Uhh [Nas] Yo, you believe when they say we ain't sh**, we can't grow? All we are is dope dealers, and gangstas and hoes? And you believe when they be tellin you lie, all on the media? They make the world look crazy to keep you inside? Why you listen when the teachers at school know you a young single parent out strugglin, they think you a fool Give your kids bad grades and put 'em in dumber cla**es k**in shorty future, I wonder how do we last it Underground in they casket? Ancestors turnin I'm learnin somethin every day, there is no Lazareth Words like God is Greek or Latin So if you study Egypt, you'll see the truth written by the masters My n***az is chillin, gettin high, relaxin Envisionin, ownin sh**, yo it can happen What do we own? Not enough land, not enough homes Not enough banks, to give a brother a loan What do we own? The skin on our backs, we run and we ask for reperations, then they hit us with tax And insurance if we live to be old, what about now? So stop bein controlled, we black zombies [Chorus: (sung)] Walkin talkin dead, though we think we're livin (black zombies) We just copy-cat, followin the system (black zombies) Walkin talkin dead, though we think we're livin (black zombies) We just copy-cat, followin the system (black zombies) [Nas] Aiyyo we trapped in our own brain, f** behind bars We've already gone insane They've already gave up, cut our own heads offs Stab our own backs and dream too much without fulfillin reality; too greedy and can't have one or two chains, we need three of dem Can't have one or two guns without squeezin 'em on our own people and, f** black leaders cause whites ain't got none leadin them, the rhythm is cosmic Nas is divinity, the deity's prophetless All get down and get up Victims walkin 'round with Down's Syndrome, all stuck Faintin, shoutin, catchin Holy Ghost in church Scared to do it for ourselves 'less we see somebody doin it first We begged, we prayed, petitioned and demostrated Just to make another generation - black zombies [Chorus] [Nas] You scared to be yourself, cause you in a trance Feel free, hear the music and dance If you cared what they think, why wear what they wear, just for you Dumb n***az with long beards like they Arabs or Jews or from Israel, (?)bish'meal Allah, el-rachman, el-Rahim (?) Islam's a beautiful thing And Christian and Rastafari, helps us to bring peace against the darkness, which is unGodly So what's the black man's true religion, who should we follow? Use your own intuition, you are tommorrow [roaring] .. that's the sound of the beast I'm a Columbia record slave, so get paid Control your own destiny, you are a genius Don't let it happen to you like it did to me, I was a black zombie [Chorus] [Nas] Wake up! Black zombies in a spell for more than fo'-hundred years Ghetto n***az won't have it no mo', can I get a witness? Why listen to somebody else tell you how to do it when you can do it yourself; it's all in you, do it, do it Do it n***az..