Brand Nubian
Concerto in X Minor
[Sadat X doing Ed Sullivan impression]
Well ahh, good evening my Nubian brothers and sisters, ahh
Tonight we got a REALLY big show, ahh, really big show, ahh
Con-duc-ting his Concerto in X Minor
We have the brother, Derek X
Ahh, his theme tonight will be on racism in a New Yawrk backdrop
Brother Derek X..

[Intro: Sadat X]
Ah, yes, yes, yes, thank you, thank you, thank you and all of that
Yo, before I get this wreck, I wanna give a STRONG shout
To all the positive brothers and sisters that's out there
And I just wanna let y'all know who I came down here with
I slid in here with Lord J and Alamo with the A
And I came to get wreck, like THIS!!

[Verse 1]
I'm kinda blessed so I wrote this manifesto for life
Co-signed by the others with a knife
(*Alamo cuts and scratches "Brand Nubian!"*)
On the real tip, let's take a field trip from the ghetto
You pick the time and we'll meet in the meadow
To discuss racial issues and tension
New York's a powder keg, did I forget to mention?
(*Alamo cuts and scratches "New York, New York"*)
Now, case in point, y'all remember that Brooklyn Bridge joint
When things got wild and wooly?
Yeah, that day the Feds played the role of the bully
"Up against the car!"
"Yo, I ain't even do nuttin' man"
"Aiyyo shut up or you get smacked!"
"Yo, why you pushin' me why you hittin' me man?"

Now, Huey Newton was slain
And we all felt the pain of Yusef Hawkins
And they was mad but we was squakin'
They tried to show a false compassion
Yet, at the rally, they tried to bash in our brains
Further addin' to the bloodstains
I was mad at this news and so was my brothers
And I wanted to get violent but I'm a lover of black mothers
And black mothers need sons
Not children that's been killed by guns..
It's, just a-nother form of slavery, a modern day lynchin'
The others get the word, the black man feels the tension
Inside, not out to hide, just provides us all the answer
I will stop racial injustice if I get the chance to!

(*Alamo cuts and scratches "When the revolution comes"*)

[Verse 2]
Now, the civilized man's main goal is to teach
And I try to achieve this with verbal outreach
In my community, and all outlayin' counties
Spread the message of good with my Now Rule mighty
Step up to the right, dispense and be known
Remember what I said is to teach your own
At home first, and as we disperse
I sparks your head like a cloudburst
Y'all don't stop, y'all don't quit
Derek X, I'm guaranteed to be the ultimate
(Brother Derek X) I kicks the flavor!
So bust that, I drop the stack from my almanac
It's all truth so it's got to be a shown fact
So keep on, this is the dawn of the Capricorn Turtle
A rhyme that I kick is stored daily in my journal
Or my diary, when speakin' on the black man, I gets fiery

The record's in the record store, category's black war
Best you ever saw and it comes in a three or a four pack
In a month or two, I'll be back
To confer with you on both of my works
In my contract, I get crazy perks from Elektra
See me kick this rhyme and I covered the whole spectrum
This is the final verse, grand finale in Crescendo
Message substance of the X cannot be thrown out the window
Unseen, lean two years past the teen
Never use makeup, got a natural sheen
It's like that, y'all, let's have a ball
I'm Derek X, about six feet tall

[Outro]
Yeah, and as I stop this wreck for one sec
I wanna give a shout to the Grand Puba
Also to Clark Kent, Marley Marl
(I understand that time is runnin' out)
Pete Rock from the Vernon
I wanna give a shout to Mike P in the Cherokee also in Tucson
(I understand that time is runnin' out)
Rich with the Cabriolet
I wanna give a shout to all the Gods in Now Rule
(Understand that time is runnin' out)
Melachi, Sincere and my man True Born
I wanna give a shout to Big Bob (Time is runnin' out)
Scooby Real and the whole Mob from the Stallion Mark the Spark
And I'm outta here
(*Alamo cuts "Runnin' out"*)