[Verse 1]
It's a true story 'bout two homies called "them"
Any two'll do, call 'em "him" and "him"
One from the ghetto, the other from the 'burbs
First is a rebel, the other is a nerd
In a two parent household, Moms and Pops
They so well off, sellin' bonds and stocks
But fell off 'cause he don't bond with Pops
And not comfortable with Moms a lot, that's the nerd
Compared to the rebel on the hood plantation
The pimps and the macks and the gang bangers laced him
Moms straight smokin', Pops is MIA
The chance for advancement for him ain't great
Both from two different worlds, but they both the same
Both idolize hip-hop style and slang
Both thinkin' manhood is defined by thangs
Emphasized in the raps we sang, shit, but we'll see

[Chorus]
It's the war dance, this the way it usually start
It's the war dance, everybody playin' a part
It's the war dance, maintain, gotta stay hard
It's that bang bang boogie, bang bang the boogie-oogie
It's the war dance, got 'em all caught in the game
It's the war dance, don't matter what you reppin' or claim
It's the war dance, we all die one and the same
From the bang bang boogie, bang bang the boogie-oogie
[Verse 2]
Repetitive negativity combined
With music can afflict and affect the mind
Rap lies take lives to the pen with rhymes
Thinkin' prison finna get 'em they stripes, look here
This time, let me tell you just how the crime went
Rebel met nerd on some down to die shit
The nerd met rebel, found a cat to ride with
Now they outside the store lookin' in
One come from bad circumstance, never had a family
One did, but felt they didn't understand him
Young kids doin' what society demanded
Companies that owned jails and music planned it
Nerd brandished the gun, seen the money, grabbed it
Rebel waited for him in the car, music blastin'
Cashier shot, then cops, and they captured
Both hit the pen laughin', "This is blackness"

[Chorus]
It's the war dance, this the way it usually start
It's the war dance, everybody playin' a part
It's the war dance, maintain, gotta stay hard
It's that bang bang boogie, bang bang the boogie-oogie
It's the war dance, got 'em all caught in the game
It's the war dance, don't matter what you reppin' or claim
It's the war dance, we all die one and the same
From the bang bang boogie, bang bang the boogie-oogie
[Verse 3]
The first night, Big Homie said he want his ass licked
Nerd said "No," so he got his ass kicked
The rebel got his ass kicked and his ass split
It wasn't no more laughin' and shit
Two black men, brainwashed from the start
Never knew back then, these corporations play the part
To pursue black men for slave labor on the yard
Rhyme stars lead 'em to a life behind bars, follow
The countries that own companies and trade publicly
Invest in the music companies and praise thuggery
The money from the thuggery, they put it into jails
Just for criminal, young black males
All from the sound, penitentiary bound
While the sheep just follow 'em and swallow it down
Either working for the system, or we dead in the ground
Even with a new n***a in town, it's the