Joy

[Intro: Talib Kweli]

Woo, yeah

On top of the world

Yeah, that's how my seeds got me feelin' right now

On top of the world

Yeah, you ever felt like you could do anything? (Yeah)

On top of the world

Amani Fela, Diani Eshe, I'ma hold y'all down for real (Got you)

[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]

It was 1996, 4th of July, looking off in the sky

Dealing with thoughts inside, when something caught my eye

It was a silhouette of a beautiful woman, bright with life

Carrying my first seed, looking like she gone bear fruit tonight

We at the African street festival, and she walking around

Talking about the midwife, said that bring the baby down

I'm about to be a father, the sights and sounds seem brighter around me

And for starters, I know I'ma work harder, word

We got home at three in the morning, I was beat

Them contractions started coming as soon as I fell asleep

3:05, like every five minutes, then the water broke

We ought to go, yelling at the cabbie, 'cause he's sort of slow

You know them hospitals all trying to get paid, no questions

Here come the doctor's with they drugs, trying to do c-sections

But my baby stays strong, in labor for yay long

Eight-pound baby boy, to carry my name on, joy

[Chorus: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]

Huh, yeah, I know how you feel

Kweli I know how you feel (That's the sound of joy)

See, my brother, I know how you feel

Kweli, I know how you feel (That's the sound of joy)

See, when you have a seed come in the world

Say, dog, that shit's real (That's the sound of joy, y'all)

Huh, Kweli, yo, I know how you feel

Kweli, yo, I know how you feel (My baby girl)

[Verse 2: Talib Kweli & Mos Def]

June 10th, 1999, I been on the grind

Since the birth of my son, it's been about way more then rhymes

Baby on the way, my lady glowing today

At least that's what the midwife said on the phone, anyway

The music got me going away like every day

But it's a blessing, so I gotta have patience (True)

And she got pregnant on a Jamaican vacation

So it's all good, this time we'll have the baby in the house

I went the hospital route, I know what they all about (Never again)

So I'm out on tour in Baltimore

Get the call around four when the water hit the floor (Damn)

I gotta rock my show, but I gotta go

Got second thoughts about her not going, to the hospital

I left the show early, Mos held me down, good looking (No doubt)

Call the car service like, "Take me straight to Brooklyn" (Uh-huh)

Got the news in the car, stayed sorta calm

But I cried tears of joy, when they put my daughter in my arms, how precious!

[Chorus: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]

Uh, uh, said I know how you feel

Uh, said I know how you feel when— (My precious joy)

Uh, uh, uh, said I know how you feel

Uh, Kwel, I know how you feel (Uh, I know you do, uh, my precious joy, y'all)

Said I know how you feel (Yeah)

Said I know how you feel (My precious joy)

Let me know how you feel (Uh)

Said I know how you feel

[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]

I do it for the seeds y'all, in they formative years when they need y'all

We gotta believe in what we conceive, y'all, it's deep, y'all

I give them the truth, so they approach the situation with ammunition

I keep nothing away, they hear everything 'cause they know how to listen

Teach 'em the game so they know they position

So they can grow and make decisions that change the world and break old tradition

They put kids in jail for a life they ain't even get to start

That's murder too, and it's breaking my heart, it's breaking our nation apart

We gave the youth all the anger, it's just

We ain't taught them how to express it and so it's dangerous

You can't talk to 'em unless your language is relating to what they going through

So busy ignoring 'em, you can't see what they showing you

And you wonder why we called baby daddies and baby mamas

When we grow up, we can't act like adult mothers and fathers, yo

I'm so blessed to have a boy and a girl

Every day they bring joy to my world

[Chorus: Mos Def & Talib Kweli]

Huh, yeah, I know how you feel

Kweli I know how you feel (It's the sound of joy)

My brother Kwel, I know how you feel

Brother Kwel, I know how you feel (Baby girl, my precious joy)

Kweli, I know how you feel

Said, Kwel, I know how you feel (Fela, you my joy, yo)

Huh, and if you know how it really feel

Let 'em know, they know how you— yo (Yo)

[Outro: Talib Kweli]

I do it for the seeds, y'all, uh, uh, yeah, hahaha

I do it for the seeds, y'all, yeah, uh, yeah

I do it for the seeds, y'all, yeah, uh, yeah

I do it for the seeds, y'all, yeah

Fela

Yeah