GPulled into the parking lot (parked it)
DZipped up my parka
EmJoined the procession of marchers
CIn my head like, "Is this awkward, should I even be here marching?"
GThinking if they can't, how can I breathe?
DThinking that they chant, what do I sing?
EmI want to take a stance cause we are not free
CAnd then I thought about it, we are not we
GAm I in the outside lookin' in, or am I in the inside looking out?
DIs it my place to give my two cents
EmOr should I stand on the side and shut my mouth for justice? No peace
COkay, I'm saying that they're chanting out,
"Black lives matter", but I don't say it back
GIs it okay for me to say? I don't know, so I watch and stand
DIn front of a line of police that look the same as me
EmOnly separated by a badge, a baton, a can of Mace, a mask
CA shield, a gun with gloves and hands that gives an alibi
GIn case somebody dies behind a Dbullet that flies out of the nine
EmTakes another child's life on Csight
GBlood in the streets, no justice, no peace
DNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're free
EmThere's blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
CNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're free
GBlood in the streets, no justice, no peace
DNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're free
EmThere's blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
CNo racist beliefs, no rest 'til we're free
(Ben, think about it)
GYou've exploited and stolen the music, the moment
DThe magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy with
EmThe culture was never yours to make better
CYou're Miley, you're Elvis, you're Iggy Azalea
GFake and so plastic, you've heisted the magic
DYou've taken the drums and the accent you rapped in
EmYou're branded "hip-hop", it's so fascist and backwards
CThat Grandmaster Flash'd go slap it, you b******
GAll the money that you made
DAll the watered down pop bulls*** version of the culture, pal
EmGo buy a big-ass lawn, go with your big-ass house
CGet a big-ass fence, keep people out
GIt's all stubborn, anyway, can't you see that now?
DThere's no way for you to even that out
EmYou can join the march, protest, scream and shout
CGet on Twitter, hashtag and seem like you're down
GBut they see through it all, people believe you now
DYou said publicly, "Rest in peace, Mike Brown"
EmYou speak about equality, but do you really mean it?
CAre you marching for freedom, or when it's convenient?
GWant people to like you, want to be accepted
DThat's probably why you are out here protesting
EmDon't think for a second you don't have incentive
CIs this about you, well, then what's your intention?
What's the intention? What's the intention?
GPsst, I totally get it, you're by yourself
DAnd the last thing you want to do is take a picture
EmBut seriously, my little girl loves you
CShe's always singing, "I'm gonna pop some tags"
GI'm not kidding, my oldest, you even got him to go thrifting
DAnd "One Love", oh, my God, that song – brilliant
EmTheir aunt is gay, when that song came out
CMy son told his whole class he was actually proud
GThat's so cool, look what you're accomplishing
DEven an old mom like me likes it cause it's positive
EmYou're the only hip-hop that I let my kids listen to
CCause you get it, all that negative stuff isn't cool
GYeah, like all the guns and the drugs
DThe b****** and the hoes and the gangs and the thugs
EmEven the protest outside – so sad and so dumb
CIf a cop pulls you over, it's your fault if you run
Huh?
GSo, they feel that the police are discriminating against the,
Dthe black people? I have an advantage? Why?
EmCause I'm white? What? Haha. No.
CPeople nowadays are just p******. Like,
Gthis is the generation to be offended by everything.
DBlack Lives Matter thing is a reason to take arms
Emup over perceived slights. I'm not prejudiced,
CI just–. 99% of the time across this country,
the police are doing their job properly
GDamn, a lot of opinions, a lot of confusion, a lot of resentment
DSome of us scared, some of us defensive and most
of us aren't even paying attention
EmIt seems like we're more concerned with being
called racist than we actually are with racism
CI've heard that silences are action and
God knows that I've been passive
GWhat if I actually read a article, actually had a dialogue
DActually looked at myself, actually got involved?
EmIf I'm aware of my privilege and do nothing at all, I don't know
CHip-hop has always been political, yes,
it's the reason why this music connects
GSo what the f*** has happened to my voice
if I stay silent when black people are dying
DThen I'm trying to be politically correct?
EmI can book a whole tour, sell out the tickets
CRap entrepreneur, built his own business
GIf I'm only in this for my own self-interest
not the culture that gave me a voice to begin with
DThen this isn't authentic, it is just a gimmick
EmThe DIY underdog, so independent
CBut the one thing the American dream fails
to mention is I was many steps ahead to begin with
GMy skin matches the hero, likeness, the image
DAmerica feels safe with my music in their systems
EmAnd it's suited me perfect, the role, I've fulfilled it
CAnd if I'm the hero, you know who gets cast as the villain
GWhite supremacy isn't just a white dude in Idaho
DWhite supremacy protects the privilege I hold
EmWhite supremacy is the soil, the foundation,
the cement and the flag that flies outside of my home
CWhite supremacy is our country's lineage,
designed for us to be indifferent
GMy success is the product of the same system
that let off Darren Wilson guilty
DWe want to dress like, walk like, talk like,
dance like, yet we just stand by
EmWe take all we want from black culture,
but will we show up for black lives?
CWe want to dress like, walk like, talk like,
Gdance like, yet we just stand by
DWe take all we want from black culture,
Embut will we show up for black Clives?
GBlack Lives Matter, to use an analogy,
Dis like if there was a subdivision and a house was on fire.
EmThe fire department wouldn't show up and start
Cputting water on all the houses because all houses matter.
GThey would show up and they would turn their water
Don the house that is burning because that's
Emthe house that needs it the most.
CMy generation has taken on the torch of a
Gvery age-old fight for black liberation,
Dbut also liberation for anyone, and injustice
Emanywhere is still injustice everywhere.
CThe best thing white people can do is talk to each other.
GAnd having those very difficult, very painful conversations
Dwith your parents, with your family members.
EmI think one of the critical questions for white people
Cin this society is what are you willing to risk,
what are you willing to sacrifice to create a more just society?
GYour silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
DYour silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
EmYour silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
CYour silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
GWhat I got for me, it is for me
DWhy we may, we may to set us free
EmWhat I got for me, it is for me
CWhy we may, we may to set us free
GWhat I got for me, Dit is for me
EmWhy we may, we may to set us Cfree
