Talib Kweli - Rise Up lyrics

[Verse 1: Jon Connor] Look where we headed, n***as want baby mamas instead of weddings They holler "she crazy" - you knew that before you got her pregnant Visualize the dream of Malcolm and Martin opposite We all God's children, making the devil's adoption list Free will keep overriding our common sense Born with a conscience, but over time we buildin' up a tolerance Immunity to scrutiny, that's just how the world turn And Alfred taught me some people just want to watch the world burn Ashes to ashes after flashes of decisions made The world disintegrates, as shallowness takes center stage As I pen this page, some would say that I'm a renegade Cleanin' out my closet, I'm just man enough to renovate Seduction or corruption'll have us all f**ed Before we all stuck, see the light before we awestruck Back to that baby mama, n***a, here your little boy come Lifetime to build a future, only seconds to destroy one [Hook: Jon Connor] Rise - they say my message is a weapon Say hello to Mr. AK47 Send me to the jury or the reverend Cause I'm 'bout to spray this extra clip I left in So rise, motherf**er, rise Oh, what's the point? You will die or probably commit suicide to this joint My n***a, they say my message is a weapon Say hello to Mr. AK47 [Verse 2: Jon Connor] Before they close my casket, I want my words to reach to the ma**es Before they have me in shackles sayin' I didn't pay my taxes We laughing, but what's wack is that this sh** could actually happen sh** is real life, the lights and the cameras just a distraction Spoon fed out the mob from the time we open our eyes We don't try to seek the truth, we more comfortable with the lies Like if I told you black was blue and you never knew all this time Or 1+1 was really 3, you'd go out of your f**ing mind Kids is suicidal, homicidal, wanna be famous Hopin' that the video of the trial gon' go viral How we've spiralled as a generation, not enough answers Too many questions, I close my eyes and count my blessings I'm realistic about this life, sh**, that's why I write sh** That make a n***a think twice and focus on the right sh** When happiness ain't got a price, man, that sh** is priceless But it takes some folks they whole life to recognize this, so [Hook] [Verse 3: Talib Kweli] Violence begets violence, but k**ers respect the silence Not religious, but I still pray to God and respect the science We're deaf when the kids is crying, and stare when the TEKs is firing So we the endangered species, they'd rather protect the lions In the Matrix looking for Zion, dying by the gat Is as American as the bacon that they're frying with the fat They lying, them n***as flat when they clappin' at 'em like blap Your opinion on the matter don't matter, matter of fact They be aiming it at our back cause we market it as a target Went from modern day prophets to martyrs dying for profit Went from body rockin' to molly popping n***as will probably wipe your heart Probably stop at the sight of this n***a rockin' At the supermarket shopping Trying to cop a shotgun with a debit card Listening to demagogues Who's representing Brooklyn like Decepticons This is the new Renaissance My accountant get 5% cause he respect the gods [Hook]