Do The Work

When we're talking about, overall, like,
social justice and awareness, and people want-

You can tell people want to be involved
and you can tell people want to be informed

But now it gets to the point of doing the actual work that comes with
being informed and doing the self-work that comes with being informed
- that's what people don't like to do,
is the internal work that comes with learning and unlearning

I don't want to do the work
I could turn off my cable
Stop the fables
But I ain't tryna do the work

I could give away my clothes and pick five shirts
But that would change the way I view my worth
And I don't wanna do the work
I want to make a change

To move all my money into a bank
That don't invest it into oil
Into weapons, into tanks
But I might have to walk further to the ATM for change

And, yo, I ain't tryna do the work
Homie, I could keep it vegan
But fuck free range, I need free range feasting
On anything, eat my dollar fries and I won't apologize
I'm tryna economize and I ain't tryna do the work

I could go to community college
Stay my ass out of debt
Be hellbent on pursuing knowledge
Do me some fellowships and find a route that don't cost so much
But I need the best four years now, even if all four suck

Ayo, it's complicated
I could learn about your peoples' history and
about all the rights that were confiscated from you
I could understand my privilege, consider it daily
But, see, I won't,
because that would so require me to face these insecurities

And I don't want to man, it's work to me
I'm tryna chill
What is this? Surgery?
Homie, pass the blunt

See, I could smoke less
But then I'd think more
And I ain't hopeless
I just think you're

A little immature if you think I could make a change
I'm just tryna make some change, homie, I ain't tryna do the work
I'll make a Facebook status when I want to be heard
I ain't do the research to back it up, ain't no goofy nerd here

I could be kind to folks, I could volunteer
I could block out time each week
To contribute to all the neighborhoods that I live near
But I ain't tryna do the work
I'm just tryna party, dab, milly rock, and do the jerk

I could move to a city, contribute to culture
But I ain't tryna do the work, ain't tryna get to know you
Rather vulture what I want and drive the prices up
Thank God they put these high-rises
up because I ain't tryna do the work

And police brutality's wack
But I don't got time for a protest, Sons of Anarchy's back
And I'm tryna watch it
To stand up to my white friends on topics
And try to reframe their optics but I don't want to do the work

It's hard
It's taxing
Searching for the facts and retracting the past
And accept that I'm walking on the backs
of mad people who laid the tracks for me

I'd rather have a brew
And do all the things that I want to do
Who the fuck are you to tell me otherwise?
I'm not a bad man, don't make me feel this way

I ain't ask for this
I don't want to do the work
But don't call me passive, shit
I could fight but my ambition a pacifist

I could respect women
I could assess her soul first and that ass second
Ask questions, I ain't tryna do the work though
I could appreciate her strength instead
of letting it make me feel weak and inhumane

I ain't tryna do the work
Homie, I got pain too
I was raised a certain way too,
I'm ashamed too, I know deep down that I was gave too much
But if I admit it, then I don't know how to face you

So I don't want to do the work
I protect my own feelings and I watch you get hurt
Because there's nothing I could do
There's nothing I could do, that I could have
But there's just so much I could lose, lose