Talib Kweli - Children's Story lyrics

[Child #1] ...and then Jackie Chan just started kickin em Like POW! POW! POW! [Child #2] Whaaaaa??! [Mos Def] Alright y'all, alright y'all enough of that It's time to go to bed y'all Time to go to bed -- I don't wanna hear that You know what time it is, you know what time it is [Children] Uncle Mos? [Mos Def] Yeeesss? [Children] Would you read us a bedtime story please? [Mos Def] Okay, okay. Ya'll tucked in? [Children] Yeessss... [Mos Def] Heeeere we go... Once upon a time not long ago When people wore Adidas and lived life slow When laws were stern and justice stood And people was behaving like hip-hop was good There lived a little boy who was misled By a little Sha-tan and this is what he said "Me and you kid we gonna make some cash Jacking old beats and making the dash..." They jacked the beats, money came with ease But son, he couldn't stop, it's like he had a disease He jacked another and another, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder Set some R & B over the track for "Deep Cover" (187!) The kid got wild, started acting erratic He said "Yo, that presidential I got to have it..." With liquor in his belly son, he made up the track But little did he know that his joints was wack The shiny A & R said "Great new hit, G!" "Whenever you need a loop, yo come get me..." The kid got amped and he starts to figure "I'mma get dough like all of these other n***as!" So, he's in the studio working round the clock For pop radio, jacked the beat to 'Planet Rock' Was out in the street when he met this sister Who couldn't sing for shhhh but the mix would a**ist her Hooked up the track and in excitation He decided he'd head for the radio station But (What?) he was running and he made a left Was skeezing at top speed and ran into Mos Def I slowed the young man down and I started: "Yo money Yo, why you selling lies to our wives and children?" He ran upstairs up to the top floor Opened up the door then guess who he saw? (Who?) Jane the chickenhead radio host Who be yapping 'bout beef between east and west coast He said "This one's a bullet, you got to give it run!" The chicken said "Thanks" and spanked it #1 He went outside, was getting props all over Then he dipped into his ride, the 4-point Rover Raced up the block doing 83 Some cats with Hennessey saw him at a R-E-D He winked his eye like his star status mattered They rat-a-tat-tatted to make his blood splatter "You rocking crazy ice and all you do is cling static And rolling out in Brooklyn late night is problematic..." His eyes was bloody red, he hung on every word they said They told the kid "Back down, that player sh** is dead." Deep in his heart, he knew he was gone But he grabbed his .45 and decide to blaze on With shades on founded had him astounded and Before long the young man got surrounded Those grabbed the guns, so goes the glory And this is the way I got to end this story He was out chasing cream and the American dream Trying to pretend the ends justify the means This ain't funny so don't you dare laugh It's just what comes to pa** when you sell your a** Life is more than what your hands can grasp Good night! [Outro] (kids talking) Knock 'em out the box Mos, knock 'em out Mos Knock 'em out the box Mos, knock 'em out Mos (3x) Knock 'em out... A-nother...Mos Def...Black Star MOVEMENT... Presentation... CRUUUMBS!