[Verse 1: Ransom]
I could have been a great man
But, look, it was me who stood in the way of that
I was taken aback by the things that God wasn't taking back
I prayed for that, don't gamble with life and shoot to an ace in crap
I'm surrounded by niggas who dream when it's only safe to nap
Stay relaxed, breathe through your nose, Reaper with flows
Call him Duffle 'cause you know it means death when D is composed
What you hustle? Them people's agenda free of a gender
Fuck your muscles, masculinity's toxic 'cause we surrendered
See the splendor? The death of the black man, we remember
Teach the members of your church who you worship in each December
See my temper? I got this from Daddy Dearest, he had the clearest
Visions of what's going on now thought we was glad to hear it
Had to bear with him and his fellas he often had a beer with
Ironic you driving that Ghost, although you lack the spirit
False prophets talking that nigga life, pay the biggest price
Claim to walk on water but now you skate on the thinnest ice
It's a vice, addicted to algorithms and Twitter gripes
That bitter life you bragging but never lived you a better life
Shiver knife, I'm sorry, that's only reserved for prison types
I fought for crumbs on that cake 'cause they wouldn't give a slice
Yeah, why would you play the homie?
I ain't wanna give your heart five for changing up faces on me
Take a moment, I don't think they ready for 'em
Blessings never come whenever the fuck you want
They come when you ready form
[Chorus: Ransom]
Here's a toast to the truly gifted
We smiling when you say that you got it
We knew you missed it, hypnotic, the music mystic
Deliver scriptures, consider drifters 'cause we too defiant
Remember giants can't listen to midgets whisper
Already heard your story
When caught between a heaven or hell, it's a purgatory
My people deserve the glory
From indigenous tribes to the block where niggas get high
We survive, playing Stevie, he put that ribbon in sky
He ain't lie
[Verse 2: Talib Kweli]
It be snitches they build the case with
Everybody pull out phones just to tape with, shit is flagrant
Day shift, niggas be calling cops on they neighbors
If it bleed then it lead, they just trying to make the papers
The faithful, beg for a chance to expose the faithless
Niggas trying to get extra stripes, like some K-Swiss
My name is my name, fame is nothing but a vapor
Can you feel it? Nothing can save
Playing with that snow like you Thumper
Get you shot like you Bambi's mother
If you want peace without justice you probably can't be trusted
Scheming like some demons or call him Birdman
How their hands be rubbing
Yelling free the lands, since Peter Pan was Sandy Duncan
I've been through many things and never ran from nothing
You'll fall for anything if you don't stand for something
Javodee family, the canopy I'm standing under
Candy covered niggas be scrambling when my mans be dumping
Uh, steel imported from Mumbai
On the tracks of their tears, the drums provided by gunfire
Niggas swear to God that they tough guys
But really they tongue-tied, this is rare air, it's harder to come by
It's high-tech like Common when he was rocking that Sun God
Tomato head niggas get sun-dried
They washed up, squad up
My flow is magnetic, follow the gunpowder
They turn it towards the light like a sunflower
[Verse 3: Raina Simone]
A black woman in America
They took my lips, hips, kids and still I ain't scared of ya
Don't take me out of character, no boxing, I ain't fair enough
They shots to your quad real lateral, call that squaring up
The daughter of Oshun, I learned my life too soon
They miss me like I'm married, I ain't never jumped a broom
I swept some shit under the rug 'cause I be tryna play it cool
But if that shit come out from under, pull the rug from under you
I keep a small circle, period, they algebraic theory is
We act up, we act some life serious, man ain't no fear in this
Generation of offspring of Ronald Reagan experiments
Was rounding good bricks like Legos, shout my Nigerians
Failed math but know how many ace in a QP
They calculate the profit up out of the box when selling loosies
This genius abandoned by the property taxes
More money towards jail than filling our backpacks
Ain't no books up in our classes
Now I ball like a socket, vision clearer these days
They glasses done healed the pain
Now addiction won't go away
And all these purgatory thoughts
We're sinning, tryna make a way
Ain't no thief but gotta eat, I got a lot up on my plate
And still after all the meals that shit get scary when I think
The things we do for the money when we go that we can't take
When pigs fly, I'ma stop, a swine flu ain't make me ache
I had the power for it show you what this Nets worth like I'm Blake
[Chorus: Ransom]
Here's a toast to the truly gifted
We smiling when you say that you got it
We knew you missed it, hypnotic, the music mystic
Deliver scriptures, consider drifters 'cause we too defiant
Remember giants can't listen to midgets whisper
Already heard your story
When caught between a heaven or hell, it's a purgatory
My people deserve the glory
From indigenous tribes to the block where niggas get high
We survive, playing Stevie he put that ribbon in sky
He ain't lie
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