Pickup

Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain
Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain


Verse 1

Young boy I’m leaving home (all alone)
On the rez I grew up unknown (with my stone)
The world said I couldn’t be king (they disown)
But in the city I can see a throne
Feeling like/ the king of the dammed in a kingdom of sand
Building castles as my freedom expand
Just to watch them fall down as the tides roll in
I’ve never seen a storm come with idle wind
And so I’m Idle No More rap the plight of the poor
Cuz educated warriors are vital to war
And we battling oppression/ got me stressing
Wondering if I’ll ever learn my lesson
Cuz I can’t let me people go (oh no)
And I can’t let my weakness show (You’ll never know)
Even when I’m hopeless and I pitiful
I keep going knowing that I’m AB Original

Chorus A

I got this AB Original soul/ I got this AB Original flow
I got this pain that I can’t shake/ ties to my people I can’t break
Got this history in my blood/ got my tribe that shows me love
So when I rise/ you rise/ come on let’s rise like

Verse 2

It’s been months since I’ve seen a Native/ It’s messing with my creative/Approach/ It’s got me jaded/ isolated
No one understands me like my people/ these white kids don’t know my struggle
I ain’t equal in their eyes and their intolerance brings me troubles/ I’m not/
Their noble savage/ doing damage/ to their perception of who I am
Self-destruct when I self-construct my own plan/ of my identity/ from their affinity
To raping culture/ they rape the land/ shame an NDN just to save the man
But this NDN never dies/ dies dies dies/ RISE

Chorus A

I got this AB Original soul/ I got this AB Original flow
I got this pain that I can’t shake/ ties to my people I can’t break
Got this history in my blood/ got my tribe that shows me love
So when I rise/ you rise/ come on let’s rise like

Transition bridge

I got those reservation blues
Reservation blues
I got those reservation blues
Reservation blues
I got those reservation blues
Reservation blues

Pickup

Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain
Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain

Verse 3

It’s 2013 and our chiefs are all shot/ digital blankets give spiritual smallpox
Certain revelations arise and my path becomes as clear as reservation skies/and I/
Could use a little hope sometimes cuz I was dead broke when I wrote this rhyme
So faith in myself is what I supposed to find
Play cultural red rover and I broke the line
I blew right past it/ raps spew like acid
Mind of an activist Lakota Sioux assassin
Who mastered Hip Hop to fight his battles
Saddle up this beat and let my rhymes unravel (yeah)
(Hoka) Call your cavalry because I leave stereotypes as casualties (yeah)
(Hoka) Better call your cavalry because I leave all your doubts as casualties

Bridge

I don’t see no reservations now/ I’m trying to get up out of here
I don’t need somebody to tell me how/ I’m supposed to live my life in fear

Chorus B

These borders can’t hold me back (Heca) Can’t hold me back
These borders can’t hold me back (Heca) can’t hold me back

Pickup 2

If you a red man/ you a dead man
“Better off on the rez” what they said man
“You a mascot/ Just a ghost now
Just a thing that I wear up on my clothes now”

Pickup

Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain
Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain

Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain
Look at all around look around at the whole thing
If your skin is brown then you’re down for the old pain