America
[Verse 1]
It's the best of times
It's the worst of times
And for the first time
A lot of blacks first in line
We emerged though they told us we was too far behind
We reversed what they schooled us on by using our minds
Hey -- we on the come up
Yeah we making moves
Took a while to get our forty acres and a mule
A lot of people winning
Wanna move up out the hood
So a couple of us feeling
Like we all be living good
Nah it's still a big gap
For the poor and rich cats
Ain't enough changed
Since the days when they whipped blacks
We got a middle class
And that's a big deal
We can't forget our past though
I gotta keep it real
You at the office rocking locs they investigate
If a cop spot you on the block then he instigate
When you want to get a job send your resume
Boss spot Lakisha at the top now he hesitate
[Chorus]
Got your hoodie on
They want to stare at ya
They think you fully armed
Black in America
I want to turn my whole back on America
They make it hard to be black
It's empirical (x2)
[Verse 2]
Black kids guilty 'til a jury find 'em innocent
That is clearly why some children get so militant
School be feelin' like a world war death camp
Students staying in they homes a la Anne Frank
Textbooks older than the teachers at the school
But the checks ain't coming when that features in the news
They talk about the drugs
And the crimes every day
Not the blood left behind
When they came and they raped us
Fought back they would beat a n***a's lights out
Never thought blacks could be living in the white house
Yet the right's so unkind to our president
They remind me that I'm not a resident
We survived genocide we a testament
To the pride of who lies in the sediment
So I remain too aware of all my melanin
Cuz Uncle Sam don't really care that I'm a relative
[Chorus]
Got your hoodie on
They want to stare at ya
They think you fully armed
Black in America
I want to turn my whole back on America
They make it hard to be black
It's empirical (x2)
It's the best of times
It's the worst of times
And for the first time
A lot of blacks first in line
We emerged though they told us we was too far behind
We reversed what they schooled us on by using our minds
Hey -- we on the come up
Yeah we making moves
Took a while to get our forty acres and a mule
A lot of people winning
Wanna move up out the hood
So a couple of us feeling
Like we all be living good
Nah it's still a big gap
For the poor and rich cats
Ain't enough changed
Since the days when they whipped blacks
We got a middle class
And that's a big deal
We can't forget our past though
I gotta keep it real
You at the office rocking locs they investigate
If a cop spot you on the block then he instigate
When you want to get a job send your resume
Boss spot Lakisha at the top now he hesitate
[Chorus]
Got your hoodie on
They want to stare at ya
They think you fully armed
Black in America
I want to turn my whole back on America
They make it hard to be black
It's empirical (x2)
[Verse 2]
Black kids guilty 'til a jury find 'em innocent
That is clearly why some children get so militant
School be feelin' like a world war death camp
Students staying in they homes a la Anne Frank
Textbooks older than the teachers at the school
But the checks ain't coming when that features in the news
They talk about the drugs
And the crimes every day
Not the blood left behind
When they came and they raped us
Fought back they would beat a n***a's lights out
Never thought blacks could be living in the white house
Yet the right's so unkind to our president
They remind me that I'm not a resident
We survived genocide we a testament
To the pride of who lies in the sediment
So I remain too aware of all my melanin
Cuz Uncle Sam don't really care that I'm a relative
[Chorus]
Got your hoodie on
They want to stare at ya
They think you fully armed
Black in America
I want to turn my whole back on America
They make it hard to be black
It's empirical (x2)