The Last Poets - The Corner (Remix) lyrics

[Produced By: Kanye West] [Verse 1: Common] I open my eyes, the corner's like African tribes The blackest of thighs, a blackened surprise where pa**ion arise The youth fantasize of gra** and cash in they eyes A youth dies, and momma's asking rationalize Trying to build a spot where ghetto ba*tards can rise The ghetto's been ba*tardized by those that capitalize Wonder if it's a plan that the master devised To bring his people to a land where blacks are despised To act you lie scriptures, the rich are getting richer The young are becoming thicker, summers becoming winter Hard times, hard liquor link cards and God figures It's moments that completes us to piece us with scar n***as The corners I picture in motion it stars n***as Emotions of those that be smoking like Todd Bridges These are our bridges, from nothing to something That's why on every city block, you hear them pumping The corner [Hook: Kanye West] I wish I could give you this feeling I wish I could give this feeling On the corners n***as rob or k** And dying just to make a living, huh? [Spoken Word: The Last Poets] We overstated, we underrated, we educated The corner was our time when time stood still and Gators and snakeskins in Yellow and pink and collared blue Profiles glorifying them [Verse 2: Scarface] On the corner, birth place of various dreams The ending of the beginning, the scariest thing As we survive here to die here, whatever we seen We accept it, live with it, or better the scheme On the corner, the backdrop for hustling crack rock The spot where the [?] stops to issue the pack [?] There's money on the corner you'd be stupid to pa** up Remember there's a code and if it's broken we blast ya There's Crips on the corner, Bloods on the corner GDs and vice lords so there's thugs on the corner There's children having fun so there's love on the corner OGs with triple beams holding d** on the corner There's cops on the corner, dope fiends that walk around in they socks is on the corner But I love 'em, so I'm on 'em It's life on the corner, d**h on the corner We fight until our very last breath on the corner Corner [Hook] [Spoken Word: The Last Poets] The corner was our magic, our music, our politics Fires raised as tribal dances and war cries Broke out on different corners Power to the people Black power Black is beautiful [Verse 3: Yasiin Bey] (The corner man!) C-O-R-N-E-R My n***a, it's the corner, every city block [?] It's simple math, something jumping off on all them The church, the chicken shack, the liquor store, the dope house The [?], the nail salon, the barber shop, the courthouse The young are blowing their smoke out, he high five They're 'bout it 'bout it, no power outage for live wires The block wild and shots fired from hot eyes A cold world full of hot summers and loud sirens The 'caine slangers and gang bangers and lane changers Elders anxiety prone, them rigid teenagers They're whispering, "Man, you can't change in the streets [?]" They on the block like they ain't neighbors, they're straight strangers Grandmama hit me with 3 words: "Son, keep praying" This shorty hit me with 3 more, "Son, keep blazing" They're both deep statements, from two unique places Real forever real, I just love to hear the streets saying Corner [Hook] [Spoken Word: The Last Poets] The corner was our Rock of Gibraltar, our Stonehenge Our Taj Mahal, our monument Our testimonial to freedom, to peace, and to love Down on the corner