcil'ation came from my enemy-friend

Who said, "Family don't bend, we stay solid 'til the end"

Now who would think that your best friend

Would be your worst enemy and your enemy your best friend?

Stare into the air, inspiration from the atmosphere

I think of old ghosts that ain't even here

Like Alex Haley, take notes on his biography

My family tree consists of street refugees

A ghetto land where we talk slang

Stolen cars bang like my chitty bang-bang

Shebang for the head, we ain't sellin' cocaine today

So refrain and let my family reign, okay

[Chorus: Omega & Wyclef]

Just walkin' the streets death can take you away

It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day

At night the evil armies of Shaitan don't play

So defend the family, that's the code to obey

But if I fall asleep and death takes me away

Don't be surprised, son, I wasn't put here to stay

At night the evil armies of Shaitan don't play

So the family sticks together and we never betray (Nah, fuck that)

[Verse 3: Wyclef]

Yo, fifty-two pick-ups, no cops around

Fifty-two thousand in cash, I don't want no savings bonds

Have the money ready, I smell something fishy

Your wife's in my custody, one false move, you'll find her body in the sea (Don't move, don't move)

That's the voice of the kid, that's the kidnapper

I do my work and then I catch my ticket to Jamaica

Meet me in the alley, make sure you bring the money

This ain't the seventies, I'm far from a jive turkey

[Verse 4: Lauryn Hill]

My circle, it can't be broken open, cut-throatin', provokin'

Record promotin', tokin', chokin' on they words like smokin'

'Cause we soft-spoken doesn't mean that we've forgotten

Your booty smell rotten and one day you will be gotten

See, jokers is scatter-brained, their focus is unrestrained

My army is trained, you never find us beefin' in vain

'Cause I've seen fire and I've seen rain

You claim fame while modest niggas remain

I can judge a character like Ito judge a verdict

And if you bringin' threats, I give you sex if I ain't heard it

See, poppin' shit's about your attitude and how you word it

I seen the biggest niggas on the blocks get murdered, and they deserved it

Or so the beast said when they served it, that shit is nervous

So what's my purpose? Family, we must preserve it

Your number's retired, I hope you like the hell fires

You'll be screamin', "Murder She Wrote" like Chaka Demus and Pliers

[Chorus: Omega, Lauryn Hill]

Just walkin' the streets death can take you away

It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day

At night the evil armies of Shaitan don't play

So defend the family, that's the code to obey

If I should fall asleep and death take me away

Don't be surprised, son, I wasn't put here to stay

At night the evil armies of Shaitan don't play

So the family stick together and we never betray, yeah

[Verse 5: John Forte & Wyclef]

We used to jump rope, but now we gun hold

Bustin' shots off of project rooftops

Sending signals with the blunt smoke

Ahk, don't talk a lot if you can't hold it in lock

If you think lips sink ships, imagine full Glock clips

I hold a glass of Remy Martin, gettin' milks by the carton

Extortin' the lightweights for thinkin' they important

The night pays in heavenly ways, ain't nothin' free

I ask knowledge in your family and step into your B.I. 

You see I stay on top of shit like a fly

My niggas reach when we got beef then jet down to South Beach

Your mouthpiece is yappin', I hear it in your rappin'

My family is thick so that bullshit could never happen (Yo)

[Chorus: Wyclef & Lauryn Hill]

Just walkin' the streets death can take you away

It's never guaranteed that you'll see the next day

At night the evil armies of Shaitan don't play

So defend the family, that's the code to obey

But if I should fall asleep and death takes me away

Don't be surprised, son, I wasn't put here to stay

At night the evil armies of Shaitan don't play

So the family stick together and we never betray

[Skit: Shannon Briggs]

Yo, what you say?

Yo, word to mother, yo, I'll punch you and bust your whole head, kid

I swear to God, this is Shannon Briggs, I get paid to knock people out

You know what I'm sayin'?

Yo, Wyclef, chill, don't even hold me

Yo, word to mother, I'll— I'll— word, yo, chill, yo

I'm with the Fugees, what? You know what I'm sayin'? What?

Some come from nowhere

To watch this caravan

[Interlude: Lauryn Hill]

Now this happen to be the one and only [?][4:54] of the refugee crew

[?][4:57] dancehall session

And we don't play with sound clash

Soundbwoy get ah neck bash and he pussy dusted

Strumming dub plates with our fingers (You heard?)

Eliminate sounds with our song (No)

Killing a sound boy with this sound

Killing a sound boy with this sound (No)

Taking sound boys' lives with this dub

Killing him softly (You heard?) with this sound